2020 was unlike any year from the beginning… although, at first, not in the way you might expect.
I had just closed my studio of 15 years in Houston, Texas, and moved it to Los Angeles, California, along with my Teacher Training. I opened my doors on Monday, January 6th, and was excited and looking forward to a brand new adventure. Some students were finishing up their training, a new class just started, and another one about to begin. The calendar was set and things were smoothly heading into the New Year.
Then 2020 revealed itself, and after about a month, everything shut down. My doors closed and the upcoming Teacher Training was canceled. It took a moment to figure things out but luckily, I was already teaching online. I reached out to students who had just started, to those heading into the halfway mark, and those close to the finish line of their training. We decided to stick to the schedule, rearranged our dates, and set up the entire training virtually.
My Teacher Training Program has been my passion for over 10 years now. My vision and mission have always been to build community, foster personal growth, and be there for each student as they learn how to guide bodies through their own journey with Pilates—throughout the Training and beyond.
My class size is kept to 3-5 students so that I can provide a true mentorship experience. Each month I encourage them to dig deeper, share and bounce thoughts off each other and myself. I love all of it as I always learn as much as they do from what they bring to the experience.
One thing that was always important to me in my Program was to let students in different groups sit in with each other during their year. That way, they get to look ahead at where they are heading and refresh things they have already learned. With everything happening virtually and the ability to record weekends, I found that students were taking advantage of this more than ever!
Another thing I noticed during this pandemic is that my students became even more engaged with the work and with each other. They were focused and bonded in ways that I never would have expected. They were cheering each other on and guiding each other, in and outside of the virtual classroom.
My mission to build a community became even more important during a time when all of us—every person on the planet—was experiencing a lack of social connection, anxiety, and loss of normalcy. One student was particularly anxious about 2020 and debated enrolling in Teacher Training. She ultimately did and said that it gave her hope, joy, and purpose. Another student said, “You took the lemons and made lemonade”. The truth is, each and every student did that!
Everyone had their own 2020 chaos within their personal lives, jobs, families, and routines. Yet, they showed up with smiles, positive attitudes, and wanting to learn, explore and create an uplifting experience for everyone in the group. I felt as though all the things I had done to create that small, focused community came together in a beautiful way at this moment.
This year has shown me I was right not to expand class sizes or the scope of my program. Trust me, I thought about it over the years, but I always kept my vision: the community must always come first!
Teaching my program in 2020 was the most rewarding experience I have had in my 25+ years of teaching Pilates despite all the challenges. During this time, I watched my future teachers navigate a pandemic, their own lives, and still give more than 100 percent to the work and each other.
Now, we are beginning the journey into 2021 and more students are joining the community this year. They are lucky to have the 2020 group to guide them and share their experience, support, and friendship as they begin their journey.
In summary: I know that the community I have created in my program is essential to the success of the students. Even though students were geographically dispersed, we bonded closely in this virtual environment. I have been pleasantly surprised by how moving everything online with a combination of live and recorded sessions has positively enhanced the entire program. It is incredibly fulfilling teaching and mentoring new students and existing teachers, challenging personal clients in their classes, and seeing where we journey together!
And because of all that, I am looking forward to 2021.
