I SWEAT HARD FOR PILATES

When I first started teaching, I thought the ability of my class was a reflection of my ability as a teacher --- and in a sense, yes it is --- but in another sense it isn’t at all. I tended to make my teaching more about me, instead of about the experience of other people. I would feel my blood boil when I would see people not understanding very simple direction. I would sometimes obsess over making them “perfect,” at the expense of just letting them move and having the freedom to figure out some things on their own (side note: obsession over detail is still important, but I have a point here). 

Every day that you teach will be a different experience. Different people come to your classes, or the same people come, but feel different for one reason or another. One week I might have a strong intermediate-advanced bunch, and other weeks the majority of my students are barely beginners. 

What I have found (especially in a group class setting) is that with all of these populations - beginner, intermediate, advanced, super advanced, teachers, etc., I now tend to prioritize letting them move, before all else. This might sound like a “duh,” as I’m sure we can all remember when first learning how to teach, the goal is to get your clients moving and cue / correct WHILE that’s happening. But here, the point I’m trying to make is that sometimes we, as teachers, need to let our clients figure some things out on their own - which might mean letting them do it wrong for a bit. This is especially critical when working with weaker clients who, frankly, do most of the exercises wrong. You can’t build Rome in a day, and likewise, you cannot possibly expect to fix it all in one, two, or even 10 group classes / private sessions. That is why keeping them moving in these situations is the most important! 

It’s the very least you can give them - the gift of movement! (of course it should go without saying that if they put themselves in a position of peril, we must fix!). When we move, we feel good, so, if anything, your clients will feel better than they did before class, just by moving their bodies...but that couldn’t be said if you spent the entire hour correcting every minute detail about their positioning and execution. 

The Takeaway: Let go and let them move! Remember that it takes consistency, patience and dedication on your client’s behalf to improve. 

TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE

There are two kinds of people on earth to-day; Just two kinds of people, no more I say.

Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth, You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span, Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years Bring each man his laughter end each man his tears.

No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean Are the people who lift and the people who lean.

Wherever you go you will find the earth's masses Are always divided in just these two classes.

And oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween, There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner who lets others bear Your portion of labor and worry and care?                                          

This post goes out to all my apprentices / teachers-in-the-making / and or clients that are interested in knowing....

The short of it is, one is an adjective and one is verb.

AN EXTENDED SPINE (adj.) : 

Refers to a straight / neutral spine. There are several exercises that ask us to maintain a straight back. A few include: chest expansion, straight back knee stretches, straight back on the short box, planking (although there is usually a slight tuck in the pelvis), bird/dog, and shoulder bridge. 

While our spine is in an extended position in all these exercises, it is not going into extension.The action of the exercise is not to bring two posterior body parts closer together, rather, we are asked to stabilize our extended spine - against gravity, and/or while we move our arms and legs.

An extended spine here merely describes the position of the back in the exercise. 

EXTENDING THE SPINE (v.) :

Contrary to an extended spine, extension exercises are defined by moving the spine in a way that takes two posterior (back of body) body parts closer together : imagine trying to get your shoulder blades to touch your hamstrings and your hamstrings to touch your shoulder blades (impossible, but would achieve spinal extension in an attempt to do so).

Examples of this include: swan, single leg kicks, double leg kicks, pulling straps, t-press, flying eagle, or baby cobra, bow pose and full wheel in yoga.

 The ACTION of these exercises to take the spine into extension.

To further simplify, when we MOVE and CHANGE THE SHAPE of the spine, it is considered EXTENSION - action / verb!