Pilates Teacher
Graduate Highlight: Mara Sievers
“What really matters is that we feel good and that we can live our lives to the fullest. If we apply it correctly, Pilates is the tool to get there.
It’s the best tool I know.” – Mara Sievers
Mara Sievers is a Polestar Graduate, Practitioner and the creator of the Pilates Encyclopedia. Read our interview with Mara and discover her thoughts on the body’s kinesthetic intelligence and what led her to Pilates.
Polestar: What do you love about teaching?
MS: I love that I get to know the whole person. Pilates gives me permission to take all aspects of a person into consideration… their body of course but also their emotions and thoughts. Feelings influence breathing and breathing influences movement. I love that my students leave the studio feeling better than when they came in. Often that’s my only goal for a session, especially for my clients with movement restrictions, limitations or pain. I work with a lot of people who’ve never experienced individualized Pilates on equipment before, and I love seeing their excitement when they realize that they CAN do this. That they don’t have to hurt and suffer to get stronger and move better with more ease.
Polestar: What is your current inspiration?
MS: My students’ activities outside the studio inspire me. I usually ask them what they’d like to be able to do outside the studio, in the real world. Often it’s hiking, skiing, tennis, gardening or playing with and lifting up their grand children. Once we have a goal that excites them we build the skills to get there and we find ways to mimic the movement in the studio in preparation for real world application.
If my energy gets drained from teaching a lot I make sure to take lessons from other teachers. Getting out of my head is important. Having another teacher look at my body and help me find better movement patterns is invaluable and incredibly inspirational. When my own body feels great I want to share this feeling with my students. Ultimately, Pilates teachers are practitioners first.
I live in New Hampshire, and we’re pretty outdoorsy. Moving in nature is the best meditation and inspiration for me. It helps me put things into perspective, clears my mind from clutter, and helps me focus on the essentials.
Polestar: Why Pilates?
MS: I used to be a dancer. Then I got injured and Pilates helped me get back on stage. I later started to teach all sorts of group fitness, aerobics, step aerobics and yoga. Eventually, I decided to fully focus on Pilates because it was the only modality that gave me the skill to work with everyone, no matter their limitations. You can’t be too inflexible, too weak or too out of shape to do Pilates. You’re out of excuses to feel better, stronger and happier.
Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching?
MS: That Pilates doesn’t matter. What? Did I just say that? What I mean is that it’s not important to do Pilates perfectly. What’s the point in practicing a gazillion Roll Ups to “perfect” them if I end up with neck pain. What really matters is that we feel good and that we can live our lives to the fullest. If we apply it correctly, Pilates is the tool to get there. It’s the best tool I know. So in that regard Pilates matters. A lot.
Polestar: Where would you love to vacation?
MS: Any of the National Parks in the western US. I’m an avid hiker, and I’ve never been to Yosemite, Zion, Yellowstone, etc. I’m also getting more and more intrigued with Alaska.
Polestar: What is your favorite quote?
MS: “Everyone is the architect of their own happiness.”
It reminds me that it’s all about personal responsibility. I sometimes get the feeling that my desire for my students to get better is stronger than their own. Probably because I have more faith in Pilates than they do. I’ve seen with my own eyes and felt in my own body the power of the method. But ultimately, I can’t do it for them. The student has to believe in it, too. If you can’t believe it, then you can’t achieve it, right?
Polestar: Describe your movement style?
MS: Slow, precise, soft, gentle, and with intention. I came to Pilates through an injury due to hyper-mobility. This set the stage for me to focus on exercising within my abilities and not pushing outside of my comfort zone until I’m able to fully control the movement. I focus on building a strong foundation first for each of my students. They want to see me do the most difficult exercises in the repertoire. But I know exactly what I can and can’t do (correctly). I know which exercises will help me and which ones I’d be cheating (compensating) my way through. I don’t care about showing off. Unfortunately most of us are very impressionable by the “shiny things,” the flashy exercises, the upside down ones. The subtle work that happens inside the body is often not visible to the outside (especially not to the untrained eye). But it changes everything. It makes all the difference.
Polestar: What is your favorite apparatus?
MS: At the moment the Ladder Barrel. Pilates can get a bit linear and rigid. The curves of the Barrel remind me and my students to keep the spine supple (as a cat’s).
The Oov has been tremendously helpful with this same goal. It provides a shortcut by helping the student feel a neutral spine position without having to explain so much. It’s a direct line to the body’s kinesthetic intelligence.
Polestar: What are you reading?
MS: I recently read Critical Hours: Search and Rescue in the White Mountains by Sandy Stott. As a hiker and outdoor enthusiast, I was humbled by how much effort goes into rescuing hikers who get into trouble. I learned a ton about how to stay safe.
I also highly recommend Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown for anyone who, like me, tends to have too many ideas and wants to do too much. Its philosophy of dropping all non-essential activities resonates with the “less is more” Pilates mindset. He calls it “less but better.” I remind my students that fewer repetitions but performed with more focus are worth more than 20 sloppy repetitions. One of Joe’s quotes comes to mind: “A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion.”
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From Pilates to Neuroscience
We interviewed Polestar Educator Kate Strozak MSc, LMT, NCPT of Chicago, Illinois. Not only is Kate a leader in Pilates education in Chicago and the Mid-West she is also a Runity coach, Oov educator and JB-MFR trained. Kate is a contributor for Polestar Life Weekly (check out her blogs on Neuroplasticity, Fascia, Healthcare and Pilates Chairs). Watch Kate as a special guest on the #PilatesHour episode “Neuro-Concepts in Pilates”.
Polestar: What do you love about teaching? KS: I love the challenge of helping anybody surpass their movement expectations and goals. It’s one thing to meet goals and another to exceed them. I also love the uniqueness of each individual and how there are beautiful similarities that we all share. We are complex systems of gliding tissues with this incredible spark of life. This keeps me in constant awe and amazement and makes me feel like it’s an honor and privilege to be able to collaborate with my clients and students. Polestar: What are your current inspirations? KS: Nature is my perpetual inspiration. Whenever I start to feel in need of inspiration or if I feel in need of balance or grounding, I head outside as fast as I can. Polestar: Why Pilates? KS: Pilates made movement accessible and fascinating to me. It’s my foundation to start from and return to for my personal movement inquiries or for my clients’ movement exploration. Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching? KS: I hope to empower my clients to revel in their movement, health, and fitness. I aim to be a resource and a collaborator, not a teacher or practitioner. Polestar: Where would you love to vacation? KS: I love to hike and would love an extended trip to visit a few countries in Africa. But I would go anywhere…I love to travel. Polestar: Do you have a favorite quote? KS: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Polestar: Describe your movement style? KS: Explorative, Playful, and Varied. Polestar: Do you have a favorite apparatus? KS: The mat. I think of that apparatus being there as a tool to help me better access my own body’s capabilities. But if I had to choose an apparatus I’d go with the cadillac for purposes of hanging and flips . Polestar: What are you currently reading? KS: H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, and Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body by Leon Chaitow.
Polestar Graduate Highlight: Amy Foster Berntsen

Mentor Highlight: Becky Phares, NCPT
Becky Phares, PMA®-CPT is a Polestar Pilates Graduate and a candidate for the Next Pilates Anytime Teacher 2018. With more than 10 years of teaching Becky teaches at her studio The Body Initiative Pilates Studio in Lafayette, Louisiana. Find Becky on instagram @the_body_initiative
Polestar: What do you love about teaching?
BP: First of all, I love that I do not have to sit behind a desk to make a living. I love that I have a job that makes people healthy and happy. But most of all, I love that I can wear stretchy pants to work!
Polestar: What is your current inspiration?
BP: I am currently getting inspiration from my husband. When we were first married 15 years ago he started working at a bank as a teller. Now he is one of the most successful commercial lenders in our city. He is proof that if you work hard enough and care about your clients, you can achieve greatness. Being a brand new studio owner, I hope to have the same drive and compassion he does.
Polestar: Why Pilates?
BP: I have the toolbox to work with almost any population because of Pilates. I do not know any other fitness modalities that have the value, history or love that Pilates has.
Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching?
BP: Come as you are. Pilates helps ALL.
Polestar: Where do you hope to vacation?
BP: Machu Picchu. My dad was in the oil field and traveled the whole world. He was the first one to tell me how amazing the ruins are. So it’s my dream vacation. But for now, with our three young daughters, our family is Disney obsessed! It’s also where I met my husband.
Polestar: Describe your movement style:
BP: I am a dancer who refuses to use the word “former.” My love is contemporary dance. Contemporary is based on free and creative movement but firmly rooted in technical elements. That is how I teach Pilates. My classes have a thread that helps my clients achieve the most out of their time with me, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play, be creative and have fun.
Polestar: What is your favorite apparatus?
BP: Reformer. I love how you can simply change the spring setting and it makes an exercise immediately harder for one part of the body and easier for another. It is a genius piece that can be used in infinite ways.
Polestar: What are you reading?
BP: I love fiction. Because I’m so busy at work, then in the evening with my kids, I need to wind down. Reading about fake people’s lives turns off my brain so I can actually sleep. I love anything by Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult, Justin Cronin, John Grisham, Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter.
Polestar: Who is your mentor?
BP: Kim Gibilisco. A few years ago I took a session with Kim at the PMA and was blown away by her brain and the ability she had to make us understand what was happening in her class. Then I did some research on her and found out she was the essence of what I wanted to do with my career. I sought her out through social media hoping I can maybe get her to talk to me for 30 min. Now I call, text, or email her anytime I need advice. She has gifted me her mentorship and I’m still unsure how I got this lucky.
Polestar Community Testimonial: Love From Beijing
We love hearing from our Polestar community about their Pilates journey and training. Check out this recent testimonial from Polestar community member Gamze Gunay from Bejing!
I remember the times I was working hard until the late hours at the office. No matter if it was the night or weekend, or even a holiday, I was to finish my duties. The workload was increasing continuously and it felt like there were dozens of knives in my back. All I knew was that I needed to move; however, I couldn’t find the time for it. I was just shuttling between office and home. I was feeling totally stressed and I wasn’t supposed to reflect it to the people that I was responsible for as a human resources professional. I couldn’t even get rest when I slept.
The pain in my back was so intolerable that I finally had to see a physiotherapist, and he suggested a 10-day therapy to me. Even though we discussed that 10 days wouldn’t be enough itself and that I had to keep moving, we decided to give it a try. I had to go to therapy during my working hours. While in therapy, I understood that the more I worked, the more workload was given to me and there was no interruption during my absence. So I decided not to work out of working hours and let my manager know about it. Otherwise, I was going to fall out of love with my job to which I dedicated myself passionately. Therefore, I got the chance to start my journey of Pilates that I was so curious about. And I wasn’t wrong about the feeling that there was something for me in it. The equipment, the environment, the feeling before and after the session… they were all making me feel better day by day and I was working at the office in a healthier way.
I was practicing four to five times per week and my teacher told me,
”the happiness on your face every time you get in the studio is priceless.”
We talked about the possibility of me leaving corporate life to be a Pilates teacher. Meanwhile, there was something happening in my life; my boyfriend proposed to me while he was living in Beijing, China, and it wasn’t going to be the final destination as he would be appointed to many other countries all around the world time after time. That meant that I needed a job much more global than human resources and one that would make me happy.
So, I decided to take into consideration my conversations with my Pilates teacher and pursued a path to become a Pilates teacher. Before moving to Beijing, the first thing I did was search for the training options, which led me to the Polestar Comprehensive Training Program here.
Now I’ve completed the program and am getting ready for the certification exam. Pilates is filling the gaps of my new life; it is my best friend; it is my new job; it is my therapy. It is a way of meeting new people and helping the ones that share a similar story with me. By digging down deep into its principles and teaching techniques and gaining more family members through it, I understand that starting my journey with Polestar Pilates has been my best choice. I am proud to be a member of the Polestar Pilates family and am happier than ever!
Love from Beijing as a Turkish member,
Gamze Gunay