Issue #297 – Wednesday, April 15, 2020 (during the worldwide Corona Crisis, this article is aimed for that time) Pilates Moving Towards Wholeness in Isolation: Our Critical Opportunity to Adapt Through Movement and Connection By Chantill Lopez Social distancing IS our best chance at making a positive impact on the […]
Love All Around – The Romana Kryzanowska Biography A Review by Rebekah Le Magny
Issue #296 – Wednesday, April 8, 2020 Love All Around – The Romana Kryzanowska Biography A Review by Rebekah Le Magny Title: Love All Around – The Romana Kryzanowska Biography Author: Cathy Strack and Carol J. Craig Foreword by Mari Winsor Date of Publication: 2019 Pages: 287 Availability: www.cathystrack.com Price: […]
Shifting Stances – by Penelope Shure
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 Shifting Stances by Penelope Shure Pilates stance was the first position I learned in the first Pilates session I ever took, 20 years ago. Footwork on the reformer, heels together, toes apart but not too far apart like ballet first position as I automatically went into. […]
Engage Deeper into your Teaching – by Clare Dunphy Hemani
March 12, 2020 Engage Deeper into your Teaching by Clare Dunphy-Hemani I think most Pilates teachers today share the belief that our lineage has value because the connection back to Joe, either directly or through one of his students (our elders), helps keep the tradition alive. It wasn’t that long […]
“Embodied” Pilates by Allie Greene
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 “Embodied” Pilates by Allie Greene Embodiment is being internally aware as a body rather than an outside observation of the body. It is a subjectively felt sense of ourselves. It is the “being” rather than the “doing”. It is within the process of embodiment where we can […]
Is Demonstration of Exercises Beneficial to Learning a Motor Skill? by Chelsea Corley
March 4, 2020 Is demonstration of exercises beneficial to learning a motor skill? By Chelsea Corley We have all heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.” As a Pilates instructor, when we demonstrate an exercise to a client, we are trying to give our clients a picture […]
Simulating Symmetry with A Roller on the Pilates Reformer Exercises – by Stephanie Herman
Feb 19, 2020 Simulating Symmetry with A Roller on the Pilates Reformer Exercises by Stephanie Herman Asymmetry in our bodies can have a variety of causes. It can be caused by compensation patterns, leg length discrepancy, scoliosis, accidents, cartilage deterioration, or many other reasons. Whatever the reason, there are methods […]
To Be or Not To Be a Teacher – by Kaisa Marran
Issue #289 – Wednesday, February 5, 2020 To Be or Not To Be a Teacher by Kaisa Marran Pilates teachers rock, they change people’s lives! Joseph Pilates may not have been a great teacher, but he was a genius, no doubt. He had an obsession where nothing stopped him working […]
Pilates Intel Survey 2019 Results
Issue 288 January 22, 2020 Pilates Intel Survey 2019 Results No surprises with this graph showing 94% of Pilates Subscribers are Pilates professionals. 85% positive response to this question (Strongly Agree plus Somewhat Agree). For the 8% of the people who responded negatively – even though you don’t enjoy different […]
Benjamin the Brave – by Christina Maria Gadar
January 22, 2020 Benjamin the Brave by Christina Maria Gadar Throughout my Pilates apprenticeship and the many years of continuing education that followed my Pilates certification, I learned to believe that Pilates was not appropriate for children. On the first day of my Pilates apprenticeship, I jotted down “No children […]
Exploring Shoulder Differentiation – by Teri Lee Steele
December 11, 2019 Exploring Shoulder Differentiation by Teri Lee Steele As a student of movement, I always try to find ways to incorporate new ideas and information that I learn from Pilates into every other area of my life – from dancing in rehearsal to something as simple as walking […]
Only Time Will Tell – The Story of A Pilates Teacher without a Comprehensive Certification – by Genevieve Malcolm
December 4, 2019 Only Time Will Tell The Story of A Pilates Teacher without a Comprehensive Certification by Genevieve Malcolm The day I started Pilates is the day I learned that taking care of myself was perhaps the most crucial aspect of motherhood; if I wasn’t well in myself, others […]
Spine Curls – the “Bridge” to Your Inversions – by Julie Driver
Issue #282 – Wednesday, November 13, 2019 Spine Curls – the “Bridge” to Your Inversions by Julie Driver I love spine curls! They are a fabulous foundational exercise that gives immense movement satisfaction whatever your level of expertise. Spine curls are like an onion – the more you practice them, […]
Pilates Imperfect II – Integrative Movement Facilitation A Journey Towards Movement……..and Beyond – by Chantill Lopez
Issue #282 – Wednesday, November 13, 2019 Pilates Imperfect II Integrative Movement Facilitation A Journey Towards Movement……..and Beyond By Chantill Lopez “Wholeness does not mean perfection; it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.” — Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life What […]
Airplane on the Cadillac – by Reiner Grootenhuis
November 6, 2019 Airplane on the Cadillac by Reiner Grootenhuis Setup: Attach traditional leg springs at a height of 80 – 85 cm / 31.5 – 33.5 inches. The higher the spring attachment, the easier raising the body into the diagonal becomes. Supine position with the head pointing toward the […]
The Curvy Road – A Path Created by Scoliosis by Karena Thek
The Curvy Road – A Path Created by Scoliosis By Karena Thek (Note from the guy who likes to butt in where he can: the irritating ‘he’ in intro paragraph is none other than your humble Brett) “I think you should write about your life, your personal background,” he said. […]
Interview with Kristi Cooper of Pilates Anytime
Oct 16, 2019 Interview with Kristi Cooper of Pilates Anytime B: Hi Kristi how are you doing? K: Hi Brett I’m great today B Great so tell us about your start in Pilates, please. K: I moved to Del Mar, Southern California, as a 13 year old girl. I was […]
The Amazing Chest Expansion – by Clare Dunphy-Hemani
October 9, 2019 The Amazing Chest Expansion by Clare Dunphy-Hemani I guess if I had to pick one universally effective, versatile Pilates exercise (which in my opinion, should be taught in every session and for nearly every person), it would be Chest Expansion. It includes all the essentials of total […]
Footwork is Everywhere – by Reiner Grootenhuis
September 25, 2019 Footwork is Everywhere by Reiner Grootenhuis For most of us Pilates enthusiasts, “Footwork” is a series of exercises we do on the Reformer or in a similar, but not quite the same, way on the Wunda Chair or the Electric Chair – even if some might […]
Mind or Body? by Eddie Adi Ron
Mind or Body? by Eddie Adi Ron September 19, 2019 Pilates is an effective platform for strengthening the body and the mind. Naturally, we base our teaching and our evaluation of students mostly on physical skills. But today, more than ever, I feel that mental, emotional, and cognitive skills are […]
Cueing Stabilization – by Teri Lee Steele
Cueing Stabilization by Teri Lee Steele September 11, 2019 Recently, I overheard an instructor at a teacher’s conference ask, “How do you know if you are becoming a good teacher?” To which she answered, “Look at your students. Are they doing what you are asking of them?” This brought many […]
Free Your Spine by Moving Like an Animal – by Amy Taylor Alpers
Free Your Spine by Moving Like an Animal by Amy Taylor Alpers August 21, 2019 “Normal muscles should function naturally in much the same manner as do the muscles of animals.” Joseph Pilates Mr. Pilates’ writings make it very clear that he wanted normal, natural, whole body movement – that […]
Forget That Cue! – by Mara Sievers
Forget That Cue! – Three Wrong Cues for the Shoulder Girdle by Mara Sievers August 21, 2019 Guiding your student with your words is a combination of skill and art. Sometimes we overuse cues or apply certain cues to a movement where it’s not appropriate. You might or might not […]
Why Use Directed Imagery? by Julia Wyncoll
Why Use Directed Imagery? by Julia Wyncoll August 14, 2019 I recently had a fellow Pilates teacher tell me, “Some of my clients don’t like images, so we don’t use them.” Well, I’m here today to challenge this idea, because it’s my belief that we are all using images all […]
A New Twist On Snake/Twist – by ‘Swami’ Doug Bentz
A New Twist On Snake/Twist’ On Snake/Twist! by Swami Doug Bentz June 20, 2019 Seeing as it is nearly summer and everything is blossoming and glowing with a sense of new life, why not bring some “newness” into your Pilates practice and to your clients? My intent with this […]
Bringing it Back to Gravity by Adam McAtee
June 12, 2019 Bringing it Back to Gravity by Adam McAtee For one reason or another, we live in a time where countless individuals in developed countries struggle to adequately complete a full-range squat and are potentially living with a dysfunctional gait. These limitations may not only inhibit their daily […]
What I Know, What I Give, and What I Think
Credit to Pilates Anytime May 29, 2019 What I Know, What I Give, and What I Think by Ruth Alpert “You can only teach what you know,” my beloved teacher, colleague and friend Michele Larsson used to say. What I know: How to work with bodies that have special needs, […]
The History of the Pilates Cadillac – by Reiner Grootenhuis
Joe Pilates on the Cadillac – thank you IC Rapoport May 29, 2019 The History of the Cadillac by Reiner Grootenhuis Be sure to check out Reiner’s brand new Cadillac manual, available at Amazon, at the VERY FAIR price of $67 The Cadillac and I didn’t have an easy […]
“Does A Piece of Paper Make You A Teacher?” By Carol Monaco
Ron Fletcher Studio from the mid-eighties Top left to right Michael Podwal and Ron Fletcher Bottom left to right Diane Severino and Carol Monaco Issue #266 – Wednesday, May 22, 2019 “Does A Piece of Paper Make You A Teacher?” By Carol Monaco In 1973, Ron Fletcher opened his studio […]
It Does Matter – by Sabrina Ellen Svard
Issue #264 & #265- Wednesday, May 8 – 15, 2019 IT DOES MATTER! By Sabrina Svard I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. How did I get so weak so fast? None of this made any sense. I tried everything. I moved forward on the box. I moved backward on […]
Humble Cueing – by Eme Cole
Issue #261 – Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Humble Cueing By Eme Cole Recently, I was taking a group mat class and about halfway through the class, the instructor proclaimed “People, I am very good at cueing, so if you’re not doing the exercise properly, it’s because you’re not listening!” […]
Pilates Imperfect – To Dance Between Form and Feeling – by Chantill Lopez
Issue #262 – Wednesday, April 17, 2019 Pilates Imperfect – To Dance Between Form and Feeling (AKA – a love letter to vulnerability and potential) By Chantill Lopez Many of you know my good friend James Crader. Sometimes I think it’s weird, and I think he does too — in […]
How the Classical Pilates Method’s Consistent Form Can Deepen Your Teaching Skills -by Amy Taylor Alpers
Issue #261 – Wednesday, April 10, 2019 How the Classical Pilates Method’s Consistent Form Can Deepen Your Teaching Skills By Amy Taylor Alpers During more than 30 years of teaching Pilates, I have often been asked “How did you see that?” by observant students and clients. I used to say, […]
Cracking the Code – by Clare Dunphy-Hemani
March 27, 2019 Cracking the Code by Clare Dunphy-Hemani Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate Pilates as a lifestyle choice – providing an opportunity to meet ourselves in the moment and reconnect with our inner energy, life force and commitment to our well-being. And I find that difficult to […]
“Fixing” My Rib Flare – by Nikki Naab-Levy
March 20, 2019 Fixing My Rib Flare By Nikki Naab-Levy As Pilates teachers, there are areas of the body that we are very aware of – in ourselves as well as in our clients. One of these of areas seems to be the ribs, or more specifically the rib flare […]
Just Not Good Enough – by Patricia Glynn
March 13, 2019 Just Not Good Enough by Patricia Glynn Maybe I’m just not good enough…. Maybe I don’t know enough…. Maybe I’m not teaching enough…. Maybe I should have my own studio and classes…. Maybe I am not doing enough workshops.… But I constantly came back to the first […]
The Second Spine – by Suzanne Martin
February 27, 2019 The Second Spine By Suzanne Martin Pilates instructors love working with asymmetry and I am no exception! We are all bound at the hip by our love of the curiously asymmetrical body. Starting out as a Pilates instructor from the dance medicine field and needing personal insight […]
Love for the Baby Chair from Sunni A and Laura C
Feb 20, 2019 Laura Meets Baby (Chair) By Laura Cotler “The Arm Chair informs the rest of the workout,” said Andrea Maida, at her Solana Beach studio. The Arm Chair, also known fondly as the “Baby Chair,” or “Old Lady Chair,” wasn’t included as part of my contemporary Pilates trainings […]
Do Not Let The Chair Slam Into Your Back – by Indrek Kornel
Do Not Let The Chair Slam Into Your Back By Indrek Kornel February 13, 2019 Hello, My name is Indrek. Have we met before? Probably not … but if we have, when would you like to meet again? This article is a reflection on a process in my life through […]
An Inch Wide, A Mile Deep Finding your Niche in the Pilates Community – By Karena Thek
January 30, 2019 An Inch Wide, A Mile Deep Finding your Niche in the Pilates Community By Karena Thek It’s embarrassing to admit, but I can’t remember the last time I taught the Hundred, let alone the Series of Five. Yes, I teach using the Pilates equipment and I definitely […]