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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Jennifer,
I can totally relate to this — it is exactly what I do with my clients. I am much more concerned
with aligning their bodies and getting to where their “stuff” is before I put them on any apparatus.
I think these principles have made me a better instructor. It has set me apart from the crowd and helped me teach my clients and students that they are the only ones responsible for their bodies.
Thank you so much for sharing. Love all your posts and workshops. Keep up the good work!!
Phyllis Matonte
Took a great course once and the instructor repeated ” We are a student of our own body”
So so true and we never stop learning. It is fascinating. You are so generous with your time.
It is inspiring and validating. Thank you both.
Hi Phyllis,
Wow. Thank you for your excitement and kind words. We need to hear each others stories. Your clients will improve on all levels because they have a teacher like you. You are finding the places that have been hidden ( or not thought about for so long). These blind spots once uncovered and worked with can change lives. I really believe that our profession done right can change the world one client at a time. Thanks for your fearless teaching.
Love
Jen
Hi Shelley,
I love that..”We are the student of our own body.” That is great and so true. Our body can teach us so much. Our biography is our biology And Our Biology is our biography. It goes both ways. Thank you for your kind words and all of your support. I believe our online community can help to inspire all of us to reach higher in our teaching.
Love
Jen
FABULOUS!!!!
We are so so lucky to have you as the voice of a new awareness around the conversation of what the heck we do in the Pilates studio! Absolutely superb article, and so eloquently written. Thank you Jen for putting into words what so many of us feel in our hearts!
Love,
Casey