The final blog in a series of posts from Ruth Smith Physio, Pilates instructor and Business development manager here at Complete Pilates on her progression through the Polestar Comprehensive training.
We’ve heard about what to expect through the first four weekends and here Ruth presents the final two weekends of the taught course at Moss Pilates in Kings Cross.
I was a little apprehensive coming into the fifth and sixth weekends at Moss. I had been practising the movements from the previous four weekends but had also had a look ahead at what was coming up. Something I feel has always been missing from clinical ‘modified’ Pilates training I have done in the past was the progression into advanced work. The moves to work up to with clients in end stage rehabilitation or with athletes for full body integration.
As previously with the Polestar course it delivered on this front but also on so many more levels.
The last two weekends were taken by Liz Bussey who specialises in Human Potential Life Coaching, Self Leadership Mentoring, Pilates Teaching Skills Self Development and Supervision.
I truly believe that every participant on the course will have taken something very different from these last two weekends. It was presented in a way that allowed you to explore yourself and how your own life experiences and ‘past scripts’ influence how we communicate and interact with others.
She encouraged and enabled us as a group and individually to deeply explore our understanding of health on all levels, our perception and understanding of our self and how this affects our communication, our interaction with others and the energy we give out. This was done through a variety of workshops, making us consider our language, word association and physical interaction and how it is different for everyone. We explored the concepts of connectivity, intention and ego.
Just when we thought we had drifted off away from the Pilates content it was brought back into the context of the course and how we can use this new knowledge and awareness of our self to develop our practice and our clients. For me I learnt I need to let go of compulsive thinking, stress and needing to contract and push to get the movements, strength or position I want. Instead to give my body space, allow the movement to happen and use each session as an experience of myself and what my body can do.
Anyone who knows me will know that this way of thinking about movement, exercise and health is far removed from how I usually function! I remember being told years ago by a colleague who was a yoga instructor to take some time for myself and how much I would benefit from meditation. I am more used to running, pushing myself to compete in events or rushing around fitting as much into each day as I can! But Polestar has helped me to see the benefit in stepping back, giving your brain and body space and time to learn and move.
This way we can come to a safe, effective and fun place to learn the incredible advanced movements at the end of this course such as magician, dolphin, and gymnast!
This has been an incredible course drawing on so many different concepts of health, movement, training, psychology and overall wellbeing. It is far from just learning the Pilates repertoire, rather giving you a new way of experiencing yourself and your life as well as being able to do hundreds of moves on all the Pilates equipment! If you are considering Pilates training, I highly recommend this course. I am now enjoying sharing my learning with clients in the studio at Complete Pilates as well as continuing with my own development of learning what my body is capable of!
I hope to see you in the Pilates studio soon!
These blogs are designed to give information to everyone, however, it is important to remember that everyone is different! If you have not seen one of our therapists and have any questions about injuries, what you have read or whether this may be useful to you, please just ask. We are more than happy to help anyone and point you in the right direction. Our biggest belief is that education is key. The more you understand about your injury, illness and movement, the more you are likely to improve.
