Becoming a Pilates Teacher Pt. 3
/
I started one year ago in the Advanced Teacher Training program at The Pilates Center. As of June 1, 2018, I graduated and became an official Pilates teacher. What I didn’t know then is that I would learn so much more than I thought possible throughout this journey to become a Pilates teacher. What took place in the last twelve months will continue to be processed for the rest of my life both personally and professionally. And there is only one way to sum it all up…grateful.
I am grateful for this journey for many reasons…
Grateful that the training program has influenced every part of my life. How I move. How I breathe. How I think. And most importantly how I can connect with others.
Grateful that Pilates has taught me to be present and focused not just when doing or teaching Pilates but in all areas of my life.
Grateful for my body, health, and mind. It is amazing what is possible when we still the mind and experience what our bodies are meant to do.
Grateful for all my mentors, colleagues, friends and family. My tribe is strong, patient, and generous.
Grateful for this rigorous training program as it has taught me new ways to think about, experience, and teach movement.
Grateful for the opportunity to teach the Pilates method and share how it can change lives.
Grateful that I want to listen more than talk. I am more interested in others and want to be there for them. There is more joy and purpose in living this way.
Grateful to help the next Pilates teacher in line. I owe so much to the Pilates professionals who have paved the way for this generation.
Grateful that there is always more to learn, to aspire to, and to become in all areas of life. I will never stop being curious or humble.
I know I don’t have all the information or as many years of experience as others. Yet I have the desire and curiosity to show up every day to do the work and be grateful for it. One of the most exciting aspects of my future is to continue collaboration with my mentors and colleagues. I love to share ideas, but I am even more interested and open to new ways of thinking. I look forward to tapping more into creativity and exploring all the Pilates method has to offer.
There were so many lessons I have learned and one that has impacted me most is to trust the work Joseph Pilates created. It takes time and commitment but just like anything that is worthwhile, Pilates can positively impact the mind, body, and spirit. This evolution of learning the exercise myself, doing it, then teaching it gave me new perspective on what the work was really meant to do. It’s not just a shape or move. It the quality of that move and what benefits the move gives us. How can we quiet the mind to bring focus and reduce tension so that the body is primed and ready? This is one of the first goals of teaching that I have for myself and my clients. To focus my students at the beginning of each lesson so that when they finish, not only is tension reduced but they have experienced being an active participant within their body. My hope for myself is to focus on this stage of the journey and be grateful that I have a solid foundation from which to grow. I will then be able to refine and enhance my teaching skills as I go.
I am blessed to be able to share my love and passion for Pilates. Now I am equipped to do it with more understanding of the exercises and most of all by serving my clients more effectively and with more compassion for their individual journey thanks to The Pilates Center's training program. None of this would have been possible without my second home, Mogo Pilates, and my Host Advisor, Victoria Mogilevsky. She has been a constant source of support and inspiration. Thank you for always being there and for being a mentor, friend, and leader. Thank you to Michelle Stutesman, TPC Licensed Teacher Trainer, and Debora Kolwey, TPC Master Teacher, for the countless lessons, advice, encouragement, and most of all the challenges that helped me grow. Each of you have left a mark and I will be forever grateful.
“A journey is the act of traveling from one place to another.”
This was the first sentence of Part One of my blog to become a Pilates Teacher. It seems fitting that now at the end of the training program I feel like I am beginning all over again. Graduating from the training program has given me a strong foundation to build on. It’s like a home to come back to throughout my journey as a teacher. So now I am excited to take the next step as a Pilates teacher to explore the method and movement further. Thank you again to all those who have continued to support me in so many ways including my mentors, teachers, friends, clients, and family. You are all a vital part of this journey.
Now it’s time to move and learn more...
