Moving closer to joy
When I reflect back over the last few years I realise that the pandemic taught us a lot. It jolted us out of the everyday, “I can do it all” mentality. It also gave us the gift of realising that we are all good at adapting. And as things have gone back to normal we’ve tried to stop ourselves from simply jumping back on the treadmill. Remember that we made it work. You’ve learned how to be still and how to work differently. The world is different and it might never go back to the old way.
We also need to remember our truth. I’m a firm believer that we always try and do the absolute best for our clients, but if your client hasn’t progressed it is important to remember that hour by hour you are helping them. I’ve always had to let go of the idea of the notion of not doing enough. The big picture is in recognising and allowing us as instructors and as people to fully be ourselves. If you are getting too caught up, you need to do whatever the opposite is. We’re not doing this to teach the method perfectly. It’s more than just that. If I can get my client to leave the studio feeling better than when they arrived and it makes them more joyful, then my job is done.
It’s important that a client leaves feeling great and it’s also important that you find your own joy. I’ve had moments when I was doing too much. For many years I was fortunate enough to be teaching for BASI Pilates® Founder Rael Isacowitz on the weekends, while still working 35 hours a week teaching at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club. From here I started working as an independent contractor at a small gym called Beach Club Athletics, which would end up becoming the place where we shoot content for the Pilates-based platform Pilates Anytime (PA) with the support of my two business partners.
As you can imagine, it was a crazy time and something had to give. I couldn’t keep working out at 2am, I had no downtime and never had enough time for my friends. I was burning the candle at both ends and dreading giving up teaching full-time. It was all I had ever known!
I’m now at a stage in my life where I know the importance of living by this mantra - Am I moving closer to joy or further away from it? Can I still find the joy of pilates? When you are in alignment with what you are doing, everything feels better. Don’t get me wrong, for me responsibility is important to me too. I’m responsible for teams but when the responsibility outweighs the things I enjoy I need to hit the reset button.
Think about it. What are the list of things you do and like to do and the reason you are not doing it is because ‘I just can’t’. Can you call upon someone else or can you pause?
If I can’t pause I’m in trouble. If I’m too busy running my business then I need to reassess.
When I was launching PA I realised I wasn’t always being very present. I was thinking too much about all the things I had to do. I needed to take the time to workout or take the dog for a walk.
If there’s one thing I have learnt across my career it’s that you need to practise what you preach. I could name so many wonderful teachers who live by this. One great example is Amy Taylor Alpers and her sister Rachel. You see them working out and being taught by others. They have truly integrated Pilates into their lives. They truly get the depth of this work. They take me closer to the point of the method by example. It’s the way they show up and they are constantly teaching other teachers. Even though they have a busy business. Rael is another, he would teach all weekend and still make time for his own practise. It comes down to prioritising yourself. It’s a constant battle.
As the years have progressed I’ve also realised what gives me joy as a teacher. It’s always been important that my clients have curiosity when it comes to learning about their bodies. I love to put the puzzle together. However the day I gave up trying to solve everything for every client I became happier.
I now understand that my joy comes from working with clients who say things to me like ‘why can’t I exhale?’. It’s what happens from these conversations and that’s where transformation comes. I believe that the more people believe in themselves, the system has a way of working itself out. I always say you know more than I do!
I’ve also found more joy in the letting go and saying no. Letting go and trusting it. When we started PA I was there for every filming, we filmed every single day. There were so many times I couldn’t workout and I was living above the studio. But now I let our teams do what they are so capable of doing and it frees me to get more joy from all the projects we do.
So the question I pose to you is where do you seek joy? Is it from your clients? Your studio? Your time away from the studio? Whatever it is go do that! We all need to move closer to joy and that means living better and by your example, the people next to you can do the same.
Kristi Cooper is a highly experienced Pilates teacher and the co-founder of Pilates Anytime, an online platform that offers a wide range of Pilates classes and workshops. With her expertise and passion for Pilates, Kristi has helped countless individuals improve their strength, flexibility, and overall well-being.