The spirit of Polestar is about finding the discipline and passion within to continually practice Pilates and empower others to practice Pilates. It’s not about finding perfection but about sharing and encouraging that passion.
Polestar Mentor Meech Aspden
Describe Polestar Pilates in 3 Words:
Authentic – Polestar is authentic to its brand and to Pilates’ guiding principles.
Educational – Polestar encourages the path of learning and self-development.
Applicable – What you learn with Polestar makes you a better instructor, trainer, coach, physio, and practitioner.
What do you love about teaching Pilates?
MA: What I love about teaching Pilates is that it embodies both being disciplined as well as the freedom to be creative. This might seem like a bit of a dichotomy but the two complement each other. One stays disciplined and grounded in the principles of classical pilates whilst being creative to explore the execution of the exercises or the sequencing and flow of the exercises.
Where did you take your training and who was the educator?
MA: I took my training with Polestar Pilates in Hong Kong with Polestar Asia at Isofit. Dawnna Wayburne, Samantha Robinson, Mirko Turla and Yvonne Hsi were the educators and mentors who influenced my Polestar education journey.
What are your current Inspirations?
MA: My inspiration has always been seeing new people experience Pilates for the first time. I love being able to draw from their energy, inspiration, and enthusiasm in grasping something new. It challenges me to be a better mentor, trainer, and coach – finding different ways to communicate and motivate them to assist in their learning process and to excel in their Pilates practice.
New students to the Pilates world often come with fresh ideas and ‘out of the box’ thinking.
I am also an avid reader and I love reading about the biomechanics, anatomy, and physiology of the human body. It’s fascinating and inspires me to want to know more.
Why Pilates? How did you find the practice?
MA: My foray into Pilates was rather unorthodox. I was managing a large team of group fitness instructors at the time (2013). There was a member who sent in a written complaint about one of my instructors not teaching true to Pilates in what was advertised as a Pilates class. I found it difficult to assess the validity of the complaint due to my lack of knowledge and understanding of Pilates. At the time, we also only had 3 in-house Pilates instructors who I could seek advice from. I vowed never to feel so uneducated and ignorant again. This drove me to learn Pilates so I joined a Polestar mat Pilates course in 2013 (and at the same time encouraged 6 other instructors from my team to take the training with me). I was so impressed with the mat Pilates course content that the following year I signed up for the Polestar reformer course and the 6 instructors who were with me for mat also joined me and signed up for the reformer training.
In the beginning, I found Pilates challenging. I had always prided myself on being physically fit as I taught a number of different group fitness classes as well as having been a competitive sports gymnast. When I first started on my Pilates journey, I could not execute the roll-up or teaser particularly well which frustrated me but fueled my determination to keep going.
I don’t believe you can ever perfect Pilates but you can definitely see incremental improvements the more you practice the exercises.
What do you hope to convey in your teaching?
MA: In my teaching, I try to combine three key elements: Forging a connection with my students, making it fun, and challenging them so that they never plateau.
Connection is what instills the trust they have in you as a coach so that you can take them far beyond what they thought they were capable of. Fun, so that they keep coming back time and time again. And challenging so that they see progress in themselves and what they are able to achieve. Teachers are there as a conduit to facilitate learning and to restore confidence in a student’s physical capabilities. As children we were fearless on the jungle gym, climbing trees or riding bikes. As we grow older, we can start to lose confidence in ourselves and what our bodies are capable of.
If we can conquer our fears, half the battle is won.
It’s so true what Joseph Pilates espoused: “Contrology is gaining the mastery of your mind over the complete control of your body”.
What is your favorite Quote?
MA: Benjamin Franklin said “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
This is the ethos that I try to embody when I am involved in any form of mentoring, education, training and team management.
What is your Favorite Apparatus or favorite way to move?
MA: I love all mat Pilates exercises because it caters to all ages, all levels, all fitness goals and can be performed anywhere. You don’t need to be inside a gym or studio and you don’t need any special equipment. The exercises can be applied for rehab and recovery or for improving strength and mobility. It provides a great sense of accomplishment to see the gains that people make in Pilates.
Discover Polestar Pilates Asia, and Meech on Social Media @meechaspden
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