Andrea Clements and Nelson Li

By Andrea Clements

I went to Beijing not knowing exactly what to expect.  Some of my friends and colleagues had given me little tidbits about their experiences there, but no one had prepared me for what I found.  The welcoming and generous spirit of our hosts at the Asian Academy for Sports and Fitness Professionals made my trip unforgettable.  As a tourist, I discovered a rich and ancient culture, many delicious foods, and wonderful adventures.  As a BASI instructor, teaching Pilates in China was truly a great gift.

Despite initially feeling a bit like a fish out of water, I knew that diving right into the work was the best way to combat my American nerves.  However, yet another removal from the norm awaited me in the classroom – eight male students and only one female. At first I wondered if I could find a way to relate the exercises to a group of non-English speakers, let alone a group of men, a realm of experience sadly limited for me until now.  I thought I would have to rely heavily on Stream, our talented and aptly-named interpreter, to communicate and make sense of things for me.  It was comforting to hear that each student was a certified personal trainer (a prerequisite for the course) and already well acquainted with biomechanics and teaching techniques.  Still, I feared the language and gender barriers might be a challenge.

As it turns out, there is such a thing as the universal language of movement, in which everyone proved fluent.  The Chinese students impressed me with their cleverness, easily catching onto the nuances and subtleties that abound in the mat work.  Even when there was a question and retort, which was often, I found that things like body language, facial expressions and hand gestures could provide a lot of information.  In truth, the only Chinese words I needed to know were inhale (xi xi) exhale (hu xi) and beautiful (piao liang).  Everything else “streamed” effortlessly through the interpreter or demonstration on the mat.

As we moved along through the modules, and the anatomy discussion became more involved, things shifted from the verbal to the physical.  Ordinarily, touching certain body parts to point out their location and action is a necessary part of learning.  Not being familiar with Chinese customs, I forced myself to hold back from this as much as possible.  To my surprise, the men appeared to be more than comfortable with tactile cueing, especially when it came to the shoulder region, specifically the serratus anterior (one of my favorite muscles).

I felt that getting the students acquainted with the shoulder girdle was not only of paramount importance in the mat work, but also perhaps a way for me to connect Pilates with masculine sensibilities.  And it worked!  A little too well, I would say, as one of the particularly well-built students volunteered to take his shirt off and flex said muscles.  Far be it from me to discourage this type of educational tool, and in the interest of gaining perspective, another able-bodied student followed suit.  After thorough observation (and much good humored giggling and commenting) we all got back to our work.

I couldn’t help thinking later, and it was agreed upon, that this was a rare opportunity to display the all-too-often minimized role of the male Pilates instructor.  Strong and commanding, yet graceful and fluid, men in this business possess a natural and admirable confidence.  In America, women outnumber men in total population as well as in the population seeking, doing and teaching Pilates.  In China, boys are traditionally considered more valuable than girls.  Due to the combination of a family planning policy that allows only one child per couple, and modern ultrasound technology, the desired result is possible.  Of course, this extreme imbalance of men versus women was evident to me in the studio.

Nevertheless, it was a real treat to encounter the high level of intelligence, strong work ethic, and delightful sense of humor apparently rampant at the AASFP, among both males and females.  Upon completion of the course I congratulated them on absorbing such a large amount of material in such a short amount of time and thanked them for their commitment to the work.  But I could not let them get away without taking one more picture, one to typify my experience with them as a group of open-minded and proud men of Pilates.  And here it is.  Gan bei! (Cheers!)

Nelson Li adds:

I had a little knowledge of Pilates before attending the AASFP/BASI Pilates Instructor Foundation course taught by Ms. Andrea. Now that I have taken the course, I have more in-depth understanding of Pilates and I realize the kind of impact Pilates has made on people, especially those who love sports. Such as what we were taught in class about muscle, balance, breath, control, efficiency, flow, harmony, and precision. Especially the small group muscle and core training, whcih can help us better balance our bodies. In addition, allowing me to generate great interest on Pilates after the course. I have learnt a lot from Ms. Andrea throughout the course, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Ms. Andrea as well as to AASFP.

Andrea Clements is a member of the BASI Pilates Faculty.

Nelson, Li Wenbin is a Personal Trainer and graduate of AASFP’s Professional Fitness Trainer and Advanced Personal Trainer Certification courses. 

Kalie Moore

By Kalie Moore

Joseph Pilates believed that physical fitness was the first requisite of happiness.

I wholeheartedly agree, but a close second has to be travel.  I may be one of the luckiest people in the world, because I have been able to fuse my two loves into one epic experience.  I am an American who has journeyed to Istanbul to learn Pilates from BASI, a training company based in California.  Our next three modules will be taught in English by an Italian living in Germany to a Turkish and American audience. Talk about an international experience!

I have traveled and practiced Pilates in countries ranging from India to Colombia to Thailand, but Istanbul is special.  I cannot put my finger on the magic of this continent-straddling city.  It may be the mix of amazing restaurants overlooking the Bosporus or the history one experiences while standing in front of a Byzantine monument.  Perhaps it is that, every day, I can practice at Cengiz Han Üçgün Pilates Studio, one of the most beautiful, light-filled studios I have ever seen.  The amazing owner, Cenzig Han, brings a Californian enthusiasm to the exercises that makes me feel right at home.

As an American from San Francisco, with at least twenty studios within a seven-mile radius of my home, it is easy to consider Pilates to be a part of American life, but the practice is booming internationally, as well. And just as every client teaches you a bit more about how to apply the repertoire, every culture has its own specific cues and imagery, which can help refine the style of even the most experienced practitioner.

One of the many things that attracted me to the BASI Pilates CTTC is that BASI is a truly global organization with programs on six continents.  The possibilities and experiences are endless.  Just like Pilates, travel can restore vitality, invigorate the mind, and elevate the spirit. If you combine the two, the experience becomes the most incredible yet.

Kalie Moore is a marketing consultant pursuing her BASI certificate in Istanbul, Turkey.

Francesca Caruana

By Francesca Caruana

My journey into the magical world of Pilates started in 2002. Due to moderate scoliosis and knee instability, I  was fearful of many sports and other physical activities. I was used to constant pain in my back and, while I did like to work out, there was nothing I overly enjoyed – other than the calorie burn that it delivered. The very first time I tried Pilates with the Reformer, I realized I had found a form of  exercise that could help my body, without putting undue strain on the weak parts.

My favorite store has always been the bookstore. I can spend hours perusing the health and fitness sections, in particular looking at various books on Pilates. No matter how many times I’ve seen the same  exercises, I continue to be intoxicated by them. One particular day at the bookstore, a book with the title Pilates in thick type on the spine called my name.

I picked it up and, with the delight of a child, sat on the floor reading it, uncovering something magical as I turned every page. The explanations in the  book were so clear, and they included so much feeling and palpable sensation in execution, that all I could think to myself was “What type of Pilates is this?” Up until that time, I had only truly been exposed to Stott Pilates, being certified by them and teaching their method alone.

I quickly turned to the back cover and read about Rael Isacowitz. As I was reading I thought  to myself “Why haven’t I ever heard of this man, and  where can I go in Canada to learn his method of Pilates?”

That afternoon, after I returned home, I read up about Body Arts and Science International and about Rael. I was so delighted at uncovering what I could tell was the start of something great.

I ordered Rael’s DVDs and devoured every second of Rael’s teaching. I enjoyed the flow between one movement and the next, and I understood that ‘flow’ was exactly what I had been missing in all my years of teaching. I had always felt that there was something more to relay to my students, but could not put my finger on it – until I discovered BASI. The missing link was the sensory  experience, which I so needed in order to truly grasp a movement. I had always tried to avoid moving mechanically and to teach my students as if I were there doing the movement with them and explaining to them what it was that I was feeling at that very moment.

In the following months, I spent many hours online, researching different exercises and watching videos by instructors from all over the world. I soon found a pattern: all the teachers that I found to be outstanding and wanted to emulate were BASI-trained!

Once more the BASI world was calling my name..

I had always understood that deep commitment and open-mindedness were necessary to excel as a Pilates instructor. Merely completing a teacher training course is not sufficient. That remains true, but today I also understand that choosing the right teacher training course from the start is paramount in our development as instructors.

Clearly, after all these discoveries, it was  essential to me that BASI had to come to Canada, and I was determined to get them here.

Since embarking on the BASI journey, I have received nothing but positive energy, and great interaction with the  BASI team. It spoke volumes to me when the founder of Body Arts and Science International took the time to call me and say “Welcome to the BASI family.”

I feel very privileged to host the first Comprehensive Teacher Training Course here in  Canada and to be offering what I deem to be one of the  most thorough and passionate Pilates programs offered around the world today.

I am honored to be a part of the BASI family and I look forward to the rest of my career, now that I have found my missing link.

Francesca Caruana is owner of Corps Pilates, a new BASI host studio in Rosemere, Canada.

Joleen Watson

By Joleen Watson

We all know that the success of Pilates is partially due to the positive effect we have on individuals who come to us seeking improvement of minor aches, pains or injuries.

Sometimes we are able to determine their problems are postural or due to misalignment. However, it is a fact that Pilates studios are seeing more and more cases of a rehabilitative nature. Working with a client who has an injury or disease that we, as Pilates instructors, do not understand and are not trained to treat can be intimidating.

Most of us lack the tools that would enable us to create appropriate strategies for functioning effectively in our sphere of expertise (i.e. Pilates) and for understanding what not to do, to avoid exacerbating a client’s condition.

Help is on the way, in the form of Samantha Wood’s highly successful Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies, a three-day Certificate Course that will be in Australia, this June! Course dates and locations are: June 9 – 11 at the Natural Balance Centre in Hobart, and June 15 – 17 at the Centre For Studio Pilates in Maroochydore.

Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies is designed to equip the Pilates instructor with the information and understanding needed to work safely with injured clients and teach them to move better, function free of pain and enjoy efficiency of movement.

This is the course for you, if your ‘to-do’ list includes:

• Keeping up to date on latest research
• Lifting/improving your skills as a practitioner
• Learning a different approach to a familiar subject
• Seeking/finding answers to specific problems
• Interacting with other professionals in the industry

Samantha Wood adds:

I am so excited to share BASI’s Injuries & Pathologies course with you all! This course is the product of my 15 years experience as a physical therapist and my study of Pilates with my mentor, Rael Isacowitz. I have witnessed, both first-hand and through research, that Pilates, when used appropriately, can be a highly effective tool for therapeutic purposes. Pilates exercises and principles can help patients recover from injuries and surgery, as well as optimize function in those suffering from chronic conditions.

Many Pilates professionals have expressed to me over the years that they do not have a medical background and often lack a clear understanding of injuries and pathologies. They long for practical explanations and exercise suggestions regarding work with injured clients.  My course strives to provide just that.

So to all of my BASI Australia colleagues – I hope to meet you in Maroochydore or Hobart this June!

Joleen Watson is a BASI Faculty member and Host in Maroochydore, Australia

Travel is the name of the game when you have activities in over 25 countries, and our faculty members are certainly clocking up the miles. Our thanks to hard-travelling Meredith Rogers (Athens), Sheri Long and Mario Alfonso (Istanbul), Amit Younger (Prato, Italy), Andrea Clements (Beijing) and Bonnie Sessions (Long Island, New York) among others.

Even hosts are hitting the road. New host Jill Oppenheimer is taking our course in Brooklyn to prepare for her Lawrence, NY, studio’s debut course starting on April 27.  A host needs to be knowledgeable to meet all the needs of the students, she believes.

Despite all the pressure, several members of the BASI Faculty are nevertheless finding time for others. BASI is providing an entire Mat Teacher Training course at no charge to the Wooden Floor, a nonprofit organization that provides dance education to unprivileged youngsters,  and Amy De Sa, Jennifer Pearlstein and Leah Stewart have all generously donated their time (and expenses) to this project. A tremendous “thank you” to everyone involved.

At home in Costa Mesa, Katherine Long has joined the BASI HQ team. If her last name sounds familiar, perhaps it is because her mother is none other than BASI faculty Sheri Long. Katherine comes to BASI with knowledge of Pilates, which she took up to strengthen herself for water polo, computer technology skills and a youthful enthusiasm for social media. Welcome, Katherine!

Also in the office, Stella Hull Lampkin is celebrating the conclusion of her first year as operations manager. “I cannot believe that a year has passed so quickly” she says. “It has been a year of growth, professionally and personally, and I want to thank Rael and the BASI community for welcoming me.”

Hosts and Faculty are BASI’s greatest assets. Your passion and dedication are what make BASI the dynamic company that it is. We and the thousands of people who read this newsletter would love to hear from you regularly. Please write often, telling us about your experiences in the service of incomparable Pilates education.

First I would like to thank so many of you for your absolutely wonderful birthday wishes. The outpouring of goodness was truly overwhelming and made my special day that much more special.

I am not sure whether I am allowed to label us (BASI) pioneers, or if this is a title that can only be bestowed with the hindsight of history. But one thing is for sure – we are trailblazers. We were certainly one of the first in the world to offer a comprehensive, curriculum-based teacher training program for the study of Pilates. I am also confident in saying that BASI was one of the first to be used in a multi-disciplinary way, serving as an exercise platform for osteopaths, physiotherapists, orthopedists and chiropractors, without forgoing the comprehensive approach of Pilates.

We have other “firsts”as well, like the first mentor program, and one of the first “intimate conference” formats, which we called (and still call) Learn From The Leaders. Our next one, which promises to be incredible, is coming up in June 2013, in Orange County, California.

BASI has a long-established and solid reputation as a provider of comprehensive Pilates education. Yet, not enough people know of the high-caliber Advanced Education program that BASI Pilates offers. For many years I have endeavored to provide a professional training option for those who already have a teacher training qualification and want to enhance their knowledge or specialize in a particular area. I have always believed that a sound, basic knowledge of the entire system of Pilates is imperative before embarking on a specific area of study.

Unfortunately, the lack of established professional standards in the industry has enabled people to embark on specialty studies before having a sound knowledge of the system; one example is doing a “clinical Pilates” course without having done a comprehensive course. Often the only qualification required to embark on a short “clinical Pilates” course is a physical therapy degree, which, with all the respect I have for the many PTs I have worked with, does not equip one for Pilates. To know Pilates, one needs to study Pilates, not a loosely-related field.

Allow me to indulge in another analogy or two. You would not, or could not, embark on a PhD without having done at least two previous and more general degrees. Similarly, studies in jazz dance do not make one an expert (or even proficient) in classical ballet. It simply doesn’t work that way!

In a world of shortcuts and easy solutions, the BASI approach may seem conservative; but I believe it to be correct. And now validation has come from a high-profile study of Pilates for Breast Cancer Patients, conducted by the prestigious Mayo Clinic and published by the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. The authors of the study chose BASI Pilates as their Pilates consultant and used an exercise protocol based on and inspired by my mat DVD’s. The protocol was created by Kathleed Sundt. Constance Holder, BASI Director of Education, assisted me on this project.

I believe that the choice of BASI to provide the protocols for the study, rather than one of the “clinical Pilates” providers, clearly corroborates our comprehensive and measured approach to learning Pilates and applying it in a multidisciplinary manner.

In 2012 we are taking our Advanced Education courses to a new level. There are new, short-format workshops, such as Chronic Pain Syndromes offered by Kathryn Russel (an amazing workshop!), and then there are our Certificate Courses, which are true specializations in specific fields. A prime example of the latter is Sam Wood’s remarkable Injuries and Pathologies course, which has been a runaway success and will be held in Australia and Argentina this year. My Mentor and Master programs are consistently sold-out, with attendance from all over the Pilates spectrum.

The range of courses available from BASI is constantly expanding. Leah Stewart is doing a commendable job with her new Pre- and Post-Natal program, and we will soon be announcing a certificate course dealing with Pilates for children, to be presented by Javier Bseiso from Spain. Credit for the huge leap we have made in advanced education in the past two years goes to several people, above all to our Director of Advanced Education, Sam Wood.

In addition to the actual courses, we are expanding our use of technology to make the sessions available to those that cannot attend in person. We had our first live online mat class several months ago, with over 1500 people logging on! And within the next few days, we will be launching a full online version of my “Powerhouse of the Upper Girdle” workshop, which I presented for the first time recently. There is much more to come and I look forward to seeing you at one of our courses – either in person or online!

Happy Spring and enjoy the blossoms!

Rael

By Roy Isacowitz

Pilates and yoga studios are among the fastest-growing industries in the US, according to a new report by research group IBISWorld, which measured industries based on their contributions to the economy, revenue growth and expected future performance.

Pilates and yoga studios were “highly resistant to the recession,” the report says. “Instead of facing negative growth in 2008 and 2009, revenue merely slowed. In the five years to 2017, industry revenue is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 4.8%” – from a forecast $6.8 billion in 2012 to $8.6 billion in 2017.

The report attributes the strength of the studio business to the heightened concern for the environment among Americans, which has engendered a renewed interest in becoming and staying healthy. This trend explains the growth of other “green” businesses, including solar panels and self-tanning products, which the report attributes to increased consumer awareness about the harmful effects of UV light.

While the report forecasts solid growth for the studio business, the forecast average annual growth rate of 4.8% will be significantly lower than the average 12.1% that was recorded between 2002 and 2012.

Other industries included in IBISWorld’s fastest growers are generic pharmaceuticals , for-profit universities, 3D printers, social network games, hot sauces, sustainable construction and online sales of spectacles and contact lenses.

Sheri Long

By Sheri Long

Some people love amusement parks; I love playing in my studio. It could be anything – modifying an exercise so that movement is correct for a specific client or creating a variation of an exercise. An example would be taking an exercise done in supine position but having the client work the same muscle group in a standing position, in order to add balance and coordination.

I love to design preparations for exercises; providing building blocks with which a client can experience, learn and understand a movement that is correct for the client’s body at that time. My objective when working with a client is to consistently meet their needs and goals. Every client is an individual with individual needs.

At times it may be necessary to modify an exercise or utilize a prop in order to ensure that the exercise is correct for a specific client. And as our clients become stronger and more proficient with each exercise, we may want to add variations to increase the challenge – while always being respectful of Joseph Pilates and the immense library of work he created.

My Pilates with Props 2 workshop explores the wonderful world of client-centric modifications and variations. In it, we transfer exercises from one piece of equipment to another, discussing examples of clients with specific needs and working on variations of exercises to make them correct and safe for each client.

As always, the inspiration for the work is the individual client and the goal is to ensure that each person is able to benefit from this amazing work. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have new tools and lots of new ideas to take back to their own studios and clients.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Sheri Long, a member of the BASI Faculty, will be presenting her workshop Pilates with Props 2 in Rancho Palos Verdes on April 28^th. For course and registration information, please click here.

In announcing the selection of Pilates, About.com wrote: “Since it was published in 2006, Pilates by Rael Isacowitz has become a primary resource of Pilates exercise instructions for Pilates practitioners all over the world. This year, the Pilates community made its appreciation well known by voting Pilates into the No. 1 spot and keeping it there throughout the voting process. This book contains instructions for 210 Pilates mat and equipment exercises, exercise sequences and a wonderful introduction to Pilates movement in general. Rael Isacowitz is the founder of BASI Pilates.”

Read Marguerite Ogle’s review of the book here:  Book Review: Pilates, by Rael Isacowitz

Now in its fifth year, the About.com Readers’ Choice Awards honor the best products, features and services across more than a dozen categories, ranging from technology to hobbies to parenting and more, as selected by its readers.

“This year’s Readers’ Choice Awards program had a record number of nominations submitted across dozens of categories and featured hundreds of finalists,” said Margot Weiss, managing editor, About.com. “We are thankful to all our readers for their participation and congratulate Rael Isacowitz on his success.”

Rael Isacowitz is one of the most authoritative figures in the global Pilates firmament. Founder of the BASI Pilates® educational institute for Pilates teachers, he has been a practitioner of the method for over 30 years and is a prominent presenter at Pilates conferences and workshops around the world.

In addition to Pilates, Rael is the author of Pilates Anatomy (with Karen Clippinger) and six movement analysis workbooks covering all the major pieces of Pilates equipment. He is also the designer of a new line of multi-functional and ergonomic equipment known as the Avalon System®.

Thank you to everyone who voted! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Kris Brott

Kris Brott, a new member of the BASI family, is featured in an article in today’s Washington Post on Pilates for stroke rehabilitation.

A participant in the current ProBridge course, Kris took up Pilates when recovering from the effects of the stroke she suffered in March 2010. She hooked up with Pilates instructor Chris Spring and together they managed to retrieve about 95% of the movement ability that Kris had before the stroke.

Today, Kris has also qualified to instruct in Pilates and both she and Chris Spring are honing their skills in Rael’s ProBridge course.

Kris will be recounting her journey back to health in the April issue of the BASI newsletter.