Forum / Let's Discuss! / I%27m%20getting%20my%20certification!!!
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| Lisa On: August 04, 2013 23:40 PM |
So, I've made the decision to make a career out of pilates! I start my comprehensive certification from Peak Pilates in two months time. I'm so excited!!!! I'd love to hear other peoples stories of, how they got started, what surprised them starting out. Just reminisce folks. Paint me a picture, guide me, entertain me, just talk about PILATES!!! |
| Jennifer G On: August 09, 2013 08:56 AM |
Hi there Sarah! I am so excited that you are starting on this wonderful journey of being a Pilates teacher! There is so much to learn, and you will find many ways that the work infiltrates into everyday life. I came to be a Pilates teacher after being derailed by sport injuries. (This seems to be a common thread amongst us movement people!) It was the first time that I ever thought about my body in a qualitative outlook, and not just the quantitative. It was the first time I ever slowed down to actually FEEL how my body responded to stimuli. And it was an eye opening experience. I was 19 years old. Within a few months of starting to take Pilates, I was asked by my first Mentor Tracie Munn if I was interested in becoming a teacher. Without much thought I replied yes, and started to apprentice at her studio. This was the old days of Pilates training where most of my free time was spent in the corner of the studio taking copious notes on everything I saw and heard. Tracie's work was magic. I saw people transform before my very eyes, even those who goals were to simply walk better with a cane. This taught me the importance of subtly in movement, and the attention to detail needed to really teach people, and not talk at them. This vocation became art. I was hooked. Soon after, I had the honor of becoming comprehensively trained by Marie Jose Blom. And I was so in over my head. The group of wonderful people I was studying with were head and shoulders above me in their knowledge of Pilates, as well as movement in general. I had an incredible amount of catching up to do. And with the generous and lovely help from my classmates, I learned so much. And the most important things I walked away with were these did bits: 1.) this is only the beginning 2.) every person and situation is incredibly unique, and I had to learn to teach that way 3.) saying "I don't know" is completely acceptable and encouraged, as it gives you the fuel to find out 4.) we cannot divorce science from the art of movement. Tradition is lovely, and it is even more so when blended and infused with what we know NOW about the human body. Not what we knew 80 years ago. Through out my years in this profession, I have seen and accomplished many different things. I have worked classically, I have worked in therapeutics, I have worked with professional dancers and athletes. What I am finding now is that all of the various situations I have encountered have primed me for something. And that something is simply, I have learned to teach like me. The me that stares back in the mirror when brushing my teeth. The me that seems to read five books at a time. The me that loves and hoards all beauty products. The me that has a notebook on the nightstand to write down 3 am movement dreams. I have discovered myself in this work. My wish for you is that you do the same. Without boundaries, and with reckless abandon. In Health, Casey Marie Herdt |
| On: August 12, 2013 07:09 AM |
Congrats! I am hoping to start the comp cert next year (Jan or Feb). Right now Im teaching Mat Pilates. Im trying to figure out who to do it through, and coming up with the money to do it. |
| Angelo G On: August 13, 2013 12:26 PM |
I'm probably the only non-Pilates person on this site. But I've been a Pilates Spouse for WAY long and have been a part of the business for a long long time as well - and wanted to put in my two cents. We're a Balanced Body studio and Jen and Casey are Balanced Body faculty - so that's obviously the program we know (and like) the best. There are lots of good Pilates training programs out there and most of them have great materials and great information. But my observation is that even more important than the program - is the instructor that you get. If you've already chosen a program that looks good to you - then do some research on which instructor in your area is the best fit. If you haven't chosen a program yet- I'd say starting with finding a really good master instructor might be a great first step. The trainings have changed so much over the past 15 years or so. You want someone who really knows their stuff and who has the skills needed to present the information in a super-efficient (those weekend modules fly by!) and understandable way. Try to talk to students who have taken from any master instructor your contemplating. Try to take a private session or class from them to get a vibe check. The best way to become an incredible instructor is to be taught by an incredible instructor. |
| Catherine On: August 15, 2013 18:59 PM |
As someone who has been doing Pilates for many years, but only became a teacher a few years ago, the best advice I can give is to keep up your own practice. Demonstrating to a client or group class is not the same as being on the receiving end. It is possible to get so busy that we neglect ourselves. Also, certification is only the beginning. Keep learning. Read, watch DVDs, attend workshops - it improves your own practice, as well as helping keep things fresh for your clients. |