Gaining inspiration for new workshops and presentations

In my view, the privilege of sharing knowledge is as great as the privilege of learning, and I am full of gratitude to every person who gives me their time to develop their skills and knowledge.   In saying this I am always therefore ensuring I am delivering quality information that is useful to the participant from the moment we work together.  My aim is to inspire their teaching as well as their newfound knowledge and tools.

When I’m looking to develop a workshop or to present a concept to teachers, the developmental journey I take to form the best workshop for the group will depend on the education needs from the host site that I am visiting, client experiences, to teaching students and noticing a missing link in their skill set or as what happened in my last workshop, “Barrels of Fun”, noticing a piece of equipment that had been underutilised.

There are three main aspects to a course delivery that I always want to ensure I address:
1. Is it user-friendly?  It is all well and good having amazing information and movements but unless it is accessible and easily transferrable into the daily work environment there isn’t a lot of benefit.;
2. Is the information evoking a new thought process.  I want there to be at least one light bulb moment or ‘Ah ha’ time for each participant.
3. I would like there to be something new, innovative and a little bit bold in my presentation.  I am prepared to put myself out there and deliver something a little outside the box.  I will have my reasoning and research to back me up, but I want us to push the boundaries as that is how our industry will continue to develop and stay in the NOW.

My two most popular workshops for 2023 have been “Barrel of Fun” and “Move on the OOV”.  I developed these workshops after the Lismore flood in NSW, Australia when our studio had to be rebuilt in March 2022.  During this time, I had the privilege of going and working for several studios in Australia and abroad and I found myself wanting to go into overdrive to create as many different workshops as I could.  I think when you have the opportunity to step out of your normal routine you can develop your ideas, broaden your network and allow the creative juices to flow.  You also have the time to put pen to paper and make ideas happen.

The workshop “Barrel of Fun” was a result of my noticing how often the barrel was underutilised and used for very basic movements e.g. Standing leg stretch or short box series and side sit ups, etc. I really encourage the use of the barrels and spine correctors for feedback into extension and to create a unique learning process with support for spinal mobility in all planes of movement.  I began exploring how the various pieces of equipment can pair up together and create a very positive movement experience.  I wanted to show how our brain to muscular activation may be more stimulated with a supportive and different approach to the barrel without pre-empting pain that is often common in chronic pain participants.   A beautiful example of this is the side sit up on the Barrel using the trap table long spring roll-down bar.  It gives great assistance, and the form is able to be maintained without the Lumbar muscles becoming overactive and causing unwanted discomfort. The focus can then be on the lateral flexion and obliques.  Another delightful combination is the Swan from the floor on the chair but using the spine corrector.  This combination lessens the requirement of shoulder flexion and supports the lumbar curve to focus on the thoracic extension. 

This workshop was very user-friendly, and I am always delighted to receive feedback from participants on how many end up using these exercises right away and frequently in their studio space.

“Move on the OOV” was created with my deep passion for the OOV. I absolutely love this amazing three-dimensional prop.  I wanted to share my passion behind using the OOV and creating possibilities for clients who may find a flat surface very challenging to work from. By adding the challenge of an unstable surface we can also challenge clients who need a a little more zest in their workouts or body awareness.  The OOV really can create a very positive movement outcome for people who otherwise may not be able to do a roll up when they lie comfortably on a trap table or reformer.  I also love the new conversations it sparks in people who have been doing Pilates for years. With the blessing of the OOV creator Daniel Vlandetta, I have presented this course many times in Australia and overseas and it certainly has everyone excited to add it to their teaching repertoire. 

I have also been working on a workshop that is about transitioning from student to practitioner.   I am very excited about delivering this in the future. 

All the workshops I deliver are inspired by the people I meet, experiences I have, questions I am asked and my own personal experiences.  I really encourage you to explore your passions and develop your own piece of advice to share.  We have monthly workshops for our clients, and they are always full.  This gives my practitioners the opportunity to develop and present their own material.  This is an added cost to the client, and they are nearly always completely booked out.   

Some of our topics have been Roll and Release using the peanut,  get to know your OOV for home use, Basic anatomy and body understanding so you can get more out of your Pilates sessions,  Move with your Menstrual cycle in mind,  Nutrition for wellness, just to name a few.  We have built an amazing culture in our studio amongst staff and clients and they really do appreciate the effort to share knowledge. As someone once said to me shared knowledge is gained knowledge. 

I am always humbled when people take the time, effort and investment into my workshops. I always promise that my goal is to deliver new and exciting material with a  relatable presentation style for everyone to feel comfortable and challenged. 

Sharing my passion and devotion to the industry is complete JOY…….

Kimberley is a Senior Practitioner with Polestar Pilates and owns Northern Rivers Pilates in Lismore. Kimberley also recently won Australian Educator of the year across all wellness and fitness industries awarded by Ausactive.