Personal practice is a very significant part of becoming a Pilates instructor. When gaining your certification you are expected to attend 30 hours of personal practice through instructors and studios of your choice. This personal practice provides you with the experience of learning how the movements feel, how they are cued, and how a class is executed. This experience is vital to your teaching progression because without experiencing the motions and movements yourself how are you supposed to understand how they feel, how to teach them, and what they entail? The basis of Pilates is the feeling and connection it provides you and as a teacher understanding this will allow you to share the connection with the students you teach.
A very important aspect of personal practice that may not seem significant at first thought, is the choice you make regarding whose class to take. There are many different styles, methods, and preferences which each teacher chooses to use when they teach. Some teachers stay constricted to the more strict and classical pilates style where as other teachers who may be considered more open-minded integrate newer, more advanced, and technical moves into their lessons. The classical Pilates approach is often taken by instructors who are in the movement therapy realm of Pilates or have been practicing this way for many years. Since I am a newer instructor in training and a much more physical person, I prefer to take classes in which the teachers align with my style and preference. Though sometimes it is hard to find the perfect teacher for you, the main aspect to look for is if the class is fulfilling what movement your body needs. What your body needs is individual to the person. This does not only take form in the characteristics I look for, it can also be taken from the point of view of someone who is focused on finding a more classical pilates approach whether that is due to health or preference. When I began looking for classes to take, I tried various teachers and studios until I found one or a few in my area. Victoria is full of very knowledgeable teachers and studio owners, so there is something for everyone!
During my personal practices, I ensure that I take mental notes of how the teacher is cueing, constructing, and adapting throughout the lesson. Now that I intend to gain my certificate I have noticed many different unique qualities and styles that teachers exert in their instruction. Through each practice I take I add another resource to my toolbox which I can attempt to use during my own instruction. Some of these tools may not work as well for others as they do for me but this whole experience is about learning to trust the process. One thing that I do intentionally focus on during my practice is to not overthink and compare what I do to what the teacher does. It is important to remember not to overthink during this process as this practice is for me. Personal practice is an opportunity to also understand how the movement feels in my body as that will help me further understand how my clients feel which creates a very important connection. I will have many opportunities to observe as that is another very large portion of my pre-required hours.
As I continue this journey I can not wait to continue my personal practice. It is always nice to have time to work on yourself as I believe that is what makes you better for the people around you.
