A Lesson In Teaching

My session at IN & UP PILATES with Master Trainer Niedra Gabriel was one of the most rewarding Pilates experiences I have ever had!  I could re-cap our terrific session, but what I really want to do is reflect on the extraordinary teaching I received. 

First of all, Niedra is truly a Pilates Rock Star… she has had over 30 years of Pilates experience, and personally trained under Romana Kryzanowska, one of Joseph Pilates original students!  Romana was a ballet dancer with ABT who turned to Pilates when she suffered from an ankle injury… so her Pilates lineage is infused with “dance”.  In my experience, this usually translates to a style of Pilates that has the discipline, laser-focus on perfect technique, and competitive intensity of a ballet class.  And, while I love the world of dance I come from, I have found that as a Pilate Student, I need a style that is a little more nurturing, open to modifications, and adaptable to my own body.  

Niedra was the first Romana teacher I have worked with who struck the brilliant balance of pushing me, inspiring me, and talking to me in dancer terms that I could respond and relate to, while also keeping my body and it’s health at the forefront of our session.  It was as if my two worlds of Dance and Pilates had finally found a perfect union!  Niedra’s teaching style is direct, serious, and incredibly articulate.  Her cues and words are brief, but perfectly clear.  She is grounded and poised, like a ballet teacher, and it’s clear she is willing to work just as hard as you are for the duration of your session.  And what an eye!  By the time we reached the Rowing Series on the Reformer, Niedra knew my body and all my bad movement habits inside and out, and gave me wonderful suggestions for addressing them, both in the Pilates studio and onstage.  But by far, the most impressive quality about Niedra’s teaching was that the flow and dynamics of the system were SO in her body.  The reformer series literally felt like a dance to me - I was moving with such flow and freedom.  I attribute this to her confidence as a teacher - she wasn’t afraid to get me moving and challenge my control and range of motion.  I think I finally understand true Pilates extension work after our session together!  Amazing!  

As a new teacher I understand the desire & necessity to error on the side control and caution… after all, the safety of the client is at stake!  But at this session, I got a glimpse of what teaching might be like 20-30 years from now, and I am deeply inspired!

After our session every single muscle in my body felt awake, worked, and stretched.  I felt the effects of our session for DAYS! I cannot recommend Niedra enough - what a privilege it was to work with her!  If you are ever in the LA area, and wanting an amazing pilates experience, she’s your trainer!

Thank you IN & UP Pilates for the best Pilates I’ve experienced in my travels thus far!  I’ll be back to visit the next time I’m in LA!

DIY Organic Mat Cleaner

I find it absolutely necessary to clean my mat after every sweaty Pilates session. I have experimented with several DIY solutions, and this is my very favorite! It has a wonderfully calming smell, easily removes dirt, sweat, & even show makeup from my mat leaving it squeaky clean, and is alcohol/paraben free and 100% organic, so I can rest assured when face down on my mat!! I mix and store my cleaner in a reusable spray bottle, give it a vigorous shake before each use, spray on the mat, and then wipe away with a thick paper towel.

Ingredients
-- 2/3 Cup Distilled Water


-- 1/3 Cup Witch Hazel (I buy Thayers Alcohol-Free Unscented Witch Hazel with Organic Aloe Vera from Whole Foods)


-- 40 Drops of Tea Tree Oil (Trader Joe’s Spa sells a super affordable 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil)


-- 10 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil (I add this because of it’s calming properties and zen-inspiring-energy! I like Aura Cacia Lavender Essential Oil from Whole Foods)

In & Up Pilates Studio - Take 2!

Another awesome session at IN & UP PILATES in Silverlake, Los Angeles today!  I had a private session with studio owner Stephanie Herrman who was so warm and delightful to work with!  She is a Power Pilates teacher, and trained under master teacher and mentor Niedra Gabriel.  Niedra also teaches at IN & UP PILATES, and Stephanie raves about what an inspirational teacher she is… I of course immediately went home & booked a session with her next week.  I can’t wait!

So Stephanie was wonderful - she let me interrupt her with dozens of questions and geeky Pilates comments and was so incredibly knowledgeable, all the while staying in tune with my body and what I needed from our work.  Our session was a little less “classically” formatted, thanks to my enthusiastic request to hit the Wunda Chair: we began with a 15 min mat warmup followed by 40 minutes of wunda chair heaven and a stretching cool-down.  

Here are some highlights and thoughts from our session:

Mat Work

Roll Over (Challenge): Ok Pilates Rockstars, see if you can do this!  Hover and reach your arms a few inches off the mat (like preparing for the Hundred) for the entire execution of the Roll Over exercise.  I know… Holy Abs!!!  I definitely did not master this challenge today, but it did make me realize just how much I’ve been relying on my arms for strength and control in this exercise!  I will be working on this challenge for sure!

Spine Stretch Forward (Ah Ha! Moment): It’s just one of those exercises that is so easy to get in your head about.  I remember when I started studying Pilates & thinking “What’s up with Spine Stretch Forward… I don’t feel a thing!”, and then at some point it transforms into one of the hardest exercises in the series because your abs are scooping so hard, and your body is working in such vigorous opposition.  Stephanie brilliantly reminded me what the point of the exercise is, which is to STRETCH your spine!  I really went for it today, and felt a wonderful stretch through my spine.

Wunda-Chair

Tendon Stretch (Modification):  Tendon Stretch on the Chair has always been a problematic exercise for me because my body proportions - short arms and long torso - makes getting leverage with my arms an impossibility.  Nothing is less fun than scraping your hamstrings and bottom along the top of the chair!!!  Stephanie gave me a wonderful modification to accommodate my funky-proportions: instead of placing your toes on the pedal, place your heels on the pedal instead!  This gave me just enough room to execute the exercise!

Swan (Cue):  Swan is always a tricky exercise for me to conceptualize.  Perhaps it’s because I know so many similar back bending exercises - Combre Backward from the ballet world, Cobra from the Yoga world, and Swan from the Pilates world.  While doing Swan on the Chair, Stephanie cued me to “pull” my heart center forward, which immediately helped me engage my upper back, release my low back, and find length and support in my abdominals… voila!  

Pull Ups (Variation):  This was a Pull Ups extravaganza!  In addition to the variations I know (Pilates Stance, Heels, Side) we also did the following:   

“Knee Stretches”: Same setup as “Pilates Stance” except the feet are parallel & inner hip width apart --- when the pedal is lowered 1/2 way down, bend both knees and pulse the pedal up and down vigorously without moving the rest of the body. (It’s sort of like a crazy version of Mountain Climber!)

“Leg to the Side”:  A variation of “Side” --- Extend outside leg to the side with a flexed foot, keeping toes facing forward - leg is parallel.   Do Pull-Ups here, keeping the extended leg reaching out and lifted!

Hamstrings (New Exercise):  Position a mat in front of the Chair.  Lie on the mat with your knees bent, bottom close to the pedal, feet parallel on the pedal of the chair, and knees inner hip width apart (teacher will press the pedal down for you to begin).  (1) Roll your hips off the mat and come to your shoulder bridge position.  (2) Keeping your hips high and still, lift the pedal and push it 1/2 way down 3-5 times accenting the UP (3) Press the pedal all the way down (4) Roll the hips back down to the mat. (5) Repeat This is a great way to really work the hamstrings with the resistance of Pilates equipment for a client who cannot work belly-down!

Teaser on the Chair (Prop & Challenge):   We did Teaser on the Chair with the assistance of the Stability Ball - heels resting on top of the ball throughout the exercise.  First of all, trying to keep that ball from wiggling around requires really nuanced control from the abs to keep your balance and pelvic stability - it’s hard!  Secondly, the ball provides just enough support to really relax the hip flexors and get deep into the lower abdominal work of the exercise, which is great!  Finally, the ball also made this cool challenge possible:  (1)  On the last repetition, as you return the pedal up to it’s starting position, lengthen through the abdominals, lift the head and chest towards the ceiling, arch the upper body back into extension (2) Return to starting position.  

Saw on the Chair: (Prop & New Exercise):  Keeping the same setup as Teaser, we went right into Saw.  In this version, the feet stay glued together on top of the stability ball.  (1) Arms come to a T-Position (2) Twist Spine to the Right (3) Tuck the tailbone and begin to roll backwards as your right hand finds the pedal.  (4) Keeping your twist & arms in t-position, press the pedal down using your lower abdominals.  (5)  Then scoop the abdominals to return pedal to it’s starting position (6) Stack spine until you are upright (6) Twist to the left and repeat.  

This is such an awesome exercise!  It’s like Side Sit Ups meet Twist Series!  You really have to engage your abdominals in the pressing and lifting of the pedal & the stability ball gives you support and keeps you honest, if you aren’t grounded through both hips it will roll away!

1/2 Foam Roller:  We finished class today with some stretches assisted by a small 1/2 Foam Roller.  I was so delighted by this little piece of heaven that Stephanie actually gifted me one to bring home!!!  This is a great little prop for opening up the hips and stretching the calves and back of legs.  I won’t give away all the awesome stretches, but let’s just say that I brought it to work to show off to my friends, and there was literally a line of people waiting to try them!

I felt fantastic after class... thanks so much Stephanie!  Can’t wait to come back next week!

A "Classical" Start to the New Year!

Happy New Year!  Over a long 5-show weekend, wrapping up an insanely busy Holiday schedule, my body began to really ache from all the fatigue, repetitive movement, and travel… I decided it was time to get to a reformer… immediately!  As I searched for a Pilates Studio to visit, I found myself craving a good, old-fashioned, by-the-book, Classical Pilates Session.  My experience over the past 5 weeks with the LA Pilates scene has shown me that the “Pilates Purists”, while out there, are hard to find here, in a place where there is so many trendy, celebrity-endorsed, commercial fitness options.  There’s Pilates everywhere I turn, but each studio has it’s own sort of “twist” or “improvement” or “fusion” element… focused on giving your body multiple workouts at the same time, or giving your body the satisfaction of an immediate “burn” feeling while, in my opinion, sacrificing the brilliance of the method along the way.  

Perhaps that’s why IN & UP PILATES studio caught my eye, with it’s website featuring a picture of Gratz Reformers, Cadillacs, and a Barrel in a sunny, clean, simple, so-un-LA studio.  The opening line: “Discover Your Strength by incorporating the principles of Classical Pilates in your life”… YES!  As I was reading their awesome reviews on yelp.com I saw that they were running a Yelp Deal: $150 for 3 Private Sessions.  That amazing price sealed the deal!  I pulled out the Credit Card and started scheduling my privates!

The Studio

I was giddy with excitement as I drove the beautiful but short 8 miles to Silverlake, California in Los Angeles… anticipating my 1st Private Pilates Session of the New Year at IN & UP PILATES. 

The Studio is quaint & sunny and exactly as pictured on the website, full of Classical Apparatus.  Coming in on a weekday afternoon was perfect, as the studio was quite and peaceful.  My instructor was Dara, who was fantastic.  I told her I was craving a Classical Intermediate Session, and she definitely delivered!  We began with Matwork (Hundred-Saw), then hit the Reformer (Footwork-Pelvic Lift), and ended the session with Hanging on the Cadillac.   I left feeling energized, taller, more supported from my CORE, and completely mind-body invigorated… exactly the way you should feel after a great Pilates Session!  I can’t wait to come back!

Lesson Learned:  As a new teacher I always worry that my clients will get “bored” with the Classical Routine.  I often find myself introducing a prop, variation, or fancy new exercise too soon, in order to keep my clients stimulated, rather than trusting & relying on my teaching skills to help them connect deeper within the classical system.  After a few months away from Classical Pilates I was hit over the head with the realization that the Classical System not only works brilliantly, but it’s pretty darn perfect!  I had a total mind-body workout, felt balanced, strong, stretched, and toned.  Dara was there to give me great cues and corrections, and that was totally “enough”… trust the system, trust your teaching!

Favorites/Highlights: 

-- During Single Leg Stretch & Double Leg Stretch in the Ab Series, Dara cued me to stack my hands and press them firmly into the incoming bent leg just above the knee.  This immediately connected me even deeper into my abdominals, helped to perfectly place my shoulders, and physicalized the opposition of pulling the leg in while lengthening through the CORE (as opposed to “crunching” or “folding”).

-- During Footwork (Tendon Stretch), Dara cued me to “try not to move the carriage”.  I have definitely heard this cue before, but it really rang true today, and helped me focus less on the stretch in my legs, and more on my abdominals.  

-- Is there anything better than Hanging?  I wondered that the whole time I hung there, feeling my spine opening up, lengthening and stretching… Nope!  There’s nothing better :)