Facing My Fears, Pilates Version

This past weekend I participated in my first teaching training sessions since getting certified as a Balanced Body® Educator back in July. I definitely wished I’d had more time to read the manuals and watch videos and review the exercises on my own beforehand. To be honest though, I don’t know how much preparation would have been enough for me to feel ready for this next step. But as the multi-hyphenate actress-comedian-writer-producer Amy Poehler says, “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that–that’s what life is.”

Is there something in your Pilates practice that scares you? Maybe you’re just getting started and you’re hesitating to try a class because you don’t want to look or feel stupid. Or maybe you dread certain exercises because they’re difficult, or they trigger your imposter syndrome. Do you know how many people create a MINDBODY profile for Retrofit or sign up to receive our newsletter, and then wait weeks or months or even years to actually book that first class? It’s a very human phenomenon to want to do something, but take a long time with multiple false starts to actually get going. So how do we change our Pilates Mindset to overcome the obstacles that can derail us?

The first thing to remember is: Fear is not the boss of you. It can actually be healthy to have some trepidation when we’re pushing ourselves to do something new or different or hard. Fear can be a real motivator. But feeling nervous to step onto a bigger stage doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be there. It takes guts to walk into a Pilates studio for the first time when you don’t know what to expect. It requires some nerve to sign up for a Pilates teacher training course when you don’t feel like you’ve mastered every exercise on every piece of equipment. Yet sometimes we need to take the leap and go for it–and there’s something freeing about trying without knowing for sure that we can do it.

Years ago, during my Advanced Reformer teacher training, there were 13 students in the class, so when we learned a new exercise, everyone got one shot, and if you couldn’t do it on the first try, tough luck. Tendon Stretch is an exercise that haunts me because it’s not an ideal fit for my body, but also when I tried it for the very first time, I couldn’t make it work, and the instructor just said, “She can’t do it–who’s next?” Those moments in life can be make or break. In my group classes, where we are often limited by time, I try to frame difficult exercises as ‘works in progress’ so that nobody feels defined by their ability to do something perfectly the first or even the fiftieth time. We call it a Pilates practice for a reason! It’s important to recognize that our body and our relationship to it changes daily, and that over time, we see things that were once difficult become easier, and sometimes the reverse–nothing is fixed, and there is always the opportunity to grow and improve.

In honour of spooky season, will you join me in facing our fears? Are there obstacles keeping you from reaching your Pilates goals? Can a change in mindset help you get where you want to go? Follow us on social media for insight, exercises and helpful tips!

See you in class!

Pam Ferguson
Retrofit Master Instructor
Lead Instructor/Operations Associate