More Value for the Hard Earned Buck

By Connie Borho

I very nearly passed on the best Pilates conference I’ve ever attended.  I had put off registering for the Pilates Roundtable because I had been traveling so much presenting for Peak Pilates at other conferences.  I really didn’t know if I wanted to see another hotel packed with high-energy conference attendees and all the hype that goes along with it.  Thank goodness I let my daughter talk me into giving her the conference registration for her birthday (and of course I had to go to help her celebrate!).  From beginning to end the Pilates Roundtable in West Palm Beach, Florida, was an amazing experience!

Pilates Roundtable had two pre-conference workshops on Thursday.  Rebekah Rotstein came from New York to give a workshop on Pilates for Bone Health.  Lecturing on osteoporosis and how to strengthen bones through exercise, Rebekah applied Pilates principles of axial elongation, hip/pelvic alignment, and balance to specific exercises that would increase movement beneficial for bone health.

Ali Bodi and Rachel Lowe presented a session on Business Building Secrets.  Strategies on defining areas of expertise, packaging, staffing and communication, and the all important “how to sell” were outlined thoroughly and tips and tools were discussed and applied to specific scenarios.  Both sessions had very small groups, so each attendee had personalized attention and left with some great information, thoroughly explained.

Main conference sessions were on a variety of applicable and interesting topics, taught by some of the leading teachers in our industry.  Leading the leaders, of course, was Pilates elder, the graceful, classy Lolita San Miguel, who gave a workshop on cueing the Cadillac.  Somehow Lolita got my stiff old body to do bridging to standing and back bending, with the most minimal cues and softest touches imaginable. My notes from this class fill four pages of the fantastic conference handbook that every attendee received.  Brent Anderson lectured on Pilates for Chronic Pain, differentiating between pain and disability, and gave us insights on how Pilates can change perception of pain by empowering clients through pain-free movement experiences.  The knowledgeable and inspirational Michele Larsson, taught a definitive class on scoliosis and demonstrated how breathing, padding, and intention can help to “balance out” the asymmetry of scoliosis, enabling students to move with less pain and more power.

Rebecca Leone, the irreverent and irreplaceable Pilates Nun, taught a fabulous workshop on the Basics of Proper Hip Flexion.  Rebecca’s rich imagery and descriptions helped us “see” the anatomy of the pelvis and how improper body mechanics create pain and dysfunction in spinal movements.  She is also one of the funniest ladies I’ve ever met, which certainly helps keep her students engaged even through the driest of subjects!

Scapular Stabilization was the topic of Julian Littleford’s workshop.  Through small, fundamental movements, he brought greater understanding of the shoulder girdle and then applied these movements to specific exercises on equipment, not the least of which was the Pilates Arm Chair– a piece of equipment that is almost extinct! (I loved the Arm Chair so much that I called Balanced Body today to put my name on a petition for them to start manufacturing that piece again. We want more ARM CHAIR.)

I particularly enjoyed and appreciated how the Pilates Principles were highlighted throughout the conference. Michael Collins’ class on Breathing and Concentration helped to illustrate how important these two Pilates Principles are to each and every exercise.  Kristi Cooper White, from BASI Pilates, focused on how transitions create a seamless, flowing and beautiful classic mat workout.

Fresh and exciting new class formats were also presented.  Matthew Comer from Stott Pilates gave a flex-band mat class that challenged alignment and form with added resistance.  Clare Dunphy, Peak Pilates Master Trainer, facilitated a discussion on creative class design, and showed us how Pilates Fusion and Classical Pilates can co-exist in perfect harmony.   Kevin Bowen, past President of the PMA, taught an awesome Group Reformer Class, showing us how to use the Reformer to put the FUN in functional training.

In addition to the main lecture/experiential sessions, attendees had one daily choice of workout sessions of either mat, reformer or chair.  At other conferences I’ve had to share equipment with other attendees, not getting a full workout.  At the Pilates Roundtable, classes were kept small enough to ensure one reformer or chair for each student, giving everyone a full taste of the class. Personally, I participated in fabulous classes with Clare Dunphy, Kevin Bowen, and Ali Bodi.  Being able to take a variety of innovative classes, with amazing teachers, on fantastic equipment was a priceless experience for me, and for all the attendees!

The value of this conference didn’t stop at the learning experiences or the workouts that I participated in.  Breakfast and lunch were provided everyday as part of the conference fee, and a welcome cocktail party was held the first night. This was particularly appreciated because the attendees were able to socially interact with and get to know the presenters, who graciously answered questions and compared notes with anyone who asked.  I drank a cocktail and sampled hors d’oervres with Clare and Michele, and then had dinner with Rebecca.  How awesome is that?

The sponsors and expo exhibitors were top notch as well.  Peak Pilates brought their MVe Reformers and Chairs for the equipment workouts, as well as classical equipment for the educational sessions.  Great deals were to be had on ToeSox (I am going to require all my students to have these great no-slip socks for reformer/chair work), Wrist Assured Gloves, and clothing from WePilates, Binka AnytimeWear, and Anatomie.  Pilates Business Resource and MindBody Online were representing the business side of things, and helped to bring this segment of our studios to a level we could understand.

All in all, this conference provided me with more value for my hard earned buck than any other conference I’ve attended. Small class sizes, great presenters with fresh, interesting and applicable material, a nice hotel with FOOD as part of the price, all helped to make this a weekend I won’t soon forget.  And I will definitely be back next year!  Get on Bernie’s email list so that you can make your plans to attend too!  www.pilatesroundtable.com

About the Author: Connie Borho has over 20 years’ experience in the fitness industry, holding certifications through Peak Pilates, PhysicalMind, AFAA, ACE, Yoga Alliance RYT-500 and is affiliated with Sunshine Fitness Resources. A Level III Peak Pilates National Teacher Trainer, Connie is a well-respected, dynamic, and knowledgeable presenter for IDEA, ECA, SCW, AFPA and is dedicated to teaching the benefits of mind-body fitness. Her studios, Balance Pilates & Yoga Centers, are located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. For more information on Connie, her workshops and teacher trainings, or her studios, please see www.ConnieBorho.com.

Tags: Ali Bodi, BASI Pilates, Clare Dunphy, Julian Littleford, Kevin Bowen, Kristi Cooper, Lolita San Miguel, Matthew Comer, Pilates Roundtable, Rebecca Leone, Rebekah Rotstein, STOTT Pilates, toesox, wrist assured gloves