It’s June, I am on track with my “personal practice” plan, yet constantly in a state of tweaking. I am attracted to an array of movement disciplines, to maintain my strength, mobility and health and admit I can fall off my practice in the absence of a planned approach. I find at this point, working in a semi-private, either live or virtual, is the best way to keep “walking my own talk” and stay consistent in my practice of maintaining my body and strength.
I give myself private practice time for cardio ( cycling 2x week) which also doubles as mind clearing, fresh air movement therapy. I use the Hudson River Walk (which runs from Jersey City to the GWB) and an 8 mile RT ride to Hoboken and back. It is generally enough to free my mind and work up a bit of sweat.
My friends and colleagues often comment that they think I am a “ninja warrior” with the practice clips I post, sharing the strange mobility drills and tools I play with using weighted rope, club swing, mobility sticks, TRX and the weighted balls. They keep me moving, keep all my joints, tendons and ligaments juiced and free of entanglement. That’s the purpose of moving. The more intricate the movement, the more entranced I become in making it part of my repertoire and therapy. I try to do one or more of these 1x or 2x a week.
It’s the private instruction/correction with 2nd GenMaster, (primarily Brett Howard, for the past 15 years), that keeps me happy, humble and committed to this work. I only miss a session when he is traveling the globe. No matter where we work in the studio, I am fully present and grateful of his clarity, instruction and sometimes deconstruction of the movements and sequences across the apparatus.
We work and we share and chat about damn near everything. My private sessions are booked in advance 2x monthly.
The conversation in my head is, “how can you possibly let all this equipment sit here unused???"
I do enjoy my Pilates practice — on my own — as well; frequently jumping on the Reformer, Tower, Wunda or Barrel in my own studio space for 30-45 minutes. A little something every day. The conversation in my head is, “how can you let all this equipment sit here unused???” So I schedule time for myself as a “movement meditation” to work on the things my body needs and let go of everyone else’s energy.
Clearly these solo practice sessions don’t happen every day. Or truthfully, they don’t happen often enough.
And because that, it’s the semi-private sessions, with 2ndGenMasters, that fully engage me virtually for the full hour and that I will never, ever let stop. I am aware how easy it is with a solo practice session to find/allow distractions thru phone/texts, leggings snag, dust balls or cobwebs get in the way of my focus. Yet, commitment of the time, money, teacher and practice …. bi-weekly or bi-monthly …. ensures that I am fully engaged 100% of the time and thus, “walking my talk.”
Clare Dunphy-Hemani, has been my go-to for quite a while for a semi with other teachers virtually connected. I try and catch her on the alternate weeks that I am not working privately with Brett. Love the variety always added in her approach to movement. Specifically, I really appreciate her “fitness world” background, blending and training coupled with her rich love, knowledge and appreciation for the the Classical Pilates repertoire.
While this particular clip was a few years ago (early Covid years), and I am not alone in the virtual room with her; I am joyously following the rhythm, cues and sequence with her in fluid, flowing energy. We are in synch and “walking the talk.”
Just as we did today … four years later
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.