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Ep 9: Becoming a Teacher – Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and Support Along The Way

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In the next two episodes, Debora and I talk about the teacher training journey, where we can get held up, waylaid, thrown for a loop, lose our minds, and where and how we can support ourselves along the way.

If you are in the midst of your TT or newly out of training, I think you are really going to enjoy this show. We explore some cool ideas about how to “bring into the light” the challenges you may face, preparing, enlisting help and support, and what it means to stay committed to the path of being a teacher.

We are also looking for three types of teachers who would be interested in adding to this conversation:

  1. Those who are are just out of TT
  2. Those who are 1-5 years out of their TT
  3. And those teachers who are 5 years or more out of their TT

We are very interested in what you would say about the process of becoming a teacher, how it took shape during your TT and after, who shaped you, and what you learned about yourself. In essence, how has becoming a teacher changed you?

If you are interested in getting on the line with us and sharing your insights and your story, email me, Chantill, at thinkingpilatespodcast.com

Enjoy!

 

P.S. Episode 10 we interview a wonderful new teacher who shares how becoming a teacher has literally changed her life. You’ll want to check that out too!

 

 

Ep 8: The Power of Consistency – Creativity, Successful Learning & Safety

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In this episode, The Power of Consistency – Creativity, Successful Learning & Safety, we welcome another special guest, Melissa Kakavas, educational director at Evolve Movement in Raleigh, NC. We continue the very rich and super cool topic of using the original Pilates orders as a framework for fostering creativity, successful development of us as teachers as well as our students, and how they either allow us to keep our students safe or not… You won’t want to miss this!

Also, below you’ll see a comment from a teacher, educator, and high-level athletic trainer, Anna Hartman. She shares her thoughts on working with the orders. Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback as well!

 

Thoughts from our listeners:

 

Hi Chantill,

This is a great discussion. So many great points.

In my own practice, which is as a certified athletic trainer working on rehabilitation or preventative care with professional athletes I definitely value the importance of a plan. When I teach to PT and ATC students and colleagues this is something that I always stress. To have a plan and understand the reasoning or benefit behind both each exercise or technique and the plan as a whole and how it relates or is woven into your evaluation and observations of what the client needs and wants.

There are times in my practice that I have been overwhelmed with life or paperwork or administration and have lost the guidance of a plan or I had learned a new technique and been so excited to use my clients as an opportunity to practice and see how it works that the idea of a plan goes out the window. When I reflect on these moments I see how lost, sometimes needy and disengaged my athletes were, vs. when I worked from an exact plan that was consistent session to session they were focused and empowered to apply what they learned in other movement practices or with a home exercise program.  For myself, I definitely feel more present and give my best self to the client when I have a plan. Without a plan, I am more disorganized and always have a million things on my mind which means I am there but often somewhere else all together.

Having a plan allows for a constant evaluation of the athlete and allows for a creativity to take place of how do I help assist in creating a better movement experience for them. As Chantill and Debora mentioned, allows for less detail and more feeling. This can happen within the session in the moment, at the end as Debora spoke to, or for the next session. Usually I have the plan written out and I put small notes on it in the moment to make modifications for the next time or what I did in the moment to facilitate the movement experience that allowed for them to work through the skill.

I do not have a lot of experience with Joe’s traditional plan from Return to Life, though I am so intrigued by it and other traditional plans that are out there in the different industries. I love to utilize these plans and try to figure out why they work so well, which may be different for each person working through them. Which is what makes the body and the human experience within it so unique. I first experienced this, at the PMA in one of Michele Larsson’s mat classes. The classical sequence did not fit the movement science / programming guidelines I had learned in my Pilates education, but yet what I experienced felt good in my body, and let’s face it has been successful for many people before me. So that got my mind thinking.

I do not think there is a perfect way to do anything, but I am a huge believer that a movement practitioner should always have a reason for each exercise or movement they prescribe, to seek to understand the why behind it to the best of their ability which helps to create a plan or follow a traditional one and guide the client to the most optimal movement experience. My “why” for exercises or plans I use today may be different then the “why” 11 years ago, but I have always made sure I had a reason for it, which is where the creativity, intuition, and passion is found.

See you soon!!

Anna Hartman MS, ATC, CSCS, PMA-CPT
Certified Athletic Trainer
Polestar Pilates Rehabilitation Mentor
Founder, Movement REV

Ep 7: Following Orders – To Hinder or Inspire?

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In this episode we continue talking about how the heart of the Pilates philosophy informs the way we teach specifically when and why we might choose to follow “traditional” or “original” orders or not. If you have a strong opinion about this topic, which most people do, you will get a lot out of our conversation.

Is there inherent value in following a framework, having a clear and predetermined system to guide your choices? Does this hinder or inspire GREATER CREATIVITY? Or does it squelch it?

I think you’ll be surprised at what we uncover. Or maybe you won’t, but it’s JUICY and INSPIRING, so…

What are you waiting for?

Ep 6: Insights From The Inner Teacher – Do You Have One and Where Does it Lead You?

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Special Guest: Studio Owner, Melissa Francis

We all struggle. We all lose faith in what we do. We all search for purpose, a point of view, a philosophy.

Chantill Lopez continues the discussion about the Pilates philosophy with Balanced Body faculty and studio owner Melissa Francis of Intelligent Exercise LLC in Ann Arbor Michigan. Hear what Melissa has to say about how she teaches from and lives from a trust in the method and it’s purpose as well as how following A PHILOSOPHY has informed some of her biggest decisions.

Ep 5: The Pilates Philosophy – Do You Really Know What It Is?

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In our fifth episode of the Thinking Pilates podcast we tackle a large, deeply rich and inspiring topic about what the Pilates philosophy actually is and how teachers integrate it into their teaching, how we can educate other teachers and help them work from the philosophy more often.

The podcast explores Joseph Pilates’ original texts and goes down the rabbit hole — just a little — of classic, original, contemporary etc. What does it all mean? Why the hell do we care? Should we? And if we do, are we actually using the philosophy in a consistent and meaningful way?

Ep 4: Two Simple Questions for Sustaining Confidence

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In this episode Debora and I have a brief and rich conversation about what we can do to help us find some space in our heads and create calm and confidence in our teaching while we are in it as well as in the time between. Hear what we both have to say about creating awareness by asking ourselves simple questions and doing some honest reflecting. This is truly a case where a little goes a long, long way.

Ep 3: Clearing The Clutter For More Effective Teaching

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Part 3, the final part in our Introduction series.

In this third section of our first episode we dive in to the topic of “clearing the clutter” from our heads in order to teach from a place of greater confidence, less self-doubt and more simplicity. We explore what kinds of clutter we can be plagued with as teachers and what we might do to combat it.

The Thinking Pilates Podcast is a conversation and exploration of the rich layers of teaching Pilates beyond just technique. Author, mentor, coach and master teacher trainer Chantill Lopez, founder of SkillfulTeaching.com,  along with master teacher trainer and mentor Debora Kolwey, of the Pilates Center in Boulder, CO, take on topics like: building confidence, the philosophy of teaching, the importance of personal practice and self-inquiry, student-centered teaching and empathetic coaching, how to build healthy student-teacher relationships, and how to balance the demands of work and life without burnout.

You will also find interviews with teachers from around the world chatting with Chantill about ALL the under-emphasized missing links that Pilates teachers are dying to hear more about. Listen and go deeper. You are sure to learn something about yourself, what kind of teacher you want to be, what your true purpose is and understand better what teaching really requires of us if we want to do it for the long run.

Ep 2: What Does it Mean to THINK Pilates?

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Awake. Alive. And Inspired. Part 2

In this episode, which is actually part 2 of episode 1, Debora Kolwey and Chantill Lopez continue to explore our objectives and hopes for the podcast and talk a little about what it means to “think” Pilates. They look at teaching and practicing from the point of view of being present and focused, in the moment, and aware of how the body shifts and changes endlessly.

 

The Thinking Pilates Podcast is a conversation and exploration of the rich layers of teaching Pilates beyond just technique. Author, mentor, coach and master teacher trainer Chantill Lopez, founder of SkillfulTeaching.com,  along with master teacher trainer and mentor Debora Kolwey, of the Pilates Center in Boulder, CO, take on topics like: building confidence, the philosophy of teaching, the importance of personal practice and self-inquiry, student-centered teaching and empathetic coaching, how to build healthy student-teacher relationships, and how to balance the demands of work and life without burnout.

You will also find interviews with teachers from around the world chatting with Chantill about ALL the under-emphasized missing links that Pilates teachers are dying to hear more about. Listen and go deeper. You are sure to learn something about yourself, what kind of teacher you want to be, what your true purpose is and understand better what teaching really requires of us if we want to do it for the long run.

Pilates Origins Workshop

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Pilates Origins Workshop with Chantill Lopez

One teacher’s perspective on what Pilates is, was meant to be, and can be…

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Fulfilled & Successful Teacher 28-Day Online Workshop starts Jan. 18th. Sign up this week (Jan. 5th-9th ONLY) and receive $250 Bonus Gift! Click HERE!

 

My first meeting with classical Pilates was a little bit like shaking hands with someone whose grip is just a bit too strong. I admired the boldness and confidence, but interpreted the forcefulness as narrow and limiting.

As an emerging teacher I knew myself well enough to see that my path lie in cultivating a practice that was more malleable and creative, with more options for insight and intuition — or that is what I thought I was doing.

I’ve come a long way since then and have completed the orbit — this one at least — and there is a very beautiful thing that happens when you reach this place.

In this moment there is a pause where you see connections, have a well-earned ounce of clarity, openness, and ease.

What ever you imagined you knew, you realize you may never know, and yet there is a sense of understanding and appreciation that only comes from immersion and experience. You can see from both directions. We come to these places about all kinds of things, and throughout our lives. It’s a super cool place.

In the Pilates Origins Workshop, a portion of which you are about to watch and/or listen to…

 

 

THIS IS MY GOAL: To open up the discussion without a classic or contemporary agenda; to offer teachers an opportunity to discern for themselves what it is they are teaching, how it translates into their current understanding and beliefs, and how they might more fully invest themselves in the authenticity of the method they love.

 

 

My teacher and mentor, Carol Appel, started me on this path and more recently Amy Taylor Alpers has helped me complete a part of it — understanding the philosophy and crafting a strong point of view around it. I mention this concept quite a bit in the workshop and am grateful to the interview in which Amy first shared it with me. (Listen to the interview here). 

Having a strong point of view and knowing WHY we teach is crucial to our own internal satisfaction and sense of service, not to mention for strengthening the practice we help our students cultivate.

AND our point of view can be open and kind and inclusive. Having a strong point of view doesn’t mean — to me — belittling another approach, or perpetuating the belief that my point of view is better or the only “true” perspective.

Intelligence and wisdom are both manifested by willingness:

willingness to be stretched, to be wrong, to be swayed, to listen, and most of all the willingness to discern.

That is what the Pilates Origins workshop is really about. It’s about not only translating Joseph’s writings and in turn better understanding what the method was originally designed to be, but a chance to be stretched, to listen, to question, and to see what point of view feels right for each of us.

I very much hope you enjoy the recordings. You may hate what I have to say, you may respond very strongly to my comments and interpretations OR you may love it and love me (wink, wink). Either way, I applaud you for your passion and hope that in some small way the discussion gets your juices flowing, your heart pumping, and your inspiration bubbling.

I’m open to questions and comments (only nice ones though) below. Enjoy, share and Happy New Year!

With gratitude and joy,
Chantill

charlie's angels

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. A reminder to never take ourselves too seriously!

 

Audio and Video Files (2 Hours Total)

Audio Part 1

Audio Part 2

Pilates Origins Workshop Part 2 from Skillful Teaching on Vimeo.

Pilates Origins Workshop Part 1 from Skillful Teaching on Vimeo.

The Greatest Love Letter You’ll Ever Write…is to yourself

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A Love Letter Like No Other

 

Dearest Friend,

I am often surprised at how long we’ve known each other; sometimes it feels like moments. And yet other times it feels like multiple lifetimes. When I think of our friendship I realize that I have rarely let other people know me in the way that you know me – all of the potential for beauty and brilliance and absolute darkness. This gives me such a sense of relief and I feel myself soften into being just who I am without any walls, defenses or excuses…and for that I am grateful.

I am grateful for your tenderness, your unconditional willingness to love those parts of me that I most want to hide from the rest of the world – my tendency to be mean and judgmental, intolerant, and impatient. You always smile at me and for me; to let me know – I think – that it’s okay, that those things are not the whole of who I am and that it is possible for all of who I am to be enough.

I have perhaps never told you how beautiful I think you are, how sweet and vulnerable, and yet so strong and steady. You have the ability to take action with a clarity and decisiveness that I both admire and wish I had myself. And yet just being around you I am reminded that I can be these things too. I watch, listen, and feel how it is possible to be malleable, open, deliberate and dedicated. You have that much brightness — it would be hard not to be affected by your presence.

There is also a generosity in you that runs deeper than I can fathom. We laugh at how you like to be the center of attention, have people wait on you, and your uncanny ability to inspire others to support your efforts and still I can see further to the truth: that what you really want is for others to be loved, cared for, seen, nurtured, affected and changed so that they might live fuller lives. No matter how often you try to convince me to do things this way or that, I never cease to feel that you love me and want me to trust myself above all else.

And so I am writing you this letter today as a way of peeling back another layer of protection from my heart and quite possibly knowing myself more honestly than ever before.

Thank you for your voice, your insecurity, your intelligence, your guidance, your trust, and your love. May every day bring you joy and may that joy be reflected in the hearts of all you meet you. I cannot imagine it could be otherwise.

With more sincerity than I sometimes say it,

I love you.

Your greatest admirer,
Chantill

 

Postscript 

The preceding love letter I wrote as a reminder that nothing can exist in my view unless I possess it myself; that when I see any quality in others IT PROVES the existence of that same quality in me for I CAN ONLY EVER REFLECT what I already have – whether I am willing or ready to see it or not (that’s perhaps the major kicker.)
Thanks to my dearest friend, cohort, co-teacher and co-creator Cori Martinez I wrote this love letter to rediscover myself through my own eyes and hers.
Can I believe that each characteristic, ability, personality trait, and quality that is contained within the letter above is in me? Is in fact a reflection of me? Can I know it as truth?
*An exercise you might consider trying out ;)*

 

A Note On Seeking Approval, Building Confidence From The Outside In

Even now, after more than 15 years of teaching, I sometimes find myself seeking approval from those people, teachers in particular, whom I believe are “better” or smarter than me.
That anxious, tense feeling of wanting to impress someone takes it’s toll. It makes me question myself and blinds me to seeing the other person’s gifts as well as those I possess myself.
Teaching this past week in Hawaii I had such an experience. Everyday, just in the moments before I’d launch into the topic for the day, I would feel the nagging sensation of not being good enough, sense my unsteadiness, the questioning and self-doubt.
The difference these days is that I can pretty readily detect how comparing and judging myself against others just makes me feel bad and is self-destructive; an act of inner robbery and havoc-making. And yet, sometimes it’s difficult to make it stop…all we can do is be aware of it and ride the wave, finding a way to anchor ourselves.
We can learn to come home to ourselves over and over again in a way that we can innately feel as right and true, and allow that to carry us through the turbulence of self-doubt or perhaps even guide us to stay on the shore of our own inner confidence.