Instructor Spotlight: Erin Jones
Tell us a little about yourself and your Pilates background
My name is Erin Jones. I live in Marrickville in Sydney. I teach for Movement Collective Pilates and instruct and manage the Broadway (ultimo) location. I completed my mat certification in 2015/16 and continued on to study for a Diploma with Pilates ITC which I completed in July 2016; I’ve been teaching contemporary Pilates ever since.
My friends would describe me as energetic, loud and someone who loves to have fun and laugh (mostly at my own expense).
2. How did you discover Pilates
My Mother started Pilates back in 2000 because of a disc bulge and ever since then the word Pilates has been part of my family’s vocabulary. She would send my sister and I off to a local mat class in Petersham once a week and often drag us along to her studio sessions with her. I always found it really challenging to understand as a teenager and didn't appreciate all the nuances Pilates offers until much later.
3. How do you keep learning? What inspires you in your work? Who/where do you get inspiration from?
I am inspired by Carla Mullins work from Body Organics. During lockdown, I spent many hours delving deeply into her work. Her courses have really shaped the way I think about my body and the bodies in front of me and how I can best utilise Pilates to help them. I now deliver her courses here in Sydney and highly recommend diving into her online work if you can.
I also loved Carolyn Anthony’s (Center For Women’s Health) women’s health certification (coming soon to Australia!) and Rebekah Rottstein’s Buff Bones certification and I still use these regularly in my own teaching.
4. The best advice you were ever given as a teacher…
You NEVER stop being a student.
5. Is there something you try and instil in each of your clients?
Less is more. I want my clients to feel the purpose of each breath, movement, spring choice, prop choice and apparatus choice. I’m always asking them questions and trying to get them to really experience what I'm trying to get them to achieve. I rarely use advanced repertoire in my studio sessions. I'm all about perfecting the foundations.
6. The best Pilates course you ever did was…
Body Organics Comprehensive Certification. As an experienced Pilates teacher, my mind was blown by how much I got out of this and how much I still needed to learn.
7. What’s your favourite piece of equipment to use with clients in studio and why?
The mat! It’s so humbling.
8. How do you stay motivated?
I have a P.T. so that helps keep me moving, a great team of instructors to facilitate my Pilates fix and I also have some extremely energetic friends who help me burn off all my “crazy” by staying active with me. I often sign up to physical challenges to raise money for charity or for adventures I need to train for. I’m heading off to Nepal to climb up to Everest base camp in March next year so that's definitely given me the mojo to keep active.
9. What makes you laugh the most?
I love to laugh! I surround myself with people who will make me laugh all the time and I'm not scared to laugh at myself. Sometimes the silliest things really get me going.
10. What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?
I have Thursdays and Sundays off. Thursdays is my “Life admin day” so that Sunday is completely free to do what I want. Often I spend Sundays catching up with friends, family or hiking.
11. How many pairs of grip socks do you own? Do you love or hate a stretch band?
I'm too embarrassed to tell you! Soooo many.
I love a stretch band, it's such an easy prop to take anywhere so I'm always packing one in my suitcase or encouraging clients to do the same.
12. Does your family ‘really know’ what’s involved in your job?
I work with my Mum and my sister so I hope so!
Erin and her sister Lauren run The Movement Collective