Day 1 of 4

I started the morning with an invigorating reformer class, taught by Meredith Coffin, the studio owner of Springboard. What was particularly unique about the immersion schedule was that regular clients of the studio could 'take class.' It was wonderful to see their skills and their strength, and observe how a lifelong commitment to Pilates (and having brilliant teachers) helps you overcome so much and build so much.

At present, I teach four group classes a week. The first workshop was dedicated to the skills needed for group teaching. I loved the reminders about the groove and flow of a group class. Kaile Ziemba reminded us that when Joe Pilates talked about finding spontaneous zest—this was it! Group classes provide a sense of community and a social side, as well as a place to review and refine skills. There is great freedom and security in working out in a group, and I love providing that experience for my clients.

Six years after working with her previously, I had the pleasure of hearing Amy Taylor Alpers introduce breath to us with a lunchtime workshop called Breath Facility. She reminded us of the “muscularity of breathing” and noted that while a rib cage on a skeleton in a doctor’s office looks rigid, in reality, it has a lovely, spongey quality that is warm and alive! Amy’s years of experience mean she has truly refined how to articulate her teachings. I love her phrasing; she simplifies the noise and yet it’s so profound. “Strengthen your weak stuff and make your strong stuff flexible.”

She reminded us that breathing is a pump mechanism. We are ‘fixing the pump’ with Pilates. She stressed that Pilates is a “journey to uniformity—not overworking somewhere and underworking elsewhere.” Just like her words, breath and oxygen are vital. Breathing makes you present and helps you stay with what is actually happening in the body during the Pilates work. Breath facilitates movement and movement facilitates breath—it should look like a wave in the sea.

Leah Wecksler gave a beautiful image to describe tensegrity. If snow falls on a roof, the weight might break the section it lands on. We are not like that. We are based on tensegrity: the weakest link will 'go,' but the issue can often be coming from somewhere else. This was a crucial reminder to always look at the whole body.

This workshop was on common complaints and injuries. “Pilates is superbly suited to balance the body and return it to life,” Leah reminded us. The importance of looking at the whole structure, and following on from the breathing workshop, realizing that breathing mechanics are crucial in spotting the weak link. I work with a very holistic, whole-body view myself, so this really aligns with how I approach my clients’ bodies.

This two-hour workshop reminded us to keep exploring and staying curious. Sometimes I feel like a detective, as each week when I meet clients in group class or privately, I am constantly gleaning information—I observe their habits, I see their imbalances, and I keep trying to form a complete picture. What is interesting, as Leah reminded us, is that the body is primarily concerned with survival. So, it’s about setting up clients in the right environment for success and helping to wake up certain movement patterns. A fascinating journey into the world of asymmetry, gravity, habitual movement, overuse patterns, and so on.

As you may imagine, I ended day one exhilarated and exhausted. I was surrounded by curious minds, experienced teachers, and wonderful, open American warmth. What a great start!

Photos below taken by yours truly on a stroll about town. The Portland Museum of Art and the down at the water.