After 28 years of teaching Pilates, I still get butterflies of excitement when I step into the studio each morning. The polished equipment gleams with possibility, and I know that today, like every day, I'll have the privilege of helping people transform their relationship with their bodies. If you're reading this, you probably know exactly what I mean. That feeling of purpose that comes with being a Pilates teacher never really goes away – it just deepens with time. I remember my early days of teaching, when every client seemed to present a new puzzle to solve. I'd lie awake at night thinking about cues, modifications, and progressions. I wanted so badly to get everything perfect.
Now, looking back, I realize that this dedication to growth, this constant desire to learn and improve, is exactly what makes a great teacher. But I also understand something I wish I'd known back then: excellence isn't about perfection – it's about presence, connection, and continuous evolution. The most profound lessons I've learned came from quiet moments of discovery. Last week, I worked with Sarah, a client of ten years. Despite our long history together, she still surprises me with new insights. During our session, she was struggling with a simple roll-up, an exercise she usually performs beautifully. Instead of pushing through, we paused. As we explored the movement together, she revealed she'd been holding tension from a challenging work project. This reminded me of a crucial truth: our bodies tell stories, and our role as teachers is to listen and respond with wisdom. Just yesterday, another moment crystallized this truth. Maria, a newer client who had been frustrated by her inability to find her powerhouse, suddenly lit up during footwork on the reformer. "I feel it!" she exclaimed, "It's like a corset of strength from the inside!" Her discovery came not from my technical instruction, but from a metaphor that emerged naturally in our conversation about her grandmother's vintage clothing. These moments remind me that great teaching often means stepping back from technical perfection and instead helping clients find their own path to understanding.
The journey of a Pilates teacher is uniquely rewarding because it demands constant growth in multiple dimensions. Technical expertise forms the foundation, but emotional intelligence, observation skills, and adaptability are equally crucial. Every client I've worked with has taught me something valuable about teaching, about movement, and about the incredible depth of the Pilates method. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is the importance of maintaining my own practice. It's easy to let this slip when teaching schedules get busy, but I've discovered that my personal practice is the wellspring from which my teaching flows. When I make time to explore movement in my own body, my teaching naturally becomes more nuanced and insightful. The beauty of the Pilates method lies in its endless depth. Just when you think you've mastered a principle, you discover a new layer of understanding. This continuous unfolding keeps our teaching fresh and exciting, no matter how many years we've been practicing. As I watch my clients grow stronger and more confident in their bodies, I'm reminded of why I fell in love with teaching Pilates in the first place. It's not just about the physical transformations – though those are remarkable. It's about helping people discover their own strength, capability, and potential. Each day brings new opportunities to deepen our understanding, refine our skills, and make a meaningful difference in our clients' lives, one lesson at a time.
The small weights, which weigh only 1-3 pounds (or .4-1.3 kilos), might seem like nothing, but these tiny little weights can pack a punch for our posture muscles in the arm weight series. The complete series consists of ten exercises and takes about 8-10 minutes. Repetitions are kept at about 3-5 and include a variety of positions and different relationships to gravity. The movements are simple, so most cues given after the exercise directions relate to nuances in posture, alignment, or breathing. This series can be used as a warm-up or an ending to your mat or apparatus classes and is appropriate for almost all populations. Try pairing this series with the Wall Series for a complete posture mini-workshop.
The standing work, including the arm weight series (shown here), standing magic circle, wall, and other standing balance/strength/agility movements, was an essential part of Joe’s repertoire, and Romana included them regularly. Challenging the body upright in the gravity field without spring and apparatus assistance shows us where we’re strong and weak. For all the standing exercises, the requirement is complete coordination of the body with the entire focus of the mind. Romana would smile knowingly and chuckle as she watched us sweat and try hard to master these skills. She gave the Arm Weight Series to improve our standing posture and placement and to help with a graceful carriage. It also tones the arms, reinforcing the arms working from the back, which makes for a beautiful, strong back.
The setup begins with a posture checklist, allowing you to teach the essentials of standing and total body placement from the feet to the head. Begin the series with the feet parallel and hip width. Then, use the following 7 points to focus on posture details you can reinforce as you move during all the upright movements.
Weight is distributed 50/50 between both feet.
The center of the hip (ball and socket joint) over the front of the heels
Lower abs are pulling in and up, the tailbone lengthening straight down
Collarbones and shoulders over the ball of the feet
Ribcage flush with the ASIS
Sternum lifted
C7 aligned with the occiput
Each exercise has two parts: the contract phase and the resist phase. However, keep the main focus on posture! You’ll notice so many little things as they move, and that’s when you can offer suggestions to “lift taller,” “check your weight distribution,” etc., cueing within the rhythm of the movement. Work at a pace that isn’t too slow or fast, and be clear about your tempo.
Keep it moving by establishing a solid rhythm and dynamics and add a balance periodically for added challenge.
The sequence below follows the order of Romana (circa 1995). Between exercises, there is a spine release. Release the spine by hanging over with bent knees and slowly rolling up one vertebra at a time, allowing the weights to increase the spine stretch while the abdominals assist the lift when rolling up. The breath is full, deep, and natural except in the side bend and chest expansion, where a directed breathing pattern increases the effect of the movement. The exercises are listed below, and the short video follows.
The Exercises
Biceps: biceps curl with a wrist extension at three heights: shoulder height, low, side
Boxing: The stance is parallel at hip width. Flat back hinged at the hips. Elbows bent, palms up under shoulders. The right arm extends forward palm down while the left extends back palm up. Both arms return. Change sides.
(Spine release*)- Release the torso down over the thighs to relax the spine. Roll up slowly one vertebra at a time until the head lifts last.
Side Bend: Pilates stance. Start with one arm next to the temple and the other arm down at your side. The exercise is in four counts.
1. Bend side 2. Fold the arm around the head
3. Return to center 4. Switch arms
Spine release: Release the torso down over the thighs to relax the spine. Roll up slowly one vertebra at a time until the head lifts last.
Bug: Parallel stance. Hinge forward at the hips, keeping the spine straight and the knees slightly bent. Arms are rounded, and they both lift and lower (like the hug)
(Spine release*)
Zip up: Pilates stance. Both hands move up like a zipper to mid-chest.
Shave: Pilates stance. Both hands together behind the head to lift and lower.
Triceps: Parallel stance. Hinge forward at the hips with the spine straight and the knees slightly bent. Arms hang down; then biceps curl in and out. Arms straighten, extend back, and extend the wrists. Lower to start position.
(Spine release*)
Chest Expansion: Arms at chest height. Pull down and back (inhale). Turn the head right and left (hold your breath). Return arms forward (exhale).
Sparklers: Hold the weights at the bottom. Circle outwards 8x raising the arms forward and 8x circling inwards, lowering.
Side Lunge: Lunge diagonally as the arms raise to the ears. Hold that position as the arms lower to the hips and up to the ears. Then, step back in one motion. Change sides.
*Spine Release: Release the torso down over the thighs to relax the spine. Roll up slowly one vertebra at a time until the head lifts last.
This article was initially published in the Pilates Intel Newsletter on Oct. 18, 202,3
"Contrology is..." is an homage to Joe Pilates, the genius of physical culture whose exercise method has become widely popular since his passing in 1967. Pilates teachers and educators Benjamin Degenhardt and Clare Dunphy collaborated in studying the original Mat exercises with the help of archival materials and decided to pay tribute with this demonstration - and illustrate the power, grace, control, and movement quality that represents the work. Contrology, the original name of the method created by Joe Pilates, is more than just exercise. His desire was for the method to be understood as a "return to life", simply by maintaining our physical instrument - our bodies - to the best of our abilities and capabilities. So that we, as a human species, can function better and live better lives. In a world where physical fitness is generally more determined by looks and not by health, we want to pay tribute to the concepts that inspired Joe Pilates to create his amazing work by showcasing his original exercises. The quotes in the film were taken from his book "Return To Life".
Please note that this clip is not intended as an exercise video, and we would like to discourage you from attempting to follow along with the exercises without proper guidance and instruction by a trained professional. Feel free to contact us for assistance in finding a teacher for you. Special thanks to http://gratzindustries.com for providing us with the original Mat apparatus and to our helpers on site: Tina van Heyst Lyon and Jennifer Bender Ferre. Learn more about Benjamin and Clare on our websites: https://benjamindegenhardt.com https://progressivebodyworksinc.com Music by: "Plasma" by Redmann (freemusicarchive.org/music/Redmann/Best_Bytes_Volume_1/11--Redmann--Plasma)
Get your NPCP CECs..... relax and learn at your own pace!
Evolving Pilates Perspectives
These three workshops are collectively called Evolving Pilates Perspectives. Watch all three, take the assessment, and submit to the email on the assessment form to receive 14 NPCP CEC's. Each workshop is broken down into 2-hour sessions to make viewing easier. The topics include:
1. The Lost Art of Sitting, Standing, and Squatting
Pilates teachers, what's next for you on your Pilates teaching journey? Are you cultivating YOU? Is it your time to get re-inspired? What are the questions you should be asking yourself that you didn't know you should be asking? Get a front-row seat to see what Elevate Pilates mentorship looks like in action! Be assured it is like no other program offered anywhere.
Come and join us for a free group chat, SO NOW WHAT? if you are wondering what your next step might be on your Pilates journey. Are you curious about what a Pilates mentor experience is all about? Join Clare and the Elevate mentor team to get a taste of what it's all about. It's free but you need to register. Register today for SO NOW WHAT?
When: Friday, March 4th and March 18th at 4:00 PM EST.
Where: Zoom (It's free, but registration is required to get the code)
