How to Choose the Right Pilates Course – Three Questions to Ask
I know first-hand that changing or choosing a career is an investment, in energy, time and money.
When I made the decision to study to become a Pilates instructor with BASI Pilates, I was in a Corporate HR role and about to get married. I ended up deciding to quit my job (a week out from the wedding!) and just focus on studying while working casually. This was pre-kids and a mortgage … but, it was still a big decision and I wrote down everything as I moved through it. It helped me order my thoughts and it also meant I could start somewhere when praying and talking to those closest to
Did you know that the practice of handwriting engages several areas of the brain? Much more than technology. It also has several other benefits, two of them being – reducing stress and improving your mood (burdens can feel lighter).
If you are like me when you have to make big decisions, especially ones that involve life changes and finances, I’m guessing you begin to feel stress creeping in with little scenarios and what if’s jumping around in your head. There can often be an element of Fear of Man (what someone else will think) creeping in too.
So, grab a pen and paper and here are three questions to ask yourself. Whether you’re looking at Pilates as your first career, making that exciting leap of doing something to inspire a better work/life balance or maybe you want to refresh why you made this career change.
1. What is Pilates to me?
This may seem like an obvious first question to ask, but in a world that moves very fast and where technology plays a major role, we often don’t slow down long enough to intentionally think through the thoughts and reasons that have been popping into our heads.
Pilates for me was the solution to chronic pain.
I was 12 years old when my physio suggested Pilates because my back and jaw were getting so bad. Within about six weeks of going to Pilates I was starting to feel benefits! It was life changing!
So for me, Pilates is more than a weekly toning session and I wanted a Pilates teacher training course that would teach me the functional movement of the human body in a way that celebrated the constant progress in science.
It is exciting and encouraging to see outward changes to the body but I believe there needs to be a deeper purpose than that for the journey to be long and rewarding.
2. What is my purpose?
Once I had gained a clear sense of what my purpose was, it enabled me to keep my focus (and sometimes rein it in) on the right things as I moved (and continue to move) through this journey. It can provide a foundation for many decisions and in terms of picking a Pilates course, it gives values to look for.
When purpose is deep, motivation is consistent.
My purpose came from the desire to relieve others of pain just like I had experienced. Even now, I find it so inspiring when clients come in (or even call because they can’t wait) and tell me they have just achieved a daily task with no pain or done something they haven’t been able to do in the last 20 years! That is dignity, that is empowering and that is deep purpose.
I chose to study BASI Pilates because I felt it contributed to creating clarity and guidance in my teaching.
But mine is just one of many wonderful and impactful reasons. I’d suggest still using that brain tingling pen and paper and dwell on these two definitions of “Purpose”.
- the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
- a person’s sense of resolve or determination.
Draw some lines, circles, hearts, anything! And write down any words or reasons that help form your deep “whys” for doing Pilates.
3. What is my end goal?
This will help you picture where you see yourself as you move through your journey. What environment do you see yourself working in? Do you see yourself working from home, in a studio, travelling?
What I ended up valuing about the BASI Pilates instructor training course, was it gave me such a solid foundation and yet such a huge archive of exercises and starting points for knowledge. I felt I could step confidently into running a home studio and with endless tools. I also loved that the course would allow me to travel all over the world and have opportunities to still be involved with BASI Pilates. Even with the reality of COVID there still remain opportunities to learn from incredible BASI Pilates faculty and instructors globally.
Your reasons, purpose and goals will give you a daily starting point when you teach, it will give you a basis for a business structure, it will give you a theme for your social media and it will give you clear points to look for in your Pilates instructor training course.
We can’t know what the future holds … we have humbly been reminded of that the last couple of years. But, we can make choices to slow down and to think through our reasons behind something so that when the future slowly (or quickly!) rolls into the present we have elements of clarity and purpose behind the decisions we’ve made.
All the best with choosing!
Em
Interested in studying to become a BASI Pilates instructor in 2023?
BASI Pilates Australia has Mat, Mat & Reformer and Comprehensive Global teacher training programs at host studios across Australia in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and a new studio in the Sunshine Coast.
Contact BASI Pilates Australia to discuss your Pilates education journey today!