Sometimes in the pursuit of success in our careers, we forget why we were drawn to Pilates in the first place. Most of us came to Pilates because of an injury, to free ourselves from pain or just to pursue a better version of ourselves. We dedicate hours to continuing education and advanced teacher training and yet we find it challenging to make the time for a proper workout. The more we neglect ourselves, the more our bodies start to rebel.

As Mary Bowen, first generation teacher and Pilates elder, says, “I believe we should never stop being a student, and we need to get out of our own studios to take care of ourselves. I have found my own lessons to be absolutely necessary."

I have made it a point to have a weekly private lesson with my Pilates instructor since I began teaching. It is absolutely necessary to give myself that hour every week to be a student again. Nothing can improve your teaching more than remembering what it’s like to lay on the reformer, not quite understanding what your teacher wants from you! We can’t give ourselves the tactile and verbal cues we need to bring our form to the ultimate level. Only our teachers give us that.

Finding a mentor can be a valuable continuing education tool. We can ask them questions when we are stumped with a client. They can be a wealth of information about how to run a business. And it is great to have a sounding board to bounce ideas off of. Most of all, they are a source of support when we are inevitably frustrated with our vocation. So make it a point to find a teacher of your own and gain the benefits of having your own mentor.