Why did you start taking Pilates classes?
I first started taking Pilates classes because of my work in a classical dance company. Because of the continuous repetitive high-level work as a dancer, I found my body needed something that would help to realign it and keep it in a good working order. I had also suffered from a serious back injury while dancing and had a fairly mobile sacroiliac joint that kept causing pain so knew that it was in my bodies best interest to keep doing Pilates and corrective exercise.
What do you love about teaching Pilates classes?
I love seeing clients along their own personal journey, when they discover that they are capable, that they can move and especially when they can walk away feeling slightly better than when they first walked into the room/class. I love seeing the light bulb moment.
What inspired you to become a Certified Peak Pilates® Instructor and then a Peak Pilates Master Instructor?
I was inspired by a friend and Peak Pilates MI, Melissa Lavin to become a certified Peak Pilates Instructor. She gave me a great sense of what the classical work was and how Peak Pilates worked. I was inspired to learn the work as Joe taught it from his classical roots when I saw what effect it had on the many different people that were taking classes with Melissa.
As I began my own teaching path I became more aware of the amazing benefits of Pilates and also learnt a lot more, it was this that has inspired me to become a Peak Pilates Master Instructor. I wanted to be able to help teach and develop future teachers, to assist them in their own growth within the Peak Pilates team and on their own Pilates journey. I want to be able to hand over the work to others.
What is your favorite apparatus?
I enjoy the Cadillac, and also the chair is another favorite apparatus.
What makes Pilates such a great workout?
It is a complete workout of the mind, body and the soul. I get to feel my muscles work in a uniform manner, with not one dominant muscle group. Along with that my mind is constantly working, to be in the moment and focused on what my body needs and how it needs to move. I know that I walk out of my Pilates workout with a rejuvenated soul!
Share a memory from your experience as a teacher/coach/presenter that embodies the value of being a Certified Peak Pilates Instructor or Peak Pilates Master Instructor?
As a newer teacher I became fairly frustrated with my teaching, when a client I was teaching was unable to get certain movements, especially when most of her work was doing so well. I struggled to understand why. It took me a while of self-reflection and after reading her notes back to myself that I realized that I had gotten so caught up in her ability to do some things, that I had forgotten to trust the process and the steps within the system. Peak Pilates has a way in which the work is put together and is taught, it is through this process that one can grow and develop. Once I had gone back and fixed my errors and trusted in what I was teaching, I started to see the work in my client getting stronger.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about becoming a Certified Peak Pilates Instructor?
“Trust the process”
It is a learning curve that you will be on, sometimes with tough lessons to be learnt, but trust in it all. Trust the path that you have to go on to become the best that you can be.
What’s one of your favorite motivational quotes?
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”
Do you have a hero in the Pilates community, someone who deserves recognition for their leadership?
Nancy Hurd
Is there anything about you that would surprise people?
I have completed and IRONMAN® Triathlon and take part in CrossFit style competitions.
General Biographical information:
I have been fairly involved in the fitness industry for a number of years and have always had an active lifestyle. I attended an art school for dance up until the age of 18. I studied at the University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa and attained a Bachelor of Human Sciences. After my studies I went on to dance with a professional ballet company and it was here that I started to take Pilates classes and fell in love with it.
In 2003 I moved to the UK and it was here that I started my Peak Pilates journey and my certification. I became certified and have not looked back. I am always learning and taking new workshops to further my education. I teach, manage and run a Pilates studio that is part of a physiotherapy practice.
List relevant professional certifications in health and fitness (define acronyms):
Bachelor of Human Movement Sciences (BHms)
Peak Pilates Level II
UGI® Master Instructor
What year did you join the Peak Pilates Master Instructor Team?
I am a candidate Peak Pilates MI as of May 2014
Where do you teach Pilates classes and/or Pilates Certifications/ Continuing Education workshops:
London, United Kingdom