Priti’s adventures in FAMI (part 1 of 3)

FAMI begins this week!  We couldn’t be more pumped.  Can’t make it this year? Already coming but want more?  Read on for the first of THREE live FAMI blog posts, authored by Priti Radhakrishnan, who is attending the workshop for the first time this year:

The Great Unknown

So I have a confession. Tomorrow’s FAMI, the conference I’m attending that’s about the intersection of medicine and movement. It should be exactly that, a conference. But for some reason, I’m nervous! In that deep-in-the-pit-of-my-stomach, don’t-know-what-to-expect way.

I have no idea why I’m nervous. Let’s see – I signed up for the conference because I heard from all these folks who attended in the past that its great, life-changing even. As a fitness professional it helps you go deep - crazy deep – and see the insides of bodies, to see the injuries we only hear about from our clients. From what I hear, you never see a human body in the same way again.

Aha! Now I know why I’m nervous. I’m getting flashbacks to my pre-med days, days where the smell of formaldehyde could send me running from my college laboratory, where the thought of seeing people’s insides would turn me inside out. Plus, the conference will be presented by all these expert doctors. Am I even going to be able to follow what they are talking about? Is it going to be all medical jargon?

My worries aside, I have to tell you that I am really excited about the next 5 days. I checked out a sneak peek of the syllabus this week, and it looks mad cool. Well, cool for an anatomy geek that is. There’s a day on the back, shoulder and knee each, and aside from seeing what injuries look like in the flesh (no pun intended – ha!) we also get to hear from experts about how they see that intersection of medicine and movement. I loved learning about special populations in my teacher training, but this is four days of getting all the down ‘n dirty, nitty gritty of those body parts we love – intervertebral discs, rotator cuffs, and more.

I’ll write again from the conference to give you a peek at what’s happening.  And to tell you if I survive seeing those dead body parts! Stay tuned….

Read more about Priti’s adventures here: Part 1, Part 2. To learn more about FAMI, visit famiworkshop.com. 

 

 

 

 

 

Priti’s Pilates Adventures (cont.)

The 2nd installment of Priti’s adventures is here! Our dedicated mentee shares more on her journey through our Advanced Mentor Program and her ever-growing love for Pilates:

My core, my center

Once again I’m struck by how much I have gained from practicing Pilates. I am so much stronger, more flexible and centered than I was a few years ago. This last piece is what I have been mulling over lately: being centered.

Every person who finds out I do Pilates smiles and says something about “the core”. I’m pretty sure they mean strong abs, and that’s certainly true: My abs are kickin’ these days.

But there’s another dimension to the idea of the core that doesn’t get talked about enough, and that’s the part of the Pilates experience where you actually find your emotional, spiritual, mental core. I spent the better part of the last two decades trying to find a place within me that was centered, and I found it through this practice. I bet others have too. We just don’t talk about it that way.

Somewhere along the way we put Pilates into a box, didn’t we? Something along the lines of…yoga is spiritual and calming, and Pilates strengthens your core. But I think that categorization diminishes the essence of the practice and frankly, sells it short!

A good Pilates teacher (and I’ve been lucky, having studied under amazing ones over the last few years!) will take you to that centered place. But its not like yoga in the U.S. where a teacher will open with overt chants, lectures or wise words. Not dissin’ yoga, I love a good class as much as the next New Yorker, but I like the understated way Pilates gets you to a peaceful place. A good teacher is able to guide a student to her core both physically and in the other ways, without ever making it explicit. I dig that.

Part of what I’ve been exploring lately is how to help folks connect their mind and bodies. I’ve been “travelling” with clients, just flowing and helping them use their breath to release themselves physically….and in a sideways backwards upside down path, mentally and emotionally too. Its been an incredible journey and I think I’m finally getting it, what the intent behind Pilates was when it was first developed. More on this soon. But for now, the most interesting thing for me has been walking with clients – New Yorkers, and you know how we do it – who don’t want to be still, to find this place of stillness. It’s a tightrope act of not saying too much, but saying things right, of figuring out who they are and what they want, and how to give them what they really need. That first little breath, of inhalation inspiration, of letting that oxygen flow to that oh-so-tight place and helping it release. Once it hits, my job is easy – they’re hooked, even the hardcore fitness folks. I’m loving, loving this part of the process.

Not everyone thinks that Pilates can fully take you to that quiet place within yourself. A physical therapist I know believes that while a yoga practice can help you quiet the mind and go deep within yourself, Pilates is still goal-oriented so the mind doesn’t necessarily have the same opportunity to find stillness. I can see where she’s coming from, but differ in my take on this. In my practice of Pilates I have found a stillness I did not know before. And there is beauty in that calm.

Note to Pilates enthusiasts: Want to learn more about the Pilates Mind-Body Connection, focusing on the breath? Attend the inaugural Teacher’s Lab, taught by Priti, on July 28th at 3:30pm (by donation only).

About the author:

Priti Radhakrishnan is a Pilates teacher in New York City. She received her certification in both mat and equipment from the Kane School/Kinected and is certified in both pre-natal and post-partum Pilates. Prior to embarking on her journey as a Pilates teacher, Priti worked for nearly a decade as an attorney fighting for access to affordable medicines for patients living in poverty in the developing world. She has lived, traveled and worked in over 20 countries.

Priti came to Pilates through rehabilitation after sustaining dance-related injuries, introducing her to a therapeutic form of movement. She plans to combine that with her experience working in clinical and low-income settings: her dream is to ensure that Pilates is available to everyone regardless of economic status.

Mentor Program Spotlight!

Meet Priti! 

Our amazingly dedicated Kane school alum, Priti Radhakrishnan, is the first to embark upon Kinected’s Advanced Mentor Program — a six-month intensive mentorship designed to help certified instructors blossom into gifted and committed teachers.

Priti’s blog series, “Priti’s Pilates Adventures,” will chronicle her journey through the Advanced Mentor Program, featuring her experience with Pilates as it relates to the Mind-Body connection and highlighting educational tidbits  & exciting discoveries along the way.  Read below for the 1st installment of Priti’s Adventures & stay tuned for more!

The Adventure Begins

This morning, I came to a major realization. I need someone to talk to. More to the point, I need someone to talk to about Pilates.

If you know me, you know that I just became a Pilates teacher. I’ve been doing Pilates for about eight years off and on, and I am head over heels in love with it. Aside from all the amazing physical benefits, it has been a powerful tool to facilitate a connection between my body and my mind. More on this later.

Moving from being a student to a teacher, I didn’t expect all that came with it. Suddenly I’m bubbling over with ideas and input, my brain and body are stretching in whole new directions. And I don’t have anywhere to put all this energy. So I decided to write a blog where I can talk about what’s going on. I hope that I’ll be able to share what I’m learning with you, so that you can use it too!

This month I started a whole new chapter. I finished up my certification requirements, and I started up with the new, Advanced Level Mentor Program at Kinected. Some of you have asked me about it – “how come you’ve been meeting with Matt?” or “you’re doing privates with Kelly? jealous!!” So I figured hey, I’ll start writing a blog about it all, and you can hopefully get a snapshot of what I’m doing, and I’ll try to pass on any of the exciting new things they impart.

So welcome to the adventures of this Pilates lover. Talk soon!

Priti

About the author: 

Priti Radhakrishnan is a pilates teacher in New York city. She received her certification in both mat and equipment from the Kane School/Kinected and is certified in both pre-natal and post-partum pilates. Prior to embarking on her journey as a pilates teacher, Priti worked for nearly a decade as an attorney fighting for access to affordable medicines for patients living in poverty in the developing world. She has lived, travelled and worked in over 20 countries. 

Priti came to pilates through rehabilitation after sustaining dance-related injuries, introducing her to a therapeutic form of movement. She plans to combine that with her experience working in clinical and low-income settings: her dream is to ensure that pilates is available to everyone regardless of economic status.