I have been blogging sporadically for years. It’s been a sometimes on/off thing, or when I arrived at an “aha moment” or something exciting about a student to share. This year, I am now living my 58th year of life and I know I am on the path I need to be running. Since I have been encouraging students and clients, as we approach the new year to #MakeYourMagicHappen and #GetPilatesCentered because #PilatesMakesYouMove, I am taking a dose of my own medicine to going one step further by putting a stake in the ground with a new category to my blog as I capture the activities, people, places and work of my 58th Year with Pilates.
It’s not a New Years resolution for me, but the new year always gives time to reflect on what daily activities we are or are not doing. What things we may need to pay a little more attention to and which activities we can leave with yesterday’s trash. I am truly not suggesting that daily self-practice pictures will be taken and posted (I actually find it difficult to get my work done on the body, when I am worrying about what is or is not captured in the image or video) yet, I am planning write and visually blog about the activities each week. I’ll be connecting the dots and I looking for the “aha moments,” the magic of the circumstances, and the truth-telling in the eyes of myself and others.
I have been pinching myself a lot lately when I realize that I am actually loving, learning and teaching Pilates as a way of living my life – while I run the business of helping others to love, learn and live in their bodies – with this beautiful method of movement. So, yes my “self focused” and “self directed” health & fitness training has a daily activity plan. Pilates is a part of the week, but I won’t lie, it has not been a part of every day. I’d like it to be. Yet, life, business, schedules, clients and the necessity of sleep makes it a challenge.
So, as my mind rolled around how to “make my magic happen” in the new year for me, I found myself enjoying the freedom of Kathy Grant’s cat 
stretch (as taught by Blossom Leilani Crawford ) on the mat and played with the moves creatively in my mind and body while mulling over the unfolding weeks ahead. My client schedule was building to the point of almost overwhelming me to think about how would I ever fit a 60-90 session for myself into every day – whether it was blocked out on the calendar or not!
With all that as a backdrop, Week 1 unfolded fabulously.
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First workout of the New Year was in my home and used Juan Estrada’s text message of a Wunda Chair series, (although admittedly I did add a few more variations) which he called his “Hit It & Quit It” routine.
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Pulled my Reebok Core Boards out of dust storage in the corner and dragged them down to the studio for variation and variety in the studio and played with them myself in between client sessions. My advanced TRX Flow class found a new sensation in our use of the boards this week.
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Re-introduced Green Juice to my diet. I knew I would need the energy support with the way my calendar was unfolding. I have new-found appreciation for adding a Chia Shot to any juice (citrus or green) for the extra nutrients and tummy filler.
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Hung out with a group of women, 10 years older than me; and enjoyed the observation that no matter how old or young we are, no matter what race or background, our focus is always the same. It’s our bodies!It’s our hair! It’s our sexuality and our personal pleasure. Without going into depth, I enjoyed being the baby of the bunch and laughing about the
personal escapades (deliberately leaving out the details) of a bunch of Wellesley and Smith graduates – now in their late 60’s. -
They all got a hoot out of a video which is now my inspiration for the year. Who wouldn’t want to have the beauty, panache, vitality, lift and confidence to move like Tina – as shown in her her 2015 Berlin concert to celebrate her 76th BD! (You should really click this link!! #justsayin’)
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My first check of the year was written to sign up for Blossom Leilani Crawford workshop at the end of the month. As I told Juan, I didn’t care what the workshop was about, I just wanted to be in the mix (a couple of times this year) under her tutelage.
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Flexibility Friday
Today, as I write the details of WeekOne of #YR58Pilates, and my first Flexibility Friday session at 6am. As a part of “doing something everyday to move,” I consciously decide the activity and keep my appointment with myself. Friday is my commitment for an early AM flexibility & stretch day.
I started by warming up the SmartSpine track and moving through a long 40 minute, slow-motion lengthening sequence that I simply allowed my body to find and explore, naturally in free flow movements, without regard for order or rigid steps. I basically moved to warm, open and free the joints. The movements mirrored (sorta) the Hundred, RollUp/Rollover SL Circle and the Series of Five. I pulled deep in the back extensors and into that SmartSpine track to feel every vertebra while making very long, luxurious slow motion stretch and reach and stretch. No pictures, of course. It was 6am!
[image_with_text_over width=’one_third’ image=’https://www.pilates4fitness.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Screen-Shot-2016-01-10-at-7.47.19-AM.png’ icon=’fa-asterisk’ icon_size=’fa-4x’ icon_color=’#141313′ title=” title_color=’#faee0a’ title_size=” title_tag=’h2′]
[/image_with_text_over]Then, I used the Wunda chair for Spine Stretch Forward along with a lateral rotational reach. Turned over to work the backline on the Wunda in Semi Circle in slow motion – all while still laying on the HEATED SmartSpine track – so as to relish in the sensation of every inch and every fiber of my legs as I worked the pedal of the Wunda. This is a keeper. Glad I wrote it down.
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Gina Jackson, is a classically trained Pilates Teacher and has been teaching along the Gold Coast of Hudson and Bergen County, NJ for the past fifteen+ years.
Certified by Power Pilates of New York, Gina has trained with Master Teachers Bob Liekens, Susan Moran and Brett Howard; loved workshop training with Cary Regan and Blossom Leilani-Crawford and has particularly enjoyed listening to the personal stories as told by Pilates Elders, Kathy Grant and Lolita San Miguel.
An active teacher and blogger, Gina manages a private personal training business supporting a myriad of clients, teaching all to honor their health, strength and life with the principles of Pilates at its core.