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Three Lies You Might Tell Yourself Before Your First Pilates Class
There are lots of myths about Pilates. If you’ve never tried it you might not even understand what it is exactly. You might think you need to achieve something or be someone before you try it. I’m here to reassure you that you are enough. All you have to do is show up. Here are some lies you might be telling yourself that could stand in the way of showing up for yourself.
1) I’m Not Flexible At All.
Somewhere along the line, Pilates teachers got the reputation for being walking pretzels. There’s been a lot of cross-pollination with yoga in Pilates classes as well. Pilates works your whole body. Pilates is not just stretching and you don’t have to be flexible to take Pilates.
I’m all for stretching, but it’s better if it’s a negotiation between what you need and what you can do. Pilates works your strength and stretch. Sometimes you can stay too far to one side of the equation, losing out on the balancing element. It’s a give and take between the two poles: always strive for what you need and what you can do. Don’t sacrifice one over the other. I’m here to help you find that balance.
When I teach Pilates, I focus on moving so you won’t be holding a stretch as a static pose in my classes. The truth about stretching is that in order to be more open in one part of your body, you need to strengthen another part. That’s built into Pilates. So when you’re strengthening one part of your body, like your abs, you are probably stretching another part, like your legs, at the same time. And as each one of us is unique and individual, every person’s stretch will look different and require different points of emphasis.
2) I Feel Fat.
Like I just said, we are each individuals. We all have different bodies and different needs. You may not feel comfortable in your body and that’s valid. Taking that first step toward your first Pilates lesson with a new teacher is hard. You might find it triggers memories of being the new kid in the neighborhood or dance class. But don’t let that hold you back from trying Pilates. I’m human just like you and I’m here to help you find comfort and strength in your body.
So first off, if you ate one too many Oreos last night before coming to see me, shame on you for not saving me one! I don’t believe in dieting. I don’t believe that how you look brings you happiness, and I am about to show you something that will empower you to shake those feelings of being “less than” or “too much.”
Until recently, much of the fitness industry had thrived for too long by body shaming and equating weight loss with success. That’s enough to make anyone nervous! If you want to learn a system of movement that strengthens your body and helps you discover ways to connect with your own body, let’s talk.
Pilates brings you body awareness and strength. You will find a level of fitness that is true to your body, whatever your weight. Your success in Pilates is measured by acquired skills and better use of your own body. Instead of consulting the scale, which doesn’t take into consideration your stage in life, the greater task at hand is for you to see the things your body does and to see–and feel— that you are truly capable of change. Change is easy to talk about. Feeling that change and replicating it on your own, now you’re talking!
3) You’re Going to Laugh At Me.
No, YOU’RE going to laugh at me! I like to joke a lot, but during your Pilates session, I am mindful of the focus of our time together and would hate to whittle away precious Pilates minutes telling you a joke. That definitely could have been an email.
But getting back to the very serious nature of this statement, as your Pilates teacher, I do not measure your body by any other standard than that of your own body: perfectly unique, a beautiful vessel of blessings and a lifetime of experience, love, and wisdom. And, inevitably, pain and places in your body where you are not moving as well as you would like to.
If this thought of me laughing at you speaks to your vulnerability, I totally understand that. The majority of people who come to Pilates–regardless of their background–have some sort of pain in their bodies. This can be frustrating and downright depressing. Did you know that lower back pain can lead to depression? If you don’t have that kind of pain, how’s that for an incentive to keep moving your spine? If you’ve been sitting a lot today, you can still move in circles or do a mini flexion-extension release for your spine.
If you’ve been experiencing pain, it can be hard to show up with an injury and then feel like you’re under the microscope with your Pilates teacher. Let me assure you that my gaze reads your body like a scanner to pick up movement patterns and rhythms that are either the cause or the effect of your pain. I’m a movement detective and I try to piece together how the site of your pain or injury came about and how it relates to current movement patterns. Luckily for you and me both, the work doesn’t stop there. I’ll teach you a new way to move around that pain.
I hope this sheds some light on what I look for when you come to your session with me and that you can understand better where I’m coming from. Like I said, it’s never easy stepping into a new situation, especially if it’s because of pain or injury in any part of your body. Let me just say this, I’ll have you start with the breath and then see where you go from there. Will you work with yourself on this? Will you be kind to yourself?
It’s definitely something to explore….
Got any thoughts or questions on this? Leave them below in the comments!
Talk to you soon,
Anita.
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