What Pilates Taught Me

As I get older, I feel less connected to traditional fitness.  It’s structured in a way to never feel good enough and I’ve always felt like I never measured up, especially as a fitness instructor.  Now in 2019 mind/body fitness is much more acceptable, but in the 90s it was not the case. Step, boot camp, cardio kickboxing, body pump... The more intense the class and the more fit the instructor looked, the more popular the class. 

I was just a regular girl wanting to feel good in my body and wanting to help others feel the same way.   I remember comparing myself to the other instructors and feeling like such an imposture. Then I found Pilates.

I dove deep into a two-year training program, craving the comprehensive learning about the body. I loved how I felt after every training.  Never depleted.  Always energized.

In traditional fitness, everything physical is measured in numbers - how fast you are, how many reps you do, how many pounds you lift, how many inches you lose.  Your value gets measured against the number you see. 

When you take my class, nothing is measured in numbers.  You are not a number.  Instead, it’s measured by how you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally.  It's about learning more about you.  And you can’t compare that feeling to anyone.

Listening to your body is a skill that takes practice.   When you truly listen to your body, you’ll push when you feel the spark to do so.  You might lift heavier weights or do a push-up on your toes.  But maybe something doesn't feel right  and you decide to do push-ups at the barre instead of the floor because the tension in your neck is bothering you; you keep your feet down for Teaser because your low back is pulling a bit and you engage more with the extra support of your feet; you do Half Roll Down instead of the full Roll Up because you feel your body grasping and using momentum instead of flowing.

Some weeks your body will say YES to 5 workouts and some weeks your body will tell you to skip a workout and go out for tea with your bestie.  Listen to that too.  It’s not laziness, it’s connection.

My favorite part of class is seeing the eyes of my students lit up with child-like joy at the end of class.  I see the internal transformation.  THAT’S what it’s about. 

There is a spot for everyone in my class.  Everyone is welcome.   It’s never about keeping up with anyone else but rather, doing what your body needs that day. By showing up to class you earned the spot and whatever you can do that day is enough.  You are enough.  I can’t say that enough.  It’s time you know that.  And I mean really know that.  Stop comparing with others.  Stop thinking about what you “should” be doing. It’s ok to do the arm series without weights, it’s ok to do a half roll back, it’s ok to hold onto the bar for balance work.

I will always be there to support your choices and help guide you to feel it deeper wherever you are at physically and mentally that day.  I will always give you modifications.  Modifying doesn’t mean weaker than, it means you’re listening to your body and standing up for what it needs. 

There is no one size fits all fitness plan.  So the next time you take a fitness class, use your instructor as a guide to help you connect, but you are your best teacher.  If it’s not what the bod wants and it’s screaming at you to stop.  Well, then stop.  Pushing through an exercise that feels excruciating is not the point.  Pushing through when you feel empowered and energized, then yes.  There is a difference between good pain and bad pain and when you start listening to your body, you will understand the difference. 

What I love is how Pilates got me to stop comparing to other instructors.  It allowed me to focus on creating deeper experiences for my students, one where we stop judging ourselves and instead savor the moments with just us and our mats.  Where time sort of stands still and we get to move to the messages our bodies are sending us.  What a gift!  That connection and relationship with your body will trickle into your daily life and you will feel superhuman.  That’s what we are anyway, right?

It’s so much more than physical. 

If you’d like to learn more about my Core Club, I’m offering two weeks free!