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Date Posted May 31, 2008

When you're trying to decide if you should become a pilates instructor, the last thing that might occur to you is how the certification process will effect you mentally. However, it really does have a huge effect on your mind, and could really change your personality for the better!

Here are some situations that typically come up during the certification process that will have an effect on your dome:

1. Criticism

This is a hard one to deal with. No one takes criticism well, and when you're learning to become an instructor, the master teachers running the program will be very demanding and critical of you, in constructive ways.

Its important to remember that any criticism you might receive is meant to teach you to be the best instructor you can be. Even if you've been taking pilates for years, or if you're already an instructor of something else, the teachers running your program will stop and correct you all the time.

Like I said, they're only trying to mold you into the best, most thorough, thoughtful, and intelligent instructor you can be. Be thankful for their critiques on your teaching, don't take it personally. Its stressful for sure, but try to look at it in the most positive way that you can, as a learning experience.

2. Teaching in front of other people

This is hard at first if you're not used to speaking or teaching in front of your peers. You think everything will be fine, unless you stand up in front of everyone for the first time and try to teach a mat class. Counting the hundreds out loud?! Cuing the movements and breathing for teaser?! Just the fact that you're standing up in front of everyone and your voice is the only sound in the whole room!?!?!!

Practice, practice, practice is the only way you're ever going to get over the fear and awkwardness of teaching in front of other people. I distinctly remember bursting into tears during my first mat class as an apprentice teacher! How embarrassing. But I knew that I needed to practice A LOT if I was ever going to be a teacher at all.

One thing that's helpful when you're learning to speak and teach publicly is to picture your favorite teacher in your mind. One who teaches with ease and grace, whose teaching really speaks to you and who you admire. Then, teach your class pretending to be her.

It sounds stalkerish but it does work! Fake confidence long enough and it will start to be more realistic over time!

3. You're becoming healthier while your friends are still unhealthy.

This is common anytime you embark on a mental, physical, or spiritual journey, when you try to better yourself or look outside yourself to help others. Hopefully, your friends are really excited and happy for you, but then again, they may not be all about your new ventures.

It hurts when friends become jealous, resentful, or feel left out of the "new you", but if you want to continue your friendships, you'll have to figure out ways to include them. Ask your friends to be your "guinea pig" clients so you can practice teaching. Invite them to your classes or ask if they want to take a class with you.

4. You're exhausted.

Like I wrote in the other posts about becoming an instructor, its an exhausting process, but worth it. Its not just tiring physically, but also very tiring mentally. When you first begin teaching, you might be surprised that you can't teach more than 3 hours a day without becoming totally mentally exhausted. This is normal, and you just have to build up your teaching stamina.

You have to be so mentally focused on what you're saying, what the client is doing, what you're about to teach next, questions they might have, injuries that could prevent them from doing certain movements, unexpected issues that come up during the session (they can't figure out an exercise, or they just want to talk about their problems).

Its a lot to juggle, and still keep your cool. Don't worry about it- like everything else in pilates and in life, practice will make things much easier. Don't be hard on yourself if it feels exhausting, and take care of yourself before and after teaching by eating enough healthy food, resting, and getting fresh air. You'll be fine by the end of the day, and you'll be a great teacher when its all over!

Most importantly, keep reminding yourself that this certification process will help you grow as a person, and always be open and ready to learn new things about yourself, other people, the body, and the MIND!