Hi everyone, Priscilla here!
I have a confession to make…the deciding factor to start taking Pilates was a total superficial one: I wanted to look hot.
It was the Fall of 2010 and it had been a year since I switched jobs – going from a job where I was on my feet and constantly moving, to a job where I sat all day. Needless to say I developed constant hip and back pain from inactivity. I was familiar with Pilates as a form of low back rehabilitation, but, I was thinking about the future, when my back and hip would no longer be in pain. I wanted to work out and maybe see a personal trainer to get FIT! I wanted MUSCLES! I wanted SIX-PACK ABS!
I did some preliminary research on gyms and personal trainers in my neighborhood versus going to Pilates . Ugh, gyms…I hate gyms. But again, where else am I gonna get my abs?
Decisions…decisions.
At the time I was also a huge fan of the show “True Blood.” Sure the writing and acting were questionable, but it was funny! It’s also worth mentioning that the cast were extremely good looking people. You can’t go wrong with hot naked vampires and fairies with terrible Louisiana accents.
Anyway, Anna Paquin was the star of True Blood. For a couple of seasons, it seemed she was always naked on the show. But, I have to admit, I totally dug her body! She looked the perfect amount of fit and healthy, like she worked out. So being the dork that I am, I Googled her to see what types of work outs she did. Guess what I found out…
She was obsessed with Pilates! That solidified my debate.
So I totally went into my first couple of sessions with the mindset of: I’m going to heal my hip and back and then I’m just gonna focus on getting a hot bod.
Clearly my focus was on my external world. Little did I know that Pilates would bring me to my internal world. After my first few introductory sessions, I realized how much Pilates really brings your focus to you. For the first time in my life, I felt a connection between my mind and body. How cool! So my primary focus quickly switched from “obtaining a hot bod” to “I just want to feel good”. I want to feel good IN my body. I felt exactly that after each Pilates session. I’ve been addicted since!
When we all came to LightSpace, I felt like I had to take a next step. The decision to take Pilates to the next level was as clear as day: it was time to become a Pilates instructor! I finally felt the time was NOW. I felt like the place was HERE at LightSpace.
From the time our teaching apprenticeship started in Mid-January, to today, my mind-body connection has improved 100-fold. The integration of Pilates and Qigong TOTALLY brought me back to ME.
Everything has changed for the better: the way I handle stress, my relationships with friends and family, my interactions with people, my attitude, the way I handle my emotions and those of others, heck, even the way I carry myself. I’ve become more adaptive to my external everyday life by fine-tuning my mind-body connection.
While this apprenticeship has been a little overwhelming, it’s super exciting at the same time! Not only am I learning about Pilates in-depth, I’m getting out of my comfort zone and doing something I love!
As with our energy cultivation in Qigong, I’m E X P A N D I N G!
Now that I’m training to become a certified Pilates instructor, I do hope to not only expose people to Pilates as a form of awesome exercise, but to also help them become more aware of their bodies. Our bodies really do try to communicate with us on a daily basis. Sometimes we just need to listen.
Anna Paquin from Self Magazine July 2009
PS – True Blood launched my love for the city of New Orleans by the way. I go at least once a year. Thanks True Blood!