Pilates Method Alliance

After teaching a mat class, I have had clients come to me and say, "Now I know what Pilates really is!" I was not at all baffled by this comment, because I too was confused by what doing, "Pilates" really meant when I first learned about the discipline. There are so many different ways of teaching the same method. And with the growing popularity, internet certifications have surfaced for only $39 and no practical exam. But what really makes Pilates, Pilates? What is the common thread? The answer is somewhat difficult to articulate, however I would argue that Pilates is a method of exercise that requires centering, control, concentration, flow, breath and precision as taught by Power Pilates. And the Pilates Method Alliance has their own definition as, "Pilates is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. With systematic practice of specific exercises coupled with focused breathing patterns, Pilates has proven itself invaluable not only as a fitness endeavor, but also as an important adjunct to professional sports training and physical rehabilitation of all kinds." I'll try to remember that next time someone asks me what Pilates is. Hehe.


I was grateful to uncover this definition, as lengthy as it may be, as it was difficult to find one concrete answer in the past. Futhermore, there are so many different places offering Pilates these days, and it is difficult to know what to look for. As a Pilates professional, I refer people to two places. One, the company I was trained with, Power Pilates known as, "The Harvard of Pilates schools" and their website, www.powerpilates.com. When you are ready to begin, you can click the tab, find a studio or facility in your area. They offer the benefits of Pilates, History of Joe Pilates and much more. Secondly, I refer people to the Pilates Method Alliance, (whom I recently became certified with) and their website at www.pilatesmethodalliance.org. There you can click on the tab, "find a PMA certified teacher" and then locate within the state of the USA or even internationally. The PMA is helping to establish standards for the Pilates professionals.


What is Pilates Method Alliance? Since Pilates legally became a term to describe a specific discipline in 2002, it has grown in popularity and was in need of a strong organization to represent it. The PMA erected in 2001 to make Pilates a more professional industry and increase our credibility as Pilates instructors. Futhermore, they help to unify Pilates professionals and facilites and preserve the intention of Joe Pilates and his method. The need for a common connection in the Pilates business led the organization to create the first third party certification. This certification gives Pilates professionals a second accredidation to give the consumer more assurance that the teacher is competent and safe. This is a primary necessity for any established profession.


Now you can avoid the "Pilates teacher" who may have taken an online training course for $39 who does not necessarily practice a safe and effective method of Pilates. It only takes a little time to do some online research. And once you find a PMA certified and better yet, a Power Pilates certified instructor, you can rest assured that you are in good hands. I always recommend trying a few teachers as not all personalities are a good fit. It would be a shame to miss out on an opportunity to learn Pilates solely because you did not like the first teacher you tried. Good luck and I hope you find your own definition of what Pilates is to you.

My First Pilates lesson in the Dominican Republic

So I took my first Pilates lesson that was not online that is, since living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The teacher, Virginia, asked me if I wanted the lesson in Spanish, English or a mixture of both. My first reaction was to have her teach me in Spanish, but then I thought better of it and said maybe she should try both. Luckily, she was teaching me Pilates and not how to cook or something I was less familiar with doing. I was able to figure out what she wanted me to do by the inflection of her voice, where her eyes were looking and when I didn't get it, she just moved my body where she wanted it.

She took me through an advanced reformer workout and somehow I managed to go through all the exercises in the routine, even though I was at least 5 minutes late (You can blame that on the driver who forgot about me.) Her equipment was very similar to the gratz equipment that I had learned on, but she told me that her husband had hand crafted all the wood pieces according to the standard dimensions since shipping things here from the U.S. is so expensive. I loved the feeling of the carriage and the springs, not very smooth, like you really had to work the equipment (And I definitely feel it today.) It was like going back in time for me when I was able to work out in the studio where I was learning to teach, all good memories and quite nostalgic for me.

Despite my familiarity and 6 years of practice with this method, she was still able to surprise me and throw in some pretty cool variations. I've never done short spine right into a frog with my hips up in the air. It was delightfully challenging and my hamstrings are talking to me today. And just when I thought I was going to impress her with my advanced corkscrew, she made me pause, hips up and twist my ribs to one side. It was super hard yet super fun.

What I thought was so cool, was that I was so familiar with the routine; even here in a place that is so different in every way, I was able to follow along and work harder than I have in a long time. And despite the fact that I've only traveled to other Power Pilates Affiliate Training centers in the U.S., I feel pretty confident that I would get the same quality of workout in Greece, Italy , or Brazil.