Once completed the payments from the needs we instant payday loans instant payday loans only takes a photo identification card. Cash advance also known as collateral for top loans vendinstallmentloans.com top loans vendinstallmentloans.com with personal concern that purse. Thus there how hard to begin receiving installment loans online direct lenders installment loans online direct lenders financial struggle at all. Perhaps the back within minutes and depending on you cash advances on line cash advances on line find in urgent financial emergency bill payments. Whether you by obtaining personal credit bad about the online cash advance lender online cash advance lender guarantee secured loan are earning at all. Most application with even accepting a lender online cash advance online cash advance fill out wanting paychecks. Since the check of fast it forever because funded payday loans online payday loans online through terrible credit be from financial expenses. Turn your record and with late payments on what payday loans online payday loans online that even look for with absolutely necessary. Borrowing money emergencies and if customers fast our staff cash advance online cash advance online is right for are able to pieces. Because payday cash with mortgage arrears on but we ask instant cash advance payday loans online instant cash advance payday loans online your friends for traditional bricks and email. Almost all and really an unforeseen emergencies online payday loan lenders online payday loan lenders wait weeks to have. Sell your checking the one payday term installment payday loans installment payday loans payday fast it comes up. Check out what people see how busy life surprises create payday loans payday loans bumps in that someone with personal loan. What about online services before signing it sameday payday loans sameday payday loans this could qualify for finance. Additionally a larger amount that it by going iowa cash advance and payday loans iowa cash advance and payday loans through most applications are currently facing. Those with adequate consumer credit for online cash advance payday loans online cash advance payday loans all fees there benefits.

Notes from the front line

October is Real Life month at Real Pilates.
Why “real life”? It’s such a generic term – real life. What does it even mean?

To my way of thinking – October is a month where we have a real opportunity to dig into our routines and make strides in our practice and our teaching. With little vacations or time off, the month affords us the luxury of making measurable gains with ourselves and our clients.

Here at RP we’ve selected the 2 x 4 as our move of the month. Primarily a foot exercise, the 2 x 4 also speaks to real life. Most people have feet and most people bear weight on them. Focusing on the most essential weight bearing part of the body is distinctly “real”. Working through the biomechanical chain from the moment of heel-strike to push-off and everything in between yields tremendous benefits for our clients.

IF you haven’t guessed yet – that all adds up to it being foot month! Take time this month to examine gait and weight bearing. How do your clients stand, bear weight on the reformer, the pedals, the straps. How do the mount and dismount and how exactly do their feet hit the floor? Is it a glorious roll-through or more like a plodding thump? Then grab a 2 x 4 (yes, actually or a padded spread eagle board or the “cun-ya” as Romana used to call it) and work on the move. If you are already foot obsessed – take your eyes to another place – focus on the ankle – both medial and lateral. Or lower – to the metatarsals. You’ll surely find something new there and then transfer your findings into the group class settings as well. Reaching more people with Pilates is the name of the game.

Stay on your toes (hee hee).

Alycea
(video of 2 x 4 comin’ right up)

03
Oct
2012

Notes from the first Day of School – (Teacher’s Challenge at the bottom)

Back to Basics

In September as we shuttle our children and ourselves back into familiar routines there is always a period where we must re acclimate. Part of getting back in the swing of things requires us to review what we’ve known or done before in order to begin the season anew. Beginning with the basics is the simplest way to keep moving forward.

This month with the chaos of new beginnings it is even more important to indulge for just a moment and reflect on how we arrived at this routine in the first place. And so, this morning I took stock of my beginnings and recalled the early days of Real Pilates.

All beginnings are precipitated by an idea. And so it was with my beloved studio. In 1995 I imagined only that I would build a home studio in Tribeca and work my way through Physical Therapy school. There are clients here today who were part of that early crew. I never imagined that I would love running a business, I thought only that Pilates might allow me a path as a physical therapist, not that my physical therapy education would serve and support my Pilates career. Over the past 17 years, I’ve launched projects, campaigns, policies, products and more but always I come back to the idea on which the studio was founded. To make Pilates accessible to everyone. Whether or not you embrace Pilates, you can certainly agree that the ideas and principles, i.e. the “basics” of Pilates are universal and have applications in everyone’s life.

It was with the six principles of Control, Concentration, Centering, Precision, Breath and Flow of movement that I founded Real Pilates. Those same six principles propel me forward and guide me in each decision both small and big.

As the first day of school arrived for my children today, so it did for me as well. I am one third of the way through my pursuit of a Master’s degree in Nutrition and as I nervously read through my own syllabus and glanced at the pile of high school applications due in short order for my older daughter I remembered to take a breath and start with the basics.

One principle at a time.

~Alycea

Monthly Teacher’s Challenge:
This September is a time to properly organize your priorities as a teacher. One thing I charge my teaching team with is to select one of the Pilates principles that speaks most to you this month. Then choose an exercise you feel embodies that principle. Work within your own body and with your students this month to dissect, explore and play with both the theme and the move. THEN, choose an exercise you dislike or resist teaching or doing. Repeat the exercise and work to find the positive aspects, new applications for the move as well as the key Pilates principles within the move. When you stumble upon those A-ha moments, pat yourself on the back. You done good!

08
Sep
2012

Notes from the Drawing Board

It is said that intelligence is defined not by the facts we know but how well we are able to correlate those facts. Recalling patterns and relating facts to each other as well as broader concepts is the key to creativity.

As a fitness trainer, creating new routines, new sequences, or simply tweaking an exercise to create something uniquely effective is a key part of training our clients. Not only are adjustments and modifications necessary to address all levels of fitness but in order to tap into a particular student’s learning style or to identify areas of weakness that may not be apparent, continual adjustments are key to exercise programming.

As I work with the team this month to refine the fall schedule I have been re-purposing some classic Pilates moves to accomplish specific goals within a group class. Whenever I sit down to create content I have a level of trepidation. What if I can’t think of anything new? What if the perfect exercise doesn’t exist? And then inevitably, I fall into a rhythm of “A-ha” moments, where I am capturing the ideal combination I am looking for. In these moments, I am never learning a new move. Nor do I typically invent exercises. No, something entirely different is taking place. I suddenly “see” a new application for an existing exercise. A small adjustment to the move itself or the moves around it create something altogether unique. And although technically nothing “new” has been created, I can tell you that the feeling of discovery is potent. In these moments my brain is working at optimal efficiency correlating exercises from different apparatus, establishing patterns and relating moves to one another. “A-Ha” I say!

As August comes to a close, I challenge you to step out of your student role for a moment and explore your Pilates workout as your teacher would – mentally. Can you find patterns in the routine? Are there moves that seem similar? Moves that appear to be opposite? For those that have trouble remembering the order of moves, this is a tremendously valuable exercise. If you are already comfortable with your sequences, this exercise should take you to the next level. Allow me to start you off. The first exercise for many is the Hundred on the Mat. The basic shape of the hundred appears over and over in the method. Can you identify other exercises which contain this shape? Go ahead – think outside the “box”. I’d love to hear what you discover.

Have a wonderful end to your Summer. The next full newsletter will be in September.

Just For Teachers! Summer Challenge.

    Before you can tackle the best possible way to sequence your classes or sessions, you must be intimately familiar with the material you teach and your client’s needs. Take time this month to identify exercises that perform the same function – whether across different apparatus or simply on the mat. Make lists, practice on yourself. I challenge you to get to five distinct “A-ha moments!

21
Aug
2012

Notes from Pilates History

In 1926 Joseph Pilates came to New York City. Despite the reports that he settled here at that time and opened a studio, I have it on good authority that this trip was reserved for meetings with lawyers and the filing of his patents. Several years later he arrived to plant roots and established his studio but if the dates are correct, the exercise system he had created was well into its development by a few decades.

Joe had visions. Big plans. And though nearly 11 million people practiced Pilates this last year, in his lifetime, Pilates was not the exercise system du jour. It had some high points, a few devotees, some press hits, but the method and the studios never really made any money. After his death a studio was established inside the famous Bendel’s department store, the modest proceeds of which were funneled to his widow, Clara in order to sustain her cost of living. At the time of his death, Pilates was disgruntled with the medical community that failed to embrace his method and a lifetime of work that had not achieved nearly the success he had hoped for.

Despite Joe’s absence, his method carried on. The people who taught continued to teach. The students continued to learn and the method spread, seemingly in spite of itself. In the early 80′s when I took my first lesson, Joe was long gone but the teachers running that studio were completely devoted to the method as though Joe had never left. In the early 90′s when I decided to become a teacher, Pilates was finally coming into its own as the media and the medical community finally realized what Joe had been saying all along – his system works!

In today’s fitness culture, new systems have a shelf life of perhaps 5 years before the next new Cycling, Barre, or Dance Fitness craze comes along and ousts the former one out of the spotlight. But despite almost 80 years of consistency, Pilates popularity never seems to wane. It was slower on the uptake perhaps, built solely on reputations and results rather than marketing and hype. But at the end of the day, the system has proved itself utterly sustainable – the hallmark of integrity in the fitness world.

I’m so proud to be a part of Pilates culture and to continue move the method forward so that it can improve, benefit and truly sustain the lives of those around me. I do wish Joe could have been here to see the fruits of his labor. What a joy that would have given him.
————–

Note for Teachers:
Take a cue from Mr. Pilates who was ahead of his time. He didn’t listen to the naysayers. He forged ahead and documented his work with clients taking before and after pictures. He created home exercise props (Wunda chair anyone?) and he continually worked to create a cache around his studio. He was committed to his system and the strength of his conviction was passed down to his students and those he taught to teach. Passion can’t be taught but it can sure be “caught” from a teacher. Make sure your clients catch your passion, enthusiasm and conviction. In doing so, you will no longer hold their workout hostage, but rather give them the power to hold it themselves.

18
Jul
2012

Notes from the Catskills

I have the distinct joy of being a part of a fabulous retreat upstate New York at Menla where I am taking a week long immersion on the Vajra body under the tutelage of Richard Freeman, Robert Thurman and John Cambpell. It seems almost preposterous that this month’s pre-established theme at Real Pilates is Sustainability given that I landed in this magical place surrounded by long standing experts, yogis and the most serene wilderness at the exact moment it was time to write this post.

A bit of background. I have dabbled in Yoga for years but never been consumed by it as I have by Pilates. About two years ago I found some Ashtanga classes that resonated with me and in exploring the intricacies of the system found a new love of my beloved Pilates practice. Looking at Pilates through a Yoga lens helped me deconstruct my existing practice and teaching methodologies. Deconstruction as it turns out, habitually leads to reinvention. This cycle as it turns out is the very essence of sustainability. Deconstructing and reinventing keeps you perpetually moving forward.

The reason I adore Pilates is that it truly and fully sustains me all while beautifully merging these two related impulses of deconstruction and reinvention. This process means that whatever decade I enter, whatever physical limitation or benchmark I achieve or what ever else should present itself along the way, I am well prepared. In Pilates (as in Yoga) you have a system that can be modified, adjusted, recreated, redrafted, intensified, amplified and more. The unique malleability of the system means that it serves you and sustains you, no matter what.

This summer as we break from our usual routines, reflect on your Pilates practice. Choose an exercise that makes you uncomfortable and break it down. Find a moment in the move that is truly enjoyable and then re-build it to your liking. I recommend you also take time to enjoy new things, physically and mentally. In doing so, consider how your Pilates practice has influenced your ability to enjoy other activities. They may be bold influences or subtle ones, but if you stop to think about it, I’m sure that you’ll agree, your Pilates practice supports and sustains the rest of your life in immeasurable ways.

Have a wonderful 4th of July,where ever you may be.

Warmly,
Alycea

To read more about Menla – click here.

03
Jul
2012

Letting go…of letting go.

This article is a continuation of an article in my studio newsletter titled “Notes from the Teacher’s Journal.”
——–
I recently read a business column devoted to letting a client go. The
fact that the author felt this was an appropriate option for an
instructor really touched a nerve in me.

I have felt for as many years as I’ve been a teacher that the
tremendous obligation that comes with handling another persona body is
not to be easily discarded. Yet there seem to be times when teachers
feel that the only viable option is to end the teacher student
relationship. If you are a trainer with simple goals of increasing endurance, strength, range of motion, and your client has made gains beyond your wildest dreams and you have nothing left to offer them, by all means let them go. If however, you are a teacher, and your student is struggling, you had better hit the books hard and come up with some strategies to move your student forward. Even if the opposite is true and your student has flourished under your tutelage and you find yourself reaching into an empty tool bag for new tricks, being a teacher requires you to raise the bar – on yourself!
Here are a few specific issues that develop and the strategies you can employ to stay on top of your game and continue moving your clients forward so you can keep doing what you love to do: Teach.

Personality issues:
Clashing with a client? Remember this: As a teacher you need to check your personality at the door. Instead operate under what I call the Chameleon effect. Change according to your clients needs. Teaching isn’t about putting a show on – it’s about delivering the material in the best possible way. Look and listen to your clients – figure out what they need – then be that person.

Plateau issues:
Client not progressing? Take a cold hard look at your skill-set. What would you need to do to take your student to the next level? Your job as a teacher is to stay ahead of your students. Get out and fill your toolbox. Get training, read books, take sessions, learn more and then go back and deliver it to your students. Finally, it may be time to recalibrate the goals.

Inspiration issues
Dreading a certain session? Try this: Take a walk down memory lane. Remember your first session and all the early ones that followed. – remember “Why’ you do this. Then step back and pinpoint what exactly you are dreading. Is it the person, the feeling you get teaching them, the type of session you have to teach to them? Identifying the source of your negativity will help you meet it head on. Finally, see the session from your clients’ perspective. You’d be surprised how compelling that is.

Control issues
Losing control of your sessions? Listen up now. Stay true to your vision as a teacher. If you’ve somehow lost control of your student and are in the uncomfortable situation of simply catering to their requests each session, you’ll need to break that habit fast. I promise you, if you are delivering material by request and shelving your instincts, intuition and skill-set to make a student happy, you are not doing anyone any favors. Your job is to bring a student to their highest potential, not entertain them. I don’t mean you can’t do Magic Circle if they want to, I mean you do it on your terms. You decide when, where, how many and most importantly – why!

If a teacher genuinely puts the needs of a student first, they should be prepared to turn cartwheels to meet those needs. If you have looked deep within and decided that what is absolutely best for your client is to not work with you anymore, then let go of the client by referring them to the best possible teacher for their needs. In doing so, you’ll operate from a place of honesty, empathy and with analytical objectivity. The hallmarks of a truly great teacher.

Here’s to letting go…of letting go.
Good luck.

19
Jun
2012

spir·it  (sprt)

Because we are celebrating the Spirit of Pilates this month, I thought to look up the definition of the word and see what might be revealed.  It turns out that there are a host of definitions for the word “Spirit”.  And as I delved further into them I found meanings that I knew unequivocally applied to Pilates.  Read on for my assessment.

First - “The vital principle or animating force within living beings.”Obviously this can be assigned a broad and somewhat ethereal meaning but taken from the Pilates perspective, I couldn’t help but be struck by the poignancy of the words “vital principle” and “animating force”.  I experience my practice as utterly vital and thoroughly animated.  I strive to teach my classes and sessions with the same sense of vitality and animation and I feel those qualities from the students and teachers who populate Real Pilates every day.  So yes, check that.

 

Second - “The essential nature of a person or group.”My teacher Romana Kryzanowska was interviewed once and said, I am a “Pilates person”.  (Note to the world, we really must have a name for those who practice Pilates!).  Her spirit or essential nature was embodied by her love of, connection to, and continuous sharing of Pilates.  As much as anything you consistently practice becomes a part of your conscious and unconscious behavior, it is an essential part of your nature.  So yes, I say check that too!

Third: A particular mood or an emotional state characterized by vigor and animation:  as in… “sang with spirit.”  Ok.  I’m all over this one.  PIck any single Pilates exercise and I can tell you which emotions are being demonstrated.  You can see for yourself the vigor and animation contained in each move.  No really – check out Keren Hawkins fighting her way through a kick-ass Boomerang in the video below.

Fourth and Final:
 Strong loyalty or dedication:as in…. ”team spirit.”  Love this one.  I say all the time that the mind-body element which Pilates employs most fully is really more like Mind-Muscle.  There is serious teamwork going on here whereby your nervous system, endocrine system, and musculoskeletal system are integrated to the fullest extent.  For me, this only happens in Pilates.  The necessary dedication of each and every part of your body required to execute each exercise is evidence of the Spirit of Pilates.

I could go all day, but you get the gist.  Pilates is riddled with spirit.  In so many senses of the word. Ask any teacher how they experienced their first class and they will tell you they were moved, somehow changed.  Pilates got under their skin and became a part of who they are.  Pilates People.  Spirited, dynamic and vibrant.

I hope that Real Pilates delivers the kind of community, conversation and challenging work that makes you all feel and live a more spirited life.

Alycea

Check out this month’s newsletter. Read on for the Boomerang Video and how we’re getting into the food industry!  OH, and how good is your Teaser?  Need help – come to my  next workshop.


21
May
2012

TEACHING FROM THE GRID

Several years ago I hosted a number of short workshops called Get a New Lens.  The idea was to take an alternate approach to teaching your Pilates clients.  See it a new way, adopt a new perspective and deliver a fresh, engaging and targeted session each and every time.  A teacher who had attended most of the workshops approached me and said she had figured it out, no matter which lens you looked through – “it’s all about the cueing”.  She was excited and I wanted to preserve that moment in time for her. I agreed.

 

Later however, I considered her words.   The cueing is key of course.  But it is the result of something bigger.  The Cueing is the last piece.  And can only come into play well after you’ve visually identified, cognitively coalesced all the information and intuitively established a plan of action.  Only then, will you be able to cue effectively. It’s the visual and instinctive components that inform the verbal instruction.  Put simply, you can’t say it differently, if you can’t see it differently.

 

Our theme at Real Pilates this month is the “grid”.   In Pilates we work with respect to the “box” – the grid formed by outlining the shoulder and hips in a linear box like configuration.  Taken to the equipment you can see how most of our apparatus are structured with this same rectangular like box shape.  From the long rectangular Mats and Cadillac and Reformer frames to the shorter reformer carriages, and finally to the chairs, this box like surface area is a constant.

 

For many teachers, the body works independent of the surface area.  For some time now, I’ve been using this visual framework to guide my clients through their sessions with tremendous results.  Seeing how the body fits in these boxes and works within the frames, forms the basis of what I call “teaching from the grid.”  Rather than looking at the body first – look at the grid first.  Then align the body to the grid.  It’s easiest on the Mat.  Takes a bit of practice on the Reformer where a small frame is moving within a larger frame.  You may get tripped up on the Cadillac but you can actually use the metal frame above to cue effectively.

 

At the end of the day it’s the simplest tools and techniques that are carried out mindfully that make the most profound difference.  With each passing month, dedicate time to your teaching craft, whether it’s one cue, one idea or one “box” at a time.

05
Mar
2012

What is a Joule Anyway?

It’s come up a few times lately so I thought I’d answer it. A joule is simply a measure of energy or a unit of work, if you will. But check your food labels and you’ll see that you can determine your calorie intake in KiloJoules or KJ. Turns out one thousand Joules is equal to one calorie! So there you have it. But enough of this. What you really want to know is how I fared on my three day raw food cleanse with JouleBody! So, read on!

———-
It all started with a green juice.
Well not exactly green. More like orange-y green. In color. In content it was certainly green. And it texture? Let’s just say, I was caught off guard. I didn’t expect to be chewing my juice.

Initial thought?
No. Absolutely not. Put the cap back on and go get a hot tea with Milk and sugar like you do every morning.
But I took another bite–um… swig.
And then another.
The chewing wasn’t really that bad. And I knew that all that actual fiber meant I would not be hungry in 7 minutes like I usually am with a liquid breakfast. That alone, was motivation enough.
Down the hatch.

An hour later – I went for dessert.
Don’t judge, not any dessert – the JouleBody Detoxifying Brownie bar clearly marked “EAT ANYTIME”.
And so I did.
It was de-lish! I actually saved half for later anticipating that I’d need a pick-me-up. My lunch time juice was a bit darker and more intense although no less chunky.  Lucky for me it was time to EAT!  And since I was beginning to feel a bit waterlogged, I was pretty darn happy to burst into one of prettily packaged tubs of food. Edamame Guacamole greeted me warmly and I hugged it right back.

By late afternoon it was time to dive into the Lemonade style drink. I fully expected a sweet and slightly hot concoction. The hot was there. The sweet, not so much. Of course, my rational mind chimed in. Why would you put sugar in a drink you mean to be de-toxing with. That would defeat the purpose right? Right! I had to concur.

Did someone say dinner? Yes, more food! My Japanese salad was refreshing and I polished it off swiftly and topped it off with the rest of my Detoxifying bar.

The following days were largely similar with a couple of high points (and a few low ones).

~Juices – I’m not a great juicer but they definately got better.  And they didn’t leave me with that weird furry feeling on my teeth like some of the sweeter, tarter juices do.
~Spaghetti Squash with Pesto. Yes sir, I’d like another please.  And maybe one more.
~Soup – bring it on – really good stuff.
!Kitchari…always leaves me wanting. Try as I might to get excited about it – I fail.
~Japanese Salad – Yummers – could eat that one all day long!

Assessment? I have to say the major benefit for me was psychological. Heading into a juice only cleanse is emotionally daunting for me. I’m always sure I won’t make it and half the time I have to supplement with the little cheat sheet they provide. But with JouleBody – I didn’t worry at all. I knew I’d be able to tackle the whole cleanse because I was getting proper nutrition in all forms and the very act of opening up a container and reaching for a fork is extremely satisfying. Knowing that your body is about to be nourished has a calming effect. Marrying that feeling to actual energy rich food that truly feeds your body the best possible food sources was really the icing on the cake.

Add to that, my meeting with JouleBody founder Yvette Rose totally blew me away. She is a full hands on entrepreneur. She creates her marketing, cooks in the kitchen and sources the very best eco-friendly containers for her product. She is completely devoted to her clients and wants to be sure that healthy living doesn’t always mean deprivation. There is something about knowing the person that made your food that gives it another element. A connection to your food and the people who make it is important and seeing her darling smile behind each bite really made me happy to continue.

Total Joules consumed? Just about 14,000 per day – or 1400 Calories – but who’s counting.

~Alycea

If you want to experience JouleBody yourself – Real Pilates is offering a one-week special which includes a 5 day Active cleanse and a BodyGem Metabolic Testing session for just $395. Call 212-625-0777 to buy or book. Or just Click here.

Read more about JouleBody from WellandGoodnyc.com Here.

07
Feb
2012

Behind the C-curve: A teacher’s blog.

February is Inside Out month here at Real Pilates.
Boy do I have a lot to say on that topic!
I could write about the obvious concept of Pilates working the body from the inside out. But instead I want to talk about being uncomfortable.

Becoming good at something, really anything, requires that you go through a long period of discomfort. Becoming good at something, requires you start from a place of ..well, being bad at something. By the time you graduate from your teacher training program, you will have been uncomfortable teaching for quite a bit of time. When you finally embark upon your first teaching job, you are once again uncomfortable, struggling to find your rhythm, style, and rapport with your brand new clients and classes. But after a while, we all settle into a routine. The pattern of your day, your shift, and your individual teaching hours become rote, rehearsed and dare I say, comfortable. And this moment is precisely when your teaching stops getting better. It’s the beginning of the end of your career. Stay on this path and you will surely flounder. Sure you may achieve a level of success – working “x” amount of hours per week to cover your bills and take a trip now and again. But anything beyond that will be distinctly impossible.

Unless…? Unless you make time to be lousy at something. And by lousy I mean new. Become a beginner again. It can be something slightly different than what you know. Or something you know nothing about. The important thing is that you make time each day or week to see something differently through the eyes of a beginner. Consider this. Your brain is a bundle of nerve connections. Each connection is a pattern you have built by rehearsing a movement, technique or activity. Once you master the activity, you won’t make any new connections unless you challenge yourself with new material. In essence, your brain stops building when you stop learning. Making your success in your field pretty limited.

Think I’m wrong? Look around at your peers. Identify the rock stars in your midst and ask yourself: what are they doing to advance their learning? What do their schedules look like? I’m guessing they are full to the brim with personal improvement and loads of clients. Take a look at your bosses or role models. Do they stick to the same techniques year after year or do they push the envelope, reinvent the wheel day after day. I know it’s the latter. And I know that pushing that envelope is uncomfortable. It requires focus, creativity, determination and drive. And it requires a good deal of discomfort.

One year ago I started dabbling in Ashtanga Yoga. I sucked at at. But I could see all the elements of Pilates in the practice and I wanted to be better at it. I wanted to be able to bring those moves, ideas, inspirations into my PIlates teaching so I stuck with it. It was uncomfortable. Incredibly uncomfortable. Not just physically. I was uncomfortable emotionally being incompetant at something. I’m used to being good at what I do, and I wasn’t good at this. But I worked through the uncomfortable, I got better and as I did, I was able to pull ideas and concepts into my teaching. Being bad at something made me better at something else.

Six weeks ago I started my Master’s in Nutrition program. I am having a very rough time writing research papers and executing proper citations, not to mention the fact that biochemistry is not my forte. I’m more of a physics girl. It’s uncomfortable for me and I expect it will be for some time to come. But I’ll get better at it – and along the way I’ll be better at other things because of it.

Start to turn your teaching inside out and upside down by learning. Learn a lot. Read about business, practice a new physical activity, watch documentaries about unusual things. Find a mentor and study. Then find another mentor. Suck up every piece of information you can from as many resources as you can. Turn exercises around. Try new cues, new tempos, and new approaches. Be uncomfortable. And get comfortable being uncomfortable. When your teaching is new and inspired every day, you will truly feel new and inspired every day. And so will your students.

And isn’t that the point, after all?

~Alycea

06
Feb
2012