What has studying Classical Pilates taught you about ergonomics?
It has taught me that the mind & body need to be connected in order to move well, and that sensory feedback is vital. The feet will feed back to us where we are placing our body weight. By working with the sensory, we have the ability to challenge habitual movement patterns and bring about change. This is incredibly empowering to those in pain and/or whose movement patterns are not working for them.
And this is exactly why I love my work, it makes a difference. Classical Pilates is available to all, no matter what age, size, shape or fitness level. We simply need a mind and a body and the ability to connect & listen to the two.
How has the pandemic affected how you practice Pilates and engage with students?
My own self practice has pretty much remained the same, although I do now need to focus on ‘release’ much more as all of my teaching is now in front of a screen!! However, teaching my students and clients is completely different!
Before the pandemic, the majority of my teaching was at my studio, where I worked 1:1 or 1:2. Very hands on and in close proximity to my clients.
Since March 2020, all of my teaching went online. It was a huge change and a huge adaptation. Although I had already been teaching some clients online around the world, it was still the minority.
I had to find new ways to teach without being hands-on, find new ways of communicating verbally & using my own body much more to demonstrate the energy of the work.
Many of my existing clients were not keen to see themselves in front of a screen i.e. on Zoom, so I decided to record my teaching to build up a library of content to give clients the choice of working either ‘live’ or via the recorded training option. This way of working could be viewed & practiced without a camera, and repeated as many times as they wanted. My Recorded Training can be found here: https://sellfy.com/ksjbodycontrol/
Many instructors were also struggling with adapting to online teaching and their businesses were suffering, so I began to offer Instructor Mentoring as a way to support them with the change. This has continued to grow both from a business mentoring perspective & also helping Instructors deepen their knowledge & understanding of the Classical Matwork Repertoire. My Instructor Mentoring information can be found here: https://sellfy.com/ksjbodycontrol/p/ao4bqf/
When you’re not practicing/teaching, what types of ergonomic products such as a desk, chair, tech accessories or equipment do you regularly use at home to keep your body in alignment?
I have always used a sitting wedge when at a computer as this keeps me over my sit bones, and helps prevent rolling the pelvis posteriorly and collapsing through the front of the trunk.
The height of the chair has always been important too, so ensuring my pelvis is above my knees, again as above to enable me to find my sit bones and create an elongated spine.
Since finding Venn, of course the Venn Air Chair is an absolute must, as it keeps me moving and prevents sinking into the joints.
Venn Founder Tyler Benner has also introduced me to Pranamat; when taking a break from editing videos, I can stand, & use the sensory of the mat to create neural stimulation via the feet to keep mind & body connected & active.
What advice would you give to professional people who are trying to avoid sedentarism during the pandemic? What are beneficial movements you recommend for desk workers to break up their day?
I am now offering bespoke packages to businesses & independent professional people to bring the fundamentals of Pilates into their working day. With so many now working from home, whether lounge, dining room table, or bedroom, the workplace has changed dramatically, & stress levels day to day have increased tenfold.
I offer a free initial chat via Zoom to get an understanding of their working day, place of work & type of work involved, stressors involved, & put together a package to include any of the following:
• Advice on how to sit well & adapt to their new working environment.
• Provide regular live instructional sessions (either to groups within a business or individuals) via Zoom to teach Pilates based movement strategies. These can include specific exercises to combat the nature of their day to day work, and ‘release’ work to counter stress and ‘undo’ the forwardness of the day.
• Provide pre-recorded training sessions including any or the above, in the form of short instructional Pilates flows to integrate into the working day, post work stretches to rebalance, or full Pilates workouts specific to the nature of the job involved.
• Each of the above is dependent upon budget, and tailor made to the needs of the individual or business concerned.
Please see full details of my Pilates At Work here: https://www.ksjbodycontrol.co.uk/pilates-at-work
For those totally new to Classical Pilates, how do you recommend they get started and what equipment will they need?
Classical Pilates is for anyone; all that is needed is a mind, a body, and a mat!
I would always suggest a 1:1 session to get started, and if financially viable, a course of 6 sessions on a weekly or twice a week basis. My 1:1 Training via Zoom can be found here: https://sellfy.com/ksjbodycontrol/p/brr0o5/
Alternatively, I offer a pre recorded Fundamentals Training Course, which comprises 6 one hour Training Sessions taking the individual through all that is needed to prepare mind & body for the Classical Pilates Matwork Repertoire. Full details of this can be found here: https://sellfy.com/ksjbodycontrol/p/6-week-course-the-fundamentals-the-building-blocks-to-pilates/
Thereafter, I offer weekly Classical Mat Classes either Live via Zoom: https://sellfy.com/ksjbodycontrol/live/
Each weekly class is recorded & uploaded onto my Training Page), & this can be found here: https://sellfy.com/ksjbodycontrol/classes/
This is how I recommend working; it ensures the fundamentals are understood & more importantly felt, which then paves the way for you to get the most from any movement discipline, & indeed the joy of the Classical Mat!
I offer a free 30 minute chat via Zoom to see how I can help & support you. This enables me to meet with you wherever you are & together we can look at appropriate options of training.
Interested in working with Katharine? Contact her at:
Email: katharinejemmett @gmail.com
Website: https://www.ksjbodycontrol.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksjbodycontrol/