I don’t exactly know when I decided I wanted to teach Pilates. The best way to describe it was that I was called to do it.

I was very active as a child. Gymnastics was my first love. Then I started with dance and cheerleading—the dance stuck. (The cheerleading most definitely did not.) But mostly I loved just being able to move. Running around, making shapes, exploring the spaces around me.

During elementary school and junior high, I was bullied for “standing out.” Sometimes it was because I had opinions when the boys in the class would rather me stay quiet. Sometimes it was my girl “friends” who thought I was too quiet and working too hard in school. Or I was dressed too fancy or too weird. (Hey, that purple sweatsuit was hot!)

I frequently felt like I needed to hide in a corner just so I could be myself. And, in fact, I did. At recess, I would go out into the field and do cartwheels, or practice back handsprings, or whatever new trick I wanted to master. (I’m an introvert, so despite the social ramifications of a girl doing cartwheels by herself in an elementary school field, I quite enjoyed it.)

But ironically, the thing that ended up being my passion and later, my career, was theatre. It just felt right, every time I stepped on a stage to perform. I felt free, I wasn’t judged, I could just be myself…or whomever I wanted to be! I got to come out of my “corner” in a safe way.

I also felt a strong pull to be of service to my community. Health and health promotion was of particular interest; I loved the idea of people empowering themselves with knowledge to improve their quality of life.

During college at UC Berkeley, I majored in Dramatic Art. The department was going through a tough time financially, and parts in plays were tough to come by. I was frustrated. So, I decided to take some dance classes and audition for dance shows. Terrifying, but I felt it was something I had to do. To my shock, I got cast! And I kept getting cast…in dance shows.

By my junior year, I was spending most of my days and nights in the dance studio or onstage…I had accidentally become more of a dancer than an actor! Dance became my minor in college—mostly because I had poured so many hours into doing this thing that I loved.

Upon graduating from college, I secured my dream job that combined all my loves with my desire to serve: I became a Performer & Health Educator for a touring theatre company run by the health organization Kaiser Permanente. Over 15+ years, I was able to visit schools and organizations all over California, doing musical theatre shows about healthy habits, bullying & conflict resolution, nutrition & physical activity, HIV & STI prevention…you name it, I probably did a show about it (Recycling! Asthma! Diabetes! Bike Safety! The list goes on…).

Later, I also got to create and produce the shows, as well as write much of their teaching content and help recruit and scout new talent. It was an all-consuming job, with demanding hours and lots of travel. By 2015, I had done almost every job in the company, in 2 different geographical regions. I loved it…and I was exhausted. I needed to move on.

For several years, I had been fascinated by the idea of Pilates. I hadn’t done much of it—and NONE of the work on the apparatus. I just had these 2 Pilates mat videos that I did in my home—one of which became my only source of exercise while recovering from foot surgery in 2002. Those videos kept me moving though some tough times.

I could feel it, this Pilates was a thing I needed to do more of. Again, I was terrified, but I just felt called to do it. I developed a little fantasy of becoming a Pilates teacher, getting to wear leggings and workout gear to work, maybe even having my own little studio someday.

But I was fearful of change and risk. I had let my all-consuming job be the “excuse” that stopped me from pursuing my Pilates path. So it took me a couple of years. Once I got the courage up to actually take the plunge, with much encouragement from my fiancé (now husband) and my family, I jumped in with both feet! And I’ll never regret it.

I did my Comprehensive Teacher Training Certificate with Body Arts & Science International in 2011. My employers helped too—they let me work part-time so I could still earn money and have partial benefits while making the transition to teaching! What a blessing.

Then, as soon as I passed my test-out, I started immediately going to additional trainings. I couldn’t get enough Pilates. I passed the PMA Certification test (now called the National Pilates Teacher Certification test), started diving deeper into the classical Pilates method, as well as other teaching specialties. Then, in 2016, I stumbled upon the opportunity to buy Montclair Village Pilates from my friend and colleague Cynthia Rodriguez (who, coincidentally, I met years before, because we performed together in dance shows at UC Berkeley)!

So, almost 20 years after my accidental foray into becoming a “dancer,” things had come full circle. I was back in a studio day and night.

My little fantasy had actually turned into a real thing. And I recognized, it’s deeper than just “teaching Pilates.” I was helping facilitate movement so people can improve their own lives. I was helping people learn to love moving. (Or at least not dread it!) I created a safe and welcoming space for all bodies to practice in a non-judgemental, non-competitive environment. It was awesome. I was really proud of it.

But truthfully? I felt a little bit like I was hiding in my corner. Doing my little Pilates secretly in my own little space…and it was time to emerge. Because this thing is bigger than me. I’ve seen Pilates help so many people…enough people to be convinced that Pilates needs to be shared with way more people, all over the world. And I can’t do it all by myself in a corner.

So now, nearly 4 years into being a studio owner, I was called to help others find their way on their own Pilates journey. But the question was, how?

Last year, I heard Heather Erdmann talking on the Pilates Unfiltered podcast. She had started this teacher training program that sounded like it matched my ethos. What stood out to me the most:

Inclusivity
Honoring the original Pilates work
…While recognizing more recent contributions, research, biomechanics, and smart modifications for diverse groups
Helping people feel better with Pilates
Being kind. THAT was the kicker for me.

Immediately, I felt like I needed to start a conversation with her. So after a couple of conversations with Heather and some soul searching on my end, I decided to dive in to a new chapter of the journey: hosting a teacher training program at my studio. And now it’s official!

I am super excited to bring Pure Body Teacher Training to Montclair Village Pilates.

For the entire year of 2020, and one month of 2021, I will be hosting this in-depth, comprehensive teacher training program. It’s about one weekend of in-person learning per month, and teacher trainees will be responsible for 600 additional hours of practice, student teaching, and observation (much of which is welcome to be done at MVP).

I won’t sugar coat it. Becoming a teacher is a long journey. It’s a lot of work. It demands a ton of patience and energy. It will ask you to reach into the depths of your soul and summon strength you didn’t know you had.

And it’s worth it.

So if you feel like you need to come out of your corner—whether with Pilates, or some other thing you’ve been dreaming of, you can do it.

I’m rooting for you! (And I’ll probably be wearing something fun, too.)

Me, circa 2017, rocking my fun clothes and my lateral ribcage shift.

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to reach out with any thoughts you may have. :)

Xoxo,

Krista

The Girl in the Corner: My Pilates Teaching Journey

All Bodies Welcome