This weekend my Manchester studio had the great opportunity to host movement and manual therapist Paul Thornley. Now if you have been following Paul for a while, he does not need any names such as master trainer to advertise his services, nor does he need flashing lights, prosecco or six pack abs in lycra to bring people in. His wisdom, perspective and experience are what draws the therapists.
His knowledge and work are second to none. He has put his own personal spin on movement and manual therapy based on his extensive studies with various people around the world.
Paul is from a contemporary Pilates comprehensive and manual therapy background. He stimulates other neural patterns in the body with different ways of movement and behavioural patterns. This in turn when applied gives us a better way to move and live in life.
Now this is the thing, the Pilates industry is booming worldwide, but there is no distinction between styles like there is for martial arts!
I will get people turning up at the studio expecting to be beasted. People will want to use the apparatus as a cable pulley machine rather than understanding the subtlety of the micro.
Clients and visiting teachers will tell me how advanced they are, and that they only want advanced repertoire where they can feel the burn. But it is not advanced exercises but simple moves done with many reps and lots of load that they have experienced.
This is because as a society, we are so stimulated and addicted to cortisol and adrenalin.
So much so, that it is the only way we can feel and connect to our bodies for many.
Which is stimulation, addiction and pain!
Living in a capitalist society, we constantly have the nervous system in a state of fight and flight.
This is enhanced with processed foods, shopping and other bodily stressors including herbicide, pesticides, rodenticides and electro stimulation through devices, notifications, wifi and so many more.
Everything in life is based on rhythm and spirals. We are one unique bio-emotional being.
We are becoming human doing rather than being!
My style is comprehensive contemporary with a holistic spin. This is not to say that any other studio or teacher is wrong.
We all coach, teach and move based on our level of awareness and level and exposure to training schools.
Demographics like North and South in the Uk play a big part, plus financial abundance of the areas in which the studio lies.
Also the opportunities in that area and the availability have determined people choices.
Now the Pilates industry (and yes it’s an industry now) seems to be divided into three distinct categories. None are wrong but are the interpretation and level of training that each studio or instructor has.
Classical Pilates comprehensive – Do not knock these teachers they are fully comprehensive, trained with over 650 hours of apparatus training. They have not been thrown onto teacher training, but have been invited after attending class for a period of time. They teach the Pilates method as a system meaning all apparatus as it was meant to be, not just reformer.
Contemporary Pilates Comprehensive – These teachers tend to of come from training backgrounds like Basi, Merrithew, Polestar, Body control and many others. They use most of the full apparatus but will also add other elements to the training, which may not originally of fallen into the original Pilates category. Again, do not knock these teachers they have also invested many hours and finances into their training and the hours of training depends on the school into which they trained.
Fitness reformer – Again, we do not want to knock these teachers. Many teachers have 1000’s of hours of teaching experience (like the categories above) as their style demands umpteen sessions per day, usually leading to burn out.
Their style only focuses on one piece of apparatus, which is the reformer. They tend to use the machine as a piece of core stability and resistance kit, like a cable machine. Load is enhanced with weights. Much of the exercises chosen are designed to get the client to feel the burn and come more from more of an exercise class or fitness straining. The reformer provides more stability and is easier for people to do rather than a Swiss ball. This tends to appeal to the younger in society with flashing lights, R and B vibes and a more club like feel to the sessions in many of the studios. Their certification or training is one piece of apparatus and does not require the understanding of the method and can usually be done in a very short period. They focus on community and tribe and are incredibly stimulating on social media.
Now this is the truth, we will all gravitate to what we feel is the best fit for us!
The societal problem lies in separation and segregation.
We are all seeking a way to feel better in ourselves, feel worthy and valued.
In the past Pilates apparatus was only available to those who could afford boutique studios.
Now it’s amazing, it is available everywhere like everything else in life, but this comes at a cost!
My question is this???
Now that Pilates apparatus has been turned into an industry, will big chain business gyms put the smaller teacher’s and studios out of business?
We have seen this with many coffee shops and smaller personal shops and mini supermarkets!
Every time we point a finger at another, it is in fact pointing back at us.
Every teacher and studio reveal something in our own shadow.
When we feel threatened this comes from a place of fear.
Very few of us are willing to do the inner work, meaning from the inside-out rather than, outside-in.
If you visit me, I will coach you to get out of your head and into your body. I will move you slowly with precision until you get the technique and once you do, you will understand how to work the body uniformly with the apparatus as your partner, rather than the apparatus doing the work.
‘With the body, mind and spirit functioning perfectly as a coordinated whole, what else could reasonably be expected other than an active, alert, disciplined person? More over such a body freed from nervous tension and over fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well balanced mind that is capable of successfully meeting all the complex problems of modern living’. 1. 1.Joseph Pilates
I would love to hear your comments.
Bibliography
‘Return to life through Contrology’ – P23
Paul Thornley – About Us
