When I first started taking Pilates, many, many moons ago, it kicked my a$$. Everything shook, everything complained, I was uncoordinated, and I felt weak! So, of course, it made me annoyed and I was determined to get “good at Pilates”.
It took a while (like, a couple of years). I thought I’d gotten good at Pilates. I was showing my friends & family things that would help them. I felt taller, longer, stronger, and more flexible than I ever had!
Then in 2001, I took my teacher training through Stott Pilates® (now Merrithew Health & Fitness®).
And suddenly, I did not feel “good” at Pilates anymore! I hadn’t used any of the large equipment before (super humbling, especially hanging from the Cadillac). I felt like all the effort I’d made before hadn’t really gotten me far. There were a ton of connections I really didn’t feel like I “got”, and it no longer looked pretty when I was working out. So, it was a little like starting at square one.
I practiced, and practiced, and got stronger and more flexible than I already was after my group mat classes, and I felt good at Pilates again!
Which is to say, yes, I felt lots of deep connections, had flexibility, fluidity, mobility (all the -ilities?)…but then I had babies, and it was a whole new bunch of learning after each one of my two kids. Everything had changed, and I realized that what I’d felt for the first 6 years of my Pilates journey was not feeling the same during my kids’ toddler years. You know, c-sections, hernia repairs, and aging in general will do that to ya, right?
So I learned more about what was happening to me, how to exercise with diastasis recti, and how to strengthen your pelvic floor. I kept practicing and felt like maybe I’d gotten back to being good at Pilates!
But then the along came the pandemic, and I happened upon Classical Pilates.
When I started doing Classical Pilates, I realized I had a whole lot more to learn! It was humbling again. I became aware of which body parts were subtly taking over for others (it’s a lot easier to see it in other people than to feel it in yourself!). I found my thass. My upper back connection and awareness got to a whole new level. It also made me realize how much my personal practice was incredibly important for my mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It took a couple of years, but I finally felt good at Pilates again.
Cue my immersion into a master’s program in Classical Pilates with a second-generation teacher (meaning she learned from someone who was directly taught by Joseph Pilates himself) in 2022. The program not only made me not so good at Pilates anymore, but also made me realize how much my personal practice changed daily. It showed me I could be even better at Pilates on a personal level, but also as a teacher. It challenged me for the 9 months I was immersed in it, and even now it keeps me on my toes!
So, would I say I’m “good at Pilates” now?
I doubt it.
I’d say I’m okay at it, and I know a lot, but my body still has its struggles. I’d also say that being good at Pilates is something I’m going to keep trying to do, because it makes me stronger, more flexible, makes me feel good & more connected to myself AND my body in different ways, every day.
It’s been 24 years since my first Pilates mat class.
It’s a practice, not a perfect, my friend.
I’d love to help you along the way, as long as you’re not expecting to be good at it anytime soon!
Xo, Kimberly
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