Pilates Careers in Economic Crisis: Part 2

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Written by Marie Wittman | 08 August 2010

Our next account of Pilates career transitions comes from Brandi Albright.  Like Julie, Brandi had a full-time corporate job when she fell for Pilates.  Ever a goal-setter, Brandi determines what she desires and achieves it.  From part-time teaching in the evenings to presently teaching at 3 studios and averaging 25-28 hours a week, she is an example of being a Pilates instructor and maintaining the lifestyle corporate jobs have to offer.  Find out how she does it...

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New Program Begins September 18!

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Written by Nancy Preimesberger | 22 July 2010

Our next Teacher Training Program will begin September 18, 2010!  If you are interested in becoming a certified Pilates Instructor, sign up today.  Enrollment is first come first served and spots are limited.  You can begin accruing observation hours NOW (we have several locations available for observation throughout LA and the Valley).  All you need to do is to complete the registration forms and place your deposit.  Just click on the "Contact Us" button to get started on your new career as a certified Pilates Instructor.  Don't forget, spots fill up fast, so sign up TODAY!

 

Changing Lives & Bodies: Pilates Careers During Economic Crisis

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Written by Marie Wittman | 06 July 2010

As the job market starts to recover, people all over the world are beginning to make career moves again.  A recent study shows more people voluntarily left their jobs than were fired or discharge for the first time since October 2008.  The study says that many individuals had felt it was too “unsafe” or “unreliable” to make a move to a new company during the turbulent economic times of late.  At PTC we have already witnessed many of our students turn economic uncertainty into opportunity. Unlike other industries, Pilates teachers were weathering the storm quite well.  So now as the economy seems to be shifting and changing and even adjusting to the new reality, how might we as a teaching community adjust? In reading this study I asked myself if our teachers might be broadening their horizons and thinking of the job market as a chance to make a move. I asked two PTC graduates and one soon-to-be graduate to write about how they re-imagined their lives with Pilates.  Their responses were so wonderful I have made this into a three part series.

I hope you will find their stories as interesting and as inspiring as I did. And please feel free to post your thoughts or share your stories on our Facebook page.

Here is Julie Gustafson’s story:

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The Pilates World Pauses to Remember Kathy Grant

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Written by Marie Wittman | 01 June 2010

Kathy GrantOn Thursday, May 27th, Kathleen Stanford Grant passed away.  Her career as a dancer and Pilates instructor has touched many and inspired people around the world. 

Born August 1, 1921, Kathy started her life-long commitment to movement at the Boston Conservatory of music.  She danced on and off Broadway, in television and toured in companies in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America.  Her accolades in the dance world abound, but for many of us, it is her skill as a Pilates teacher for which we know her.

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Shoulder Injuries and Pilates

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Written by Jill Cassady | 13 May 2010

One of the most common injuries that Pilates Instructors see is Shoulder Injuries. The injuries can be for any number of reasons: Torn Rotator Cuff, Bursitis, just a general ache over the cap of the shoulder, or loss of strength when lifting items overhead. Once a client has been OK'd by their Doctor to participate in Pilates, we begin by creating a session where we avoid any exercises that affect the shoulder. Our aim is to increase circulation, to create better posture and assess the ability and range of the shoulder.

Once we can see that the client is ready to begin working with the shoulder as well, there are some general guidelines that we work by in order to help the process of healing or prevent a recurring injury. These are:

 

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What's Your Pilates Story

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Written by Jill Cassady | 08 April 2010

We always find it very interesting, inspiring and educational to here why people begin Pilates exercises and how it affects their lives.

This is Frank Zito's Pilates Story.........

"I didn't seek out Pilates.  It found me.
 
While working as a massage therapist at a chiropractor's office, I was given a new massage client who happened to be a dancer.  He was also a student of Pilates Technique Certification and was looking for bodies to practice his teaching skills.  He asked me to volunteer and I initially declined.  I had no idea what Pilates was and didn't have any friends who did it.
 
He asked a few more times and I decided to give it a try. I'll never forget my first session.

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Your Best Practice Body and Your Most Effective Marketing Tool: You

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Written by Marie Wittman | 05 March 2010

After nearly twelve years of practicing and teaching Pilates, it is hard to recall the feeling of doing Pilates for the first time. I remember my excitement and joy at discovering it. I remember thinking it was challenging but I don’t remember the “feeling” of doing Pilates: the actual difficulty of Leg Springs in Level 1, the coordination involved in Leg Circles on the Reformer, the struggles of learning the breathing, nor the subtle nuances of the body changing from non-Pilates movement in day-to-day life to Pilates-influenced walking, sitting, posture. 

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