Pilates Thoughtful Tuesday: Teaching What People Cannot See

Pilates teacher observing subtle posture patterns while guiding awareness and controlled movement on a mat.

One of the most interesting challenges in Pilates is that many of the most important things we teach cannot actually be seen.

Clients can see their arms moving. They can see their legs extending. They can see the carriage travelling or the body changing position. They can see movement happening. What they often cannot see is the tension building in their neck, the shoulders creeping towards the ears, the breath becoming restricted, or the tiny shift of weight through the feet that changes the entire purpose of the exercise.

As teachers, we spend years developing our eyes. We start to notice details that eventually become almost automatic. We see a ribcage lifting before a movement starts. We notice a pelvis shifting, a foot gripping the floor, or a jaw tightening before the client is even aware of it themselves.

Over time these observations become instinctive. The problem is that what becomes obvious to us can be completely invisible to our clients. Sometimes people are not doing something incorrectly because they are not trying. They simply do not yet feel what we feel or see what we see. We forget that we have spent years building these observation skills while they may only be on their fifth or sixth class.

The real skill of teaching is not simply demonstrating exercises. It is helping people develop awareness. It is taking something invisible and helping someone understand it.

A cue such as "drop your shoulders" might make complete sense to us, but to somebody who has spent twenty years carrying stress and tension in the upper body, they may believe their shoulders are already relaxed. Sometimes they need to experience the difference before they understand it. Sometimes they need a different image. Sometimes they simply need time.

Progress in Pilates is often measured by larger movements, more challenging exercises, or greater flexibility and strength. Yet some of the biggest moments happen quietly.

It is the client who suddenly pauses and says, "I didn't realise I was doing that."

Those small moments are often where real change begins.

Today's thought:

Are we teaching movement, or are we teaching awareness through movement?

References

Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology, 1945Shumway-Cook A, Woollacott M. Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice, 2016