Fiona
I have been teaching now for 6 years and the more I do it the more I discover about the work – the ingeneousness of it all. What I have found over the years that actually the most difficult part of any session is the beginning – the preparation; the invitation of the body and of the mind to be present and ready for work. To negotiate new patterns, to re-discover new pathways of communication for all the soft tissues of the body.
Clients can arrive full of outside distractions whether it be family, home or work and depending on their health history clients can initially find the Pilates exercises very tough or they are frightened to attempt them as even the smallest movement is foreign to them.
To begin each session, to re-connect the body and to be ready for the work i.e. the Pilates exercises themselves, I have used and borrowed a series of simple but yet profound exercises that assist the re-connection of moving with the breath, to find and create spaces where it was previously fixed or held but I wanted more for my toolbox and so I decided to attend the Post Graduate Mat Course run by Karin Locher.
The first two days of the current Post Graduate Mat course was a brilliant masterclass in “moving connections” – offering simple but great ways in which to commence the re-connection of the whole body. Exercises that anyone could do and would prepare you for the mat work sequence itself. One exercise which I love (which I have named sausage rolling) involves the the legs spiralling out of the hip (whilst lying down with long legs) working from the tops of the legs to the feet. So simple but one where you can instanteously spot any tightnesses in the hip and where from the rhythmic rolling you can tease them out. Beautiful – and one which my clients are already really enjoying.
The next two days of the Post Graduate Course will cover the Advanced exercises from the mat work sequence which are by their nature more difficult to master. I cannot wait as I am sure I will have as many revelations during those days as I did in the first two.
For further information about this Post Graduate Mat course please contact the studio on 01923 275024 or you can go to the website: www.contrology-pilates-method.com
Fiona McIntosh
Teacher at Contrology Pilates Studio, Sarratt
February 19th, 2012 in
Contrology Blog |
No Comments
I’ve just returned from a long weekend in New York where I was lucky enough to be able to meet and have an hour with Deborah Lessen, the founder of the PMA, at her home. Deborah and her loft are both amazing. She is softly spoken and gently precise in her instructions, although you have to figure out your own body lines as her terminology doesn’t include that. However, she remembered Karin with a big smile and I assume that
in due course they will share knowledge and merge it all seamlessly together. The loft is the height of a normal house and all that space above and around you makes you want to burst out of your T-shirt like superman and fly up off the apparatus. The work we did on the cadillac and reformer differed very slightly from ours and it was interesting that where she assumed the UK method of teaching some exercises would be quite different from hers, they were not. After all, at the Contrology Studio we clearly do not cheat! Deborah definitely added to my trip and I walked for hours afterwards round Central Park feeling like I was walking on air. She also complimented Karin by saying that I had clearly been well trained so thanks to Karin for the introduction and the years of teaching!
So for those of you planning your Christmas shopping in the Big Apple, look up and contact Deborah Lessen in advance and go and have your superman moment between the eating and drinking and amazing museums as well as the stores……….
Elizabeth Ramsey
Contrology Pilates Method Teacher
November 20th, 2011 in
Contrology Blog |
2 Comments
After a busy week teaching, the effort of dragging myself out of bed early on a saturday morning to make a 250 miles round-trip for a Pilates workshop is tough. Last Saturday was no different. I was booked on the Contrology Pilates Method Studio seven-hour workshop looking at the reformer work through the fascial lens, led by Principle, Karin Locher.
From practice, observation and discussion I learnt to take my growing and developing knowledge of the function and picture of the fascia into the Pilates work – and what a difference it made. I am always stunned by how many light-bulbs moments I have doing this work and how it I look for it, I never stand-still. While picturing the map of the fascia and maintaning the consistent contact with the equipment and by paying attention to the rhythm and the quietness of the movement how the work becomes even more equisite and even more graceful than before.
Once again I was surrounded by excellent and intuitively intelligent Pilates teachers who were open to share their experiences and their insightful observations. I think we all learnt from each other!
At the end of the day I felt completely energized and was really glad for making that extra effort – another excellent workshop! Thank You Karin.
Fiona McIntosh
Teacher at the Contrology Pilates Method Studio, Sarratt
September 26th, 2011 in
Contrology Blog |
1 Comment
Speaking with one voice, learning from a multitude
September, and another trip abroad, this time to the Czech Republic for the first annual Prague Pilates Festival, organised by Jirí Janeček. I first met Jirí at Monchengladbach and was taken by his determination and passion to hold this event and really wanted to support him and his studio.
He gathered together three lovely presenters, Master teacher Kathy Corey, Master instructor trainer John Garey (Stott) and Trevor Schoonraad (Peak Pilates) who took a selection of Pilates teachers through intermediate to progressive and advanced Matwork over two days. Each presenter had a two hour session each day with an evening of discussion on the Saturday.
It’s always fascinating to experience the manner in which ‘Master’s’ of the Pilates’ world speak and teach. They were all different and very respectful to each other and constantly referred to one another.
They shared their experiences and personal journeys without compromise. Kathy spoke of her fascinating time with Kathy Grant. Her sessions included asymmetric training and progression techniques. Trevor took the reformer to the mat. John gave us the tools for an advanced Matwork programme design.
What struck me was that what ever they were imparting and sharing, they spoke with their own voice.
This led me to realise that one of their main messages is that we are given access to Joe’s amazing work through his writings and those elders who are still with us – those who, enviably, had direct contact with him. But each one of us will find and experience his work in our own individual way. We speak with our own voice. We pass on our personal ‘take’ on the work. We may have a uniformed series of movements but this doesn’t confine or restrict us. It sets us free.
Each of us has our own voice our own, truth. As we continue our personal journey, our voice grows with conviction. As our conviction grows, so does our ability to pass on his.
Our journey never ends; it just gets more and more interesting!
By TACYE LYNETTE
Teacher at the Contrology Pilates Method Studio, Sarratt
September 26th, 2011 in
Contrology Blog |
No Comments
One of the questions clients always ask, is ‘how often should I do pilates’. For beginners I would advise three times a week is a good base – perhaps 15 minutes a time. Once you have learnt the full 34 mat work exercises and they are ingrained in the body, the sessions to complete the full repetoire, should only take about an hour. We must remember that we all pass through a number of stages; from not knowing what we are really doing, knowing what we should be doing but not competently, being competent but still having to think conciously about what we are doing and the ultimate goal of unconsciously moving in a easy rhythm and with a new found lightness and tensegrity.
If you think three times a week is a big commitment remember what the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauser said “To neglect one`s body for any other advantage in life is the greatest of follies”
PHILIP K BENNETT
Teacher with Contrology Pilates Method Studio
- Robert Schleip and Gil Hedley at the first UK Fascia Fitness Workshop
On a very hot Saturday afternoon, I made my way to the first of a two day workshop with Robert Schleip entitled Fascial Fitness. Held at the Skylight Centre in Islington, this was to be his first ever such workshop being held in the UK. I was delighted to meet up with colleague and friend, Tacye Lynette. The Contrology Pilates Method Studio has all of its teachers applying Pilates through the fascial lens and this workshop was a real opportunity to immerse ourselves in further knowledge and understanding in order to help clients (and ourselves) to build a healthier fascial body.
The weekend started with some quality body movement, working the body in tensegrity. I evoked the Deep Front Line (DFL) enabling the consistent interconnection and fluidity of movement both globally and locally. Robert then started his presentation on the Fascia and what it is (a bodywide gluppy white collagenous substance that connects all the soft tissue including muscle, tendons and ligaments, both holding kinectic energy and releasing it). We looked at the fascia architecture, we looked at the movement that evoked body’s fascia fitness (which needs different attention from muscles), diet, repair rate, the relationship of people’s proprioception to pain and myofascial fitness and the time it takes to be fascially fit. It was all FASCINATING stuff.
We really looked at the rhythm of tensegrity of movement. We were shown a great video clip of Afrian tribeswomen who can carry heavy weights on their heads for very long distances without burning up more oxygen and it is all about their rhythm of movement that allows the fascia to be held and to be supportive. I wish I could move like that!
On the second day we were joined in the morning by Gil Hedley who was over from the States for a dissection workshop at one of the London Universities. He talked about dancing from the skin – that the fascial body is like a heart with arms – and read a beautiful poem just on fascia.
So what did we learn? Well to find our fitness, we need to use the most elegant orchestration of our body. We need find grace, to move with the least noise, to always find the oppositional movement before you move, to vary the movement – to give it time (no instant gratification, you are in this for the long haul). We learnt that the greater the tensegrity, the more alive you are, the more you have a sense of emptiness inside and how it all becomes so less important.
Shleip was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and approachable presenter. The discussion and interaction with the all the attendees was the best of any previous workshop I had ever attended. And my last thought on this invigorating and thoughtful two-day workshop was again, what a genius Joseph Hubertus Pilates was. To have found all these connections and understandings without all the scientific research to back him up is quite masterful.
I am also delighted to know that I am already on the road to being fascial fit and proud to be part of the Contrology Pilates Method Studio which has already been thinking in this way for sometime and extending the ways in which it can offer fascial reform to its clients.
FIONA MCINTOSH
Teacher at the Contrology Pilates Method Studio
Bronze plaque in honour of Joseph Hubertus Pilates
The wonder of the body, the beauty of the work
In May, 2011, I travelled with Abi Sager to Joseph Hubertus Pilates’ birthplace for an event arranged by one of the remaining elders, Lolita San Miguel.
On that sunny Saturday, we were keenly aware that all around the world, the Pilates community were also honouring the man that has changed countless lives.
The city’s mayor unveiled the bronze plaque on the site where Joseph was born, beside a tree that a heart engraved into it – carved many years ago. Renata Sabongui created a specially devised piece utilising Ron Fletcher’s ‘towels’ that her troupe of dancers performed flawlessly. The mayor, Norbert Bude spoke. Then, Lolita delivers a heartfelt speech honouring her mentor. As she spoke, the crowd gathered before her stilled. Everyone in that cobbled square became filled with an immense sense of reverence and joyful gratitude; the deep realisation that we had been given such a profound gift from a man who really was years ahead of his time.
Joseph’s nephew and his lovely wife were also present. They were obviously touched by the ceremony and delighted to meet the ‘devotees’. Language proved no boundary. There were people from all over the world who communicated using the moving body. What struck me especially was that everyone, and I do mean every single soul there, had such a lovely presence. The bonne amie exuded from people I didn’t know far exceeded anything I had ever felt before.
The weekend also encompassed a three day conference. From early morning to early evening, three rooms were packed with attendees for workshops, lectures and video presentations that (in Lolita’s words) “give expression that Joe’s legacy is not only vital but alive”.
We were spoilt for choice. Every room had a selection of first class presenters from around the world. These included Lolita San Miguel, Kathy Corey, Bret Howard, Ken Endelman and Dr Errol Toran who covered a vast array of subjects from mat to equipment work to how Pilates can be utilised to deal with various health issues.
There were workshops coving the history of the method with archive footage.
Everywhere you went, knowledge was freely exchanged without compromise. Each person had a unique nugget of wisdom and weren’t afraid to share it. By the working of mind and body it would appear that the soul also grows and strengthens. I believe Joseph would be delighted. He was adamant that “The whole country, the whole world should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier”. That weekend, doing his method on mat and equipment, everyone went home happy.
TACYE LYNETTE
Teacher at the Contrology Pilates Method Studio, Sarratt
- Taceye helps Nikki with The Twist
No matter how many hours you have trained or how many clients you have taught, there is always something new to learn. All the teachers who work from the Contrology Pilates Method Studio meet regularly to share information on workshops or conferences they have attended, what is happening in the industry generally and specifically to discuss the studio and indeed the nuances of the exercises too. We don’t have the chance to teach level 3 (advanced) reformer work as often as the basic and intermediate level, so it is great at times, to practice and challenge ourselves!
FIONA MCINTOSH
Teacher at Contrology Pilates Method Studio
Not so long ago I didn’t know what webinars were. For those of you who don’t know, webinars are “live” audio and visual presentations available over the internet, into which you as a viewer can interact and ask questions and post comments with the presenter. In other words a rather large telephone conference call but with images!
I recently saw that the The Benjamin Institute was advertising a new series of webinars with Tom Myers, Director of Kinesis discussing his understanding of the fascia and all the different anatomy lines. I have attended a few workshops on fascia and anatomy lines with Mike Doxey, and they have certainly informed my teaching, so I thought these webinars looked worthwhile trying. Since I had never experienced one before, rather than signing up for the whole series I decided to do the first one – The Fascia – What is it? The Emerging Vision to see what it was like. As the webinar was being broadcast live from the US and as I do need to get my beauty sleep I wasn’t able to see the webinar live, so I watched it in the comfort of my home one saturday afternoon after the event. (when you sign up for a webinar you can access it for up to a month after the event itself) I found the webinar event very useful. You can run off a copy of the images shown during the webinar and there is a space alongside each of them to add your own notes. It was quite fun to have your own personalised “lesson” at a time that was at your own convenience, and it supplemented my reading around the subject. Of course, as I wasn’t participating in the live event I couldn’t submit questions but those asked were relevant. At the end of the event you could take a short test on what you had learnt and if you passed you were awarded a certificate.
The webinar wasn’t expensive($30 for one and $150 for all six) and as it is not always convenient to see someone such as Tom Myers live in the UK, it was lovely to have the opportunity to hearing him speak about the fascia and share his knowledge in a digestible manner in just an hour. You can sign up (post-events) for this series or other very seemingly useful series. I see The Benjamin Institute have made available a few freebies too. Please see for further details:- http://www.benbenjamin.com/webinars.php
FIONA MCINTOSH
Teacher at the Contrology Pilates Method Studio, Sarratt
I was reading today an article in the Sunday Times Style Magazine, in fact “Life Lessons with Sally” and in it she says “If we believe that something cannot be changed, if we believe we are powerless, or in the grip of something stronger than oursleves, then we are not going to be able to make that change. A strong belief can make a situation seem hopeless, but belief can also be transformative, whether it’s a spiritual belief or simply a belief in possibility.” She also says “The brain is plastic and not, as was once believed, hard-wired from birth. It responds to commands as long as they are repeated often enough to establish a new pathway.”
I immediately recognised these statements as being so aligned with Pilates work. The body will respond and establish new alignments and movement patterns if we repeat the commands often enough for the body to delete the previous distorted “recordings” and over-ride them with new improved (the original) patterns. And as with anything if we believe we can change something then you are already one step nearer to changing it and changing it for the better.
FIONA MCINTOSH
Teacher at the Contrology Pilates Method Studio
