Joe's Pila-T-Shop

SMILE!

MID-WEEK INSPIRATION:

This quote reminded me of how little things mean a lot.  Sometimes a smile from a stranger can make my day. It's contagious.  In fact, the repercussions of any act of kindness are great; for both the giver and receiver.  I know how easy it is to get caught up in "self".  After all, we're busy people! But no matter how brief our interactions are with others they can make an impact.  And the type of energy we emit to others is often reflected right back to us.

So have a great day, and send a genuine smile to a stranger.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Be All You Can Be

TEACHING TUESDAYS: giving our best to our clients

One of my favorite new Sunday activities is going to the Korean spa and indulging in a traditional body scrub. This Sunday I upgraded to the milk scrub and oil massage and experienced an epiphany as I lay on the massage table.  With my body in complete surrender to the vigorous and thorough treatment, I felt so grateful to my practitioner for providing total relaxation.  Relaxation is a rare occurrence in my life and I don't think she realized the extent of the gift she gave me.  I wanted to hug her and tip her all of the money in my purse.  I felt completely cared for in the capable hands of someone who was obviously committed to her work.  Who knows?  Maybe it was just pure routine for her.  But for me, that level of surrender almost induced tears.  I mean, what's taken me so long to take care of myself?

Okay, so Pilates is far from a relaxing massage experience. I hope we're not lulling our clients to sleep on the reformer.  But what I was reminded of on the massage table was that we we should never take for granted our opportunity to effect peoples lives through Pilates.  When we're committed to the art of teaching Pilates, we're helping people attain health, fitness and freedom of movement in their bodies.  That's an incredible gift!

After practicing Pilates for a long time, we sometimes forget how empowering it was to develop our own Pilates body.  Do you even remember you first experiences with Pilates?   Remember when doing the roll-up on the mat seemed like the impossible dream?  And now you're doing full teaser on the reformer.  Or, remember what it was like to live with chronic pain?  And now, after restoring your posture and creating muscular symmetry, you're pain-free.  Or, remember how you felt when you led a completely sedentary life?  And now you're strong and full of energy. The list of ways in which Pilates transforms lives is endless. 

Every hour we spend teaching our clients makes an impact on their progress.  On both our best and worst of days, we owe it to them to provide the best of what we have to offer.  We've been entrusted with something of great value (Joe's work) and have accepted the responsibility to pass it on to others.  I want my clients feel that their time training with me is specifically tailored to them, their needs and their fitness goals.  I want them to experience all of the benefits of Pilates; body, mind and spirit.  Let's collectively continue the legacy that Joe (Joseph Pilates) started by being the best possible teachers we can be.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Budget Smudget!

MOVING FORWARD MONDAYS:

Oh, how I wish I had an endless supply of capital to bring my vision of Joe's Pila-T-Shop to fruition sooner than later.  One thing I've definitely learned during my first year of business is how easy it is to spend money to jump-start your dream.  It's one thing to get a bunch of t-shirts printed (that's the easy part); but what's daunting is the cost of creating an on-line store, advertising, exhibiting at Pilates conferences, trademark fees, lawyer fees, accounting fees, merchant account fees, costs of collateral, web design, web hosting, ...yada, yada, yada.  It's been an incredible opportunity to learn the art of creating a budget and prioritizing the needs of our company within that budget. ZOINKS!  I have yet to master that art, but it's a work in progress.

Thank god for resources like Ladies Who Launch, SCORE and SBA.  As we enter our 2nd year of business, I intend to make better use of the support and mentor-ship available through those programs.  It's amazing the amount of support available for neophyte business owners like me. 

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

You Are As Young As Your Spine Is Flexible

FRIDAY'S FEATURE: wisdom from Joe

"Still less understand the mechanism of the spine and the proper methods of training this 'foundation' bone of the body so that it's movements will be under their absolute control at all times:" -- Joseph Pilates

It seems that if people were more educated about the important role their spine plays in their overall health, they'd be more judicious about maintaining a strong and flexible one.  Not only would they be more aware of their posture in all of their daily activities; but they might pursue fitness methods like Pilates that are designed strengthen the muscles that support the spine and maintain its mobility and health.  Creator of the exercise system, Joseph Pilates, believed that you are as young as your spine is flexible.

What's the connection?  Spine health is critical because we rely on it to give our body support. Without it we couldn't stand up or keep ourselves upright. It allows us to move freely and bend with flexibility.  But this bony structure is also the protective home of our spinal cord. The spinal cord is a column of nerves that connects our brain to the rest of our body, allowing us to control our movements. Without a spinal cord we couldn't move any part of our body, and our organs couldn't function.  In other words, keeping our spine healthy is vital for survival.

Gravity coupled with poor postural habits and muscular imbalances lead to the compression of some of the 24 vertebrae that make up our spine.  Vertebral compression can cause nerve compression which, in turn, inhibits our nerves from sending vital messages from our brain to our muscles and organs.  For example, have you ever heard of sciatica?  Sciatica is caused by compression of the nerve roots in the lumbar spine (low back). The result is often sharp shooting pain down the back of your leg, numbness, tingling, and weakness.

The beautiful thing about Pilates is that it helps us restore the natural curves of our spine; the ones designed for stability, strength,shock absorption and maximum flexibility.  Whereas life gets us stuck in poor postural habits, Pilates re-trains us by allowing our spine the chance to experience its full range of motion including forward and lateral flexion, extension and rotation.  It helps us defy gravity, strengthen our core and restore our good posture. As a result, we can experience freedom of movement, freedom from pain and youth-like vitality.

Joseph Pilates was definitely a innovator because he understood that fitness goes far beyond aesthetics.  Fitness is about developing a strong and healthy body that allows us to enjoy life to the fullest.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Lists Make Me Sane

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS:

I function best with lists.  Life without lists gives me that same overwhelming feeling as shopping in a huge bargain basement store; completely disorganized with overflowing racks and people scrambling to find their size.  It's too much for my brain to process.  I'm a boutique shopper. Lists keep me organized, structured, focused, forward moving, productive and ultimately successful.

Okay, so I'm admittedly living my life in the bargain basement store right now; trying to resurface above the piles and piles of designer jeans and handbags.  My brain feels cluttered and messy. Why, I ask myself, do I tend to abandon the things that keep me sane?  So, starting on Monday (in true procrastinator form) I'll return to my life of list-making; to-do lists, shopping lists, short-term and long-term goal list etc. etc.  There's nothing like that feeling of drawing a red line through an accomplished item. 

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Distance Training: Pilates & Technology

TEACHING TUESDAYS:

Technology is advancing so quickly that it's hard to keep up with the latest gadgets.  I always feel like I'm years behind.  I was still relying on my written daily planner long after people had switched to their Palm Pilots and the convenience of backing all that info up on their computers. And long after people were using their digital cameras and uploading and sharing pics across the Internet, I was still taking my film to Rite Aid for processing.  Just yesterday, I saw someone watching music videos on his iPod!  Since when can you do that?  Mine only plays music!  I think...?

Anyway, now you can do even more with your iPod or MP3 player.  You can maintain your Pilates practice even when you can't make it into the studio.  What a perfect solution for our clients that travel a lot.  Here's the deal. iAmplify.com is this cool new resource where you can purchase and download audio workouts from Pilates pros like Mari Winsor and Alycea Ungaro.  You can purchase a single workout for about $10.  Or, with a $30 subscription, each week for 12 weeks you'll receive a new download. How cool is that?  And, if you don't have an iPod, you can burn your workout to a CD or play it on your computer.

I love how Pilates is constantly growing and expanding with the times.  What an incredible opportunity for any of us to train with experts in our field; even from a distance.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Change, Shift... HELP!

MOVING FORWARD MONDAYS:

I'm going through a period when I feel like everything is changing, which sometimes makes it hard to find solid footing to move forward.  Change is inevitable, but our ability to adapt to change isn't.  It often puts me in a suspended state of "HELP!?!";  desperately looking around for some type of sign or premonition to guide me along my journey.  Sometimes I feel that it's just as challenging to handle tons of positive change as it is to handle negative change.  Either way, the emotions can be overwhelming.  Plus any type of upheaval (good or bad) means that there's work to be done and a shift in our approach is probably required.

So, here I am in the "HELP!?" stage.  Great stuff is happening right now but I feel as if I'm sprinting to keep up.  I can't believe Joe's Pila-T-Shop is already approaching it's second year in business.  WOW!  I remember when it was just a seedling of an idea.  I'm starting to reflect on the past year to see what I can learn; what worked, what didn't, and what I need to do to grow, expand and become the best possible resource for Pilates fashion, Pilates Community and Pilates Instruction.  I'm thinking about sending out a survey to our customers and e-mail subscribers to determine what they like and don't like about our company, areas they feel we can improve upon, styles they'd like to see more or less of etc. etc.

While working on transitioning Joe's Pila-T-Shop into its second year, I'm soaking up my experience as the stand-in for Scary Spice during the rehearsal process for the Spice Girl Reunion Tour.  Every day I look forward to my 8 hour rehearsals.  It's so nice to return to the adrenaline rush, the physicality, creativity and expressiveness of dance.  Sunday is my only day off and I spent it getting my "body buzz" on at the Korean Spa.  It was just what my body needed.

When change is hovering over your head, and you're suspended in a state of "HELP!?!", nothing beats 3 hours of alternating from the hot tub, to the super-hot mug-wort bath, to the cold bath, the steam room and dry sauna.  Pure indulgence!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Amazing Teaching Principles from a Yogi

FRIDAY'S FEATURE:

Recently, I've reserved "Friday's Features" for words of wisdom from Joseph Pilates.  But I read this really great article in my Massage & Bodywork magazine called "The Student-Teacher Connection: Opening the Heart of Compassion". 

The article discussed how our role as teachers is to awaken students to their own potential and to do so with compassion and humility.  We are in a position of servitude, in a sense.  We are facilitators; helping others to experience something we've already benefited from. We help our students flourish when we are free of ego and teach with client-centered intention.   It's our job to provide a safe and effective context for students to understand, experience and embody Pilates.  In other words, teaching goes beyond training students to merely imitate Pilates exercises.  We're effective teachers when we give our students the tools to understand the intention and the technique of each exercise. 

The magazine article featured a list of teaching principles that were originally presented to yoga teachers at The Yoga Workshop by Richard Freeman.  But I thought many of the principles could be applied to our work as Pilates teachers.  Here's an abbreviated list I thought you might appreciate:

1. To be a good teacher you must be an eager, humble, inquisitive student.
2. Teaching is rendering service.  It is much like parenting.
3. Prepare students so that they have good listening and learning skills.  They must learn to lay aside their presuppositions and ways of doing things.  Genuine teaching begins when students have respect and desire and are completely present.
4. Be truly helpful.  Don not try to impress.  Do not show off.
5. Don't be self-righteous.  Don't lay a "trip" on the student.
6. Allow the student to discover the internal and full action of pose (Pilates exercise).
7. Be kind and patient.
8. Look at the whole pose (Pilates exercise).  Breathe the pose (Pilates exercise).
9. Know the flow of the pose (Pilates exercise).  Not only what poses (Pilates exercises) might proceed or follow, but what sequences of movement occur within the pose (Pilates exercise) as it matures.
10. Get feedback.
11. Watch student's feet, hands, faces, breath, eyes, lips and overall actions.
12. Look before you leap.  Don't be cavalier and arrogant by fixing what is not broken.
13. Respect the space and internal process of yoga (Pilates) students. 
14. Teaching is constant mindfulness practice in thought, word and posture.
15. Always practice refined alignment in your own body as you adjust another.
16. Teach directly out of your own experience.  Don't be afraid to say "I don't know".  Know when to refer client's to someone with more experience.
17. Beware of flattery.  Do not praise yourself.  Be satisfied being the servant of a servant.
18. Practice teaching with concentrated focus on the flow of energy in your body.
19. Teach what you know.  Do not teach what you don't know.

Teaching is such a beautiful gift.  And it's so rewarding when we go into it with the intention of providing the best possible experience for our students. Both teachers and students learn, grow and transform in the process.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Brooklyn Is For Dog Lovers

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS: 

I know this is completely random, but I just have to write about how much I love my dog, Brooklyn.  Let me preface this post with the fact that I grew up completely terrified of dogs!  I'm talking TERRIFIED to the point that I'm lucky to be alive today because, as a kid, I wouldn't think twice about running into on-coming traffic to avoid a dog... on a leash!   

CUT TO:  Years later, my husband and I started researching breeders of Boston Terriers and found ourselves on a 5 1/2 hour trek up north to buy our 1st pet together.  Now, I can't imagine how most of my life was spent without a canine companion.  Unless you own a dog, I don't think you can truly understand the bond you can share with a pet.  The unconditional love is incomparable.  Even if I've only been gone for an hour, Brooklyn greets me at the door as if she hasn't seen me in months; slathering me with excited doggie kisses.  And I love to watch her play because she plays with such abandon. She's a free, uninhibited, curious, bouncing bundle of joy.  Like a proud parent, I have to share some photos.  Thanks for indulging me.  And feel free to write comments about how irresistibly cute she is!

Magical Life Lessons

MID-WEEK INSPIRATION:

I love this quote because it reminds me that there are lessons to be learned through every life experience; the good, the bad and the ugly.  It's all a matter of perception and our willingness to see the  greater picture.  Whenever I go through a slump I try to remember to ask myself, "What am I supposed to learn from this experience?".  When I'm really honest with myself, I discover patterns that need to change before my life can change. 

But lessons don't necessarily come from our own personal experiences.  Sometimes they come from being an eyewitness in other people's lives.  They add clarity to our perceptions of love, happiness, fulfillment, abundance, freedom and peace.  Sometimes other people's lessons help us find gratitude, re-evaluate our priorities and find new meaning in our own lives.

That's what's magical; that there are an infinite number of life lessons to be learned.  And if we're open to them, each one provides us the opportunity to live our best lives.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira