More Powerhouse Cues

November 25, 2014 Jessica Schultz

100 - Box heavy like cement

Roll Up - String of pearls

One Leg Circle - Stir leg w/in hip socket, hips heavy into floor

Rolling Like a Ball - Keep chin to chest like a laser, Eyes focused on pelvis

Single Leg Stretch - Don't rock the boat

Double Leg Stretch - Scoop to reach out, Wrap your hips and scoop belly, Hold an orange between your thighs

Scissors - Scoop out belly with ice cream scoop

More Cues Here

Fall Training Schedule

September 10, 2014 Jessica Schultz

We're gearing up for another busy fall at JSP! Do you want to start by tipping your toe into Pilates teaching or just firm up your personal practice? Join us for Basic Mat this September and December! And don't miss out on our full certification beginning October 3rd - this certification includes mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Barrel, Chair, and Small props like Wall and the Power Circle. Do you need CECs? Two fabulous ones to choose from are Lengthen and Strengthen with Elastic Bands and Jump Board Intervals, both October 26th. Hurry, space is limited! Make your passion your career!

New CEC in July!

July 15, 2014 Jessica Schultz

Peak Pilates® Props Shop (4 Hours)

Set up shop and gain new skills to increase support, resistance and proprioceptive feedback and help your mat students understand and get more out of their workout. Don’t just grab any old prop—develop a thought process that will help you to decide why to choose which prop, how to use them to full advantage, and how to work with flow. Balls, bands, circles, rings and more!

Sunday, July 27th 9am-1pm

Register Here

Powerhouse Cues

June 30, 2014 Jessica Schultz

Can I share with you one of the best things about leading Teacher Trainings? There's a workshop Peak Pilates does that shows you how to create your own exciting, dynamic Powerhouse cues. Every instructor has moments where we feel like we're repeating ourselves, and Peak has a systematic way to brainstorm new ways to engage your client's core. And after leading a training, I get to keep all these new cues...but now I've decided to share them with you! They're just too good. So thanks to Jennifer, Emily, Tia, and Denise! I'll add more as I lead more trainings. Why not share your best ones in the comments? Words are important, they have power, and if we all get together and share the best ones we'll have more to choose from to keep the work alive for our clients! Enjoy!

100 - Low spine like lead

Roll Up - Bone by bone, button by button, unroll the mat and roll it back up

One Leg Circle - Body in Concrete, lead torso

Rolling Like a Ball - Roll like a wheel

Single Leg Stretch - Pulley the legs

Double Leg Stretch - Solid body with liquid movement

Spine Stretch Forward - Deflate and inflate

Saw - Upper back is the lid to a jar of jam and you want to get it open

Inner Thigh Circles - Teacup on your ankle and keep it upright

Inner Thigh Lifts - String attached like a marionette

Seal - bowl shape to your pelvis (don't change the shape or the water will fall out)

Standing Roll Down - Drip down like water out of a faucet

Anatomy for Pilates Instructors Part Three

June 14, 2014 Jessica Schultz

And here it is, the framework...

Skull - Cranium, Maxilla, Mandible

Clavicle

Sternum

Humerus

Rib

Radius

Ulna

Pelvis

Carpals

Metacarpals

Phalanges

Femur

Patella

Fibula

Tibia

Tarsals

Metatarsals

Cervical Vertebrae (7)

Scapula

Thoracic Vertebrae (12)

Lumbar Vertebrae (5)

Coccyx

Calcaneus

Check out anterior muscles here and posterior muscles here.

Anatomy for Pilates Instructors Part Two

June 14, 2014 Jessica Schultz

Posterior Muscles to Identify (some are repeats from Anterior):

Sternocleidomastoid

Trapezius

Teres major

Latissimus dorsi

External oblique

Gluteus medius

Gluteus maximus

Vastus lateralis

Biceps femoris

Semimembranosus

Gastrocnemius

Deltoid

Triceps

Extensor carpi ulnoris

Flexor carpi ulnaris

Gracilis

Semitendinosus

Soleus

Achilles tendon

For anterior muscles click here, bones click here.

Anatomy for Pilates Teachers Part One

June 14, 2014 Jessica Schultz

Of the over 200 muscles that puts our skeletal frame into motion, focus your study on:

Anterior Muscles:

Frontalis

Orbicularis oculi

Orbicularis oris

Brachialis

Pronator teres

Brochiorodialis

Flexor carpi radialis

Iliopsoas

Gracilis

Vastus medialis

Sternocleidomastoid

Deltoid

Pectoralis major

Biceps

Rectus abdominis

Rectus femoris

Vastus lateralis

Sartorius

Gastrocnemius

Tibialis anterior

Soleus

Paroneus longus

For Posterior Muscles click here, Bones to know click here.

What If?

April 20, 2014 Jessica Schultz

What if what scares you becomes the best thing ever?

So my son came home the other day and told me that the monkey bars are "dumb." In five-year-old kid speak, that translates as "hard." So I've been encouraging him, when we're at the park, to try them different ways -- with me spotting him, supporting his body, pointing out the finder details of other kids' technique...

Ah, the joys of having a parent that studies movement...

And here's what I've learned - the monkey bars are hard. Really hard. And a total core workout. And kinda, um, scary.

I could see fear thoughts when they would drift into my son's brain because it changed how he moved -- more cautious, less sure. So finally, I asked him, "What are you scared of"

"Falling."

"Ok, so do it."

"What?"

"Let go."

So my son let go after he hung for awhile, and he landed on two feet, looked up at me, smiled, and said, "That was fun! I'm going to do that again! I'm going to be an expert faller!"

So what is the scariest thing for you right now? Snake on Reformer? Candlestick on Cadillac? Signing up for an Introductory Series? Registering for a Pilates training?

It may be just the thing that you are best at, the most fun you'll ever have.

Just. Let. Go.