Issue #348- Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Mind The Gap!
by Clare Dunphy
I’m really excited about how technology is connecting us and making it possible to share the work of Joe and Clara Pilates with each other across the globe. I’m grateful for the imaginative ways our community has found to “meet up” remotely for classes, workshops, and conversations. I’ve had the chance to meet new teachers from all over the world and reconnect with people I haven’t seen for a while. Growth happens from sharing our experiences and has given us inspirations to decide which direction we want our Pilates journey to go next. Something that’s been on my mind for a couple of years and has come up in multiple conversations with Pilates teachers, educators, and colleagues is this notion that a commitment to lifelong learning has different forms at different stages of our experience. The needs of a new teacher with 1-3 years of experience are different than what is needed after 5, 10, or more years of being in practice. We change and our learning experiences need to reflect our new understanding. Periodically, it’s worth our time to take an honest inventory, reassess where we are and then reset goals and expectations. This is important because when we get stuck in our comfort zone, we feel uninspired and flat. Our teaching starts to feel boring. We begin to miss the fire that we once felt when we were new to the work. The only antidote is to keep learning and growing, seeking experiences that draw us out of our comfort zone and back into the place where we reconnect with our energy and purpose as a teacher. For me as an educator, nothing is more gratifying then watching teachers take the leap out of their comfort zones and explore new and deeper terrain. Here’s a teacher’s general roadmap. The first two are the most common along the way and the second two are an additional jumping-off point to deeper discovery of the work of Joe and Clara Pilates. While there are many roads, this is one surefire way to keep your flame alive and on track.
Pilates Teacher Training: Comprehensive teacher training programs of (at least) 450 hours offer education on all apparatus including observation, practice teaching, and personal practice hours. The primary purpose is providing the foundational knowledge to safely teach Pilates to the general population including common special cases. It’s a stepping-off point.
Continuing education workshops: Workshops build on your existing foundation or add new information and perspectives. The focus is on a specific topic and involves working in a small or large group. The presenter gives theoretical information and usually guides students through a practical, hands-on experience.
Post graduate courses: Once you’ve been teaching for a few years, you might wish to commit to a longer course with a teacher (or several teachers) you admire. These courses are a wonderful way to revisit and go deeper into all aspects of the Pilates Method with seasoned teachers or Elders such as Jay Grimes of Vintage Pilates, Lolita San Miguel, Kathi Ross Nash, The Pilates Center, Mejo Wiggins, and (in full disclosure) with me as well.
Mentorship: Lessons, workshops, and courses can provide a certain amount of knowledge. The next possibility is having an experienced teacher work with you and your goals, watch your teaching and your personal practice, and help you take that knowledge and integrate it more completely so your effectiveness as a teacher skyrockets. Mentorship is a personalized experience that works with you and for you – and it’s priceless.
As you attend workshops and get exposed to the wider tapestry of Pilates, you’ll most likely notice gaps in your knowledge and understanding of Pilates. Workshops begin to fill these gaps and open doors into new topics, especially when taught by seasoned and knowledgeable presenters. Study with great teachers and when you find a teacher who lights your fire, go learn more from them! Expand your skills and knowledge and integrate what works into your practice. Keep learning. Regardless of where you are along your Pilates journey, a keystone is to clarify your core values as both Pilates practitioner and as a teacher. This simple action helps identify what we see as important regarding technique, teaching style, Pilates principles, using the “system of Pilates”, etc. Knowing our core values draws us to experiences and teachers in alignment with our deeper purpose.
Awareness Activity:
Notice your thoughts and actions while practicing and teaching. List what you identify as important to you. Ask yourself “what does excellent teaching and practice looks like?” List those elements. Use this to create a vision of excellence to grow toward. At the end of the day, our highest desire is to be effective and inspiring teachers embodying the qualities all great teachers share in common.
Great teachers are:
• Self-aware and prioritize personal development
• Focused on developing others
• Lifelong learners
• Dedicated to being themselves
Great teachers also:
• Ask key questions
• Practice what they preach
• Keep an open mind
• Face their fears and do it anyway
Routinely, we default to the knowledge and experience each one of us has. This works well under most circumstances, but when we wish to move beyond that default setting – to consider new ideas and new possibilities, to break from habitual thinking and expand upon our existing knowledge – it helps if we can let go of what we know, just temporarily. It takes courage and trust to be adventurous enough (and humble enough) to enter the “know nothing” zone of a constant questioner. I hope our paths cross as you continue on your journey.
Clare Dunphy Hemani
Clare Dunphy Hemani My roots in the field of human movement began in 1980 at Northeastern University in Exercise Science, with certifications from PMA, ACE, and Romana Kryzanowska. Romana’s education program began in 1995 and I continue with master teachers to this day. I am a teacher for the fabulous sources Pilatesology.com and PilatesAnytime.com. From 2001-2013, as co-author of the Peak Pilates Comprehensive Education Program, I guided scores of teachers and teacher trainers in their next steps, which opened my eyes to the value and need to prepare the next generation of teachers. Committed to preserving the authenticity and tradition of The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning, I value creating learning environments that are refreshing, energetic and supportive. I am founder of Pilates Avatar® – designed to support ownership of the work, The Advanced Teacher’s Seminar – an annual Master’s Program, and Elevate – a 10-week Pilates Mentorship program. I proudly served on the Education Board of the NPCP. My gift is willingness to share knowledge generously and explain concepts with clarity. My mission is simple: Get more people doing Pilates!
Follow Clare at www.progressivebodyworksinc.com, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram.