“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” - Henri-Louis Bergson

We as teachers often talk about helping our students or clients become self-sufficient and/or gain autonomy in their practice of Pilates. But do we really commit to that? Does our teaching style encourage that? Or in some ways do we perpetuate their dependance on us?

Perhaps we need a different type of partnership as people age, acknowledging the variety of motivations for their participation, and delving into that while being a guide and a support. There is more to this relationship than simply telling people what they need and what to do. Too often “seniors” in our society are not respected as being capable of directing their own lives and care – especially women, and particularly in the medical field. Often, newcomers to Pilates are coming from a medically-driven type of referral.

Many people who begin Pilates when they are older are coming with all manner of restrictions and maybe even fears about what they cannot or should not do. Then there are those who have been practicing Pilates for their entire adult life and want to continue in the same vein.

Who determines what is enough? And how does anyone know this? There are more possibilities for creative solutions if we don’t come into the situation with the script already written.

In this workshop you will hear directly from several older clients; each from differing situations and amounts Pilates experience. We will also spend time exploring how you might develop a practice yourself that cultivates sensitivity, appreciation of daily changes, and understanding that nothing is solid or the same day to day. If you learn this about yourself, then you can truly encourage and help facilitate this in others.