One of the features of my
life as a Pilates instructor is that from time to time I get to do continuing
education. Pilates has diversified from
its roots as Uncle Joe’s personal passion and many innovators since his time
have added other useful tools and perspectives to his system. I did my training in one particular school,
but the workshop I attended over the weekend was from another branch of the
Pilates tree.
New skills are great; new
perspectives are better. The topic for
the weekend was client assessment protocols, which could sound incredibly
dreary, but wasn’t because it’s all about how to look and how to see. My initial training of course covered
assessment; I learned another view of it in my personal training certification. Now I have another vantage point, another
language to use.
Assessment applies most
obviously to new clients, but I use it constantly as all my clients move through
their workouts. What is going on with
that problem knee? Is there more
stiffness in a shoulder joint because of last weekend’s fun and games?
In the end, when I unify
all the perspectives, I get a holistic picture of what is going on in my clients’
bodies. (Please note: I have special dispensation to use the word “holistic”
because I lived in Berkeley for twenty years.)
We are not just an injured shoulder, a trick knee. We are whole, rounded humans whirling on this
planet.
And we all can use a
shift in perspective from time to time.
