Joseph Pilates

9 Tips to Self-Regulate your Nervous System

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Written by Polestar Graduate and Mentor for Polestar Pilates UK, Kristin Loeer.

There are many reasons for why we become Pilates Teachers. A love for public speaking does not tend to be one of them.

Kristin Loeer

As soon as we start teaching, groups, in particular, we realize that there is a side to this profession that is rather nerve-wracking. Day in, day out we walk into a large room filled with people who are all looking back at us expectantly. We feel the pressure to deliver something amazing and begin to tense up. We don’t know what to do with our hands and we can’t quite look people in the eye. We crack a nervous joke and blank unamused faces stare back at us in response. Too scared to repeat such an awkward display of disconnect we buckle down and escape into our “Pilates Teacher Mode”. 

We speed up a little as we talk, somehow needing to fill the silence and give people more to do, to make sure they are satisfied and do not have time to decide that they don’t like us. 

Somehow, we manage to get through the hour and as people leave, we hope desperately for a smile or a “thanks” from someone, so we know we did a good job after all. What sticks in our mind are all those people that leave without even looking at us. ‘Do they hate me?’ – we wonder. And while we are still wondering that, the next group of people are coming in and it starts all over again. At the end of the day, we are confused and exhausted and beginning to accept that there is a side to this job that makes us feel rather exposed and disconnected. 

While the described above is perhaps an extreme scenario as far as Pilates Teaching experiences go, I can say that I have certainly been there during the early years and I know that many of you have been too. This kind of challenging teaching experience is particularly common at the start of our career when we take on cover classes or work for health clubs where groups are large and unfamiliar.

And while things may improve with time and experience, many of us can not quite shake off the protective “Pilates Teacher Mode” completely and never quite feel fully authentic and at ease when we teach. 

It is no surprise that we feel so challenged in situations like this. Stepping in front of an expectant crowd and allowing ourselves to be seen can evoke a fight or flight response in our nervous system. This deeply instinctive mechanism causes us to lose the ability to rest into ourselves and socially engage with other people. In the end, we have spent an hour trying to manage our own stress while in the public eye, trying to connect with people and teach them healthy movement. Accumulatively this is a jarring process that could well be the first step to burnout if work situations like this persist. 

We can use Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory to get a better understanding of what is happening to us in classes as described above. 

When we are at peace and enjoying the company of others we are in a ventral vagal state. We feel grounded, calm, and at ease. Our body is able to take care of all internal processes like digestion, restoration, musculoskeletal and cognitive function in an easy and balanced way. We feel connected to and seen by others in ways that make us feel safe and validated. This ability to socially engage with other people is something that fuels our ventral vagal state further. We have a sense of “I can.” about us and our ambitions. Most of us will have an experience of this and some of us feel at home in this state of being more so than others. 

If we are under a lot of stress, experiencing pain, or managing difficult relationships, we may not find a ventral vagal state easy to maintain. When we then enter the studio in this state, we quickly begin to pick up the signals that trigger a sympathetic nervous system response. We perceive many unfamiliar eyes suddenly looking at us expectantly or even challengingly.

We are suddenly under public scrutiny and feel the pressure to perform and deliver. We tense up, our eyes go wider, and we cannot see the room as a whole anymore as we fixate on this or that. We become a little uncoordinated or even walk into things.

We get a mental block and cannot think properly. Our voice and movements speed up and our breath becomes shallow. We cannot look people in the eye. Even if we are aware of these changes, it is difficult to control or influence them. The body has gone into a sympathetic nervous system state associated with expecting or preparing for a fight or flight situation in a moment when we are desperate to connect with people and create an environment for health and well-being. 

How frustrating is this? In our attempt to make it work, we put more pressure on ourselves, and our sense of “I can” changes to “I must.” 

Unfortunately, no matter how much we try to hide how we really feel 70-80% of our communication with others is non-verbal and a lot of it is subconscious and instinctive.

Chances are that the class participants pick up on our sympathetic nervous system state, which means that now neither of us are able to socially engage with each other or find a state of well-being. 

If this experience is repeated again and again, we may eventually collapse into a dorsal vagal state, a form of nervous system shut down. We may experience symptoms like headaches, chronic tension, stiffness and pain, voice problems, and chronic exhaustion. At this point we have a sense of “I can’t.” and something has to seriously change for us to be able to get back to “I can.” 

What can we do about this? Ideally, we want to be and remain in a ventral vagal state as much as possible when we work with our clients. We want to be able to connect with them, put them at ease and role model physical and mental well-being. 

Below are a few simple tips that can help you self-regulate your nervous system in preparation of those challenging classes as well as during your teaching.

Before The Class:Take A 15 Minute Time Out

Perhaps the most important question we want to ask ourselves is: how do we enter the studio? Are we already in a sympathetic nervous system state when we arrive? If we are, it will be very difficult for us to shift this while under the pressure of a teaching situation. Schedule 15 minutes before the class in which you can take time out for yourself where you are undisturbed. 

Grounding

Grounding is extremely powerful in helping us shift into a ventral vagal state. Spend some time acknowledging the contact and support you are receiving from the ground and other areas in which you are making contact. Feel your feet on the floor and perhaps lean into a wall or back of a chair and feel the sense of support and holding this gives you. 

Self-Contact

Give your body some support by making gentle contact with your hand on your heart, stomach, or thighs. Follow your instinct, keep it simple and give this time. Track the sensations that arise. 

Identify A Resource

Ask yourself what else might help you settle and feel more the way you want to feel. Would a hot drink be helpful or maybe your favorite music on your mp3 player? Maybe you put on your favorite leggings that make you feel great? It is those little things that can be a great resource to us when it comes to settling our nervous system. You can also connect to a resourceful memory of a time when you felt the way you want to feel now. As we connect to such memories, our body resonates.

Track Your Sensations

You may observe energy rising. This is okay. Allow it to travel through you and keep acknowledging your soothing resources and the contact and containment from the ground, your surroundings and self-contact. Chances are that energy will settle if you allow a little time for this. Once you feel calmer and more relaxed, spend another moment to really soak up this nervous system state with your awareness before you enter the studio. 

This 15-minute preparation will make a huge difference to your following teaching experience as it will be easier for you to maintain your ventral vagal state and your clients may also feel more inclined to connect with you from the get-go. 

During the Class

Notice your Triggers and Slow Down

When you feel the very first triggers that challenge your calm, allow yourself to slow down. You have more time than you think. We quickly feel under pressure to act, especially in a fight or flight state. Know that you have time to attend to yourself. 

Acknowledge the Ground

You also have contact with the ground here, just like before. Notice it and allow it to support you. You do have the time to sense the ground and acknowledge that it is always there to support you. Notice how it feels to acknowledge this. 

Self-contact  

Placing your hand to your heart, putting one hand into another, touching the back of your neck, whatever helped you soothe yourself before, is perfectly acceptable to do while teaching a Pilates class. There are plenty of those gestures that we do subconsciously all the time, so chances are nobody will notice as you get a powerful reminder of your ability to self-soothe. 

 Remember that you can 

If you notice yourself thinking that you must make it through or that you must give people a positive experience, take a breath and remember that you actually don’t have to do anything at all, but that you can absolutely do this, otherwise you would not be where you are, doing what you do.

If you can follow the above steps in full you will find your teaching experience change. Not only in these challenging teaching scenarios, but also in your work with private clients and more familiar or smaller groups. However, if you are easily stressed or uncomfortable when teaching, don’t be discouraged if the above steps are not solving your problem completely right away. Often a little more support, guidance and practice is needed to help our nervous system regulate itself in challenging situations. Feel free to contact me if you would like more information on this subject or if you are seeking further support. 

Kristin Loeer is a Polestar Graduate, Mentor for Polestar Pilates UK, and a Somatic Movement Coach. You can find Kristin at her website and on social media at @kristinloeer_movement

Polestar Pilates Highlight : Ana Bolt Turrall

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Ana Bolt Turrall is a Polestar Pilates practitioner, dancer, mentor, fitness & dance educator in Jacksonville, FL with Revive Rehab Clinic and Optimal Performance Pilates Jacksonville.

What do you love about teaching Pilates?

I love that I get to share how amazing Pilates feels and is for the body. I have the opportunity to share the importance of movement longevity, to create change, and encourage people of all backgrounds to enjoy this treasure. It is wonderful to hear my clients responses when their minds and bodies are challenged and they get an understanding of the ‘self-awareness sensation’; I delight in describing personally what that organic connection feels like to me “a symbiotic helical effect”.

Sometimes I say to people, “Pilates it’s like eating live food, for a nutritious source of energy.”

Where do you teach in Jacksonville?

I am at two locations: The Revive Rehab Clinic, which has given me the opportunity to learn and work alongside knowledgeable PT, OT and MFR therapists to create beneficial wellness programs, assist in rehabilitation, and share the legacy of love for movement. I am also, the Pilates Director and co-owner at Optimal Performance Pilates, where my mission is to develop programs that will enhance people’s lives.

Where did you take your Training and who was the educator?

I did my comprehensive Polestar training in Miami with some amazing women including Cristi Idavoy, Shelly Power, and Beth Kaplanek who is my mentor till this day.

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

My current inspirations are to build programs for the MS population and people with disabilities. I currently work with Parkinson’s clients and survivors of domestic abuse. Every person I come across that faces movement challenges have some emotional struggles and I want to serve them.

They inspire me through their drive to find quality of life and the stories of survival. Hidden emotions can become an entrapment and occasionally we all do it for self preservation or a defense mechanism. Therefore, as the body moves there are layers of emotions that are released and the feeling of letting go happens. Sometimes words cannot express that feeling but Pilates can offer these individuals that freedom. I am constantly exhilarated to grow and continue this journey to provide positive movement experiences for better care and long lasting movement performance.

Why Pilates?

Pilates like dance is a journey – you never stop learning!

With Pilates I unearth my meditational zone, internal dialogue that leads me to listen deeply and also find the artistry and relationship with the beauty of dance.

With Pilates, there is a special focus: a strive for precision, coordination and fluidity through movement integration that feels like choreography in motion.

Pilates is also like dance because it is ‘a movement art form,’ a discipline that ties in with a holistic sense of balance and your daily living. It is the kind of movement that drives you from the inside out essentially with focus and sensibility about your body.

How did you find the practice?

I found Pilates while dancing in college at New World School of the Arts. I began Pilates as a somatic/healing movement practice after I survived domestic abuse. After a period of time, I was determined to become an instructor and turn the physical damages sustained into movement discovery and self empowerment.

By understanding and embodying the Pilates principles my limitations became possibilities.

The Polestar Pilates method helped me modify and strategize movement differently, and to dance again was my new beginning. Until this day I strive to improve and mentoring is another wonderful way to enhance the practice and evolve. I have realized that the graces of aging have led me to an intriguing journey of new discoveries where change is inevitable, but acceptance of these changes can be rewarding.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

Through my teaching, I let people know that I want to learn about them, motivate, encourage, share love and compassion, and in that process of learning with them – to also enjoy the fun that comes with Pilates!
I also teach the importance to invest in our bodies that God created so beautifully for long lasting and happy lives. I convey that Pilates in so many ways is a form of your own ‘physical mobility health insurance.’

Where would you love to Vacation to?

Spain where I lived growing up. I want to watch and feel the flamenco, take classes and dance to the folkloric music traditions and rhythms.

What are your Favorite Quotes? How do you live, embody and apply them?

A quote I created, that relates to me presently is:

“This body still has music left to play! The graces of aging just add a little more flavor”

Also a statement from Rudolf Von Laban:


“Movement is, so to speak, living architecture”

I teach movement and functionality for healthy living. My works have taken me to Canada and New York where I have the opportunity to collaborate with amazing movement artists with a heart for service. I see the Body as the ‘Temple of God’ – a living architecture created for amazing works. It is with gratitude that I share the gift of movement through dance and embody my work through teaching. Throughout my efforts, I help build connections in individual bodies and minds which also result in spiritual understanding of the ‘self’.

My goals are to create mindful movement programs for people to engage in exercise, and also for dancers/movement artists to enjoy Pilates through an integrative choreographed form with a flair of ‘movement architecture!’

Describe your movement style?

I feel that my movement approach serves with purpose, is thoughtful, dynamic, and depending on the class I teach, I add the dance artistry. I have studied a variety of movement modalities and danced many styles helping me become versatile and creatively engaged. I feel strong teaching with athleticism and tailor my classes to the needs of my clients.

What is your Favorite apparatus or favorite way to move? What do you love about it?

I don’t have a favorite apparatus. I find all the equipment to be a mindful playground where I can stick to the original/classical exercises, or be adventurous to create with endless possibilities for movement performance and exploration. As a movement artist I love moving in different planes to keep me curious and movement engaging.

The Kinesphere by Laban is a fascinating concept that I appreciate and use further in “Kinespheres for movement therapy” with certain populations such as Parkinsons (the body is challenged within a point to reach out into multi-directional dimensions which engages the zest of the core and has enriched gestural choreography for my dance works).

What are you reading or learning about?

I read about two or 3 books at once that correlate to the work that I do. I am presently reading “The Artisan Soul” by Erwin Raphael McManus to continue my sense of wonder, evolvement and creative processes.

For constant guidance and tuning, I read “Alignment Matters” by Katy Bowman, and Beth Kaplanek’s manual “Pilates teachers perspectives of Lower Extremity Pathologies & Joint Replacements” (Beths’ manual is like a bible for me!) and I am learning more about the Oov!

After taking the fundamentals and apparatus course, I am hooked on practicing the depths to where this tool keeps stimulating strategies to find balance and stability; yet the body is always challenged in a de-centering mode. My brain literally, goes into a rollercoaster, there is an internal dialogue that suddenly yields revelations, and it is then where for a few seconds I feel- ‘internal silence and almost a sense of center’ – just in time to start that rollercoaster again- this is seriously is pretty magical.

How does Pilates inform your profession?

I was a dance, theatre and fitness educator in the school systems for 20 years. As I continue to teach in these fields, Pilates is part of my curriculum. Hence, the Polestar method informs my profession all the time, even through the quotidians’ of life. It has provided me with a stronger foundation in all forms of education in movement performance for fitness enthusiasts, dancers and seasoned dancers. As an older dancer who continues to dance, Pilates informs my body with functional technique and safety. Therefore, I choreograph, and teach dance technique with a cognizant perspective by cross training with the Pilates Principles for Movement Artistry. I believe that institutional dance forms can benefit from and enhance the longevity of dancers with these principles. I apply them to myself and in my artistic development.

Fun facts about me:

I love taking care of orchids because they are so difficult to keep alive! I was born in Nicaragua, and I am 34% percent Indigenous Native from Central America from my father’s side. I have coached track & field, and Love to play the Djembe. I am not good but I enjoy the rhythms I create and it happens all in private 😉

Meet Ana on Social media @anaboltturrall and on Facebook at: The Bolt Movement . Visit her website www.theboltmovement.com

Polestar Mentor Highlight: Meech Aspden

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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.

Meech Aspden, Polestar Pilates Mentor

Discover Polestar Pilates Asia, and Meech on Social Media @meechaspden

Polestar Educator Highlight : Audrey Ng

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Audrey is the Director and Principal of Performance Pilates & Physiotherapy, established in 2003 and located in Leederville, Western Australia. She received her B Sc (Physiotherapy) degree from Curtin University of Technology in 1992. Previously an Australian international rhythmic gymnast, she commenced her study in the Pilates Method of exercise while working as a physiotherapist in Los Angeles, USA. Audrey has been incorporating Pilates in her physiotherapy treatments since 1998.

Audrey specializes in posture and movement assessment and has an interest in teaching her clients to improve their functional ability and efficiency of movement through understanding the effect of gravity and load on posture and core stability with a holistic emphasis. This approach has been useful for many clients including elite athletes, office workers or clients with a sedentary lifestyle, with chronic or persisting pain or injury, women and pelvic health, pre and post-natal care and the aging population.

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

The possibility, knowledge and responsibility to experience and share movement, inspiration and quality of life with our loved ones, colleagues and community.

Polestar Pilates to me is:

Freedom

Purpose

Opportunity

What do you love about teaching Pilates and owning a Studio? 

I opened my clinic & studio, Performance Pilates & Physiotherapy in 2003 with a vision to deliver comprehensive and holistic movement rehabilitation. What I love most about being an integrated health practitioner is that as a Pilates teacher is that I have an opportunity to empower people to regain confidence and improve the quality of their lives. Movement in particular is essential for an aging population so what better time to start than now!

Where did you take your Training and who was the educator?

I first undertook Pilates training in Los Angeles in 1998 with The Physical Mind Institute, joining the Polestar family in 2003 under the tutelage of Dav Cohen.

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

On a personal note, I wish to live with greater intention, each moment of every day. I found myself thinking that this past year flew by so quickly and I realized that I wasn’t present to so many moments along the way.

I am inspired by the resilience and the sense of community, the true “spirit of Australia” that our people have demonstrated in the past few weeks as a result of the catastrophic bushfires that have taken lives, destroyed homes, burned over 12 million acres and killed 1 billion native Australian animals.

Coming from a place of gratitude and stewardship for our beautiful land, we have a responsibility to take action against climate change – everyone here on the planet can play a part in conscious sustainability.

Why Pilates? How did you find the practice?

As a child I played and enjoyed a variety of sports – swimming, cricket, hockey, I also performed calisthenics and fell in love with gymnastics. In high school I had the opportunity to try Rhythmic Gymnastics which is floor based and involves handling apparatus – ribbon, hoop, ball, clubs and rope and went on to compete at an international level for Australia.

I found that through movement I felt my happiest and developed my confidence to perform on stage and the courage and determination to face competition and do the training to reach my goals.

Through movement I found my vocation as a Physical Therapist, and when I experienced Pilates, I found my dharma, the way to my purpose and calling.

Pilates is accessible to everyone and such a complimentary medicine to the knowledge I acquired as a rehab professional.

Why Polestar Pilates? How did you come to join the Polestar Community?

I first heard about Polestar Pilates while working in Los Angeles in the late 1990s, so in 2003 I was excited to hear that Polestar was coming to Perth! With a 5 week old baby, I attended my first Principles course and the rest was history. Within a few weeks, I met Polestar’s founder, Brent Anderson, Shelly Power and the rest of the Polestar Australia crew headed by Cat Giannitto. It was like coming home … I had found my pilates family of like-minded individuals, on a mission to share, educate and deliver the message of intelligent movement.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

That each and every person is able to do pilates, is able to move, with freedom, joy and purpose. That movement is connected to spirit and is essential for maximizing our quality of life! To instill confidence, love and respect of our whole body, of what it is capable of achieving when we re-establish the relationship of body, mind and spirit.

What is your favorite Quote? How do you embody this?

So many favorites!

Applied to Pilates:

“the science and soul of movement”

Pilates truly encompasses body, mind and spirit. There are physical, mental and energetic reasons as to why we should move! There is increasing evidence, both empirical and anecdotal that support this philosophy and as a physical therapist and integrated health practitioner, I choose Pilates for a neuro/bio/psycho/social approach to rehabilitation.

What is your Favorite Apparatus or favorite way to move? What do you love about it?

The Trapeze Table is my favorite apparatus as there are so many options for movement! I begin a workout using the assistance of springs, increase proprioception and neuro-motor learning with the tower bar, then build the intensity adding the challenge of resistance, while moving through different planes and orientations to gravity. My favorite movement sequences involve spine extension and inversion…something I look forward to on the Trapeze Table daily!

Discover Polestar Pilates Australia

Teaching Self Monitoring in Pilates

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By Polestar Educator Noelle Dowma DPT, BFA, NCPT, CMTPT

October 2017 was a busy month for me…I presented in the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) conference in Houston, Texas at the beginning of the month, and again at the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) conference in Indian Wells, California at the end of the month. The IADMS presentation was called “Dance Conditioning with Pilates as the Foundation,” and it was basically a Pilates mat class with lots of other exercises that dancers need. A good portion of my participants did have Pilates experience, but I wanted to highlight the unique non-Pilates exercises I teach to help dancers get the strength and flexibility they need.

When preparing to teach for the PMA conference, I knew my audience was 100% Pilates and not many dancers. So, I taught the directly inverted Pilates mat class. I used far more traditional Pilates exercises and only interspersed a few that would specifically benefit dancers (and regular people). This act of teaching similar things in a small time frame made me realize how versatile Pilates mat and equipment work can be.

A Pilates mat class can easily be transformed from a basic class appropriate for very unconditioned people by simplifying and modifying exercises, to challenging the most elite athlete. The difference in these two classes comes down to content and difficulty, although safety and challenge must be our focus as teachers.

I worry that we, as Pilates teachers, over challenge people, which can result in injury, the development of poor form, frustration, and misinformation.

What these teachers might be overlooking is the focus to teach the students self-monitoring so that they can make ideal choices for their body.

An example of this is to help provide our students with information about how to perform self-palpation, internal assessment (feeling what is happening), or external assessment (looking at their alignment). Our role as teachers is not to say “in-out” or to count for them, but rather to help them to know if they are doing the exercise correctly and when to modify, stop, or continue onwards.

It is always joyful for me to hear a past student tell me about trying a Pilates class elsewhere. Because of having this self-awareness, they often can assess how good the class was and are able to keep themselves safe, even if the pace and advancement of the exercise were too much. This makes sense after all, because Joseph Pilates said:

“It is the mind that shapes the body.”

If we follow his philosophy, we can help teach others to have the consciousness so that they follow Polestar’s mantra of “intelligent movement.”

Discover Noelle Dowma and Kinesphere Physical Therapy here

Pilates & CBD

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You may have heard about “CBD” in Yoga, Movement and Pilates classes and may have seen “CBD” products at your local Pilates Studio. No, it does not stand for Core – Booty – Dance (although that sounds fun and we think you should develop it) Whats the deal?  What is it? Will CBD help you hold a teaser or open your heart in a backbend?

In this blog we explore the emergence of CBD in the Pilates Scene.

For Relief :
While CBD products aren’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any medical condition they are widely used as a homeopathic “treatment” for pain reduction and inflammation.

Should I supply clients with CBD options in my Pilates or Physical Therapy Studio? 

CBD or “Cannabidiol” is different from its counter-culture cousin-compound  “THC” (which might give you the giggles). Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid, one of over 100 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants.  We have seen “CBD supported Restorative Yoga”, “CBD post Marathon Stretching Class” and classes that “weave” together mindfulness “cannabis culture” restorative postures and CBD smoothies (yes, banana and Cacao included).

According to a report from the World Health Organization, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”  

So… Harvard, Cannabis, Pilates?
 

 Peter Grinspoon, MD and contributing editor for the Harvard Health Blog explains: “CBD has been touted for a wide variety of health issues, but the strongest scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating some of the cruelest childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which typically don’t respond to antiseizure medications. In numerous studies, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and in some cases it was able to stop them altogether. Videos of the effects of CBD on these children and their seizures are readily available on the Internet for viewing, and they are quite striking.

Recently the FDA approved the first ever cannabis-derived medicine for these conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD.” We are seeing an increasing number of Pilates studios pairing movement and therapies with CBD products in an attempt to support their clients’ choices regarding customized treatment and recovery.   

In Miami the results are palpable. Russell Goldman explains:

“The addition of CBD products at Polestar Studio South Miami has helped produce positive outcomes with our clients.  We currently suggest CBD for our clients that are complaining of arthritic type conditions.  The feedback has been astonishing for the aging population…reduced pain, better sleep, and happier moods have been the core of the feedback.” 

Regarding the specifics of integrating CBD products in your Pilates business Goldman continues:

“If you are going to try a CBD product, you should definitely ask for lab results. Many companies have popped up with inferior products.  Our most common tincture is 1500 milligrams with a 72% purity rating.  Some of the products on the market may be 10% or less. This is very high for the industry standard and our client outcomes are attributed to this high quality product.” 

Our Thoughts?  As a whole health practice the Pilates method encompasses quite a lot! 

Joseph spoke of plenty of sunshine, fresh air, bathing the body and cells with oxygen via blood circulation and living with vigor and zest (Teaser Tuesdays…).  Would Joseph have developed a whiskey and cigar infused Pilates class? (some of his known guilty pleasures…what really was in that cigar? – and again, yes –  we think you should develop this…)

We think not. But check in with your doctor and accordingly give CBD a try.  We believe Joseph would have encouraged us to be “our own best doctor” and to look within to see if what serves us on our Pilates path of coordination of body, mind and spirit.

Harvard Health: Cannabidiol (CBD) — what we know and what we don’t