Classical Pilates for the Modern World with Alisa Wyatt

awesome Pilates workout absolutely anywhere

Would you have liked to have taken a class from Joseph Pilates himself?

It would have been pretty awesome, don’t you think?

Unfortunately, most of the instructors and Pilates devotees today didn’t have the privilege of working with the Genius of the Method but first generation teachers still possess the knowledge and spark that they learned from Joe himself.

The more time passes by the less likely we are to take Pilates just the way it was created by Joseph Pilates. But one instructor and her supportive husband set out on a journey to preserve the Pilates Method as close to the original Work as possible.

Alisa Wyatt has created a Pilates video website where anyone can take classes and workshops taught by Jay Grimes (first generation teacher), Bob Liekens, Alycea Ungaro (author of the Pilates bestsellers Pilates: Body in Motion, The Pilates Promise and The Pilates Practice Companion) as well as other wonderful second generation teachers.

Just a couple of days ago I took my first class on Pilatesology (Alisa’s “Pilates child.”) I loved the fact that I could pick the Apparatus and props to use in the workout, the length as well as the intensity level. I took a 30-minute Reformer with Magic Circle workout with Tiziana Trovati.

It was like a breath of fresh air for me. It was fluid, energetic and masterfully cued. My back and my obliques were on fire and I picked up great teaching cues to use with my clients.
Today I am planning on trying the advanced Combo Platter Mat with Alisa (just 20 minutes for a total body activation.) Pilatesology is really like having a classical Pilates studio in your living room!

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I had a chance to talk to Alisa about classical Pilates and what lessons she learned from the first generation teachers like Romana Kryzanowska, Jay Grimes, Ron Fletcher and Kathy Grant.
Alisa also shared her tips on how to transition from a demanding stressful job to living her passion as a Pilates instructor and a studio owner.

Listen to the interview carefully to learn how to cue the most hard-to-understand Pilates exercises as well as the best way to teach a first session with a client.

And of course don’t miss the #1 piece of advice for any Pilates instructor at the end of the interview.

Alisa Wyatt

Transcript of the video

1. Alisa, how did your Pilates journey begin?

I grew up loving the movement. One of my favorite classes in high school was human anatomy. In college I studied something else and ended up in a publishing job in New York City. I spent a lot of time every day figuring out what dance class, movement class or aerobics or kickboxing classes I was going to do that evening. One day one of my of my co-workers told me how much fun she had hanging upside down during a Pilates class. A little bell went off “Ha, that’s something I haven’t tried. It sounds interesting.” I immediately went online and looked up Pilates. Lucky for me, my office was very close to Romana Kryzanowska’s studio. I thought to myself, “This Pilates thing sounds amazing. And this woman who inherited Pilates from Joseph Pilates is right around the corner.”

I booked a session and I was very nervous. Romana walked up to me and said,
“So, you have a lesson. It’s your first time.”
“Yes,” I said.
“well, tell what you think Pilates is in 3 words.”
I had no idea.
She said “It’s strength, stretch and control. The control is the best part because it makes you use your mind. Now let’s get to work.”

That was the beginning of my journey. I never thought that I wanted to be a teacher but I immediately wanted to go through their teacher training program just because I wanted to learn anything I could about this great method for me.

My job was all-consuming at the time but about half-way through the teacher training program I realized “Maybe this is something I could do. At that time I knew that I didn’t want to become my boss in publishing.”

I finished the program and thought, “Gosh, I really like being a teacher. Maybe this is something I can do while I figure out my next step.”

And here I am, 15 years later.

2. You have transitioned from a high-powered publishing job to being a full-time Pilates instructor. It can be a scary step for many beginner instructors today. Can you give any tips on how to make that leap of faith and what to watch out for?

The scariest thing was losing the security of a paycheck and all the benefits that came along.

Things that I really helped me:

I worked in a studio for a little bit to gain the confidence and experience from other instructors around me. That really helped me find my voice.
I started teaching some mat classes near the place where I lived. Even though mat classes weren’t what Joe taught himself in his studio, It’s a valuable way to learn to teach as an instructor because it forces you to project and speak to a group and get them moving.
I wanted to be my own boss (it was exactly why I quit my publishing job), so I bought a Reformer and put it in my living room. I started building my own clients list.
The best way to grow your own business is through referrals. People who love you will tell others about you.

3. Alisa, you call yourself a Pilates purist and you had a privilege of studying with the first generation Pilates instructors like Romana Kryzanowska, Kathy Grant and Jay Grimes. How does your teaching reflect the classical education that you got?

I had all the intentions to learn from the first generation teachers who are not going to be around for much longer. I sought out Kathy Grant, took classes from Ron Fletcher whenever he was in town, and many other first-generation teachers.

From Romana I learned this real joy of movement. Romana was all about grabbing life by the hands and using your body fully.

Kathy Grant had this amazing eye for finding in your body what you needed. Then he would come and touch you. Her touch was electric.

Jay Grimes has this approach that the less you can talk to your clients and the fewer instructions you can give them to get the result the more they are able to observe the movement and what you are asking in their bodies.

What I learned from all of them is “Make your client move vigorously and all of the rest will fall in place.”

Jay Grimes says

“When you become a Pilates teacher you will see a lot of poorly done movement. That’s fine as long as they are safe. Just keep them moving and they will get better.”

4. Pilates as any other discipline evolves over time. What parts of the Pilates method do you think must be preserved in their purity and which ones can change to reflect the needs of the modern society?

I enjoy any type of movement and love different modern classes that incorporate Pilates exercises or principles. But if I practice Pilates in the simplest, purest form closest to the way Joseph Pilates or my teachers taught me, then I get the best results.

Even when I try to try something different thinking “Maybe it will work better,” I find that what he created really works best. I really don’t feel like I have to add anything to it.

5. Who did you create Pilatesology for?

Pilatesology is for regular people who want to practice but don’t have a teacher near them. We have many classes that don’t require any apparatus or use small props like arm weights. These classes can really be for anyone from a basic level to an advanced level.
Pilatesology is an information resource for teachers that they can learn from.
Pilatesology has classes for certain body issues or injuries.
It’s a time capsule that captures what classical Pilates is at this moment.

Take a look at all classes on Pilatesology.

6. How do you pick instructors that you film for Pilatesology?

All of our teachers are either trained by Joseph Pilates himself (Jay Grimes) or worked extensively with Romana Kryzanowska and were trained through her program.

7. What is the hardest exercise to teach in your opinion? (mat or reformer)

One of the hardest movements for the students to understand is the Swan dive whether they are doing it on the Reformer, mat or the Barrel. Even though they have been working really hard to pull everything together in the front of their bodies they flip over on their stomachs and start opening up. It’s really difficult combination of back bending and extension while keeping yourself together.

8. Can you share with us your creative way of cuing this exercise (from #7) and what to watch out for?

If I am on the mat, I’ll give my students the following cues

“Elongate the spine like you are a snake going through the woods. Imagine that somebody needs to slip a paper underneath your belly so that you are pulling your stomach in as you are starting to lift up into your extension. That helps you support your lower back.”

One of the things that I will often see when people are learning this movement is that their lower back collapses because their stomach isn’t learning to pull in. Or they’ll begin the movement of lifting up by pushing their stomach out. The feeling of lifting up as you are extending is really the key.

I always remember Kathy Grant teaching me. She would either have me imagine that I had a ball in front of my nose and I was going to roll the ball away with my nose. And that started the lift. And then she would have me look at every inch of the floor as if I was painting a line with my eyes. She would really emphasize it because I was really impatient to get to the top. But she would always say “Paint the entire floor and all the way up the wall.” It really helps you to lift up equally.

9. When a client takes the first session with you what do you usually focus on?

It depends on the person.

If a person comes to me for the first time who is generally healthy and doesn’t have any issues going on in the body I’ll give them a very basic Reformer, not too much. I want them to be able to absorb and feel successful. Then I’ll take them to the mat and give them a basic mat. If they are healthy enough I’ll give them a little more than the first 7 basic mat exercises. I’ll finish the session with something for their body depending on what they need. Maybe the person needs to feel their center a little bit more so I’ll give them something like Breathing on the Cadillac. Or if they don’t have a good connection to their lower body then I’ll give them something on the Electric Chair.

I often work with athletes. I know that they are used to working really hard. One their first lesson I’ll often give them only a mat workout. I won’t talk much but be very hands-on so they can really absorb and feel the movement.

10. Do you use a lot of touch cues or verbal cuing?

I really try as much as I can to touch because I personally learn so much through touch in my own life. When teaching I do use my hands a lot and try to use less talk even though I am a very verbal person.

It is really for an instructor to stop talking but I try to give just one explanation and then shut up and see what happens.

11. What is your personal definition of Pilates?

There is a saying that Joseph Pilates said that Life is a balance of work, rest and play. For me Pilates is all three of those.

There is a lot of work involved. A lot of people come to Pilates thinking that it is just stretching and that you have to be very flexible. I always say that it is strengthening and really makes you work your body.

It is playful. There is a lot of fun to be had in Pilates.

It created this really fabulous balance, not only in your body. I believe that what happens in your life happens through your body. That’s what really got me excited about Pilates and made me think that it was something I could do for life. I noticed that people who did Pilates (like teachers) were really balanced, they seemed really comfortable in themselves. I think that being confident in your body and in your movement trickles out to the rest of your life.

12. What are your favorite Pilates resources?

Pilatesology is an awesome resource that any teacher can learn from.
Your own workout. As a teacher plan at least 1 hour to book a lesson with someone you respect or at least work out on your own. At the end o the lesson ask yourself “What is one thing that I learned today?” This is what Romana asked us after every workshop, every apprenticeship and every session. It was her goal to know that we learned something every time.
After your 1-hour workout write down what you felt in your body. Keep these notes because you will refer to them and they will be your bible. I have notes on every injury that I’ve had and every client that I worked with. I go back to these notes every time that I am facing a similar issue with my clients.
Joe’s books, his explanations of the exercises in Return to Life through Contrology.
Videos of teachers that I love and respect.

13. What is your #1 piece of advice for any Pilates instructor?

Move in your own body, have fun and get your clients to move their bodies. I fell in love with Pilates the way it was taught to me because it made me feel very complete and full.
I had injuries in the past and went to different practitioners for help. Every time these practitioners looked at me like at someone who was broken. They would analyze me and tell what I need to do to get better. I’ve never experienced that in Pilates. It was always “Wow, look at you! Look what you can do with your body!”

Teach your clients to enjoy their bodies and love moving.

7 Pilates facts about Alisa

PilatesBridge:How often do you personally practice Pilates?
Alisa Wyatt: I always take 1 session a week with a teacher I respect. Beyond that I do about 2 additional quick workouts whether they are on the mat or Wunda Chair or something quick and fun like a series of Hanging Pull Ups on the Cadillac plus a hang upside down. Pilates is my fix for all of the other things I love to do like playing volleyball, hiking, surfing and it makes me better at all of them.
PB: 3 of your favorite Pilates mat exercises.
AW: They are all fantastic but I always slow down when I get to the Saw because it feels so good to wring out my torso, the Double Leg Kicks are my instant posture fix and Boomerang is everything fun about Pilates in one exercise.
PB: 3 of your favorite Reformer exercises.
AW: Short Spine Massage (who doesn’t love it?!), Tendon Stretch (the second one) because you get to be upside down and then there are crazy variations like one leg side and back and the side, Semi-Circle because every time I do it my back feels amazing, it’s like the most delicious medicine.
PB: Your favorite piece of Pilates apparatus.
AW: I love the way an originally designed Wunda Chair looks when it’s set up as an actual chair and I equally love doing a workout with it.
PB: What’s your favorite equipment manufacturer?
AW: Gratz
PB: The worst Pilates cue you’ve ever heard.
AW: Turn your toes out because Joe Pilates was a sailor. Huh???
PB: The main thing Pilates taught you over the years.
AW: You have immense power to care for yourself, there is very little that won’t fix itself with consistent attention and care.