Educator Highlight Shelly Power

Shelly Power is the Director of Curriculum for Polestar Pilates.  She has been teaching Pilates since 1992 and has lead teacher trainings since 2000.   Shelly’s unique and rich teaching style includes aspects from her specialization in NLP communication and experience teaching dance and movement to children.   We sat down with Shelly to learn more about her, including her love of backpacking, sailing, yoga and travel.

Polestar: What do you love about teaching?

SP: I love being part of the a-ha moments.  It doesn’t matter if it’s in a weekly class or teacher training, when a student is able to do something that they weren’t able to do before, or understands something about their body or a movement that they hadn’t known before, that is really powerful.

Polestar: What is your movement background?

SP: Former competitive swimmer, gymnast and professional dancer.

Polestar: What are your current inspirations?

SP:  Functional movements (that have been en vogue recently) like Animal Flow, Ido Portal and certainly Runity which uses movements that everyone should be able to do to help us get in shape to run pain free.  Sadly we cannot all do basic squats, push ups, and lunges because we stopping doing and practicing them.  So, I have been practicing them, and I can do them along with a decent handstand and amazing cartwheels!

Polestar: Why Pilates?

SP: First I love how the movements feel in my body, so that’s selfishly number one.  In the bigger picture though, I really appreciate how connected the different movements are and how we can use the equipment to assist movement in so many different ways.  Obviously we can change springs and change the size of movement but there are so many other ways we can leverage our bodies and the equipment to help us achieve our goals.

Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

SP:  Everyone is different, Perfection isn’t the goal.  If it’s difficult, maybe you need to change how you’re doing it or thinking about it, Know what you are trying to achieve.

Polestar: Where would you love to vacation to?

SP: Wind River Mountains, Thailand, South Island NZ, South Africa…

Polestar: Do you have a favorite quote?

SP:  “Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes,” and, “do one thing every day that scares you.” Both by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Polestar: Describe your movement style…

SP:  Elegant (except when doing yoga at 6:30 in the morning!)

Polestar:  What are your favorite apparatus?

SP: Pilates Chair and GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower.

Polestar: What are you reading?

SP:  Buddha and Einstein Walk Into a Bar: How New Discoveries About Mind, Body, and Energy Can Help Increase Your Longevity, by Guy Joseph Ale When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi, MD.  Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, by Robert H. Lustig, MD.