Beyond the Reformer

We’re back with Part 2 of the amazing conversation with Dr Brent Anderson to go deeper into what is really happening behind the scenes in the Pilates world.

They’re chatting about education standards and what it actually means to take responsibility as a movement professional.

Brent shares why teaching principles matter more than teaching protocols, and how to assess clients based on their real goals rather than assumptions.

They explore the growing conversation around Pilates governance, post Covid training standards, and the gaps that still exist in protecting both teachers and consumers.

Brent also reflects on leadership, bias and how we create safe, mature learning environments in the Pilates industry.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Part 2 of the podcast
01:06 Teaching principles over protocols and the core Polestar framework
04:25 Nic’s story with Pilates
08:49 Questions to uncover what a client really needs
13:36 Critical reasoning and the importance of listening
18:44 Bridging physiotherapy and Pilates teaching
23:54 Education standards and governance
35:10 Quick fire questions
40:33 Defining the types of Pilates for clarity in research and practice
42:23 Brent’s new podcast
45:49 Bias and navigating difficult conversations

If this episode resonated with you, make sure you’re subscribed to Beyond the Reformer so you never miss a conversation shaping the future of Pilates!

Connect with Nic:
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Soul Pilates Education
Nic’s Instagram
Join Soul at Home
Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Dr Brent Anderson:
Polestar Pilates Website
Polestar Pilates Instagram
Brent Anderson Instagram
Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.
Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

In Part One of this incredible two part interview, Nic sits down in California with Dr. Brent Anderson, physical therapist, educator and founder of Polestar Pilates.

Brent shares how science has reshaped the way Polestar teaches core control, why positive movement experiences matter more than perfection, and how Polestar Pilates was born.

The conversation goes deep into the emotional and spiritual power of movement. Brent reflects on how alignment creates presence, how presence builds internal locus of control, and why Pilates has the capacity to create life changing shifts far beyond the studio.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing Dr Brent Anderson of Polestar Pilates
01:41 Polestar’s culture of collaboration
04:43 Blending science, compassion and evolving movement research
05:29 Theory of core control
08:18 Teaching reformer to mixed levels and applying the 80 percent challenge rule
11:25 Swarm intelligence and precise cueing
14:37 Going from novice to expert
18:24 Brent’s early movement background
22:24 Why Polestar was born
26:24 Pilates as a catalyst for life change through body, mind and spirit alignment
28:10 The power of collective presence
33:09 Teaching as inquiry, mindfulness in class and internal locus of control
37:35 Moving beyond dogma
42:43 Subscribe for Part Two

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you can be notified when Part 2 of the conversation is released.

And please leave a review and share the podcast with a friend so we can continue to get amazing guests like Brent onto the podcast.

Connect with Nic:
Beyond the Reformer Instagram
Soul Pilates Instagram
Soul Pilates Education
Nic’s Instagram
Join Soul at Home
Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Dr Brent Anderson:
Polestar Pilates Website
Polestar Pilates Instagram
Brent Anderson Instagram

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.
Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

A Pilates body has nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with awareness, strength and freedom in your own skin.

Nic sits down with Brooke Siler, author of The Pilates Body, to explore what the phrase “Pilates body” really means and why it has been so widely misunderstood.

Brooke discusses her early training with Romana Kryzanowska, the direct lineage back to Joseph Pilates, and the responsibility of carrying a method forward without losing its philosophy.

Brooke explains why breath is the missing piece in so much modern Pilates, the misunderstood concept of tension and release, and how true control builds empowerment in life.

They explore classical vs contemporary Pilates, the explosion of reformer Pilates, why mat work is still important, and what it means to stay rooted in the method while teaching in a modern world.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Brooke
02:05 What the Pilates body means
09:46 Discovering Pilates and training with Romana Kryzanowska
12:09 What Romana was really like
15:36 Becoming a teacher
20:12 Romana’s lessons and stories about Joseph Pilates
24:09 What is misinterpreted about breath and control
28:31 Understanding tension and release
30:36 Classical vs contemporary Pilates
32:37 Breath as the foundation of powerful movement
34:39 Staying true to the method during the modern Pilates boom
39:21 The story behind writing and revising the book
44:12 Why mat work is essential and more relevant than ever
47:27 Responsibility as a teacher and Pilates for life and sport
53:04 Quick fire reflections and how to work with Brooke

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a conversation. Share this episode with another Pilates teacher and leave a rating and review to help more people discover the show.

Connect with Nic:
Beyond the Reformer Instagram
Soul Pilates Instagram
Soul Pilates Education
Nic’s Instagram
Join Soul at Home
Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Brooke:
Brooke Siler Pilates Website
Brooke Siler Pilates Instagram
Shop The Pilates Body Revised Edition

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.
Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Pilates as we know it today would not exist without Kristi Cooper and the bold decision she made in 2009 to put the method online before anyone believed it would work.

While in LA, Nic got the chance to visit Kristi Cooper in her gorgeous house in Santa Barbara to discuss the story behind Pilates Anytime and the evolution of online Pilates education.

In 2008, at a time when YouTube videos were limited to ten minutes and Pilates was still seen as exclusive and studio based, she was asked a simple question: why not put Pilates online?

They dive into Kristi’s early journey with Pilates at just 13 years old, her training with Rael Isacowitz, and her passion for preserving the lineage of the method through the Pilates Legacy Project.

The conversation explores classical versus contemporary Pilates, inclusivity across styles, the rise of athletic reformer trends, and the balance between staying true to the method while responding to modern data and member demand.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro to Kristi
01:03 The original idea behind putting Pilates online
05:04 Kristi’s introduction to Pilates at 13 and how it changed her life
07:00 Training with Rael Isacowitz and stepping into teacher training
09:52 Launching Pilates Anytime in 2009
12:50 The Pilates Legacy Project and preserving the history of the method
19:05 Inclusivity across classical and contemporary styles and managing industry competition
23:54 Responding to trends while protecting the integrity of Pilates
25:29 Building community through workshops, emails and connection
26:34 Creating new content while managing a vast online library
28:20 The depth of Pilates education and the challenges facing modern teachers
29:09 Observation, mentorship and what makes a great Pilates instructor
31:03 How teachers are selected for Pilates Anytime
36:23 The educational role of online platforms in an unregulated industry
40:38 The future of online Pilates
42:24 Quickfire questions

If you want to keep hearing conversations from amazing people within the industry, then please make sure to follow the podcast, rate it five stars and share it on Instagram.

Connect with Nic:
Beyond the Reformer Instagram
Soul Pilates Instagram
Soul Pilates Education
Nic’s Instagram
Join Soul at Home
Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Kristi:
Pilates Anytime Website
Pilates Anytime Instagram
Kristi’s Instagram

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.
Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Pilates is EVERYWHERE right now, but not everything being labelled Pilates is safe or rooted in the original method.

Nic sits down with Victoria Batha Cuomo aka the Pilates Snob, for a thought-provoking conversation about the current state of the Pilates industry.

They explore how social media has both helped and harmed Pilates and why misinformation spreads so easily.

Victoria explains why a lack of regulation around education has created major issues for both teachers and clients, and why safety and understanding the system as a whole matters more than trends on Instagram.

They also discuss Victoria’s ‘WTF Wednesday’s’, the Pilates Transparency Project, and the original Pilates lawsuit.

Episode timestamps
00:00 Introducing Victoria aka The Pilates Snob
00:31 How social media is shaping the Pilates industry for better and worse
02:59 Victoria’s first experiences with Pilates and athletic training
05:27 Becoming a Pilates teacher
08:42 The realities and gaps in Pilates teacher training
21:06 WTF Wednesday and calling out unsafe industry trends
25:30 Common misconceptions about Pilates online
29:02 What the Pilates Transparency Project is really about
33:27 Breaking down the original Pilates lawsuit
38:06 Where Pilates education is falling short today
41:58 Pilates Snob University and mentorship for teachers
46:21 Quick fire questions

Thanks for tuning in to this weeks episodes! As always, if you enjoyed it, please share it with your network, rate the show 5 stars and subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Connect with Nic:
Beyond the Reformer Instagram
Soul Pilates Instagram
Soul Pilates Education
Nic’s Instagram
Join Soul at Home
Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Victoria:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.pilates.snob/
Website: https://www.thepilatessnob.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pilatessnob
Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.
Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.