Health

Creating Positive Movement Experiences for Pilates Clients with MS

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Polestar Faculty Nichole Anderson, NCPT has had the pleasure of working with many clients with MS and has enjoyed the constant learning process it has provided.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society defines MS as a:
“disease that involves an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves”.
In other words, MS involves a person’s immune system attacking their nerves. In our huge network of nerves, information has to travel quickly to allow us to act spontaneously. Many nerves are covered in myelin.  This both insulates and accelerates the rate at which information travels in the nerve. When the immune system consistently attacks the myelin, it becomes damaged and forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. As the disease progresses, the nerve fiber itself can become damaged and destroyed. What does this mean on a larger scale? When the myelin is scarred or the nerve fiber damaged or destroyed, a large number of nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord are interrupted and/or distorted. All actions in the body and brain are triggered by some sort of nerve impulse which is why symptoms can vary from person to person.

Who Gets Multiple Sclerosis? 

Without getting too deep into the epidemiology of MS, here are a few facts: 
  • MS is a very difficult disease to diagnose.  There are currently no single tests for MS. Because of this challenge, MS is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.  Most epidemiological statistics on MS are estimates.
  • Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
  • In general, MS is more common in areas further from the equator.  There are many communities far from the equator that have little to no reported incidences of MS.
  • MS is at least 2-3 times more common in women than men.
  • Genetic factors seem to play a large part in determining who develops MS.
  • As with many diseases, MS is believed to be triggered by an environmental factor, as yet unidentified, in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond. 

What Are The Common Symptoms?

Because of the variety of symptoms associated with MS, every client with MS will have different struggles in regard to movement. That being said, there are a few things that are very common in clients with MS:

  • Foot drop: This is where there is weakness in the muscles that dorsi-flex the ankle. When this progresses, walking can be dangerous as there is an increased fall risk. 
  • Numbness: This is often one of the earliest and most common symptoms of MS. It can be numbness anywhere in the body, face, and extremities. It can cause the affected area to be disconnected and difficult to control. We will discuss later some ways to facilitate movement when certain body parts are numb.
  • Fatigue: In a movement class, this often means being unable to do high repetitions of movements, especially at a high load.
  • Weakness: This can occur from basic deconditioning of muscles that aren’t used due to damage to the nerves that stimulate them. Weakness can also occur when a client with MS has gotten overheated or fatigued.
  • Spasticity: This is when there is an involuntary muscle spasm that can cause prolonged rigidity in the limb that is spasming. 

Considerations For Working With Clients With Multiple Sclerosis

  • Keep it cool!: A warm room can create a challenging movement experience for someone with MS and can even precipitate a flare-up.
  • Take frequent breaks: Even if your client feels like they can keep going, it is important to take frequent rests to avoid fatigue.
  • Spot, Spot, Spot!: While this is dependent on ability because MS frequently causes numbness, it is important to spot any moving apparatus that can slip out of a hand, off a foot, and onto your face

Suggestions For Building A Session

Warm up with hand and foot stimulation and movement. Depending on ability, I either do this for clients or have them do it to themselves. This can include:
  • toe pulling, tapping the bottoms of the feet with fingers
  • vigorous rubbing of the feet and ankles
  • interlacing fingers with toes and making circles
  • active movement of the ankle such as tracing the alphabet in the air with each foot.
Hand stimulation and movement: This is a great time to move an area that we don’t traditionally “exercise” in Pilates. I like to have people move through tight fists to hands stretching wide, followed by “piano fingers”.  This can look like playing a fake piano slowly and quickly, getting some individual movement in each digit. After getting some movement, I give them some free time to self-massage their hands, rubbing them together vigorously.  Another good activity can be kneading the palm of one hand with the other, and interlacing the fingers and squeezing.

Allow Transfers To Become A Part Of The Class

Depending on how far the disease has progressed, one of the most challenging parts of a class can be the transfer of one position to another. I like to discuss strategies for making these transitions.  This could be gazing, moving from sitting to standing, maybe pausing somewhere in the middle of a transfer to do some movement there.  It can also be supportive to allow time for clients to settle into the next position, allowing them to rest from the transition. This is also great because it is functional and allows clients to have strategies for getting out of sticky situations when they are going through their daily lives.  I also like to help my clients explore their breath by spending time in each class breathing and working on the movement of the diaphragm and ribcage.

Work Safely On Balance

Use the equipment to your advantage! I often pull the tower bar through to the back and attach the safety strap. This creates a solid bar they can hold to practice heel raises or balancing on one leg.  I also find the Core Align to be a great tool for working with clients with MS as it enables reciprocal leg movement with the support of a ladder to hold on to.

Support Distant Extremities : 

  • Use velcro straps to connect feet to the footbar and hands to dowels if there is too much numbness in the feet or hands to hold on well.
  • Utilize Y-straps to secure both feet and hands when doing work with springs and pulleys.
  • Use therabands to hold thighs together for bridging, pelvic clock, and other exercises that require legs to be still. This is only necessary if the client is struggling to connect to their legs.
  • Use your tactile cues to bring awareness to less responsive areas.  With your client’s permission, palpate areas that are not connecting well to help them find their feet, hands, legs, etc before going into a movement.

Keep In Mind That No Two Days Are Alike

What may have been strengths one day may be weaknesses other days. The temperature outside, activities of the day before, stress and other external influences can vastly affect the capabilities of clients with MS from day to day. It is always important to check in, and to allow for progress to be relative

Connect with Polestar Educator Nichole Anderson on social media @nicholemoves. 

This article includes information from The National MS Society Nationalmssociety.org

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Mentor Highlight : Becky A’Hearne – Polestar Pilates UK

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Meet Becky A’Hearne: Mat and Comprehensive Polestar practitioner, Mentor for Polestar Pilates UK and Franklin Method®️ Spine Educator. Teaching in Cirencester, The Cotswolds, UK and Bristol, UK

In your own words – describe “the Spirit of Polestar”

BA: Inclusive, open minded and flexible.

What Three Words come to mind when you think of “Polestar Pilates”

  • Possibilities
  • Evolving
  • Community

What do you love about teaching Pilates and owning a Studio? Where did you take your Training and who was the educator?

BA: I love being able to provide a centre where people can discover their true mind body potential through Pilates. I trained in London with Joanna (Polestar Germany / Mat) and Liz Bussey (Comprehensive 2005)

What are your current Inspirations? What do You love about them?

BA: Whole body health and well being. I love exploring how movement and simple lifestyle changes can improve health and general well being.

Why Pilates? How did you find the practice?

BA: I was a freelance group exercise instructor in London in the early 2000’s and Pilates was beginning to come into the health clubs. My mum had done one of the first Polestar trainings in the UK. I thought I would do it to so that I would have another class to offer. Little did I know that through the Polestar approach to Pilates it was so much more than I thought it would be. The approach was refreshing and made sense to me. It also allowed for Pilates to be accessible to everyone through the rehabilitation aspect of the course. From this point I knew that Pilates was so much more than a set of exercises. It worked for people and their fitness goals and would allow for an organic and sustainable career path for me to follow.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

BA: That Pilates will have a really positive impact on your mind and body, which can allow for people to be healthier and happier. That there are options and choices for all. Listen to your body and do what feels good.

What is your favorite Quote? How do you live / embody / apply this?

BA: Great question. “The acquirement and enjoyment of physical well-being, mental calm and spiritual peace are priceless to their possessors” Joseph Pilates. Last year I experienced many health issues and felt the effects of what the body can do the mind and what the mind can do to the body, like I had never done before. This taught me a lot and I now try to live my life with mental calm, spiritual peace and enjoyment of physical fitness. I am everyday grateful for them.

What is your Favorite Apparatus or favorite way to move?

BA: The Reformer. It is so versatile – allowing you to start on your back completely supported and finishing with you standing on the foot bar in an inversion. The possibilities are endless.

Learn more about Becky @the_bodyworkshop_pilates and Polestar Pilates Uk

What Are The Best Exercises for Scoliosis?

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 Polestar Educator, Physical Therapist, and certified C2 Schroth therapist Lise Stolze offers further insight to Scoliosis and working with Scoliosis clients.  For all upcoming continuing education courses with Polestar visit: Polestar Continuing Education

Most asked questions scoliosis clients ask me about exercise:

  • Should I perform some exercises just on one side?
  • Should I choose exercises that rotate me to the opposite direction of the curve?
  • Should I do an extra set of movements to one side?
  • I just saw research that side plank exercises can reduce curve degrees…should I be doing these?
To answer these questions we must understand how scoliosis affects movement.

What is the Pathomechanism of Idiopathic Scoliosis? (the short version!)

I will be brief since this is a whole course in itself! We know that Idiopathic (no known cause) Scoliosis (IS) is a 3 dimensional spinal disorder that begins with anterior vertebral wedging due to RASO (relative anterior spinal overgrowth) during bone development. We also know that the rotational component of scoliosis exists as both inter-vertebral torsion (rotation of one vertebra relative to another) and intravertebral torsion (an internal rotational distortion within each vertebra), most notably at the apical vertebra (the vertebra most deviated laterally from the vertical axis that passes through the sacrum).1 This distortion contributes to less joint motion at the apex of the curve and more at the transition points of the curve. We see this to a greater degree in adults and to a lesser degree in adolescents who have a more flexible curve before bone maturity. This is apparent in a supine lateral flexion X-ray that assesses curve flexibility.

Three Goals for our Clients with Scoliosis

Movement educators can keep 3 goals in mind when choosing exercises for clients with IS:
  1. Achieve better postural alignment along the central axis
  2. Provide a safe fitness option to increase flexibility, strength and fluid movement
  3. Support sports, recreation and functional activities that enhance quality of life

We Can Improve Posture Through Exercise!

Better posture can be achieved by emphasizing the most fundamental principles of all intelligent movement disciplines:  axial elongation and breathing.  Scoliosis curve concavities are constantly under compression by gravity.  Axial elongation encourages a natural re-alignment of the spine by using neuromuscular activity to reduce multi-plane compression and collapse of the concave side of the scoliosis curves. Once the concavities (which include the ribs) are expanded, then breath can be used to further open the collapse through:
  1. Tactile cueing of the concavities
  2. Unilateral nostril breathing
  3. Guided imagery
The most effective position to learn decompression of the concavities is in a spinal neutral position, out of gravity. Once there is neuromuscular re-patterning, movement can then be transferred to functional positions against gravity like standing, sitting, walking, squatting and lifting where it is more difficult to maintain axial decompression. There are many neutral spine exercises in the Pilates and yoga environment that can be used in this initial phase of re-patterning.

The Side Plank Research Controversy

A research article was published in 2014 claiming that scoliosis curves can be reduced by doing side planks on the convex side of the curve, and was sensationalized in a WSJ article.2  But the research had many flaws3 and while interesting, it cannot make that claim.  Muscular activity on both the concave and convex side of a scoliosis curve is inefficient and exercises that address each side are optimal for IS, including the Side Plank. Consider benefits of the Side Plank based on curve type:
  1. Single Major Thoracic Curve: performing side plank on the convex thoracic side (concavity up) can help strengthen elongated muscles on this side by placing them in a relatively shortened position, and helps to open the concave side, working these muscles eccentrically.
  2. Double Curve, Primary Thoracic: the same can be true for the thoracic curve but now the lumbar curve may be more compressed and specific cueing and/or modification of the exercise must be considered.
  3. Double Curve, Primary Lumbar: performing side plank on the convex lumbar side may be beneficial, but the thoracic curve may be more compressed, and will require special cueing or modification.
  4. Single Curve – Lumbar or Thoraco-lumbar: performing side plank on the lumbar or thoraco-lumbar convex side may strengthen elongated muscles on this side by placing them in a relatively shortened position and helps to open the concave side, working these muscles eccentrically.
  5. Adult with Degenerative Scoliosis (Lumbar): receive the same benefits as Single Lumbar curve but if there is a lateral instability (listhesis), then this exercise may not be indicated.
In all curve types, performing the Side Plank on the concave side of the primary curve is much more challenging but also beneficial.  This brings us to the importance of performing a scoliosis assessment to determine the curve type.  In the case of adult degenerative scoliosis, an X-ray must be obtained and collaboration established with a health care practitioner who has a deep working knowledge of scoliosis evaluation and management.

Safe Exercises for Spine Mobility

Life takes us out of neutral spine…shouldn’t we train our scoliosis clients how to move their spine effectively out of neutral?  The answer is of course yes…. but which movements and how much?   This depends on your assessment of the client:  Are they in pain?  How much movement does the apex of each curve have?  What is the curve type?  What other muscle imbalances or injuries exist? What are their goals?  Considering that the scoliosis spine tends to move more at the transition points and less at the apices, we may want to limit end range movements and emphasize elongation in postural shapes that minimize compression of the curve concavities.  This will be more difficult for those with a double curve. So it is important to make critical decisions with your client based on your evaluation and their goals.

Recreation and Sports: Can it Be Done with Scoliosis?

Everyone with scoliosis should be free to enjoy activities that increase quality of life! What does you client love to do?  Sports activities such as dance and gymnastics involve many compressive spine positions for scoliosis….as do golf and tennis.  Each person must be evaluated for the risk that their chosen activity may have on their scoliosis.  Considerations for age, curve type, activity frequency, and muscle imbalances must be made. Clients should be educated about scoliosis spine mechanics and progressions to help them make an informed decision about the activity they choose.  A fitness or movement session with your client could focus on training to maintain axial elongation and openness of the concavities during sport. Just as likely and equally important, a session could simply focus your client back to their center line!

Education and the Need for Individualized Programs

Polestar founder Brent Anderson, PT, PhD, OCS reminds us of the importance of working within our own scope of practice. It is crucial to invest in your education to increase your effectiveness and level of safety with your scoliosis clients. Find a professional you can partner with, join a network of practitioners with like interests, and take courses to keep yourself current with scoliosis research. If you are the client, make sure that your Pilates teacher or therapist has the training to create safe and effective exercise programs for you and your needs.

For all Upcoming Continuing Education Courses: Continuing Education with Polestar

References: 1Dickson RA, Lawton JO, et al. The pathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis. Biplanar spinal asymmetry. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1984;66(1):8–15. 2 Fishman LM, Groessl EJ et al.  Serial case reporting yoga for idiopathic and degenerative scoliosis.  Global Advances in Health and Medicine.  2014;3(5):16-21.   3 Salvatore M, Zaina F, et al.  Letter to the editor: Serial case reporting yoga for idiopathic and degenerative scoliosis. Global Adv Health Med.2015;4(1):79-80.

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Lise Stolze, MPT, DSc PMA®-CPT, is a certified C2 Schroth therapist, Polestar Educator, and owner of Stolze Therapies in Denver, CO. She has co-created Pilates Adaptations for people with Scoliosis with Schroth Scoliosis Therapist and BSPTS educator Hagit Berdishevsky, PT, MSPT, DPT, Cert. MDT. Lise has been published with her research on Pilates and Low Back Pain. 

Be Your Own Architect!

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Becky Phares, PMA®-CPT is a Polestar Pilates Graduate, Practitioner and contributor to the Polestar Life Weekly Blog.  With more than 10 years of teaching Becky teaches at her studio The Body Initiative Pilates Studio in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Find Becky and her Studio on Facebook: The Body Initiative Pilates Studio and Instagram @the_body_initiative_ .

Being Your Own Architect

“Everyone is the architect of his own happiness.”

-Joseph Pilates

If you are a Pilates instructor you have probably heard the quote from Joe in Your Health: “Everyone is the architect of his own happiness.” This to me means that we as humans have the control to make the necessary changes in our lives to create fulfillment.  When teaching class, I find myself referring to my clients as their own personal architects to help inspire the point; take control of your own joy, mental well being, and physical health. Hearing the word architecture in Pilates also makes me think of other characteristics this profession provides. In exercises like long stretch, I ask my clients to imagine that their body is like a house. When you are in the plank position your house is small and needs only a few supportive beams. When you are stretched out long you must add in more support so the roof doesn’t cave in. These cues make me think of one of Polestar’s favorite philosophies: as little as possible, as much as necessary. What better way to validate this connection than to interview an architect. So I sat down with my friend Kally to see if our ideologies mesh. BP: Describe your job in 1 sentence: Kally: I design custom homes from scratch. BP: What type of supportive systems are used in a home that you design? K: They are all wood framed houses so normally wooden beams, columns or structural walls. Sometimes when we want a long span of open space we use steel beams. BP: How do you determine how many beams to put up in your house to keep the roof from caving in? K: So over 20 feet and under normally requires some sort of wooden beam. Over 20 will require a bigger/stronger beam. BP: What would happen if you have to little support? K: Well the structure would fall, obviously. BP: What would happen if you have too much support? K: Too much… nothing would happen to the structure, but it would be a waste of resources. BP: What other things make your job fun but challenging? K: It’s fun because it’s creative and each family I design for is unique. It’s challenging for 2 reasons: 1. When the lots are small but people still want to build a big house on limited space. 2. Trying to accommodate everything they want but sometimes those things conflict with each other physically. For instance, you want a window in the bathroom, but the desired location of the bathroom is not on an exterior wall. So we either have to move the room, or not have windows. BP: Based on this interview I have supported the reasoning for why the quote, “as little as possible, as much as necessary” is important not only in Pilates and architecture but in life in general. Using too much stuff during a job wastes resources; using too little doesn’t create enough support. I have also realized that my job and Kally’s have more similarities than I once imagined. We both have to figure out what is best for our clients through creative and critical thinking. She describes her process of designing a house like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Kally knows what they want, but it is not always a quick fix. Similarly, when a new client walks into my door, they may have a goal for their body, but I know it will take multiple sessions to make that goal a reality. Becky Phares, PMA®-CPT is a Polestar Pilates Graduate, Practitioner and contributor to the Polestar Life Weekly Blog.  With more than 10 years of teaching Becky teaches at her studio The Body Initiative Pilates Studio in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Find Becky and her Studio on Facebook: The body Initiative Pilates Studio and Instagram @the_body_initiative_ . Link our Blog? Subscribe to the Newsletter Polestar Life Weekly!

Working with Clients with Scoliosis

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A teaser by Polestar Pilates International on the topic of our course: Scoliosis and Spinal Conditions, Pilates Master Course with Scroth educator Hagit Berdishevsky and Polestar educator Lise Stolze (Stolze Therapies)

WORKING WITH CLIENTS WITH SCOLIOSIS

Scoliosis is one of the most stubborn, abundant disorders in growing children and teens. The good news is that Pilates professionals can help ease the pain scoliosis sufferers experience through movement. The question is, how does one go about helping someone find peace with this condition?

WHAT IS SCOLIOSIS?

Scoliosis is a skeletal deformation, usually the result of growth spurts during adolescence, congenital spinal abnormalities, and other defects. 65 – 80% of scoliosis cases are idiopathic or of unknown origin. In sufferers, the spine is bent out of shape (no pun intended). Sometimes minimally or sometimes dramatically, the spine contorts into a C or an S shape. The Cobb angle is widely used to test for scoliosis, which is a measure done by locating distorted vertebrae and marking their paths on the back.

Early onset or early childhood scoliosis appears before 5 years of age and makes up 2% of all reported cases. It is sometimes associated with severe respiratory failure and, by affecting lung growth, may lead to decreased respiratory capacity even before puberty. Late-onset idiopathic scoliosis appears after 5 years through adolescence and usually occurs at puberty, around age 10. In such cases, complications with breath and healthy lung function have been reported. When left untreated, these conditions are exaggerated and the spine can be very distorted, to the point where the backbones can only be fixed through surgery. Most cases of scoliosis, however, resolve themselves with age, moderate exercise, and physical therapy.

HOW TO TREAT SCOLIOSIS

Lise Stolze and Hagit Berdishevsky discuss working with scoliosis clients on Pilates Hour.

ALTERNATIVES FOR SCOLIOSIS TREATMENT

  • Observation: where the deviation does not exceed 20º.
  • Use of corset: Used to slow the progression of the curve during the growth stage in people whose curvature is between 20º and 45º.
  • Surgery: Stop the evolution of the curve and, if possible, to correct it. It is indicated for the minors of growing age whose curve is greater than 45º and for adults with curves higher than 50º.
  • Physiotherapy and active rehabilitation: These treatments seek to slow the progression of curvature, improve respiratory function and reduce pain.

These types of treatments can be combined with different techniques. These include electro-stimulation through medium-frequency currents, heat treatments with IR to increase tissue elasticity and circulation, and lumbar traction to reduce compression in the spine. Kinesiotherapy uses movement-based exercises that include stretching, exercises to strengthen weakened muscles, and those that seek to invert the curves of the spine by position.

Therapeutic exercises for scoliosis treatment are based on principles that we manage day by day in Pilates such as postural reeducation, flexibility and muscular strength. The Schroth Method is a good example of a regimen that targets scoliosis to reduce pain and the rapid growth of scoliosis. The method focuses on postural and breathing exercises, spine flexibility, and convex-side stretching. It has been praised for being effective in minimizing symptoms.

These tips will not cure scoliosis, as most forms will resolve themselves naturally. However, these techniques will greatly reduce the discomfort that usually comes with this disorder. This is also true for recovery from extreme scoliosis. The key is to continue positive movement experiences and expanding our knowledge of this disorder to gain insight on how best to stop it.

What are the best Exercises for people with Scoliosis? Click here.

To learn more about the online course, click here: Scoliosis and Spinal Conditions, Pilates Master Course

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Polestar Grads Where are they Now? Mara Sievers’ Pilates Encyclopedia

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“We all know that we can choose from the following variations for Footwork on the Reformer:

Heels parallel, V-position with heels on the bar, point and flex (tendon stretch), running (prancing, walking), prehensile (wrapping) and a few others. But why would you choose one over the other?

Which variation is best for which type of student? Should I use only one variation or several? How many? Or all of them?”   – Mara Sievers (Pilates Encyclopedia)

I created the Pilates Encyclopedia as a guide through the Pilates repertoire. Being a busy teacher and studio owner, I grew tired of having to sift through hours of videos and web pages to find a solution to a teaching question that came up regarding the Pilates repertoire. The Polestar comprehensive training has given me a tremendous foundation for my day-to-day teaching, but inevitably when you work with “real people” within a studio setting, you encounter situations you haven’t specifically studied. When, for example, you get your first student with a joint replacement, or when a student just doesn’t “get” the exercise …even after you’ve tried every possible cue you can think of. Maybe you have a student with a unique set of limitations, and you’re unsure of what to do. I decided to make lists of exercises for specific goals that I could scan quickly before a lesson to give me an idea of what to try with a particular client. I don’t consider myself the most creative teacher, but I love to organize. Most importantly, I wanted a shortcut for the next time I had a similar question. When you teach 6+ hours a day you just don’t have a lot of time or energy left to spend researching. I wanted a resource, a Wikipedia of Pilates, so to speak. A destination that would give me an answer to any Pilates exercise question. That’s the role I hope the Pilates Encyclopedia will provide. As you can imagine this is a huge endeavor, and I’m aware that I won’t be able to include every single variation in our library immediately, but over time we’ll create a huge collection of Pilates tools. I don’t ascribe to labels, such as classical or contemporary. I draw inspiration from both sides. Of foremost importance to me is understanding why someone teaches an exercise one way while another person teaches the opposite. Who’s right? Of course, the answer is both. It all depends on the person doing the exercise. It’s about the student, not the teacher. The student (initially) doesn’t care if they’re being taught by a classical or contemporary teacher, they just want to feel better and be stronger, more mobile, steadier on their feet, faster in the water, on their skis or on the bike. The Encyclopedia is organized by apparatus, then by position (supine, prone, sideline, seated, kneeling, standing etc), and then alphabetically. Just like you would look up a word in the dictionary, you can look up a specific exercise and learn all there is to know about it. Different schools use different terminology, so I’ve tried to list every possible name an exercise goes by so students of any school can use the “search” feature to quickly find what they are looking for. The whole library is accessible via any computer, smartphone or tablet. Let’s say you’re a teacher and you only have ten minutes in between students and you quickly want to look up a way to help your student avoid knee pain in Feet in Straps on the Reformer; you will find that answer in the short time you have. My absolute favorite feature of the Pilates Encyclopedia is the comment feature. I think it offers tremendous value to our community. Imagine you look up an exercise but you still can’t find the answer you need. Then you have the option to simply post a comment, ask what you want to know, and all the other members, as well as I or another teacher, will answer your specific question within 24-hours. This is something you might already be familiar with from Facebook groups where you can post a question and get answers from other highly trained teachers. This is very convenient. However, if you need this information a month later, it takes a long time to scroll through the endless feed of a group to find the answer. Sometimes these feeds get out of hand by veering off subject. We can monitor comments in Pilates Encyclopedia better, making useful information available where you need it when you need it. Over the years, the library will grow and grow, just like we grow as teachers. I enjoy the process of adding content to the library. I used to be an actor, singer, and dancer and I’m not shy in front of the camera. I love to learn new exercises (in live workshops, lessons with other teachers, on Instagram or Facebook), but I put each variation through a personal vetting process. I need a good reason for teaching a specific variation. It’s not enough for me that it looks fun. I’m very purpose driven. I’m sure each one of you has at least one exercise that you just don’t get. For me, it’s Stomach Massage. I know how I’m supposed to do it, I know the breathing pattern, I know the contraindications and precautions, but I don’t (yet) know the why. Why, why, why?! That’s my ultimate question for everything in life, not just Pilates. Who knows, maybe I’m still 3 years old?! Here’s an example: We all know that we can choose from the following variations for Footwork on the Reformer: heels parallel, V-position with heels on the bar, point and flex (tendon stretch), running (prancing, walking), prehensile (wrapping) and a few others. But why would you choose one over the other? Which variation is best for which type of student? Should I use only one variation or several? How many? Or all of them? Those are the types of questions I’d like to answer with Pilates Encyclopedia. I would love for it to be a Pilates study guide. Teacher training manuals for Pilates are limited in the sense that they show moments and positions, but it’s hard to tell what happens between picture A and picture B. How do I get from this first position to that second position? So much of Pilates happens in transitions, in the movement, obviously. Holding a position is one thing, but in the transition from one position to the next is where we see if a joint stays congruent or not. Pilates is an amazing method, and it can be hard. It requires a lot of time to master. With its many details, it can seem overwhelming at first. Even after completing a comprehensive training, there is still so much to learn. I see Pilates Encyclopedia as my legacy, as a way to aggregate the method in one place (instead of scattered about the interwebs) and my way of contributing to this amazing endeavor. I sincerely hope that it’ll help raise the bar in our industry, and makes us better movers and teachers by being accessible and affordable. Polestar Grads Where are they Now? Mara Sievers’ is a Polestar Graduate, Practitioner and the creator of Pilates Encyclopedia. Like our Blog? Sign up for the Polestar Life Weekly Newsletter!