Pilates Starts With P!
By Allie Greene
April 25, 2018
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Warning: one of my close friends read this and said it sounded a little preachy. When I read it again, there are parts that may have that tone. I wrote this as a response to the watering down and “dumbing down” I am seeing in so many parts of our culture. Teaching should never be one of those parts. See, there is that tone again! I guess when it comes to this topic, I don’t know how to be any other way. So, I will either take you to church, be meeting you there, or you can leave at any time. I won’t be offended. Promise!
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Today’s piece of writing is brought to you by the letter “P”
Practice. Preparation. Progress. Perfection.
Pilates is about being. Always has been. That’s why Joseph Pilates wrote Return to Life. Pilates is not a class, even though it is. It’s not a workout, even though it is. It’s not about the core, even though it is. It is a “whole being” practice. It is a practice designed to help one get the most out of one’s life with the most ease while one’s whole being graces this planet. That can look like an Olympic athlete finding more hip mobility. That can look like getting to the floor with the ease of a jungle cat to play with one’s grandkids. That can look like better posture and arm extension from one’s wheelchair. That can look like decreased blood pressure. That can look like more smiling, better breathing, increased confidence, independence, positive body awareness, less brain chatter and an integrated body that sings with possibility. OK, that may have gone off the rails into infomercial land, but you get my point.
So, as a teacher, what do we practice? Why do we practice? How do we practice? There is no perfect answer! But as teachers, we should be able to answer each of these questions because these are the questions we can pose to our students. Do the what, why and how align with each other?
I am a retired professional dancer. Some may say that because of that, all this Pilates movement comes easy to me. And I say, “rubbish.” If my leg lengthening and my back extension comes with a bit more ease than someone who didn’t dance, there is a reason. I earned that leg alignment and flexibility. Through practice! And sweat and pushing myself to exhaustion and then more practice! I learned very early on in life that if I want to improve, if there is something I want, I must work for it.
Now, I may wholeheartedly believe in practice, but how I go about it these days (and how I would like my students to approach it) is quite different than my ballet training. I don’t want my students pushing through pain or exhaustion. I don’t want my students to “push” through anything. I want them to listen to their bodies. To get to know their bodies. To be with their body in practice. Through practice, they develop their technique.
Technique is not external. Technique grows from the inside. Joseph Pilates knew this. It is why Pilates is mind, body and spirit work. One definition of technique is “a way of carrying out a particular task.” In the Pilates world, we have evolved to have many kinds of technique. There doesn’t need to be, nor do I think there should be, only one way but as a teacher, we should have a way and be clear with it. We should be practicing and preparing our technique so we can share it successfully with our students. I will never say, “Do whatever feels good”. I am teaching, not having coffee with a friend. Nor will I ever tell a client exactly what to do with a laundry list of adjustments or rules of moving. I require attention to technique and mindful movement. Which could be as simple as noticing if the breath is present in constructive rest position or as complex as legs reaching into space with the feet, sensing midline, and support of the organs during a Candlestick on the Cadillac.
PREPARATION. There is no substitute for it. Someone is putting their trust and, not to mention, hard-earned money in my hands. I should prepare for them. If I don’t know what I am going to do, how can I really help my students learn what they should be doing? This doesn’t mean I have to subscribe to a list and never deviate from it. I find my most creative “aha” moments come from a lot of preparation and then letting it go.
Only with practice and preparation can there be progress. Progress is very personal. Very individual. What I decide is progress for myself can be very different than someone else’s progress. Personal progress is tied to being able to answer the what, why, and how does one practice. A student might also ask if their teacher aligns with that as well. This is why I think having many different teachers/techniques is important.
Teaching is an art and I am in love with it. Teaching is not to be dumbed down with an “anything goes” attitude. It is to be taken on as a worthy endeavor, an honor that someone is placing their trust in me no matter what their age or ability. It is an adventure in learning and self-discovery for both myself and my students. So, I will keep practicing and preparing. Progress not perfection! Teach don’t tell! Experience not shapes. Grow in to grow out. You do you and I’ll do me.
I would also like to give a shout out to Susann Sommers and Neil Healey for creating the Contemporary Pilates Haven on Facebook. So happy to have discovered you. I am inspired by other teachers on a weekly basis and feel I have found a like-minded tribe of open-minded, kind, supportive and curious explorers! And of course, a big thank you to Brett Miller and Pilates Intel for providing a platform on which a rainbow of wonderful voices can be heard.
Namaste- the light in me honors the light in you.
Now that church is over lets go have some coffee and donuts!
Allie Greene is a graduate of Embodiyoga® 200 hr RYT program. She sought out EmbodiYoga™ because of its founder Lisa Clark’s knowledge and integration of experiential learning and embryological development. This includes somatics, ideokinesis, Body Mind Centering ®, education and application of all the body systems. Allie has been exploring and merging this knowledge within her Pilates and dance teaching practice.
Her other certifications include: Stott Pilates (2007), Master Trainer and Educational Director for bootybarre® and bbarre less® (created by Tracey Mallett), the PMA ( Pilates Method Alliance), AFAA (The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America), The Pink Ribbon Program, Pilates for MS and other Neurological Conditions. She is now a 300 hr Embodiyoga® student.
She has a BA in sociology and performing arts from La Roche University. She danced with the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, Laboratory Dance Company and Gia T. Presents. She was an outreach artist with the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy and Pittsburgh public schools. Before making Pilates her full time work she was a senior therapist at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic’s Discrete Trial Program for children with autism.
She is the co-owner of Equilibrium Pittsburgh Pilates in Wexford, PA. She also continues to teach ballet technique and Conditioning/Injury Prevention for Dancers. She is planning on launching her Embodipilates® workshops in 2018. She is passionate about helping empower people to find a healthier, happier self and introducing mindful movement to all ages.