Movement is not just for the body, it also feeds the soul.

People will always remember how you made them feel and this can be achieved in so many different ways. It’s the little details that, might not seem like much in isolation, however together they create the opportunity to take people on a journey of self discovery.

Think about a time when you have felt moved by an experience. Maybe it was a trip to a day spa or retail store - remember the smell as soon as you walked in, the warm inviting lighting, the soft welcoming smile you’re greeted with as soon as you entered.

You might not have registered it straight away, but you left feeling good about yourself. These little interactions outside of the actual event (in this case the massage you got at the spa or the candles you bought at the store) made a lasting impression on you and as a result you have an overall greater experience.

Relate this to a Pilates class. Your members are coming to the studio for a workout. A chance to move their bodies. However, if you can add these extra bits or interactions, they may experience something much greater than just sore muscles.

These moments, not only deepen your members relationships with themselves, but it also encourages a stronger bond with you. They start to trust you more and feel safe.

We all long to belong, so creating a space that allows your members to feel safe & explore their mind & body is something so valuable and rewarding.

A good place to start is to self reflect and ask the following questions;

• How do I want my members to feel at each phase of the class?

• Have I received feedback on what makes my members come back to my classes?

• What are some qualities I can bring to my classes that feel authentic to me?

Using these as a guide, you might start to brainstorm some ways in which you can elevate the overall experience of your class.

We all know there is so much that goes into a class beyond the actual movement itself, so I have included some common points to touch on when reflecting on the environment you’re creating for your members.

Tone of voice

Tone & delivery is everything.

There is a big difference between a soft, shaky, unsure voice saying ‘you can do this’ and a strong, uplifting, confident voice saying ‘I know you can do this’. Tone of voice is also a great tool to use to set the vibe/energy for the class.

For example to open/close a class, you might use a softer and slower tone of voice, to invite members to tune inwards and focus on their breath, whereas if you are wanting your members to push more/embrace the challenges of the class, you might start to use a more powerful tone that requires more projection.

Language

The words you chose to motivate have the opportunity to build a stronger sense of self esteem. However, they also have the opportunity to do the opposite - highlighting insecurities.

For example; making a point about moving to ‘lose weight’ or get ‘summer ready’ might make your members feel uncomfortable, even if your intention was to motivate them.

Think about how you might like to be spoken to during a workout and what kinds of words feel inspiring & inviting to you. Although your words may not resonate with everyone, they can go a long way in creating a positive environment that allows your members to feel seen and heard. This might sound extremely obvious, however sometimes you can speak without being aware of what you’re saying.

For example; ‘don’t lift your front heel, go lower, try harder’, see how it feels to hear that. now listen to this; ‘ground down in to your front heel to see if you can find more range’. Although it might be minor, the change of wording can have a huge impact on how it makes your members feel.

Remember we are there to not only guide but support and encourage. Most people like to be spoken to with positive affirmations, rather than negative language.

Your language can also reflect your personality and give your members a chance to get closer to you.

Finding words or phrases that feel good on you allows you to be authentic, so have some fun with it and remember you don’t have to sound like everyone else.

Lighting

If you’re in a space where lighting is controllable, think about how you want the lighting to set the scene.

There is nothing worse than coming to a class early to get out of your head and the ceiling lights are so bright that you do the opposite and get over stimulated.

Dimming the lights where possible is a great way to create a welcoming space and to give people permission to switch off from their busy lives.

You can also use lighting to mark where you are in a class. As the class starts to warm up and work towards the peak, you might turn the lights up slightly to let people get ready to raise their energy levels. Or as you start to close the practice, lights become low as an invitation to slow down and come back to their internal space/breath.

Holding space

The energetic dance between you and your members that involves you meeting them where they’re at, while fully guiding and supporting them to explore their movement potential.

A lot of the time holding space is found in the in-between moments, the moments of silence to allow your members to fully immerse themselves in the experience. This requires you to be present, constantly gauging the energy of the room and what is required in each moment.

This is a skill that takes practice and time, so if it is something that is unfamiliar to you, take it slow.

You might start by being more present in the class and catching yourself when your mind starts to drift off.

Another way to implement holding space is to pause after setting up a shape, allowing your members to feel it first in their bodies, rather than explaining where they might feel it.

Holding space is something that changed the game for me, when it came to members experience. I found members were able to fully be present in the class and were even able to deepen their pilates practice while strengthening their relationship with themselves.

Your personal touch

This is where your personal teaching style or personality come into play.

Your teaching style is what sets you apart from others and a lot of the time, builds a strong relationship with your members.

There are endless ways to create personal moments and finding what is authentic to you is the key as your authenticity acts as a magnet.

Self study is a great resource to explore ways of offering your members a unique experience.

For example; if you are someone who journals daily, maybe you can add this into your practice. It might be as simple as giving your members a journal prompt at the start of class, to explore throughout their practice & day. Or maybe you’re someone who loves essentials oils and offers this as a part of your stretch & cool down to close the practice. Most of the time its not what you do, but how you do it, so if you don’t align with journalling or essentials oil, don’t make it apart of your class.

Your teaching style might just be the way you communicate, maybe your someone who loves to chat so your classes are more conversational where you share stories about your dog or pet rabbit. Or perhaps you like your classes to feel like a dance party, so you keep the vibes high with bangers and dance moves to make your members laugh.

Whatever it may be, be confident & true in who are and bring it into your teaching.

Which brings me back to my point about being authentically you. The more you explore yourself, the more you can share with your members.

Creating an inviting environment, allows people to get lost in the moment, out of their heads and into their body & soul.

I could talk about this all day so I really hope this was a useful starting point. If you loved this article and want to dive more deeply into this topic, let me know and maybe we can run a workshop.