I’m thrilled to be the Official Guide Expert for Pilates at Selfgrowth. If Selfgrowth hasn’t crossed your resource radar yet… it’s an excellent place to find articles, information, and experts on all sorts of topics from Success Skills, Relationships, Health & Fitness (my category!), Money & Careers, Mental Health, Spirituality, and Diet & Nutrition. If looking for wellness resources - This is the place to go! Check it out at http://www.selfgrowth.com/

I’m always looking for great new Pilates Teaching cues.  Here’s the one that came to me this week - thanks to a client who had a big number three on the front of her shirt. Good images for cueing can come from anywhere! 

Do you remember reading Dr. Suess as a kid?  One of my favorite stories was the Starbelly Sneetches.  And how wonderful that that star is in the perfect spot to think about pulling the abdominals in for support and Core Control.

Here’s my tribute to the great Dr. Suess from a Pilates perspective!

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What a great question I received by email this week! And Oh MY….are there contradictions in the world of Pilates. I can’t pretend to know all the answers, and I am always interested in learning more and improving my understanding (as well as my ability to pass on correct information to my students.)

Here’s my best advice to all teachers & students out there….

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I’m excited to be traveling back to Little Rock for 2 days of Pilates Workshops, April 18 & 19th, 2008. These courses are geared towards participants and open to teachers. If you’re looking for a little fine-tuning on your technique, or the chance to learn a few new exercises, you won’t want to miss this opportunity! To download a copy of the flyer and/or register online, visit www.CenterworksPilates.com/littlerock2008.html

Last weekend a friend handed me a book to read, and as I started it….I wondered why it hadn’t crossed my radar sooner! On the cover it states: “Within minutes these techniques trigger health-producing effects for: Cancer Prevention & Reversal, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Insomnia, Alzheimers, Diabetes, Anxiety, Depression, PMS, Stress Reduction, Jetlag”

Now, who on the planet doesn’t fall into at least one of these categories!

So what’s the book?  Self-Healing: Powerful Techniques by Ranjie N. Singh, Ph.D. 

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I have now been teaching Pilates for over 14 years.  Hard to believe it!  The time has flown by - I love my job! 

 Blessed to have had an excellent first teacher (David Mooney) and to have had the opportunity to study with many great teachers and most of the Pilates elders.  Romana Kryzanowska, Sari Pace for my first teacher-training program, Colleen Glenn for my second, and Dianne Miller for my third.  Continuing ed. workshops with Dianne Miller, Michelle Larsson, and others. And, through my association with the Pilates Method Alliance, it’s been a privilege to participate in continuing education with all of the Pilates “elders,” Mary Bowen, Ron Fletcher, Lolita San Miguel, and Cathy Grant - all of whom studied directly with Joseph & Clara Pilates.

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As a Pilates teacher, I can’t think of one client in 14 years that I’ve taught the Up Stretch exercise to on the Reformer who hasn’t freaked out going forward over the footbar as the are learning the exercise.  All goes well, this is temporary… And while a lighter spring or changing the gear bar might help a bit - in the long run, chances are it won’t fix the problem. Here are a few tips for a smooth, controlled exercise.

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I’m always looking for good new visual imagery to use with my clients that will help them better relate to their body, movement, AND better understand how to improve their technique.(I can’t take credit for this one, came from one of my teachers newer clients this week.)

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Creating new habits takes time and patience.  We’d all like to find that magic pill, or flip a switch and instantly have things be better.  Well unfortunately not much in life works that way. The choices we’ve made have gotten us this far, our new choices will continue to reinforce new habits.  The patience and persistence we demonstrate in the process will help give us the results we’re looking for.

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Here’s a Quick Tip to Help Manage Stress… Allow an extra half-hour for everything you do!

If you normally schedule all of your appointments and daily chores back-to-back, having one appointment run long will get you off track for the rest of the day. That feeling of being behind before you get started can add pounds to your stress level.

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