Week Zero

General Housekeeping:

• Drumroll Please! The two week intensive has arrived! Thank you to those who came to the meet & greet last week. I know meeting everyone ahead makes me less anxious - I hope the meeting had the same effect on you
• The daily schedule for the next two weeks is as follows:
  • We start each day at 1:30pm eastern with a warm up Mat Class lasting 30 minutes. I will teach the Beginner System each time using progressive teaching techniques that allow you to see, hear and feel how a "beginner" class can be made progressively more challenging. In other words - Tuesday will be the easiest day.
  • 2pm-4pm we will break down and learn each movement in that day's system
  • 4pm lunch/snack/fresh air
  • 4:30-6:30 we resume dissecting the movements and how to teach
• Bring water, snack, writing utensil, notebook (if you want to keep your manual clean) a hunger to learn and a comfort with being uncomfortable
• We may end early-ish on some days but never before 6. Even if we have extra time we will always use it to practice
• If you need to come late or leave early - that's totally fine, just commit to watching the replay of what you missed
• If you aren't coming at all on any particular day - please email [email protected] so we have accurate attendance

Now onto this week's business

This Week's Objective

• Memorize the Intermediate Reformer order of exercises.
• By the end of this week I want you to rattle off the order of exercises as easily as you can rattle off your name, phone number and home address. On Thursday I will randomly call on people to show us their memorization skills (yeah...i know everyone's stomach just dropped when you read this -- we all have the same anxiety of being called on and not knowing the answer)
• Precision, Breath & Rhythm/Voice will be the Pilates Principles we review this week so please watch videos/read up on these topics
• Watch the Peace & Plenty Workshop #1 on your Bonus Materials Page if you haven't

🗓 Mark Your Calendar

    July 8, 9, & 10th: 1:30pm-6:30pm Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Mat repertoire

    July 15, 16 & 17th: 1:30-6:30pm Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Reformer repertoire

Your log in credentials for every seminar are: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8212596642?pwd=4ubP7nJyBxkKobMuIaCpbHUquaVZe0.1

Password:361798

 Links you need throughout the program

1. Zoom link for every seminar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8212596642?pwd=4ubP7nJyBxkKobMuIaCpbHUquaVZe0.1

Password:361798

2. Your replay page link is here. It is blank as of today, but each week will be added to with your weekly homework and anatomy videos

📬 Your EYT Contacts

 • Gretchen Roberts – Admin Support: [email protected]

 • Sarah de Guia – Student Advisor: [email protected]

Email is our preferred method of communication.  Please copy Gretchen on all emails to Sarah or Jessica so that we are sure nothing falls through the cracks.  We also strive to answer as quickly as possible, but most of us are teaching clients during the day and may not get to your email immediately.  

This Week's Objective :

1.  Practice Teaching Objective (this week's assignment can be done without a body)  Program goal: 150-175 hours

• Focus on mastering the communication of the Ab Series of 5 ONLY
  
  • Memorize the name & technique of each movement
  • Master communicating the technique with smooth and concise cues with no excess words(example: Pull the knees into the chest, curl the head neck and shoulders up, send the right leg out now switch)
  • Making the movement better with body scan/corrections (example: point the toes, shin bone is parallel to the floor, deepen the abdominals, bring the knee in closer to the chest, curl the chest up higher, shoulders down....)
  • Record yourself speaking the above commands. Listen back and take notice of how often you say "um" or "now I want you to"
  • Do it over and over
  • Meet with fellow apprentices for at least 1-2 hours to put into practice your mastering of the Ab Series of 5.  Take turns teaching it over and over and over again.  

2.  Self-Practice Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours) 

• Go to your studio and teach yourself the Beginner Reformer repertoire & the Beginner Mat Repertoire and time yourself doing it.  Do a full session-- don't cut corners. Don't only do a few reps.  Work yourself out. 
• Focus on the precision of your movement.  Take it slow, are your elbows wide? Are your feet flexed? Are you sitting tall? Are you feeling opposition? Is you shin bone parallel to the floor? Put precision into your own body.  Listen to my videos and follow along or do the mat class I taught on Saturday every day this week (posted in the Bonus Materials tab)
• Take a session at your host studio or do one that's in the bonus materials

3.  Observation Objective (Program Goal 25-30 Hours)

• Complete 1- 2 hours of observation 

4. Self-Study Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours)

• Watch and re-watch the videos on the Ab Series of 5 so you can internalize the cadence of the voice, cues and body scan

This Week's Objective: 

1.  Practice Teaching Objective  Program goal: 150-175 hours

• Last week you were supposed to MASTER the ab series of 5.  This week will build upon that by adding one movement to the front of the Ab series and one movement to the end of the ab series
  
  • Master Rolling Like a Ball leading INTO the Single Leg Stretch
  • Master Criss Cross INTO Spine Stretch Forward
  • Master communicating the technique with smooth and concise cues with no excess words
  • Making the movement better with body scan/corrections (example: point the toes, make sure the shin bone is parallel to the floor, deepen the abdominals, bring the knee in closer to the chest, curl the chest up higher, shoulders down....)
  • Record yourself speaking the above commands. Listen back and take notice of how often you say "um" or "now I want you to"
  • Do it over and over
  • Meet with fellow apprentices for at least 1-2 hours to put into practice your mastering of the Ab Series of 5.  Take turns teaching it over and over and over again.  
  • Next week we will add Footwork on the Reformer

2.  Self-Practice Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours) 

• Teach yourself the Beginner Mat & Beginner Reformer repertoire every day this week and HOLD each and every position for 3 exhalations.  Literally freeze your body in the position and EXHALE.  Then Exhale again.  And then again before moving again.  FEEL what that does to your connection to the movement.
• Take a session at your host studio  

3.  Observation Objective (Program Goal 25-30 Hours)

• Complete at least 2 hours of observation 

4. Self-Study Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours)

• Watch and re-watch the videos on Rolling Like a Ball, the Ab Series of 5 and Spine Stretch Forward so you can internalize the cadence of the voice, cues and body scan

This Week's Objective: 

1.  Practice Teaching Objective  Program goal: 150-175 hours

• Last week you were supposed to MASTER the two movements that surround the ab series of 5.  This week will build upon that by adding two more
  
  • Master Single Circle leading INTO Rolling Like A Ball (reminder, use the rollup as your transition) 
  • Master Spine Stretch Forward into Saw
    • Both of this week's movements are wordy.  Practice practice practice your communication to streamline.  Break both of these down into parts so that you can build it up cleanly and precisely.  
  • Find the ways to make these two movements better with body scan/corrections (example: point the toes, keep the hips stable, sit taller, rotate deeper, dive further)
  • Practice prepping or "breaking down" both of these movements (pulses can prep your single let circles and just twisting can prep your saw)
  • Record yourself speaking the above commands. Listen back and take notice of how often you say "um" or "now I want you to"
  • Do it over and over
• Meet with fellow apprentices for at least 1-2 hours to put into practice your mastery of Single Leg Circles through Saw.  Take turns teaching it over and over and over again.  
  • Add a little rhythm and modulation to your voice
• Beginning Reformer Practice
  • This week we look to MASTER teaching Footwork.  
  • Mastery of Footwork means:
    • Using the this as an opportunity to teach about breath patterning 
    • Using it as an opportunity to teach about the muscles in the legs (what is activated when in the toes, vs. arches, versus heels)
  • DO NOT. I repeat DO NOT set the person up and simply count.  Footwork is a valuable teaching opportunity. Use it.  Connect your client to their breath and movement.
  • Smile.  When you teach make sure you smile.  The warmth is transferred to the client and the overall experience

2.  Self-Practice Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours) 

• Introducing the Beginner Reformer Repertoire
  • Go to the studio and do the entire Beginner System on every spring load. 
  • Write down what you notice is the difference.  What muscles do you feel are "in charge" depending on the load? Where are you drawing your power from? How about your control? 
• Last week you were supposed do each movement in the Beginner Mat repertoire and HOLD the positions to EXHALE.  Did you?  What did you notice?  Were you able to deepen your abdominal connection with each exhalation? Did it take a movement that started out good and make it exceptional?  If it didn't, then try again this week.  I want you to FEEL the impact a strong breath connection has on the movement.   
• This week, do the Beginner Mat repertoire and once again HOLD each position and work the TECHNIQUE to perfection.  As an example, Single Leg Circles -- make your leg longer into the mat creating a stronger anchor than you had before.  Lengthen the other leg longer to the ceiling finding that extra inch of length behind the knee.  Draw your shoulders away from your ears even more by crawling the arms longer on the mat.  Press the palms firmer into the mat to turn on the triceps.  Move slower in your circle and challenge the opposing hip.  Pull deeper and stronger through the abdominals to move the leg from that connection as opposed to momentum.  
• You feel where I'm going with this?  I want you to feel precision.  Feel it in your own body so that you can look for it in others.  
• Take a session or a class at your host studio  

3.  Observation Objective (Program Goal 25-30 Hours)

• Complete at least 2 hours of observation 

4. Self-Study Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours)

• Watch and re-watch the videos on Single Leg Circles and Saw, so you can internalize the cadence of the voice, cues and body scan
• Watch and re-watch the video on a client's first session.  Listen to how I describe what Pilates is, how to breath and weave those two concepts into the entire session.
• Take time this weekend to watch the workshop/muscles of the week that you may not have caught up with yet.    

This Week's Objective: 

1.  Practice Teaching Objective  Program goal: 150-175 hours

• Last week you were supposed to MASTER Single Leg Circles & Saw.  This week we expand on that to include: 
  
  • Mastery of the Roll Up into the Half Roll Down into Single Leg Circles 
    • This means proper cues and ending the movement where the next one starts 
  • Mastery of Swan Prep & Side Kick Series
    
    • Only utilize up th 3 variations of the Side Kick Series.   
  • Find the ways to make these two movements better with body scan/corrections (example: body scan and correct your student's C-curve. Don't let them collapse over their legs.  Shoulders away from the ears.  Ensure the hips are stacked on the Side Kick Series. No top hip falling back or forth into the anterior or posterior plane)
  • Record yourself speaking the above commands. Listen back and take notice of how often you say "um" or "now I want you to"
  • Suggestion: Download an obnoxious Horn sound onto your phone.  When your practice partner says "now I want you to", please honk it.  It will help draw awareness to how often you default to this term as a cruch. 
  • Do it over and over
  • Meet with fellow apprentices for at least 1-2 hours to put into practice the Rollup through Side Kick Series  

2.  Self-Practice Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours) 

• Identifying the Opposition within your own body
  • Watch the Opposition Video in the online course
  • Set yourself up in every Beginner Mat movement and try to IDENTIFY & FEEL  the oppositional forces. 
  • Write them down
• Self-Analysis of Footwork
  • Do Footwork on the Reformer many times.  Try to deepen your own connection each time.  Slow yourself down.  Speed yourself up.  Identify what muscles engage at each speed.  Identify what muscles engage in each foot position.  
• Continue with your Breath-Abdominal connection
  
  • Continue working on your explanation of the Breath-Abdominal connection and apply it to the Beginner Mat repertoire
• Take a session or a class at your host studio

3.  Observation Objective (Program Goal 25-30 Hours)

• Complete at least 2 hours of observation 
• Listen to how the Teachers cue Footwork/Breath/Abdominals

4. Self-Study Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours)

• Watch and re-watch the videos on the Roll up, 1/2 Roll Down, Swan Prep & Side Kick Series, so you can internalize the cadence of the voice, cues and body scan
• If you aren't caught up with the Muscles of the Week, make a goal for yourself to have watched them all by this Friday.  If too much time gets away from you, it's very overwhelming to get caught back up.  

This Week's Objective: 

1.  Practice Teaching Objective  Program goal: 150-175 hours

• 1.  Practice Teaching Objective  Program goal: 150-175 hours

  • Moving along in the Beginner Reformer repertoire
    
    • Mastery of the Arm Series & Crunches
      
      • Last week you were supposed to Use Footwork to tell your body about Pilates, the breath and what we are seeking to achieve.  If you didn't get to that last week, please do that this week in addition to mastering the Arm Series. Go back to last week's email for prompts on how to Master
      • Master the technique, anatomy and breath cues for the Arm Series.  Where is the exhale?  Where are the legs? Develop the language of finding the abdominals through arm movement. Are their shoulders down? Are the ribs flared?  Are the ribs closed?
      • Practice the language of the Arm Series
    • Mastery of Teaser Prep & Teaser
      • What movements in Beginner Mat do we leverage to create Teaser Prep & Teaser?  
      • Utilize the mastery you have achieved in those movements to help you develop your communication of Teaser Pre & Teaser
  
  
  • Meet with fellow apprentices for at least 1-2 hours to run through all of Beginner Reformer in your bodies -- work on the order and the body scan

2.  Self-Practice Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours) 

• Go to the studio and do the entire Beginner Reformer repertoire on EVERY spring load
  
  • Every movement on 4 springs, then 3 springs, then 2 springs then 1
  • Write down what you notice happens
    • What muscles engage or turn off? 
    • Are you using power or control?
    • What adjustments do you need to make in your body to account for the spring load change?
• Find the opposition in each of the movements -- let go of the opposition and see what happens
• Take a session or a class at your host studio

3.  Observation Objective (Program Goal 25-30 Hours)

• Complete at least 2 hours of observation. Do you hear breath cues as it relates to arm work?  Do you hear abdominal cues as it relates to arm work?

4. Self-Study Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours)

• Watch the Arm Series & Crunches & Teaser/Teaser Prep videos at least 5 times -- internalize the cues and the body scan