New Pilates teachers learn that confidence should never replace curiosity. There’s a phrase heard far too often in teacher training rooms: “You must do it this way.” Usually it arrives with great confidence, a pointed finger, and the sort of certainty normally reserved for people explaining parking rules. New teachers hear it and naturally assume they are receiving sacred truth. After all, the person at the front has a manual, a qualification, and an expression suggesting dis

Speaking truth feels risky when criticism fires from every direction around you There is something interesting that happens when you speak honestly in this industry. The moment you say something that isn’t softened or carefully wrapped, the reaction is rarely about whether it is true. Instead, it becomes about how it sounds, how it might make people feel, or whether it is “helpful.” Recently, I was interviewed in The Guardian. I gave my opinion based on what I have seen, not

Simple forearm conditioning using dry rice for strength and control. Only the fitness world on social media could turn a sack of supermarket rice into a training tool. You scroll past coffee, cats, and someone hanging off a Reformer, and then there it is. A bucket of rice. Arm buried to the elbow. Caption promising stronger wrists and happier shoulders. It made me smile. But it also made me think. The idea itself is beautifully simple. You place your hand and forearm into unc

A Pilates teacher supports an older client, guiding controlled arm movement and postural awareness. When someone comes to me after a stroke, safety sits at the centre of the conversation. Not as a formality. As a responsibility. This is the point where good teaching starts. In the UK, stroke recovery begins under medical and physiotherapy care. National NHS and NICE guidance is clear. Exercise forms part of recovery once the person is medically stable, but the early direction

Athens at dusk reflecting the mix of nostalgia, change, and purpose in teaching. Back in Greece for the first weekend of the Apparatus course, and Athens pulled something out of me I wasn’t expecting. It felt familiar, but it also reminded me how much life has shifted. We had a good time here, but it was a contained life. Quiet. Focused. Different from Scotland, where things feel wider and more connected. You only notice the contrast when you return. Travel itself is its own

A modern laptop screen showing AI with a chat bubble reading ASK ME. AI is no longer something on the horizon, it’s already in your...

Using the ball to challenge control, balance, and precision while maintaining alignment. Walk into most Pilates studios today and you...

A Pilates practitioner performs controlled leg springs on the Cadillac, focusing on pelvic stability. I spent the weekend with a group of...

Choosing the right Pilates course means quality education, expert guidance, and correct movement principles. I often judged things based...