Reflections of a Pilates Instructor
Instructor Lonnie Kasow has been teaching Pilates for over seven years. Trained in functional assessment of the body and movement, she has an eye for spotting areas where students need to strengthen, balance and align their bones and muscles. She meets her students exactly where they are, helping them grow and progress on their individual path to strength.
Take a look into her world…
“Today in class, I adjusted a woman’s pelvis, because she was leaning off of her left hip (her weaker side). She said it felt “weird” and “not right” when she did the exercise with her pelvis in the corrected position. I told her that this is exactly what happens- our bodies get used to the ways that we do things, the habits that we have. Often we don’t notice that we are moving in a unhealthy or weak way. When we become aware of it and adjust it, it’s not easy… It forces us to use weaker muscles, stretch tighter muscles. And it can be applied to our minds too. What habits and ways of thinking do you have that aren’t working well, that always lead you to your weakest link? Maybe at some point, it needs some shaking up, so you can really look at it.”
“We did leg lifts today in class. There is a lot of work happening to do these well and efficiently: core engaged to stabilize the spine, upper back stable and anchored, keeping the neck long, using the bigger muscles of the lower glutes/upper hamstrings to lift the leg. As much as I’m constantly trying to be more efficient and strong in my brain and body, as much as I constantly work to live intentionally and with joy, this is what I teach people to do: to use their bodies and minds most efficiently in order to help live their lives to the fullest.“
“I’ve been thinking about exercise in terms of how it affects the deepest layers of bone, muscle, fascia, organs, connectedness of body and mind. Pilates gets to all of that. I love the part of class, reformer or mat, when I can tell that everyone’s internal temperature is heating up and things are flowing and loosening and working to full capacity.”
“It wasn’t my weekend to teach at the yoga studio, but I came in and took mat Pilates from the other Pilates instructor. It’s so important to take classes from other instructors- to get ideas, stay fresh, and “be on the other end,” to feel all the feelings involved there. It was packed today, with a free yoga class also offered this morning, and samples of gourmet vegetarian food. The feeling in here is always one of community, self care, and calmness. I love it. We need to have a place like this in our lives, wherever it might be for you. Do you have a place?“