Your First Private Pilates Session: What Actually Happens When You Walk Through the Door
Starting something new can be awkward.
Even if you're usually a pretty confident person, there's that moment when you show up somewhere you've never been before and wonder:
Am I in the right place? Where do I go? What am I walking into?
And starting Pilates can be especially confusing because every Pilates studio is different.
You might find a large group Reformer class, a small studio, classical Pilates, contemporary Pilates, private training, mat classes, or some combination of all of it.
So instead of telling you to “just show up,” I thought I'd tell you what actually happens when you show up here.
First, yes, you're in the right place.
Pilates Sol is at 945 Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh, across from the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. If you see the big jazz statues, you're in the right place.
You'll have a code to get into the building; the building is safe & secure. Once you're inside, you can take the stairs or elevator to the third floor.
And this is where your arrival gets a little different: Pilates Sol is a loft-style private studio that's also part of my home.
So yes, you're basically going to walk into my home, past the kitchen and bathroom, and then the space opens up into a beautiful private Pilates studio.
It's not a big gym.
There isn't a room full of people waiting for class.
When you're here for a private session, the studio is yours.
It's just you, me, and a bunch of interesting-looking Pilates equipment, or “apparatus,” as Joseph Pilates called it.
Then two strangers get to know each other.
I think people sometimes forget this part.
You're meeting a new Pilates instructor, but I'm meeting a new person too.
I actually get what I call nervcited when I meet new people. A little nervous, a little excited.
Of course I hope everyone who walks through my door will be an amazing fit and become a client I work with for years. But that's not always how humans work.
Your first visit is partly about figuring each other out.
I want to know why you're here.
How are you feeling?
How is your body feeling?
What would you like to work on?
What are you worried about?
What questions do you have?
What are you hoping Pilates might help you do?
But you're also allowed to be figuring me out.
Do you feel comfortable with me? Do you like the environment? Does the way I teach make sense to you? Is this something you can picture yourself doing?
It's a two-way relationship.
What happens during the free 30-minute chat?
We chat.
Seriously. That's what it's for.
If you schedule a free 30-minute consultation, we're not doing a secret Pilates workout.
We'll talk about what you're looking for, your goals, your expectations, your questions, and any concerns you have.
I'll tell you about how I work and answer whatever I can.
And we'll figure out whether I think I can help you and whether you think I can help you.
Sometimes I may even tell someone that another instructor or studio would be a better fit.
I have Pilates buddies around Pittsburgh. Different instructors have different personalities, specialties, environments, approaches, and price points.
I would rather help you find the right experience than convince you that mine has to be it.
What happens if you book an actual Pilates session?
Then we're going to move.
Your first full session is still going to involve some talking because I'm learning about you while you're learning about Pilates.
I'll introduce you to the equipment, the movements and the method.
We'll work with foundational Pilates movements, guided by the classical mat order, and I'll start watching how your body moves.
But more importantly, you'll start watching how your body moves.
That's one of the things I love most about Pilates.
It's not only about getting stronger or more flexible. Pilates can help you become more aware of your body and how you move through your everyday life.
Where do you hold tension?
What feels easy?
What feels awkward?
Do you notice one side behaving differently from the other?
What happens when you slow something down?
What happens when you breathe?
You don't need to know any of this before you arrive.
We figure it out together.
And yes, your first Pilates session might feel awkward.
You're moving your body in front of someone you just met.
I'm asking you questions.
You're learning movements you've probably never done before.
Some of the equipment looks a little strange.
I might give you a cue that sounds completely ridiculous.
There will probably be a moment when neither of us is entirely sure what the other person means.
That's okay.
We're humans.
I keep things pretty light around here. I'm knowledgeable and experienced, and I'll happily share everything I know with you, but I'm never going to be the most serious person in the Pilates world.
I like to laugh.
I like personality.
And I want you to feel comfortable being yourself when you're here.
We have human rules here.
There are business policies: 6-hour cancellation policy, pay before you move, no walk-ins, etc.
But I also have what I think of as human rules.
People (usually) don’t plan to wake up sick.
Schedules change.
Bodies feel different from one day to the next.
Life happens.
You are going to be perfectly imperfect, and I will meet you where you are.
My version of perfection probably isn't the same as yours anyway.
Private Pilates gives us room to work with the human who actually walked through the door that day.
Some days you may want to work hard.
Some days you may need to stretch.
Some days we may focus on balance or mobility.
Some days you may walk in and tell me exactly what you need, and we'll start there.
That's part of the beauty of working one-on-one.
So what's the goal?
For me, it's pretty simple:
Leave feeling better than you came.
What “better” means might change every time you walk through the door.
Maybe you feel stronger.
Maybe you feel looser.
Maybe you understand something about your body that you didn't understand an hour earlier.
Maybe you did something you didn't think you could do.
Maybe you laughed.
Maybe you simply took an hour for yourself.
Hopefully, you leave with something that was beneficial to you, in your body, on that particular day.
And hopefully you leave with a smile.
That's a pretty good Pilates session in my book.
Ready to walk through the door?
If you've been curious about Pilates but have been intimidated by not knowing what to expect, you don't have to know anything before you arrive.
That's why I'm here.
You can start with a free 30-minute chat if you'd rather talk first.
Or, if you're ready to move, the 3-Session New Client Intro gives us three private sessions to get to know each other, introduce you to Pilates and start figuring out what works for your body.
3-Session New Client Intro: $234 Use code NEWSOL for $10 off.
Pilates Sol is located at 945 Liberty Avenue, 3rd Floor, in Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
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