Integrated Body Studio

Archive for the ‘General’ Category

In the September, 2009, issue of IDEA Fitness Journal, the topic of state licensing for yoga training schools was debated. While I am on the fence as to whether yoga training schools should be licensed, I am firm in my belief that yoga teachers – along with Pilates teachers and personal trainers – should be licensed much in the same way that massage therapists, chiropractors and physical therapists are.
People hire us to train their most precious and personal belonging – their bodies. They come to us because they need guidance and expertise. How many of those who instruct get that expertise is suspect and I don’t think the fitness industry has stepped up and done enough to ensure that potential clients receive at least average care.
An important point to remember here is that pretty much anyone can have a “certification” program; since just about every fitness genre has one, what do they really mean? What are the standards underlying these certifications? Unless all certifications are created equally, they mean nothing. Many instructors themselves don’t seem to value them and only use them to get to the next level whether they write a book, produce DVDs or star in a fitness show. How many of these “experts” continue to maintain their certification status or continue their education?
I also see a serious lack of ethics in our industry. There are Yoga Alliance teachers I know of who teach what they call “Astanga” yoga but as any true Astanga teacher will tell you, the Astanga system is a strict one with a specific syllabus. Unless that syllabus is followed it is not Astanga and should be called Power Yoga. Of course, Power Yoga does not sound as exotic as Astanga, does it? Why in the world would a teacher call it Astanga when it is not?
There is also a popular home exercise DVD series that contains a Yoga DVD. The instructor takes care to tell you that he is not a yoga teacher, but apparently he still feels comfortable offering a Yoga DVD. Why not call one of his DVDs a physical therapy DVD? Because physical therapists are licensed and this guy would risk getting sued for using that term. Legal violations apparently stop people from doing things that just a simple application of ethics and integrity could do so easily. That is very sad and is just one example of how much we value integrity in our industry. No wonder the public doubts us most of the time!
Look around your own neighborhood and see how many Yoga classes are nothing more than stretch classes. I am not saying that every yoga class needs to chant or quote the Sutras but c’mon, yoga was not meant to be just another “butt and abs” class! Considering the way of the world these days, people need a sense of peace, centeredness and a feeling that they have some control over their lives. This is absolutely the juiciest part of yoga.
While state licensing would not be a cure-all for the ills of the fitness industry, I believe it would provide more consumer confidence because licensing would actually mean something – that there were standards set and the instructor met those standards. It would provide some much-needed boundaries that too many instructors – and the fitness industry – do no impose upon themselves.

1. Ask the Trainer for their credentials – education, degrees, certifications – although too many certifications are suspect due to the lack of standards in the accreditation process. While the subtext of “certification” is that the instructor is knowledgeable and qualified, this is not always the case. I sat in a yoga seminar where a “certified” teacher asked the presenter why it wasn’t okay to take her whiplash-injury student into a headstand to help strengthen her neck! And don’t even get me started on those instructors who teach “intermediate” Astanga classes to students who can’t even do a safe Cobra let alone an Upward Dog!
You might even consider asking the instructor where he/she got their certification and research that.
2. Unlike teaching aerobics where the instructor can just learn a pattern and repeat it, good Yoga and Pilates teachers practice. Practice makes an above average teacher. A lot of practice makes a good teacher. A lot of practice for years makes a great teacher. Don’t hesitate to ask your teacher about their practice.
The fitness industry has, I believe, let us down big time in its hurry to always market the Next Big Thing. There are many fitness professionals who are very passionate about their work but there are just too many so-called fitness pros who are more passionate about making a buck. The fitness industry, instead of working to clean up the snake oil, seems to just shrug its shoulders – maybe they make some ad money off of these guys, I don’t know. I just wish they’d do more to protect the fitness consumer.
There is a movement to license personal trainers, yoga and pilates teachers and I for one am all for this as I think it will immediately clear out those “weekend certified” trainers. I am a bit unhappy that the oversight committee will be made up of physical therapists because I’ve had experience with too many of them who’ve been certified in yoga and Pilates themselves over a weekend. Somehow they think they know the body better because they are PTs. Maybe. But that doesn’t mean that they automatically understand Pilates or Yoga. But considering the apathy of the fitness industry, it may be necessary to join up with the licensing board.
What I know for sure is that a qualified, passionate trainer in any specialty will be happy to answer any questions you have about their training, practice, education, etc. and you should not hesitate to take the time to ask.

I remember this as one of the first questions my webmaster asked me when he was designing the new website. The question left me flummoxed – I certainly had the list of services on the studio window – Classical Yoga, Classical Pilates and Movement Awareness work – but is that really all I do? And how is what I do any different than those types of classes offered by the local gym and fitness clubs?
So I thought it would be a good idea in my first blog to tell you a little bit more about who I work with and why I choose to work the way I do. And why someone would choose to come to me rather than do a group class at the gym.
Here are a few stats on my clients:
1. Male/Female ratio is about 40/60%.
2. The age range of the clientele is 35- 65 (this does not include my dance student clients who are 18-23 years of age).
3. Two-thirds of my clients are athletic – mostly runners although there are a
lot of golfers, too.
4. One-third have chronic pain, post-injury trauma or physical limitations that prevent them from doing regular group classes.
5. Most of my clients have reached an age where they are noticing the aches and pains associated with both activity and aging and they refuse to quit their activities or get hooked on medications.
6. There are also clients who are dealing with deep seated issues of anger, fear, and addiction issues. To that end, meditation and releasing techniques help to bring them to a better balanced place to be able to live their lives more fully.
The one thing that all my clients have in common is the knowledge that group classes do not serve their needs. Indeed, group classes can never serve individual needs. Of course, group classes can offer camaraderie and a social network which are certainly valid.
However, if you take your fitness seriously and are curious as to how far you can go with Pilates, Yoga or Movement work, then a personally tailored program and private training is the only option that will yield optimal results.