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- Written by Jill Cassady
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Happy New Year from Pilates Technique Certification!
The New Year is a great time to remember to make a commitment to yourself and your health! Joseph Pilates was far ahead of his time; his concepts still ring true today. He believed you should exercise your body every day with controlled, moderate movements. Doing so keeps your body healthy and ready for the harsh stressors of the day. When you make Pilates and other exercise part of your daily ritual, you get blood circulating, nerves stretched and muscles conditioned to take on whatever the day has to offer.
Exercise where the movements are moderate and within the body’s range of movement, are healthiest for your joints. Joseph Pilates had people move their joints within a defined range of movement. This range of movement is different for everyone. I have heard people say, " I could never do Pilates, have you seen some of those pictures on the Internet of people upside down!" These are advanced movements, done within the range of the person's body in the picture. Know that Real Pilates Technique.....
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- Written by Jill Cassady
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Orientation for our September program will be held on Saturday, September 6th at 9:30am.
Orientation will take place at Ocean Pilates in Santa Monica. Please contact us if you want to sign up for the September program. We want to be able to hold a spot for you. So if you are planning on taking this course, we urge you to sign up now to secure a spot. This is a first come, first serve program and people are registering now for the September program.
If you have questions, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We can answer any and all of your questions regarding signing up. Look forward to hearing from you!
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- Written by Jill Cassady
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Our new group of Trainees have begun. They enjoyed their first Lecture. They have begun their hours of Practice Teach, Self-workout and Observation. They have had 2 Labs and are getting into the swing of things. We had a lot of fun during the first lecture. We make the trainees wear name tags so that everyone can get to know each other. It's so nice to hear that the trainees are not waiting, but have gone straight into the studio's to begin Practice Teaching and Self-working out.
Our Fall students are gearing up for....
Read more: March Trainees Have Begun, Fall Trainees Finishing Up
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“What type of Pilates certification do I need to become a successful Instructor?”
We get asked this question a lot. First and foremost, who is the main instructor of the program? You want a teacher that has many years of experience and who has worked as close to Joseph Pilates as possible. And a program that has certified countless successful students who have went on to teach and open their own studios.
Know that in order to be a Pilates Instructor that works on a regular basis, you should get a full certification. You are learning a vocation, to become a confident expert in your field. An intensive course that is 9 months long, will be much more beneficial to your career, than a program that is a weekend certification or only a few months. Putting the time and effort into your education will directly correlate to the amount of work you will get as a certified Pilates Instructor.
Read more: Which Pilates Certification Program Should I Choose?
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- Written by Jill Cassady
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A very important and frequently overlooked part of Pilates involves breathing. And with the stress of the Holiday season, your Pilates breathing can become your best friend. Most clients come in during the months of November and December, tired, stressed, and feeling overwhelmed. Reminding your clientele about the importance of breathing during this time will help them to be more relaxed and help their bodies be less tight and feel less stress.
As a reminder, here is a breath exercise that can help you and your clients during the craziness of the Holidays. This can be done lying down, sitting up or simply standing:
Take a long slow even breath in through your nose. Imagine the breath filling your ribcage three dimensionally. Imagine breath filling the sides of your rib cage, feel the breath all the way through towards the back of your ribs. If you are lying on the floor or leaning against a wall, try to feel the pressure of the inhalation against the wall or the back of the chair. Then, slowly, evenly,
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- Written by Administrator
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“What type of Pilates certification do I need to become a successful Instructor?”
We get asked this question a lot. First and foremost, who is the main instructor of the program? You want a teacher that has many years of experience and who has worked as close to Joseph Pilates as possible. And a program that has certified countless successful students who have went on to teach and open their own studios.
Know that in order to be a Pilates Instructor that works on a regular basis, you should get a full certification. You are learning a vocation, to become a confident expert in your field. An intensive course that is 9 months long, will be much more beneficial to your career, than a program that is a weekend certification or only a few months. Putting the time and effort into your education will directly correlate to the amount of work you will get as a certified Pilates Instructor.
All full certifications include Matwork in their program. A full certification also includes all of the exercises on all of the equipment. You want to look for a program that teaches you the full program, not just parts. I believe some programs are referring to their “parts” as modules, and that you are required to pay for each part as you go. It’s important to see the whole big picture, so that you know what your goals are for your clients through out the levels. We place our instructors in many of the more corporate gyms and they look for Instructors that have thorough training. Places like Equinox and other high level corporate gyms regularly recruit from Pilates Technique Certification because of the well-rounded, in-depth education our instructors have.
Watch out for the words “Master Teacher”. This phrase is now being used flippantly. We have never seen so many “Master Teachers.” In our opinion, a Master Teacher is someone who has had at least 25 years of experience teaching Pilates, and also who studied with one of the original Masters that studied with Joseph Pilates. Look for the instructor’s bio and check with whom they studied.
Make sure the Certifying center is clear about what is included with the cost of your tuition. Is the time in the studio, when you do your hours, included in your tuition fee? Are there Anatomy and other Lectures, and if so, are these included in your tuition fee.
And lastly, what is the certifying center’s main goal? Is the Certification there to support their studio? Or, is it there as an education for teachers and supporting their knowledge and career path as a Pilates Instructor?
Ask questions. Get what you pay for, and get the best for your education!
To learn more about our Instructors, click here.
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- Written by Jill Cassady
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Roman Kryzanowska, my Pilates mentor, passed peacefully in her sleep on Friday, Aug. 30th.
Upon hearing of Romana’s passing, I remembered the years that I worked in her studio, Drago’s Gym (currently True Pilates) and my experiences with her. She was a true healer. Her spirit was strong, such an inspiration to the work that I do with my clients today. I was so lucky and blessed to have trained with her when I did. Often times, I was the only student with Romana and her daughter Shari. It was a quiet time at Drago’s, before The Pilates Studio really took off and filled Drago’s with many, many students. It was the time before most people knew what Pilates was, before the politics, before the stars sold Pilates on infomercials.
Romana was a healer, she spoke to me of intuition, of ESP, of clairvoyance. She taught me how to listen to my client’s bodies. She taught me practical solutions, so simple, yet most people don’t think of them. She taught me to care for my clients, to remember that every session was special; that we we’re not just teaching Pilates, but we we’re teaching people how to heal themselves. She had so much pride in her work. She knew she was passing along a special gift, and chose her words carefully.
I remember Shari’s love for her mother. Romana used to work for 5 hours straight without taking a break for a sip of water or a bite to eat. Shari used to say, “Mother, you need to eat!” Shari would shoo clients away and tell them, it’s time for my mother to take a break. The love, respect and attention she gave her mother was beautiful.
There will be a Memorial held to celebrate Romana’s life on September 13th, 2013 at 4pm at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 14 East 51st Street, New York, New York 10022.
Thank You Romana for the gift of knowledge that you have passed down to me.
For inspiring me to give back to people, to help teach people how to heal from within. I am very glad and lucky to have known you!