For some time now I’ve worked with a focus on the nervous system in movement. I have undergone further training in applied neuroscience and NLP coaching. Currently I am undergoing long term training in Somatic Experiencing, which is a method of trauma resolution through the felt sense and the autonomic nervous system (the part that deals with fight or flight and restoration and learning). Read More
Movement
Pilates or High Intensity Training?
Ever since Joseph Pilates opened the first Pilates studio for dancers almost a century ago, Pilates has been widely adopted by people from all walks of life, all over the world. Pilates continues to be one of the most widely adopted forms of exercise to this day. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a relative newcomer to the exercise scene, and it’s also gaining a huge global following. So which is it better for your health? Pilates or high intensity training? Here are four reasons why slowing down with a lower intensity workout like Pilates might be better for long term health and wellbeing.Read More
What Do I Need to Know about the Nervous System as a Pilates Instructor?
Before diving deep into pathologies and individual situations, it is always helpful to first gain understanding of any broad topic. I like to refer to this as becoming a master chef compared to a home cook who can follow recipes. Neither approach is wrong, but it’s helpful to identify your intention in order to seek out the information that will best help you. I’d also like to stipulate that I am a home cook and love following a good recipe – there really is nothing wrong with this! But with human movement and healing, I aim to be a master chef who can create master dishes based off of ratios and large-scale understanding.Read More
Educator Highlight : Angela Crowley
As a former gymnast and dancer, I always expected to have control over my body. A serious car accident took that control away. I lost fine motor use in my right hand and if I sat for an hour my right leg fell asleep. Traditional approaches including hospitalization in traction and intensive physical therapy didn’t lead to much progress or hope. I was told to learn to write with the other hand and that I would not be able to dance or do things like running or skiing again. I didn’t believe it. A pivotal moment was when I met a Naturopathic doctor Mark Manton who changed my life and is one of my mentors to this day. He applied and educated me in a holistic approach which included diet, acupuncture, neuromuscular therapy, osteopathy, meditation and movement re-education through Feldenkrais then Pilates. I became a massage and movement therapist integrating Pilates. Read More
If It’s Available…
In any movement practice that you teach, you will encounter students of all levels and ability. The Pilates industry caters to many different class settings, environments, and sizes. I used to teach group mat classes that had both seasoned movers and an elderly lady that could not get on the floor without assistance. Currently I teach mostly semi privates; the differences in any two bodies, even roughly at the same level, are vast. How is an instructor supposed to handle these differences? How are we supposed to keep our clients safe and still meet their goals? How can we teach the same class to so many different bodies? Here is a way you can make make multi-level classes work.Read More
Efficiency: Should it Always be the Goal?
Teaching Pilates has made me realize that the more I know, the more I don’t know. With any profession, hobby or skill set I am sure that’s the case. After ten years of teaching, I finally feel that I have a true understanding of the way the body works and how to help people achieve their goals. Regardless, I will always find a way to […]Read More
