Pilates Method celebrating its first decade on October 15, 2010. Its past, present and future!
On October 15, 2010, Pilates Method will celebrate its 10th Anniversary! I have so many people to thank. My husband, Alan, and son, Connor, who are always so supportive financially, physically and mentally. Without them, I am not who I am today. I am forever grateful for my clients. They mold and shape me daily into the instructor that I am today.
I want my first blog to be a little about the past and a lot about the future. I was attracted to Pilates as a discipline through my sister-in-law, Roxann Dawson. Roxann was an actress and played the role of “Belana Torres” on Star Trek Voyager. She had her child, Emma, through caesarian section and needed to get back in shape for those tight fitting outfits that her role required for her to wear. She took Pilates five days a week and supplemented the cardio workout with the elliptical. She looked fabulous! I had to ask.
At the time, the nearest Pilates studio was Denver, Colorado. I had no other way to receive training unless I was willing to travel to either coast. I became particularly interested in receiving training through Elizabeth Larkam. Elizabeth worked with doctors and physical therapists at the Center for Sports Medicine at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. While director of the Saint Francis Program, she developed Pilates protocols for rehabilitation of a number of orthopedic and spine diagnosis. It happened to be that she was one of the main educators for Polestar Education. Polestar Education focuses on anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and motor control and integrates research in orthopedics, sports medicine and movement science. I traveled to and from the west coast every 6 weeks for training and a year and half later, completed their courses.
October 15, 2000 I worked with my first paid client at my very first studio in the Coca-Cola building, located at South 25th and Capital Parkway. I started with 2 reformers and 1 chair. The Studio was a small room on the second floor of the building. I outgrew the space within three months. The Lincoln Journal Star did a fantastic article which gave the Studio a huge boost. I have been at the current location for the past 9 years.
Pilates has helped me personally with my own fitness goals. As a Pilates professional, I must keep up with my own training. I need to be able to model grace, strength, flexibility in my own body. Setting aside time for my own practice is one of the ways to keep me connected to the work itself so that it doesn’t become rote. I give myself assignments for my teaching. I designate an exercise and an equipment for the week. This forces me to find a modification or variation of the exercise that works for many different bodies. I use my creativity to vary exercises, for instance, changing the body’s relationship to gravity while performing the same movement.
My clients are all different, from 13 to 79 years of age. They come from all walks of life and they all have different limitations and goals. Majority of my 65 clients are women and about 10 men. If these clients only know how much I have learned from them. How they have inspired me and affected my life, both personal and professional, in such a positive and profound way. I am grateful for my clients and for their openness towards me. My original three clients: Nancy, Cary, Ellen. They have all been wonderful and supportive to me and to the Studio. They have become more than clients to me. They are my mentors, my role models and my friends.
I am forever inspired by new ways to teach, new clients, new research, new exercises and new props. The beauty of teaching Pilates is that it demands that I, the teacher, use my creativity and intellect to tailor each workout so that it is a perfect fit for each client. Ultimately, this will help my clients find balance in their own lives. This is what keeps me at my best.
April 16, 2010
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