Tag: Boulder Pilates

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Sharing Stories

There once was a woman who dreamed of a life where she could quit her office job and run her budding Pilates studio (in a small college town where nobody much knew what Pilates was) full time. She would have nothing but joy in her work, helping others find their strength and ease of movement. She would move her own body around in all different ways throughout the day, be inspired by her clients stories of transformation, have flexibility in her schedule, and…well…be able to wear comfortable athleisure every day. Hell yes!

So she decided to take the leap. She gave her notice at the office, scheduled a teacher training to bring on additional teachers, started shifting her mindset and priorities to actually do this thing called small business ownership.

So, she did that thing…and then another thing – a really big, not exactly planned, thing.

While on a vacation, between leaving her office job and delving into her new role, this woman jumped off a cliff into a river. Instead of landing playfully in the water, she hit the bottom of the riverbed with extreme force and landed herself in the hospital with traumatic injuries to her right leg; injuries that would result in five surgeries, several months of painful physical therapy and pain killers. She would live with her family away from her studio during the worst of it while her new teachers would run the show as best they could while she was laid up. She would return and scoot up the extra long flight of stairs on her butt to her studio and teach sitting down. She would be embraced by the support of her teachers and clients, but pressured by others to do more or be more than she was able to at the time.

This woman learned what injury was like in the body…and in HER body she would discover that injury is not just physical pain, but also extremely emotional and mentally taxing. Due to her immobility, she learned how to use her words more clearly and concisely. She would learn all about the knee joint and compensation patterns. She would have a greater level of empathy for others’ pain and stories of their body. She would become a better teacher.

She would recover..slowly but surely. She would grow her studio into thriving Pilates business. She would realize that that flexibility in her schedule meant she would, in her comfy athleisure, work any time, day or night. The studio would evolve and grow into a larger space with more instructors and a larger clientele. She would find boundless joy in her work. Her passion for the power of Pilates grew even stronger as she used it to heal her own body, mind, and soul. She would find herself again, her joy for movement and living. She would bike. She would meet the love of her life. She would eventually say a bittersweet goodbye to the studio she built and move across the country. She would start a new story. And then another story.

This woman was me. This woman is me. This continues to be…MY story.

Just as every Pilates student has a different journey into and within the studio, each Pilates teacher has a story of how they came to be the teacher they are; what got them into the studio as a student in the first place, to register for that initial teacher training, and ultimately the wins, losses, and lessons that make them the guides they are today.

Last year, I signed up to attend the first annual Momentum Fest.

I had no idea what to expect, but ultimately discovered that it was a space where stories and journeys are shared. Of teachers and students alike. Where inspiration and community abound.

At Momentum Fest, movement is truly celebrated…in all forms. Teachers and enthusiasts from all of the world get to come together to sweat, be inspired, learn, laugh, and share their stories! Here, new ideas are explored, tears are shed, and shifts happen, both physical and mental. New connections are made and lives are forever touched. You will move and you will BE moved.

Sounds pretty incredible, right? It was. And it will be again this year.

We all have a story…a human one. We thrive in community, and THIS is our community!

As I write this, I am nearly bursting at the seams with a new exciting story that is occuring in my life. Alas, I’m going to save that for when I see you there in June.

Register for Momentum Fest 2019

 

Lexy Adkins is the Senior Instructor and Outreach Coordinator at Bolder Pilates in Boulder, CO. She has run her own studio for 5 years, completed intensives in functional anatomy and biomechanics, earned her 200 hour and prenatal yoga teacher certifications, and completed yoga therapy training. After enduring a traumatic accident in 2011 that resulted in 5 surgeries and a lot of personal experience with rehabilitation and compensation patterns, Lexy has a deep understanding of the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of being injured and finding your way back to movement. Lexy has a passion for working with people with injuries and improper movement patterns, competitive athletes, and those who are simply interested in learning about their body and having fun with movement.

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To Mat or Reform?

To Mat or Reform?

My first introduction to Pilates was the mat work. A friend dragged me to a class. I’ll admit I was a big doubter of Pilates. If you have heard my bio on PilatesAnytime I share that I truly thought it was an infomercial fitness thing. But, boy was I wrong! So, wrong. As the mat class went along I felt parts of my body that I had never felt before in my entire life of being an athlete.

I left that first class and changed my work schedule so that I could go to mat classes at a studio down the street from my house every day. Yes, I was there 6 days a week unless I wasn’t in town. I had no idea that Pilates wasn’t only the mat work.

Until I moved to Los Angeles, and I struggled to find classes that were in my neighborhood and at times I could go. And the ultimate need, a teacher who could inspire me and help me dig deep into my practice. What I ended up discovering was a small Pilates studio. No classes just privates and duets. I made the switch from mat classes to duets and privates.

And, then, I found myself never wanting the mat but just the Reformer, Cadillac, and Chair. It wasn’t until after my training program and a couple years of studying under some incredible mentors that I realized how beautiful the whole package of Pilates is.

No need to choose which piece was the best.

So, when I was asked what I would want to teach at Momentum Fest I knew I wanted to bring the Reformer on the mat. I wanted mat lovers to feel the reformer in their bodies and even how it teaches the mat work. And, I wanted the reformer lovers to find some love for the mat. Now, you don’t have to choose between the Mat and the Reformer!

The thing is the mat is a piece of equipment. It might feel like the least supportive one out there but it’s not. The mat has the most space, and like a good friend can meet you where ever you are. If you’re in a hotel, your house, a studio, park or on a boat you can find the mat work waiting for you.

So, if you are a Reformer lover of Pilates then get ready to fall in love (even just a little bit) for the Pilates mat at Momentum Fest! I know I can’t wait to see you and every Pilates lover of every level for three days of Pilates flow.

Register and purchase your ticket for the 2018 Momentum Fest today!

 

Lesley Logan is a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher and has been studying and teaching Joseph Pilates Classical Method since 2005 and 2008 respectively. She also has eight years of retail management experience, and six years managing studios regionally for Equinox fitness clubs. Hooked after her very first class in Orange County, Lesley arranged her schedule to take Pilates classes every day. This enthusiasm moved her to Los Angeles, where Lesley completed a 600 hour Classical Pilates Teacher Training. Soon after, Lesley completed a Masters Pilates Program from The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO. Her love for learning the method didn’t stop there, as she became the Lead Teacher Trainer for Equinox Pilates and led dozens of apprentices through their program from 2012-2016. In 2013 Lesley was voted ‘Best Pilates in Los Angeles’ by Los Angeles Magazine, featured in Pilates Style Magazine, can be seen on PilatesAnytime.com, and recently has completed ‘The Work,’ a masters program taught by one of Joseph Pilates ‘Elders,’ Jay Grimes. Maintaining that Pilates is a unique practice that is right for everybody, Lesley tailors the method for each client. Her goal is to help them connect their mind to their core, creating intentional body awareness so they can move from their center, be taller and stronger than when they walked in. You can find Lesley teaching private clients at Westwood Pilates in Los Angeles or through Skype or Facetime. She also offers online business courses for beginning to advanced Pilates instructors, studio owners and teacher trainers at her website, ProfitablePilates.com, and leading groups on Pilates retreats around the world.

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You and Me…& Your Seven

You and Me … & Your Seven.
by James Crader

Murmuration: The phenomenon that results when hundreds, upon thousands, of starlings fly in intricately woven patterns while swooping and soaring through the sky, liquidly changing directions at any moment.

Science has long been baffled by the act of murmuration. How do thousands of birds cohesively alter flight patterns in split seconds with limited, and densely whirring, vocalized information? When looking at a flock of starlings cover the sky it’s clear that there is no “leader.” The movement seems to emerge from a group think that sometimes serves the purpose of hunting, or avoiding being hunted … whatever the impetus it’s always mesmerizing. Often the shape molds and shifts for in-obvious reasons.

Here’s what we know for sure, according to a study by George F. Young and colleagues, starlings form an intimate relationship with, and pay attention to, a limited number of their neighbors (seven to be exact). Because of this relationship starlings are able to cohesively navigate in uncertainty by relying on and attending to their seven neighbors. Consequently due to this Rule of Seven starling flocks are able co-create a highly dynamic system with independently operating parts that form a whole … with emergent properties of sophisticated movement.

We can notice similar behavior elsewhere in nature: shoals of fish, herds of mammals, swarming insects … and human animals. Think of a busy sidewalk, maybe in New York. Or a mass of people exiting an arena or venue of some sort. We don’t usually ask and tell directions at the moment, we just move with the group. We can sense the flow by interpreting the movement of those around us, and uncertainty is quelled by the innate knowing that you are not alone within the movement. You supported by a larger body of people with the same goals.

I know it’s difficult to predict the benefit of something before it’s happened. Foresight is elusive. What will “it” be like? Will it be worth it? Should I go it ALONE? Uncertainty is scary. What I can guarantee is that Momentum Fest is founded on the idea of celebration and uplifting each other through movement. Being that we (most of us in attendance) are human animals (more or less, probably) we are subject to our own version of this Rule of Seven. Unconsciously we by and large rely on and attend to our neighbors in pursuit of a common goal … this June our common goal is to celebrate and uplift each other through movement. Simply.

I’ve been fascinated by murmurations for as long as I can remember. The experience of seeing a group of individuals exploring, playing, seeking, and thriving because of each other is awesome in the truest sense of the word. As a teacher it’s my goal to be less of a leader and more of a facilitator of an emergent experience … one in which you and your seven can co-create not only sophisticated movement but deeply personal bonds with each other (and your body) that last beyond our time together. Does that sound interesting to you?

Here’s to you joining the flock of curious movers in Colorado this June. We’re hoping you’ll bring your body’s wisdom and mind’s wonder to our party!

Register for Momentum Fest

James Crader is a Movement Coach specializing in Pilates and John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Therapy, a CoreAlign Faculty Member, co-host of the Thinking Pilates Podcast, and owner of Evolved Body Studio in Sacramento, CA. Growing up he never thought anything fitness would be his calling. He was nerdy, enjoyed listening to and telling stories, and loved to experiment, create, and play with the shapes he could make while rolling around on the floor. He and his sister even practiced writing with their toes (just in case). All that made for a really weird kid, but an innovative movement educator. James began his Pilates training with Balanced Body, but has gone on to study with numerous teachers from many lineages of Pilates and beyond. James has contributed to movement and lifestyle conversations on podcasts, diverse blogs, Pilates Style magazine, the documentary A Movement of Movement, and recently Pilates Anytime. You can find out more about James and EB Studio at www.EvolvedBodyStudio.com, or follow his movement musings on Instagram @physicalthinking.