Santa Barbara was warm and sunny. Usually they serve me up a nice rainy weekend. The workshop was Extending Forward. Amy Havens was my gracious host at CenterPoint Pilates. The workshop focus was on the spinal mechanics of extension within the Mat, Reformer, Wunda Chair and the Trapeze Table.
On Friday night, CenterPoint Pilates hosted my Franklin Method ®: Relax Your Neck and Liberate Your Shoulders. Most of the Pilates teachers who attended the Extending Forward Pilates Workshop were present for the Franklin Method ® on Friday night. The Franklin Method ® brings the experience of the anatomy through imagery, touch, and movement. The teachers were surprised at the level of movement that is inherent in the shoulder girdle and how the shoulder girdle and the breath assist in extension. This material is one of the most pleasurable workshops for me to teach. Most of the students need to feel the shoulder girdle before they can begin to work within the Pilates syllabus. Otherwise the cues or images are distracting from the choreography in the moment, are not supported with functional anatomy, and the student is left “wrestling with the equipment”.
I also had the experience of teaching a Mat class for Pilates Anytime. Kristi Cooper White has created a wonderful venue for Pilates. I look forward to working with Pilates Anytime in the future and would like to invite you to take a look. While it is always good to have a professional teacher present the introduction to Pilates, many people do not have the access due to geographic location and financial resources. Many of my most loyal students found me after seeing Pilates on the television or a video. Pilates Anytime brings a menu of great teachers and classes that change every week. Amy Havens has been doing her Friday morning mat class every week. Thanks to Amy and Kristi, I was able to sneak into that Friday spot!