Pilates is, for everyone, something different - for some a release, others a workout or challenge, and others a dose of ease and peace. But I don't think anyone who has ever sat on that sometimes dreaded mat, thought they wouldn't come back for one more hundred, jackknife or abdominal series.
I came to Pilates about a year ago, knees relatively injured from crew and years of hard court sports, I had read much about the "mysterious" form of exercise called Pilates, understanding some of the explanations, but always wondering what exactly people were doing moving about those wooden boxes. My first handful of mat classes were with a woman who was just learning the art herself; looking back there was much left out of those sessions, but it was enough to get me hooked.
When I moved to the DC area seven months ago I immediately began scouring the Web for a pilates studio, partly as a way to ground myself in this new area, but also for the athletic challenge. I came upon Excel's Web site, saw the mat classes and thought it was at least a good place to start. After my first Beginning Mat class with Jill I realized a few things: first, there was so much more to learn about this exercise from history to technique. Second, the studio was fantastic; Jill managed to balance fun, knowledge, and a grueling workout. Oh yes, I was also abruptly introduced to my seemingly weak core, the areas they never tell you about as you innocently sit down on your mat.
One aspect of Excel that is invaluable is the quality of the teachers. I say teachers and not instructors because it is more than a body standing in front of a group giving direction; each has a different, yet equally knowledgeable style of instruction. All with a smile, humor and understanding that makes the environment non-intimidating, allowing for an uncensored debacle of what must surely be a spectacle of open-leg rockers and the like.
After months of faithful Saturday classes with Jill, I have managed to move up to intermediate, even if some days I feel more "beginner" than others. I have learned much more about Pilates, it's form and purpose, and thanks to Kate, I am beginning to understand exactly what does go on, on a certain wooden box, not to mention some of the other contraptions that line the walls. Certain movements have improved certain nemesis still thwart me no matter how hard I try to scoop them away.
But I am still hooked and loving every challenging, awkward moment. I guess, in the end, Pilates helps each of us feel all of those things: disciplined, focused, delicate, quiet, and strong. For me it is a sense of calming challenge, of pushing myself just a little further than I thought I could go each time; the movements themselves are an education. I may not be to the graceful, elegant and fluid level yet, but thanks to the dedication, patience and humor of the teachers at Excel, I think I may just be on my way...
