The Ground

Exercises can be taught in many valid ways, and that is part of what makes teaching so interesting.

It comes back to goal, intention, and the body in front of you.

I love Laura’s smile at the end of this, because I always notice the smile when the smaller, deeper work really lands. Sometimes refining an exercise and asking for a little more awareness changes everything.

Thank you Laura Gill for the beautiful demonstration, and thank you EQ by Laura for the space. 💕

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There are many valid ways to teach Short Spinals, and it always comes back to your intention.⁣
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In this version with Laura, we are not rushing through the roll down or letting the legs take over. We keep the feet over the face as long as possible, avoid momentum, and continue the articulation even after the low back touches the mat so the pelvis can keep moving all the way to neutral.⁣
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That is the part many people miss.⁣
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For clients with hyper-lordosis or a more severe anterior pelvic tilt, this can help create more opening and awareness through the lower lumbar and all the way into the sacrum and tailbone, rather than turning the exercise into mostly a leg workout.⁣
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It is harder, because the abdominals are doing much more of the work and the legs have to stay patient in the straps instead of leading.⁣
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But that is also what can make it feel so much more supportive, precise, and therapeutic (take it from me, the lordotic lady…it feels amazing). ⁣
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Thank you Laura Gill for your beautiful ex*****on and to EQ by Laura for the beautiful space to execute it in! ⁣
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Learn these cues and build an amazing career - start now and get immediate access and support. ⁣
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Leg circles can tell us a lot about how well the center is actually supporting the movement.⁣
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Yes, the exercise challenges the hips and legs. But when the abdominals are truly anchoring, the spine and pelvis have a better chance of staying stable, which allows the hip joints to be challenged in a more balanced, stable, and efficient way.⁣
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Without that support, the hips grip, the legs brace, and the movement starts to lose clarity.⁣
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With that support, the breath deepens, the pelvis settles, and stability can create deeper mobility.⁣
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That is where the work gets more precise, and where the body can move closer to its fullest potential.⁣
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The true purpose of Pilates is to help rebalance the body.

Because no human is perfectly symmetrical, and there is almost always something deeper asking for attention. A hip hike, a sleepyoblique, a place gripping, a place that needs more length, or a pattern that has become the body’s default.

That is part of what makes the work so powerful.

We do Pilates so the body can function with more support, more awareness, and more balance in real life.

And that is also what keeps the work interesting. There is always something deeper to notice, understand, and refine.

Start learning to teach at thegroundpilates.com

You do not have to have it all figured out to begin.

So many future instructors think they need to already feel confident, already know enough, or already see themselves clearly in the role before they start. But so much of becoming a teacher happens through the process itself.

You learn by watching. By practicing. By asking questions. By staying with it. By being willing to grow before you feel fully ready.

That is how teachers are built.

The Ground Pilates Teacher Training is designed to support that process with depth, mentorship, and real support from the start.

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Your wrist may not be the real problem.

In weight bearing, I am always looking up the chain first.

In this clip, Laura starts in knee stretch with instability showing up through the hands, wrists, arms and torso. Instead of only focusing on the wrist itself when we hear of that pain complaint, we work up the chain to create better support.

First, we adjust the hand and wrist. She was gripping the footbar with the thumbs underneath, which internally rotated and flexed the wrist more. By bringing the thumb on top of the bar, we can better align the wrist and shift the support into the heel of the hand, just like we would help someone find a more parallel and supported ankle.

Then we look at the elbow. We do not want to lock into it and rotate the elbow too far in opposition to the wrist. The goal is for the elbow pits, or “eye of the elbow”, to face inward toward each other. For many people, this can actually feel bent at first because they are so used to hanging in hyperextension.

Then we go higher and help the support move out of the traps and pecs only and down into the serratus and lats, into that side rib connection that gives the shoulder girdle more real support.

From there, shoulder stability gives us a better chance at spinal stability.

And yes, when this is done well, it can mean moving slower. Because when you are no longer hanging in your compensations, you feel much more clearly what is actually unstable, and it is naturally targeted.

That is also why progression matters. Laura first performs knee stretch with that added support, and then progresses by lifting the knees, showing that we can always add layers once the foundation is there. Thanks Laura Gill for being an amazing model!! 🙏🏻

This is a big part of how I teach inside The Ground Pilates Teacher Training — not just what the exercise is, but how to understand the chain, what is actually asking for support, and how to help clients build from the ground up.

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Anyone can learn the shape. Great instructors see the nuance.

They are not just looking at what exercise is happening. They are noticing the body, the nervous system, the learning style, the personality, and the energy in front of them all at once.

That is part of what makes teaching an art.

And that is a big part of what we train at The Ground Pilates Teacher Training.

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Many instructors leave training knowing the exercises, but end up learning some of the most important parts of teaching later, in their first few jobs, through trial and error.

Things like how to communicate clearly, train your eye, notice patterns and imbalances, use touch with more precision, meet different nervous systems, adapt in real time, and build something sustainable.

Those things matter.

Because great teaching is not just about knowing the work. It is about learning how to see, respond, support, and grow into the kind of instructor people truly trust.

That is a big part of why I believe you should not have to wait to learn those things on the job.

You can start learning them from the beginning.

Start this month and get immediate access + support at thegroundpilates.com