by Jennifer Gianni

I have been obsessed with reading everything I can find by Caroline Myss, PH.D. She is a medical intuitive and her most popular ( and insanely awesome) books are Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts. I recently got one of her newer books, Archetypes, which I’m not enjoying as much. But there was a chapter about the archetype of the Athlete that has caused me to pause and think about movement trainers and what is up with us.

First she defines an Archetype as “ universal patterns of behavior that, once discovered, help you better understand yourself and your place in the world…. They are impersonal patterns of consciousness that form the essence of human nature. However, archetypes are an active part of our consciousness, continually interacting with the sparks of energy we generate.” She says they are part of us, like a blueprint,  before we are even born. It is something we are naturally attracted to but is expressed differently in each of us because of personality and interpretation.

I am guessing that most of us Pilates trainers have the Archetype of the athlete. We would have to. And this does not necessarily mean you are winning races or have ambition to be in the Olympics. Just that you are attracted and intrigued by the body in motion and you like to challenge your limits. This thrills you, makes you feel calm and energized at the same moment and puts you in your primal body. Having the Archetype of the athlete to me means that communicating with the body, sensing the subtle shifts, being our own First Person expert creates an environment where we take action and responsibility for the care of our body. We figure out and create strategies to get ourselves out of pain, to create healthy ranges of motion, deeper connection and synchronicity in the body which in turn feeds our soul at a emotional and mental level.

I use to worry about the extent of my fascination and curiosity with the body. I think about and am very aware of my body and think about my clients and their next sessions a lot. More than once I have woken up in the middle of the night to a thought about what I could do with this particular client at their next session. Obsessive? Crazy? Perhaps. But now I am chalking it up to this: It is who I am, what I am drawn to and I really like it. I definitely chose my life’s work well. Nothing else excites me as much. My parents always get me a fabulous Christmas gift and what do I always ask for? Either a course or some kind of tool to care for my body. Last 2 holidays my parents have given me The Fascial Summer School at Ulm Germany and a dissection class with Gil Hedley. My mom use to say “How about a trip to Paris or a shopping spree? You certainly need some new clothes.” But now she gets it and so does my husband. When I come back from my trainings, I am so inspired, busting at the seams and this creativity and excitement goes into my work with my clients in my studio.

In Myss’s books she often says “ Our biography is and becomes our biology.” This means our emotions and thoughts create our cellular tissue. And the message here is to be gentle, thoughtful and level with our thoughts so that our mind and body can be well. I love this and totally agree.  However, in her book, Archetypes, when discussing the athlete she says “The grace of endurance has the power to dissolve the inner saboteur that arises in our weaker moments to slip in the kind of suggestions we shouldn’t be listening to, such as, “You’re too tired to work out today,” or “What difference does one day away for your routine make?” I think there is a disconnect here.We need to be listening to those messages and not just acting like our body is a machine. I think we all need to be highly aware of how movement and postures that we are and are not doing effect our mental, emotional and physical body. The same bad movement can reinforce and worsen the situation on all levels. So the Biology can also write the Biography. We as movement educators need to look at this on a personal and professional level.

What does this mean for the movement educator of this next decade and why is it so important? I believe that the Movement educator and especially the Pilates Professional will be the first line of defense in Preventative Care. The medical community has no time for teaching people how to take care of their bodies. They are too busy putting out fires. It is really up to us to take the torch and teach Self Care. Good movement training is a tonic that nourishes our energy centers and builds up our body’s ability to self heal. In taking this torch we can point out the obvious to ourselves and our clients. We are made up of so many landscapes and weather patterns. Our age, health, new injuries, old injuries, emotional status, sleep patterns, nutrition…It goes on and on. We are in the business of teaching how and why to Pay Attention. One is way more likely to achieve balance and feel easy in their body when they are aware. Learning to sense these changes creates an opportunity for us to become our own First person expert. We become responsible for our body.
Don’t be afraid to be interdisciplinary and insanely creative with your work in the Pilates studio. Your clients deserve a individualized approach. Don’t be afraid of thinking about your own body and what you may need to do differently. Be highly sensitive and curious. Be vulnerable, soft, responsive and open to change. You and your clients will flourish.

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Teaching from the Heart

A Prologue to the upcoming Happy Teacher series on The Pilates Show!

by Jennifer Gianni

I have been thinking a lot lately about having more compassion and more heart. Not only for others but a deep sense for myself. And when I include myself I feel more vulnerable and that is a lesson in acceptance and love for self. I have been highly aware that i can forgive and am gentler to others than I am to myself. This seems to be heightening as I get older (or I now can’t avoid noticing it). I chalk that up to there being more expectations (real or perceived) on what and how I should be. I have been noticing that this makes me not only rigid in my mind but also in my body. I have put on more armor to withstand the world and my own thoughts. There is no doubt anymore that I am my harshest critic. I am relating this exploration of self to all facets in my life, especially my passion for teaching others.

So how does being easier and more accepting of ourselves relate to teaching and all things Pilates? When we set that intention of Compassion for the self, it filters into every relationship that we have. This is especially true of our teacher/client relationship.  If we haven’t figured out how to be kind, gentle, forgiving, and soft to ourselves, there is no way we can be teaching in a consistent, effective way. It will end badly. Not necessarily in the loss of a client or a bad situation in the studio per se, but at some time the teacher that isn’t constantly caring and forgiving of themselves will eventually run out of fuel and explode and/or collapse. I have seen it happen so many times.

We are in the business of serving.  That is what we do . No way around that. We need to define that for ourselves. I have heard  many times from teachers something that goes a little like this: “It is her fault. She is not trying hard enough. I am teaching her the exercises and she just can’t grasp it. There is nothing I can do.” And there are definitely times when we are presented with a client that we need to refer out. A client that has needs that are beyond our scope of practice. It may be that they need to be referred to a senior teacher or a body worker or a physician. But a good amount of the time the teacher isn’t thinking outside of the box. She or he already has an idea of what they are going to teach even before they see the client move. I see teachers layering on too much, not detailing the subtler movements, and basically confusing the client. When this happens, the client gets tangled in her thoughts and the body constricts.

Instruction that is detailed and intention driven takes time to refine. And to be crystal clear,  it is not about spoon feeding or being a crutch for the client. It is nothing of the sort, and actually is the complete opposite. We must be the teacher who builds confidence little by little in the client. The goal is for them to be self sufficient. To show them that the body can heal itself 1000 fold when given the right impulse and stimulation. We are that impulse. We are that stimulation.

As movement educators we stand in  service to the public. Our job is to take care of our clients. It is a great honor and responsibility. When this hits home, when we truly realize what it  means “to take care of” and what our responsibilities are to the people coming through our door… THIS is the make it or break it time for teachers. They either leave the business or they step up to the plate. All of the facades are lifted at a certain point if you want to Teach, Instruct, and Nurture. This is a Discipline. This is an Art. And it takes years and years of hard, constant work before you feel proficient.

Most of us have realized that we didn’t get into this profession for the money. The ego has no place in the life of a teacher and that you must be compelled utterly by the physical and the psyche to stay connected to the work of the body.  That is a huge step for our profession and industry. But in my opinion one that can’t come fast enough. We are the end of the line for a lot of people that are in pain, disgruntled, and have had enough with the world. They want a way back to the joys of their bodies. Maybe they aren’t having any luck in the doctor’s office, with medication, or with Fitness Fads .

This is why we desperately need better teachers in our field. Teachers that can teach outside of the Pilates box. Who have a liberal arts degree in Pilates and are critical thinkers. Teachers that can invite other disciplines into the Pilates Method and make those vital connections between the amazing resources that we all have at our fingertips. And we the teachers have to constantly come back to ourselves. The crowning glory in this whole gig, the thing that will make it last and grow for you as a teacher is Compassion and Heart for yourself. The world needs you and your teaching.

In the months to come I will continue to write on practical ways that the Pilates teacher can cultivate Self compassion and heart for oneself. I am practicing these exercises myself and am happy to report what I find so they might be of help to you or someone you know.

View all of the Happy Teacher posts here.