October 31, 2018
Self Care – It All Start with You
By Gail Giovanniello
Self-care is often moved to the back burner when you lead a hectic lifestyle that creates the demand to never stop and to do it all! Without time to unwind, rest or do anything for yourself, exhaustion and a lack of self-growth will set in. Personal growth, self-discovery, work, teaching relationships and your joy will all suffer without adequate self-care.
Self-care is most effective if you make room for it every day. Isn’t it surprising how the smallest gift to yourself can feel so rewarding? Whether you take a lunch break, a walk, or a catnap, we have all experienced a feeling of calm wash over us as we take time for ourselves.
Constantly working and pushing yourself too far, will lead to a state of depletion, and will likely result in unhappiness and you will certainly end up with nothing left to teach. Instead of loving and feeding your drive to deliver at your best, it can be a steep downward slide leading to low energy and an unfulfilled lifestyle – and ultimately can be detrimental to your own health. Soon, what you love to do so much won’t feel as rewarding, and you may not even realize that it is not the work that is stale, but it is you!
Assess. How much time do you spend teaching compared to the amount of time you spend training or studying Pilates and related topics for yourself? Are you aware of how many hours may be your limit? Or your threshold to avoid impatience? Often when you focus on your work so heavily, you don’t leave yourself time to socialize. Humans are inherently social creatures, some more than others. It’s important to take time off and spend some of that time with friends or loved ones. But you can’t forget to take care of yourself! Whether that is something as simple as going for a medical checkup or getting your hair done. If there is something that makes you feel good, then invest your time into it! Without considering it, you may not realize how much you are doing for others or the business while your own health and sanity are on the line.
Schedule. If you are teaching too much and busying yourself with work demands, most likely time for yourself will feel like a real squeeze. Treat time for yourself, your body, and your mind as important as making an appointment for a client. Be your own client. Most likely, days, weeks and maybe months can pass by without any self-care practices if they are not treated like appointments. Limit appointments for others so you can make appointments for yourself. This is not selfish, lazy or a waste of time. It’s actually the opposite! Time for yourself gives you more energy, confidence, high esteem, as well as, more time and space that is worthy to share with others for work or play.
Balance. Create a balance between professional and personal relationships. If what we teach connects people to space, their bodies, and minds, wouldn’t it be accurate to lead by example? The reason you most likely fell in love with Pilates was due to how it made you feel and what it did to your body and mind. How freeing it was to dedicate an hour or two or three every week solely on your own practice and self, to move well, breathe and release the stress of a day. Self-practice must remain a priority, so those feelings can be refreshed often to inspire!
Taking care of myself has been a journey. From feeling selfish about it to focusing on the “art of doing nothing”, my journey has taken all of my life. I am fortunate to have discovered and respect my senses. Listening to elders, practicing what I preach, not boasting about myself as being a master, limiting how much I give to others and making time to discover all the things I love! I have discovered so many other things I love as much as I love to teach, share and learn! In addition to teaching and running two successful NYC studios, I road cycle, take private Pilates, dance, knit, volunteer, take in rescue dogs and nurture my personal relationships. I have been inspired by Mary Bowen’s writings in the PMA 2017 workbook and learned that at my age, this discovery is only the beginning. That at age 50, there is a shift in how the brain works and what is important in the earlier years nearly reverses. It makes my heart sing to create space in my life for all things and not just work, work, work. My mind is more free and I operate on a high level of love and efficiency.
Whatever you do, make time for you! Good luck and enjoy the journey.
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
Gail Giovanniello has a fascination for the limitless potential of movement and healing in the human body. Gail has found that Pilates is the most effective exercise for any physical level. Having previously been a professional dancer for ten years, Gail now dedicates her life to keeping other people moving and feeling good.
Gail is a fourth
generation descendent teacher of the Pilates method, training for over fifteen years with Deborah Lessen, a teaching disciple of Carola Trier. Gail also studied with Kelly Kane, founder of Core Integration
Gail promotes focus and attention to detail along with an in-depth comprehension of anatomy for movement. Her extensive background allows her to assist people with a broad range of physical concerns: post-injury rehabilitation, sports conditioning and pre-natal exercise as well as posture and overall muscle toning.
Gail is certified by the PMA® and is also the Director of Mind Your Body Pilates Teacher Training, which offers comprehensive Pilates educational training in Pre-Pilates as well as on all Pilates apparatus. Gail also holds a Level II in the GYROTONIC® Expansions system and Jump Stretch Board.
Gail offers profound and overall attention, interest, and concern for all her clients, and gives tireless care to the upkeep of her two studio locations