Joe's Pila-T-Shop

Scoop of the Week: Our Magic Circle Community

Scoop of the Week: Pilates Stuff I Love!

The Pilates Method emerged in the United States in 1926 when Joseph Pilates and his wife, Clara, established their first studio in NYC.  But Pilates has expanded into this huge industry where over 11 million people are "scooping their powerhouses" worldwide.  How cool is it to be part of something that carries so much validity as an exercise system that it's far succeeded the realm of being a mere fad?  Kudos to our Pilates elders and the rest of "Joe's Disciples" for keeping his legacy alive.

As with anything so vast, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost within the world of Pilates.  There's countless numbers of certification programs, an equal number of approaches to teaching and millions of instructors.  Pilates studios are popping up on every block in some cities like Starbucks.  Additionally, there's a wide variety of Pilates equipment manufacturers offering many variations on the same theme.  And there are tons of books, DVDs, props, industry conferences, Pilates retreats, workshops, pod casts, blogs and Pilates-specific fashion. 

So, how do you navigate through the expansive world of Pilates?  Check out Our Magic Circle Community Forum! I created it exactly for that purpose; to be a communication platform for Pilates professionals and enthusiasts.  It's divided into three categories:

Pila-T-Shop Talk:  This is the ideal spot to meet, share ideas, ask questions of one another and post events.   For example: Are you perplexed about how to work with a specific injury?  Do you need tips on how to open your own studio or build your client-base?  Do you want to ask people's opinions about their favorite equipment, which liability insurance company they recommend, or how to establish your rates?  Ask your community here!

Thanks, Joe: Let our community know why you love Pilates, what you love about teaching and how Pilates has changed your life or the life of one of your clients.  I, personally, love career-affirming, inspirational stories like this.  So, please do share.  I'm sure others would appreciate it too. 

Get the Scoop:  This section is divided by State.  It's the perfect place for you to post a link to your Pilates studio or local events.  Are you hosting a certification program?  A workshop? A Pilates Day event?  Announce it to your local community.  Are you hiring instructors? Or are you looking to purchase or sell used apparatus? Post a "classified ad".

 Get started...

• Go to Our Magic Circle Community

• Register/Create Your Profile

• Start posting!

Click here if you need info about how to register, how to create your 1st post, how to reply to posts, how to add links etc.  It's super-easy.  Have fun!

One of the cool things about the astronomical growth of our Pilates community is that it creates a large springboard to help catapult Pilates further into the mainstream and make it more accessible to the masses.  Plus, it creates a huge pool of support for us as we collectively and individually work at sustaining Joe's legacy with integrity.  I love that we're an incredibly diverse group of people unified in purpose; to share the genius of Pilates with the world.  So, let's pool our resources together and keep our community strong and thriving.  We have so much to offer one another.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Joseph Pilates: His-tory in a nutshell

Joseph Pilates: The man, the myth, the legend

1880: Joseph Hubertus Pilates, the German-born genius began his life as a sickly child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever.  Through his own investigative research, hard work and determination he amazingly rehabilitated himself to the extent that he became a model for anatomy charts at age 14 and experienced success as a boxer and gymnast.  Joe was also a skilled skier and diver.  Yes, from sickly to an all-around athlete.      

1912: Joe moved to England to further his training as a boxer .  However, he ended up utilizing  his           well developed strength, flexibility and stamina as a circus performer, performing a Greek statue act with his brother. By 1914, he was a star!  Quite an amazing accomplishment in itself. 

1914: WWI broke out and he and other Germans were sent to an internment camp in Lancaster.  There, he taught wrestling and self-defense to other German nationals which probably boosted both strength and morale.  This is also where the seeds of his work began to grow into the system we today call Pilates.   

Joe was later transferred to a second camp where he worked with internees who suffered from wartime diseases and incarceration.   By ingeniously rigging mattress springs, he began converting hospital           beds into exercise apparatus for the bedridden!  His relentless determination, ingenuity and compassion  must have been an incredible inspiration to those he cared for. 

1918: The influenza epidemic broke out and none of Joe's followers succumbed; even though the camps were hit the hardest.  The internees must have felt especially thankful and empowered.  What great testimony to the efficacy of his holistic approach to fitness!

1925: Joe had returned to Germany after the war and began training  the Hamburg Military Police in self defense and physical fitness.  He was even invited to train the New German Army but refused due to conflicting political beliefs.  If fact, he decided to leave Germany altogether and further his boxing training   in the US.  While on the boat en route to America, he helped rehabilitate a woman suffering from arthritic pain.  That woman, Clara, became his wife.         

1926: Joe and Clara arrived in NYC where they opened their first gym at 939 8th Avenue.  The Art Of Contrology aka Pilates is born in America!  Joe and Clara's students were primarily dancers because their gym shared the same building as many dance studios and rehearsal spaces.  World famous choreographers such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham and Jerome Robbins would constantly           send their dancers to Joe to "get fixed".  This is why, today,  so many people associate Pilates with dancers.

1967: Joe died at age 87.  Clara continued to run the studio until her own death in 1977.  The good news is that Joe's legacy continues.  There are myriads of Joe's Disciples intent on maintaining the integrity of his work.  Pilates is now available worldwide via certified instructors at pilates studios, gyms, physical therapy and chiropractic offices and through Pilates books and DVDs.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Joe's Disciple: Madeleine Butcher

Joe's Disciple: a weekly Pilates teacher feature

Name: 
Madeleine Butcher
Title/Position: 
Pilates Teacher
Pilates Studio/Company: 
Studio B Pilates
Website: 
www.studiobpilates.us
Certifications: 
Power Pilates, Massage Therapy, CPR
# Of years teaching: 
4 years Pilates Mat, 3 years Comprehensive Pilates,14 years ballet

What I love about teaching Pilates: I adore to teach.  I adore teaching Pilates and seeing the improvements in clients that this incredible work brings.   I love how I keep learning as I teach.  Pilates is like peeling an onion…I just go deeper and deeper into the work.  I love being a positive and supportive influence to my clients’ health and body awareness.  I enjoy my clients tremendously and we always have at least a good laugh or two during the session.

My greatest challenge as a teacher: To stay in present time consciousness and keep my teaching fresh - to stay away from the fear that the client is bored.

How I avoid burnout: Review of material, observation of fellow teachers, continuing ed, no more than six hours a day of teaching.  Two days off in a row. In other words, finding a balance of teaching, learning, home life and fun.

My teaching goals: To see my clients catch on fire with enthusiasm for how building strength and flexibility can affect their lives and outlooks.

How often I practice Pilates: About 3 times a week – two on my own, plus a lesson.

When I’m not doing Pilates I’m…biking or walking.

What “Pilates body” means to me: Stamina, strength, flexibility, endurance, and the pure joy of movement.   

If I could ask Joe one question, it would be: Did you work with Eric Hawkins (modern dancer)?  Who did you learn from? Who influenced your work?  That’s two or three questions, sorry.

My favorite Pilates exercise: Spine Stretch Forward…Pilates in a nutshell.  It’s got it all!

My least favorite Pilates exercise:  Balance Control Back.  One day, I’ll master this!

My favorite Pilates book &/or DVD: “Pilates Body”, by Brooke Siler 

My inspirations: The Method, fellow teachers, clients.

My greatest achievement: Earning my Comprehensive certification through Power Pilates and then having over 20 client hours a week – all within 14 months.  Watching the progress of my clients go from chronic pain to being pain free, from a lousy golf swing to tournament winner, from a skeptic to a fanatic. 

Also, I've written an ebook, "Moving for Real - Creative Exercise and Movement for a Lifetime" (co-author, Thom McFadden).  It will be available for download soon.  It is about how to create exercise and movement in your life that will last your lifetime.  I've created a simple formula to keep it interesting, fun and easily adaptable to all lifestyles and any limitations that might arise as we age.  The target market is 40 to 104 years old.  Many Pilates friends and clients are quoted.

My other passions, interests or areas of expertise include: My husband, cooking, writing, dance, gardening, movies, reading.

My favorite T-shirt from Joe’s Pila-T-Shop: Crew neck “Got Powerhouse?”

Opposites Attract, Control Freaks & Slackers

Muscle Madness: designing the Pilates body

Our job as Pilates instructors can have a profound affect on the way people look and, more importantly, feel in their bodies.  If we don’t pay attention to the individual needs of clients we may inadvertently exacerbate postural imbalances, pain symptoms and pre-existing conditions. That’s why strong assessment skills are beneficial. We obviously need to be well versed in Pilates repertoire, but it’s also useful to understand which muscles are being used in each exercise and how.  It allows us to evaluate our client’s posture and movement patterns to know what they need in order to progress.   It helps us to make informed and effective choices that will guide them toward strength, stability, flexibility and stamina.  Plus, paying attention to the details of alignment and proper muscle recruitment (good ol’ precision and control) can make, even beginner system, a challenging workout.

Muscles have many functions.  As Pilates instructors, we’re well aware of their role in movement and posture.  When our muscles contract, they pull on bones to create movement. Plus, they’re constantly working to make adjustments to hold our body in stationary positions such as when we’re sitting or standing. 

If we’re lucky enough to have “ideal” muscular balance, not only would we have the most envious posture; but we’d never have muscular pain and our bodies would move with seamless and efficient perfection.  Of course I don’t know of anyone with the postural ideal, but there’s nothing wrong with striving for it.  That’s where we come in as Pilates Instructors.  To add to our effectiveness as teachers, it’s helpful if we understand how muscles work.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Muscles can pull on bones to create movement but they can’t push them back to their original position.  So we’ve got this incredible design of agonist and antagonist muscles, which are responsible for opposite actions.  A perfect example of antagonist muscles is the rectus abdominus vs. the erector spinae group.  Our rectus abdominus is the agonist (primary mover) in exercises that require forward flexion of the trunk such as the Push Down on the Wunda Chair. Notice that while performing the Push Down, the antagonist muscles (the erector spinae group), must conversely lengthen and stretch in order to achieve full forward flexion of the trunk. When you're ready to roll-up and return to standing, whom do you count on?  The erector spinae group!  It contracts and becomes the agonist. The rectus abdominus switches roles, too, by lengthening and becoming the antagonist.

(Carrie Macy, Heather Burns)

Our erector spinae muscles can do even more than just return us to an upright position.  They’re primary movers (agonists) in exercises that require extension of the trunk such as Pulling Straps on the Reformer.  In this exercise your erector spinae muscles (agonist) contract while your rectus abdominus muscle (antagonist) stretches and lengthens.

(Cheryl Cole, Carrie Macy, Heather Burns)

A LITTLE HELP FROM SOME FRIENDS

But muscles work in more than just pairs of opposites.  There are also synergists and stabilizer muscles.   
Synergists are like “little helpers”.  They assist the primary mover (agonist) in doing its job.  For example, the rectus abdominus has a bunch of “little helpers” such as the external obliques, internal obliques, and transverse abdominus.  Synergists to the erector spinae group are the multifidi, rotators and semispinalis muscles.

Not to be confusing but… our abdominal and back muscles can also work synergistically.  How?  Through equal, isometric contraction (strong contracting force with no movement due to an equal counter force) they help stabilize our spine.  Yep! Great posture involves equal strength and flexibility between our abdominal and back muscles.  This also provides a great foundation for more advanced Pilates exercises that require our abdominal and back muscles to work as stabilizers during less supported exercises such as Knee Bends on the Ped-O-Pull.

(Shari Berkowitz)

CONTROL FREAKS & SLACKERS
But what you’ll probably notice is that most of our clients (oh, and us too, sometimes!) don’t possess “ideal” muscular symmetry. Some of our muscles are control freaks.  They insist on doing, not only their job, but the job of other muscle groups. Other muscles are slackers; perfectly content letting other muscles carry their load.  These imbalances are often caused by lifestyle, poor postural habits and improper training techniques. Unfortunately, if not addressed, muscular imbalances predispose us to inefficient movement patterns and eventually overuse injuries.  To prevent this, the “control freaks” need to be trained to take a break and delegate some of the work.  And the “slackers” need to be roused to action.

By being perpetual students of the body and developing a keen eye, we can become quite skilled at determining exactly what our clients need.  Not only will we be able to give them a challenging workout, but they'll benefit from the far reaching therapeutic benefits inherent to Pilates. Sounds like client-retention to me!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Ecstasy On The Job

Feel Good Fridays: giving back to self

Who doesn't want to feel ecstatic about going to work?  And why shouldn't we?  Why shouldn't we be thrilled to wake up in the morning and "clock in"?   I'm a true believer in doing what you love for a living.  But as much as I LOVE Pilates... and as much as I LOVE teaching Pilates...some days it's the absolute last thing I want to do.  Yep, I said it.  And I'm sure I'm not the only one that's experienced the dreaded "B" word -- BURNOUT!

Fortunately, I'm on the upswing right now.  And at the risk of sounding like a total geek, I'm actually psyched to go to work every day!  Yep!  I love my clients and their commitment to their Pilates practice.  Plus, I love watching their minds translate my cues into their bodies, seeing their bodies transform and witnessing their sense of accomplishment when they notice their own progress.  What a cool job we have!  As I continue to relish in this bubble of excitement I have to ask myself, "What changed?".  Something has obviously shifted in my outlook when, even my heinous commute in Los Angeles traffic, seems tolerable.

You know what changed?  I started taking care of myself.  I started practicing what I preach.  Go figure.  First of all, I took a 3 month teaching hiatus to perform again which is something that my spirit craved.  And it felt marvelously self-indulgent!  Sometimes, we Pilates instructors forget to indulge ourselves because we're so focused on indulging the needs of others.

Now that I'm back in the studio with a renewed appreciation for Pilates and for teaching, I make sure I continue to treat myself with mini-indulgences.  Since I thrive on movement, my latest "treats" have been taking yoga at my favorite studio, Black Dog Yoga.  Plus, I've been taking classes like the Inca Warrior Workout and Hard Body Meltdown at Equinox Fitness.  What a blast!  It's fun being in a completely different type of fitness environment with completely different movement vocabulary. And it feels so good to surrender my role as teacher and become the student. 

Joseph Pilates even addressed our innate need for indulgence in order to experience happiness in life.  In his book, Return to Life Through Contrology he said, "Hobbies and all forms of play tend materially to renew our vitality with accompanying moral uplift".  It's so easy to let work absorb most of our 24hr day.  But if we don't save time for some plain old fun, we begin to resent our job; even if we love it.  I know that when I ignore that need for balance, my spirit suffers.  And if I hang out in that negative space for too long, I feel as if I'm robbing my clients of their Pilates experience.  Ughh... the guilt!

So, here's to balance and feeling ecstasy on the job!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira`

Scoop of the Week: Magic Circles and Beer?

SCOOP OF THE WEEK:  Pilates stuff I love


Rumor has it that Joseph Pilates' created the first Magic Circle with a metal ring from an old wooden beer keg.  Talk about innovative, huh?  Yes, innovative and brilliant.  I love this versatile and portable prop!  It's traveled with me on many tours while I was a professional dancer to create my own little "studio" in my hotel room or on the tour bus.  Now I love incorporating it into sessions with my intermediate/advanced clients or in my mat classes to give them a kick butt workout.

While training with Bob Liekens, he offered such great insight and understanding on the use of the Magic Circle.  He emphasized that it was designed to find a deeper connection to our powerhouse and to provide kinesthetic awareness; feedback as to where our body is in space and which muscles are being used.  Of course, a person's first instinct is to squeeze the circle as hard as they can.  Instead, Bob made exercises with the Magic Circle all about:

1. breath -- a forceful exhalation which naturally fires the deepest muscle of the powerhouse, the transverse abdominus
2. the abdominals - focused intention on pulling your abdominals "in" (for stability) and "up" (for length)
3. the magic circle - gently hug the circle toward your mid-line.

Try it! 

Set Up:  Stand with your feet parallel and together or in Pilates stance.  Extend your arms in front of you with the magic circle framing your chest bone.  Put a micro-bend in your elbows and lift them so they point toward the walls. Widen your collar bone. (see photo above)

Action: Exhale, pull your abdominals in and up and at the end of your exhale, gently press your hands toward the center of the circle. Hold for 3 seconds. 

Next, increase the tempo by doing up to 20 pulses.  Follow your breath.   

Result:  Your forceful exhale alone should fire your deep abdominals.  But that gentle squeeze on the Magic Circle intensifies the abdominal connection.  And did you notice how the Magic Circle even mimicked the action of your powerhouse?  It, too, draws in and lengthens.

Now, try reversing the intention of the exercise by making it all about the "squeeze" of the Magic Circle.  Feel the difference? It diminishes the work of the powerhouse.

Did you also notice that in this one "simple" exercise that you're using all 6 Pilates principles?

1. centering/stabilization
2. concentration
3. control
4. precision
5. flow
6. breath

In my mat classes, I'll often teach this exercise supine first.  It gives students the opportunity to find their alignment without fighting the forces of gravity.  I also do it against the wall (1 foot-length away from the wall with pelvis, rib cage and shoulder blades on the wall) to increase the challenge.  But the wall gives them feedback as to whether or not they're maintaining their alignment.  Ultimately, I progress them away from the wall.

Of course, this is just one of the many exercises you can do with the Magic Circle.  It's incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into every exercise on the mat and even used in exercises on the apparatus.  Whenever I use it, though, I try to ask myself "How is this helping me connect deeper to my powerhouse?"

Shari Berkowitz teaches an AWESOME workshop called Magic Circle Madness.  She's presenting it at the Pilates Style Conference in LA this month.  It will be offered on January 23rd from 3-5pm and January 25th from 9:45-12:15.  Here's the class description:

Power Pilates® Magic Circle Madness, Workshop-Shari Berkowitz
This workshop will focus on the Pilates Magic Circle™ and how to incorporate it into traditional Mat workouts at every level. There will be a review of techniques and teaching formulas that will provide an excellent workout. Learn new ways of utilizing the Pilates Magic Circle™ while increasing efficient flowing movement. You will have fun and get a good workout!

Pre-requisite: Instructors and clients with intermediate Mat experience.

CEC: Power Pilates®: 2 CECs, POLESTAR® 2 CECs , PMA: 2 CEC's

I hope to see you at the conference.  I'll be at Booth# 310 selling my collection of Pilates T-shirts from Joe's Pila-T-Shop, including the one pictured above.

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Joseph Pilates: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Joseph Pilates: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Most Pilates instructors would do anything for the chance to teleport back to mid-century New York City for the rare privilege of training with Joseph and Clara Pilates in their 8th  Ave. studio.  Since that's not an option I'm aware of, the next best thing is to train with those that did such as Romana Kryzanowska, Kathy Grant, Ron Fletcher, Lolita San Miguel or Mary Bowen. But we can also learn about him and the philosophies, beliefs and ideals that shaped his Method through his books "Return to Contrology" and "Your Health".

I think that the more we know about Joe, the more it informs our own personal Pilates practice and our ability to teach it.  Plus, it's really cool to read about how revolutionary he was for his time and how he was viewed by his peers.  What a difference a few decades can make.  Years after his death, suddenly the world (including health care professionals) has embraced the validity and efficacy of his work.  Not only that, but they're capitalizing on it by adding their own little twists and modifications to his well conceived exercise system.

Joe's Pila-T-Shop's mission was born out of my desire to re-direct focus back to Joseph Pilates as his name gets lost in the shuffle of over-commercialization.  As an instructor, I noticed that far too many of my clients thought that Pilates was some recent fitness phenomenon created for dancers and a great way to achieve a "dancers body". I think it's a privilege and a responsibility to  be Joe's "legacy keepers".  Wow, that sounds important, huh?  But it's true.  There's only a tiny group of people left that actually trained with Joe.  So, the more we (the second & third generation teachers) can learn about Joe, the better we'll be able to maintain integrity to the exercise system that bears his name.  And, we can confidently pass on his legacy to future generations of instructors and clients. 

Every Wednesday my BLOG is dedicated to getting to know Joe. I hope you join me!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira

Joe's Disciple: Sarah Rosenfield

Joe's Disciple: a weekly Pilates teacher feature

Name: 
Sarah Rosenfield
Title/Position:
Pilates Instructor/ Studio Owner
Pilates Studio/Company:
Sarahpilates
Website:   
www.sarahpilates.com
Certifications:
Pilates Institute/ pregnancy/ reformer/ mat all levels/ spine corrector
# Of years teaching:
10 years

What I love about teaching Pilates: Meeting interesting people and making them feel GREAT!

My greatest challenge as a teacher: helping people with injuries

How I avoid burnout: Don’t take on too many students/ classes

My teaching goals: too many!!! To ensure that everyone who walks into my studio or to my retreat gets exactly what they want out of it.

How often I practice Pilates: Every day if I can!

When I’m not doing Pilates I’m… busy putting together my PR… my holidays and much much more

What “Pilates body” means to me: toned/ aware

If I could ask Joe one question, it would be: Tell all the different teachers that their way of teaching is NOT unique… it started with him.. One man.. one practice… many ways of teaching according to who you are teaching. 

My favorite Pilates exercise: Weird one… side bend….!

My least favorite Pilates exercise: Can’t think of one at the moment!  If I had to say one… maybe teaser full version… although I don’t mind it anymore!!

My favorite Pilates book &/or DVD: WILL BE… my own .. eventually!!!

My inspirations: Kathy Corey, Michael King…

My greatest achievement: Teaser!!!  But really…. Seeing people with severe injuries reach their goals.

My other passions, interests or areas of expertise include: Running events/ music business for too many years!

My favorite T-shirt from Joe’s Pila-T-Shop:

                                                  

                                             

 

Let The Muscle Madness Begin!

Muscle Madness: designing the Pilates Body

Besides being a Pilates geek I’m a complete muscle geek.  I’m fascinated by the over 400 muscles that make up our body and are responsible for movement, posture, joint stability and heat production.  My 2 passions go hand and hand and make my work as a Pilates instructor super-exciting as I surreptitiously approach each session with a client like a detective. What am I investigating?

•    Which muscles are implicated in postural imbalances?
•    Which muscles are the culprits in creating inefficient movement patterns?
•    Which muscles need to be strengthened vs. which need to be stretched/lengthened?
•    Are the correct muscles initiating each exercise or are the wrong muscles trying to dominate and rob my client of their Pilates experience?

My love of muscles was fostered in massage school where I was lucky enough to have over 1200 hours of academic and hand-on training in MUSCLES!  We learned:

•    The function of muscles
•    The origins, insertions and actions of each muscle
•    How to palpate each muscle
•    How to distinguish between healthy muscle tissue and unhealthy muscle tissue
•    How muscles respond to stressors such as touch, sudden trauma, heat, ice, strength training, various stretch techniques etc.
•    How to use massage therapy in injury prevention and rehabilitation

Needless to say, I LOVED school!

Just like massage therapists, Pilates instructors are in the business of muscles.  So, join me every Monday as we explore the world of soft tissue (muscles, tendons & ligaments) and how it relates to our work with clients who present us with all types of fun muscular imbalances to sink our teeth into.  The better we understand the root of the imbalances (and we all have them) the more effective we’ll be at helping our clients.  Plus it makes our job more fun.  It becomes more than just regurgitating exercises and the same old stale cues.  Every workout is truly individualized. Each session has an objective.  Our cues become more specific and creative.  And more importantly… our clients get results!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Feel Good Fridays: giving back to self

Feel Good Fridays: giving back to self

As Pilates instructors, our lives can become so consumed with helping others; sometimes at the expense of taking care of our own health and well-being.  In the past, I’ve found myself spending so much time teaching that, when my shift was over, I couldn’t wait to leave the studio.  So, I’d skip my own workout and go home.  As a result, my own Pilates practice suffered.

Or I’d find that my personal workout sessions turned into time spent mimicking the improper biomechanics I’d see in clients.  I know it sounds crazy but it was invaluable in helping me understand:

•    Where clients were initiating their movement
•    The results of improper muscle recruitment
•    Why certain exercises elicited pain
•    How to create better imagery cues to help clients understand the exercise better.

I think it’s made me a more effective teacher but, once again, my personal Pilates practice suffered.

As much as it’s important to take care of our body, it’s equally important to take care of our mind and spirit.  As Pilates instructors, we expend so much energy on a daily basis.  Every hour we’re faced with people with different personalities, health and fitness backgrounds and levels of commitment to their Pilates practice.  We have to be creative, confident and compassionate, while giving clear instruction and keeping our clients safe.   It’s fun but not always easy.  In fact, some days I go home feeling completely drained.

So, how do we stay grounded?  How do we maintain our passion for teaching?  What do we need in order for our body, mind and spirit to thrive?  For each of us, the answer is individual so I’m not going to lie and tell you I’ve got this all figured out. I chose “Feel Good Fridays” because I can’t imagine that I’m the only Pilates instructor that struggles with balance.

What I do know is this:  The more we fuel ourselves, the more energy we have to give to others.  Conversely, if we just give, give, give… we’ll eventually have nothing left to offer and end up burned out. So, every week, I intend to BLOG about things that I’ve discovered that nurture the body, mind and spirit.  I’d love to hear your ideas too!

Rock Your Powerhouse!

Kira