Becoming a Pilates Teacher

A journey is the act of traveling from one place to another. Often, people refer to their practice of Pilates as a journey. I would humbly agree to this as my body has experienced incredible changes since I first began taking classes in 2004. I was able to go deeper when I started taking more private lessons with an amazing Pilates teacher, Victoria Mogilevsky, who has a wealth of knowledge and extensive training. Together, we were able to take my body to new places as I went through a pregnancy and then post-partum. I not only felt the benefits of the physical changes during each stage but was more intrigued by what Pilates was doing for me mentally. Pilates became my time and space to vacate all else and be centered in my mind, body and spirt. The release that I felt during that hour each day is what helped me overcome anxiety and stress of becoming a mother. I would have never known that when I started over 14 years ago how important Pilates would become and how it would change my life.

My passion and curiosity continued to grow and in June 2017, I tested into the Advanced Teacher Training Program through The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO. TPC is known as one of the most rigorous classical Pilates training programs worldwide and the Advanced Teacher Training Program consists of 950 hours and takes 12-18 months to complete. It used to be that you had to move to Boulder to participate in the TPC training program but is now online and can be done remotely. I am completing my hours through Mogo Pilates which is a certified TPC Host Studio with Host Advisor and Master Teacher, Victoria Mogilevsky, and Licensed Teacher Trainer, Michelle Stutesman. I am almost half way through my hours and am preparing for preparatory exams in both performance and teaching skills. As a teacher trainee, I am being encouraged and supported by wonderful people including all of my Pilates teachers, clients, friends, and family. It is truly taking a village.

Now that my Pilates journey has taken on a new form, I am again humbled by the intense demands of this training program. I have learned so much…it is like being back in college with the exams and studying but now I have a family. Finding balance has taken on a new meaning and I am learning every day how to do this better and sharing that with my mentors, colleagues, and clients. Through it all, this program has pushed me to do things and think in such a different light. I am learning to teach…to not just make things happen for others but to encourage and guide them to realize their full potential and ultimately their full health. I am excited and ready to take on the next few months as my training continues. I didn’t know what to expect when I started, and I know I have a lot more to learn (even after the program) but I can honestly say that this journey has been a rewarding, challenging and inspiring ride so far.

Move with Mogo on Instagram!