Taking your Pilates teaching to the next level

With Lesley Powell August 21   1- 5 PM  $75
Come together.  Pilates teachers. Share. Workout.  Problem solve.  Laugh.

This meeting will be moderated by Lesley Powell.  Come with ideas, questions about the body, problem solving about professional issues (i.e. Difficult clients, non-payment by clients, burn-out, etc.)

• Bring any questions about the body, Pilates exercises and teaching.  We will take time to explore issues coming up, your designed workout for your client and questions about learning to see movement.
• Then you will teach a client a session with Lesley Powell observing.
  Here we will look at your design of your workout, how you cue and issues about form with your client.
• After your workout,  Lesley will go over each person’s class, any specific problems with client’s movement history and how they can improve on their teaching.
  

Click here To Register

Here’s my client question: 43 year old former dancer (ballet) and gymnast Runner in her late 20′s until recently when she has been sidetracked by hip bursitis. She spoke with her Doctor and Physical Therapist before starting with me. They said that she can do any type of movement provided it doesn’t cause her pain.They would prefer we don’t do extreme hip rotation.

In my visual assessment, I caught right away that she is bow-legged with hyper-extended knees and her parallel stance is not strong as she prefers turn out. Today, was our first session and we spent a lot of time on the Tower with Roll Down, Push Thru Seated Front and Circle Saw as I wanted to see core strength, rotation ability/mobility and articulation. When I got to Footwork (Bend & Stretch) I found a pattern that surprised me. I expected her to pattern her movement like I used to since I began with bow legs and hyper extended knees. But, instead of her knees splaying out, they come in and almost knock when she corrects her feet to parallel. So, we moved to Reformer Footwork and it was the same, when she pushes the carriage away, if I apply gentle pressure to her heels to “swing” them parallel, her knees “knock” inward. I put the Franklin ball between her knees to keep them apart (when, in my case, I use the ball to keep my knees more together). We then moved to bridging where I discovered the lack of hamstring strength. I focused on the hamstring connection for a while, did some pulling straps/swan and finished with mermaid. Can you offer me any suggestions? Am I on the right path? I do feel that we need to get her hamstrings stronger but will this help with the knock knee/footwork issue? Should I use something bigger than a ball, like maybe a yoga block between her knees?
Or between her ankles? H-E-L-P!! As always, thanks for you insight! Cheri

by Lesley Powell

How a client organizes in a static position can be different when moving. Watch how she organizes her body to stand on one leg.  As she stands on one leg, look at the bone rhythms of the legs.

• Does the foot remain stable, supinated or pronated?
• Does the shins rotate inward or outward?
• Does the femur rotate inward or outward?
• What happens to the pelvis and spine?

She might have been doing some compensation patterns in standing to appear not knocked knee.  Your working with her on creating balance in the legs is great.  Be careful about pushing parallel if she can not maintain it on her own.  She has been working on this pattern for awhile.

Sometimes with knocked knees,  putting a block/ball between the femurs can be a poor cue.  They should not be squeezing the block hard.  It might be better to use a theraband tied around their thighs.  The tightness of the theraband should be enough to get them to parallel not beyond.

Strengthening the abductors/rotators is important.  Since her PT’s do not want her to do extreme range, keep the movements small.

• Rotators – lie on the side with knees bent.  Only lift knee a inch off the other leg.  Or with theraband tied around thighs tightly lying on the back.  Move one knee again in tiny range of motion.
• Abductors – range of motion on side should not be higher than her hip
• Standing – Can she stand on one leg without letting the knee knocking in?

Working on balance of all the leg muscles  is important.  Since she is not allowed to do range of motion, I would also teach some release techniques for lateral rotators, abductors and adductors, and feet as well.

Go to Online Scheduling at Movements Afoot
Monday 6 PM, Tuesday 12:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM

I have been working with my teachers, Kim Fielding and Mandi Chan, in developing a Pilates class using leg springs and an aerobic segment on the physioball. It will be a more affordable class than our equipment classes, but bring in the wonderful physicality that the equipment invites.

It is an hour class first starting with a Pilates mat with springs. I love how the springs invite a deeper tone of my core and limbs. Then we end with an aerobic simple workout on the physioballs. We want the aerobic section to bring in the Pilates concepts of connection. The movements on the ball are fun, graceful and energetic. I hate most aerobic classes punching my arms out in ungraceful ways.

Being a woman in menopause and dealing with weight gain, I am trying to find ways to get more aerobic activities in. I tried running many years ago, but my knees were killing me. I started again, cautiously. This time I am doing a combination of running and fast walking. So far, my knees feel fine. A lot has to do with my taking the Pilates: Heart & core class. Between the training of the legs on the springs (lots of hamstrings work) and the bouncing on the ball (quadriceps work).

On National Public Radio, there was a great show on women and knee injuries. They talked about the importance of training the hamstrings and the gluteals as well as the quadriceps for prevention.

NPR- Women and Knee injuries

“I feel frustrated at the aerobics-type mat class experience where everyone is doing the same work, and no one is really ‘doing’ the Pilates Method. Eve Gentry said you can know every Pilates exercise and still not know Pilates. I agree completely.

In my mat classes I educate. My students are not in my class for a ‘work out’ they are there to learn how to do and deepen the Pilates Method on their own. My goal is always helping my students be able to understand the Method well enough in their own unique bodies that they can go to any class and have a good experience, or do it on their own.

I sometimes have students grouch at me that they want to go faster in the work, but I politely point out this is a practice, something to cultivate over a life time, and not to rush into, as they are best off creating good movement patterns from the beginning, and not have to reset poor patterns later.” Pilates Teacher

It is hard to get people to slow down, get conscious and think about their bodies. Many people think hard work in exercise is about speed and a burn. We have an expression about those people as “A+++” personalities.

Sometimes to teach humility, one needs to teach an exercise beyond their capacity. Safely of course! Then you reteach the importance of the slow building blocks to get to this point. We also have to teach concentration and patience.

On the other hand, I can understand the fusion classes as a business incentive. With so many pilates mat classes out there, how do you built a class and make it different and appealing to clients. I do not have the answer. I have talked with many Pilates owners throughout the world about their businesses. Many are dropping the mat classes, because they are not making money. The competition from the gyms and their ability to have cheap classes as part as their membership has changed our business. The ironic thing is the mat work is much harder than the machines. The machines can give the client information how to initiate into the more difficult exercises for example the “rollover” vs the “short spine”.

As a woman going into menopause and weight gain, I have to find a way to get aerobics in. I tried running, but the injuries from dancing, my knees and my SI can’t handle it. At the studio, we have come up with a fusion class Pilates: Heart & Core. We start out with a mat with legs springs and props. It starts out slow with the building the core. Then we end with a very simple aerobic bouncing on the balls still using the Pilates concepts. I can’t tell you how great I feel. Many aerobics classes whack my body out. The workout with the reconnecting to core support and strengthening the legs gives me a safe aerobic workout.

How many people are not exercising because they get hurt. I think that there is a place to teach how to connect to Pilates principles in our movement loves. It still needs the foundation of the practice and its detailed connections. I find many people do a great Pilates workout and not know how to connect it to their lives.

There has been controversy about warm-ups. Some say warm-ups are not necessary and not injury preventive. I think that it depends on what the warm-up is for. What do you want to warm-up?

A lot of dancers make the mistake of stretching their hamstrings as their warm-up. Over-stretching a muscle can release it and kick the function needed for moving.

For me, a warm-up is getting the joints and the muscles moving in preparation for larger and more demanding movement and/or workout. Especially as I have gotten older, I feel stiff. Moving my spine gently in different planes is my first goal. A Warmup should increase muscles and body temperature as well as blood supply.

My warm-up is simple, not advanced movement. It could include:

• Cat & Camel
• Side bending
• Rotation

Then there is improvement of mobilization of the joints:

• Hip joints
• Shoulders & neck
• Ankles & feet.

It is also a time of developing concentration and bringing back the mind-body connection. The warm-up prepares me to clearing my mind, increasing focus through imagery. For me, since I have some problems with knees and SI, bringing back better function is key. This is also a time of bringing in specific exercises for your movment love to improve function. It can also be a rehearsal of an activity.

Other Great resources for ideas for warm-ups
Hanna Somatics
Bartenieff Fundamentals
Dr. Eric Cobb/ZHealth

I have been teaching a class, PilatesDancing, for the past year. It has been amazing how many changes are happening in my students. I combined Pilates, Laban/Bartenieff and the Franklin Method to create this class.

The structure of the class consists:

1. Foot training includes releasing tension, strengthening the foot and the mechanics of the foot in movement. We bring the new foot connections back to standing. As the foot become better connected and grounded, alignment and core tone changes.
2. Pilates mat and floor barre includes strengthening the core three dimensionally in a dynamic movement routines on the floor. This includes challenges of balance and level changes which demand more core than doing exercises on your back.
3. A standing warm up, we use a block to challenge balance and understand the importance of the standing/working leg. I also bring into principles from my training from the Franklin method and Amy Matthews, a BodyMind Centering practioner, about rhythms of bones in the leg to enhance standing and function.



4. We end with an adagio. The purpose of the adagio is to practice the themes of the class that day.

Facing a total knee replacement operation on June 13th, 2006 and being in considerable pain, I enrolled in physical therapy sessions with Nicola Weiner whose care and guidance was incomparable and in a once-a-week one-hour session with a Pilates instructor at Movements Afoot. This resulted in building up an essential strength and knowledge prior to the operation. The intelligence of the Pilates system of exercises is profound and challenging. The emphasis on centering, core awareness and alignment became my concentration. I was as ready for the surgery as I could be and a month after the surgery, I returned to Nicola Weiner, my physical therapist and, subsequently, to Heather Mims, my Pilates instructor. Swollen and timid, I started again building slowly and carefully the necessary alignments, flexibilities and strengths. A year later I’m back to my life with confidence, strength and an expanding interest in this most direct and substantial understanding of the ways of the body.

I am so excited about becoming faculty of BalancedBody University. They are truly committed to the education of Pilates teacher. After being a Certifying studio for the PhysicalMind since 2001 and seeing other certifying Pilates companies’ materials, BalancedBody’s manuals and structure for the Pilates courses are the best around. BBU’s education brings in the best info about the body, the history of Pilates; past and present, how to use the Equipment (and just not their own), different workouts from different styles, client types and injuries and contraindications for certain health issues.

I AM WALKING YESSIREE…ABOUT YOU AND ME.

Your walk is a reflection of how well or poorly your fitness is. A great gait has gentle movement of your entire body in a balance and coordinated fashion. If one body part is tight/rigid, it will affect the entire body. Tightness is many times a reflection of weakness.

Dr. Eric Cobb, Director of Zhealth, www.zhealth.net, spoke that the transfer of weight on the step forward equals 500 lbs on a healthy walk. When the body is not moving correctly, the forces increase and exacerbate with speed.

A healthy gait is a reflection of trunk (core) control, coordination of your spine with your extremities especially your knee and ankle and good expenditure of energy so that you are not fatigued after just a half-mile walk. Faulty movement patterns in walking can lead to fatigue and injury. Improve your gait will enhance your balance, strength and injury prevention.

As a teacher, I observe my client’s gait to get an idea of how they move their bodies. Especially with injuries, my client’s walking can tell me a lot how they use their bodies. When a client has a knee injury, there are faculty patterns of movement in their walk. Their walking pattern can be making the knee injury worse. By teaching better movement patterns, the client can find better function, strength and mobility.

In June, I will be teaching a course on Gait for teachers 6/22-23. Laura Gates will be teaching Hanna workshops for all with the themes of improving your gait. Go to www.movementsafoot.com for more information.

Lesley Powell

Lesley Powell, director of Movements Afoot

Lesley: I love how my somatics knowledge has changed my practice in yoga and Pilates and centered my mind. When I go to my competition to experience other teachers/studios, there are a lot of generic cues out there.

“Pay attention to your breath.”
“Be in the moment.”
“Feel your powerhouse.”

I try to pretend that I am a beginner with no experience. With those phrases I might not have a clue what is being said.

Somatics has offered me a roadmap to lead my nervous system (mind) to my body. Let’s take breath;

Good breath affects the entire body. There is the real function of the diaphragm moving up and down with the inhalation and exhalation. The compression of the diaphragm moving down on the inhalation puts downward pressure on the organs, the pelvic floor and the rib bones expand. The exhalation is like a gentle hydraulic press. The diaphragm moving up on the exhalation creates a suction to lift the pelvic floor and the organs. Did you notice how just reading this changed your breath?

This understanding puts my attention inside of myself. It brings me into the moment. This is one way somatics changes my practice. As I breathe with this understanding of how breath works, I release tension. My body starts organizing its natural intentions.

Martha: I am interested by your last phrase – natural intent or natural intentions. What are the body’s natural intentions? I feel a clue to the wisdom of the body-mind relationship lives here. As we become more aware of our bodily sensations using our proprioception (the receptors in our nervous system that help us feel ourselves) we have more clues to how take care of our selves, move, or what to do. This type of decision making is an integration of body and mind processes.

So often during the day when we aren’t registering our body sensations we just move forward with no conscious and subtly hurt ourselves – developing physical imbalances in any overused or underused areas. We all know that if we hold our head in an odd position while feeling stress that our shoulders and neck often become tense. It is also possible to use too much tension while looking. This overuse causes stress in the eyes themselves but also in the rest of the body. At CKE and Movements Afoot we offer classes where we can become aware of sensations in the body (Pilates) or the eyes (EyeYoga), for instance. In these classes we have a chance to reengage with our physical sensations and to practice new ways of organizing the body for efficient use. This process involves a change in attitude – so once again we experience that body awareness is affecting the mind. “The mind can refer to emotions, cognition – thoughts or feelings. At CLE we encourage people to relax first, then to use the mind to tune and feel the body. Once there is an open state of awareness we can move in new ways and express new parts of ourselves, from this we can move into more potent action, most likely more comfortably as well.

One of my clients just mentioned that she was surprised by the fact that after her table work session rather than acting calmly she went home and pursued a difficult conversation and was able to bring a longstanding problem to resolution. She attributes this to having relaxed enough to feel stronger enough in herself to speak honestly.

So one of the CKE mottos is – Relax, Feel, Move, Take Action!

I would love to talk about how this type of awareness helps us in our practice of yoga. It would be fun to introduce everyone to the type of somatic movement classes that we do at CKE and Movements Afoot as well.