As a society, our daily practice of emailing, texting and small-talk requires us to make room for focused intention and study of how we communicate as movement instructors. As health care professionals we are tasked with speaking with very diverse clients concerning intimate subjects, their bodies. Polestar’s communication model is based on neuro-linguistics, and we […]Read More
Pilates, Scoliosis, and the Schroth Method
With so many Pilates courses teaching prescriptive exercises for clients with scoliosis, you would imagine there is a magnitude of supportive research behind them. While there are plenty of studies on prevention of curve progression in adolescents using bracing and Scoliosis Specific Exercise (SSE), there is little if no research to guide movement prescription for […]Read More
How to Ensure your Clients do their Homework
“NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF ALL INVENTION.” When Daniel Vledata needed a way to make sure his clients were practicing their at home exercises safely and correctly he invented the Oov. The Oov is a unique alternative to foam rollers and rolled towels as a supportive exercise device. When a person simply lays on the Oov, it […]Read More
How do we Know we’re Teaching a Great Class?
A great class starts with identifying goals. What message do we wish to convey to a group or an individual that will be under our guidance for at least an hour at a time? As movement instructors, whether we are teaching yoga, Pilates, dance, GYROTONIC®, etc. a critical part of delivering a memorable experience is identifying the needs and wants of our students. So the question becomes: How do we identify goals for an individual or a group class that are both aligned with our experience as professionals and the students’ desires?Read More
A Question of Curves: Q&A with Dr. Brent Anderson
In this video, Dr. Brent Anderson describes a simple way to allow better movement through the facets during spinal articulation in a client with scoliosis. Question: In the Polestar curriculum there are correctional exercises and facilitation exercises; The corrective exercises take the scoliotic client to the reverse position of their curvature and either stretch or […]Read More
Does our Perception of Movement Influence our Health?
I recently listened to a great lecture by Sharon Kolkka in New Zealand about the “Biology of Perception.” Her delivery and content really made me reflect on my own teaching style and effectiveness. For years I have been interested in the power of perception as it pertains to my clients having a successful movement experience. […]Read More