General Housekeeping

Student Advisor: Sarah de Guia [email protected]

Admin Support: Gretchen Roberts [email protected]

As you know, each Monday an email will arrive in your inbox with all of the information you will need to continue to move forward with your studies and practice.

I promise that:

• Each email will be robust and long but valuable. 
• Every section has a heading so you can easily source the information you seek.  While the headings remain the same every week, the content will change. 
• Every email will be numbered in the subject line so you can track and search your inbox with ease

You promise that:

• You will take the time to read each email through to the end (doesn't all have to be read at once)
• The email will be your first stop when looking for information/links or assignments

This Week's Objective : Precision within the movements of the Beginner System

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 precise 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 to create more precise movement (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. Look for the modulation in the voice -- are you having fun teaching the ab series or are you as tortured as your client -- your voice needs to reflect fun and energy 
  • Dump the book as soon as you can
• Master teaching Footwork on the Reformer
  • Setting up Footwork properly in all four foot positions
  • Drawing the client's attention to the breath and how it powers the movement
  • Look at the movement and determine the difference between someone who is "riding the springs" and using all leg versus someone who is using their breath/abdominal connection
  • Don't let your practice body be lazy with footwork.  Look for the precision.  Are the legs hugging the midline? Are the feet aligned? Are the shoulders down? Is the neck long? Is the breath driving the movement?

Self-Practice Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours) 

• Teach yourself the Beginner System 5 times this week.  Put the movements in your own body
• 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
• Observation Objective (Program Goal 25-30 Hours)
• Complete at least 2 hours of observation 
• Listen to how the Teachers cue the Ab Series,  Footwork/Breath/Abdominals 

Self-Study Objective (Program Goal 50 Hours)

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