Pilates Teachers - does this sound familiar?
You’ve bravely ventured out on your own but now you’re feeling lonely, lost and disconnected from a Pilates community
You’re feeling burnt out. You are teaching too many hours and not able to prioritise your own movement goals
You feel helpless when it comes to looking after your clients in the long term. You want to build lasting relationships but no one has showed you how
You know the advanced exercises but don’t feel confident leading your clients to them, or practicing them yourself
You’ve reached out for Mentoring before but didn’t get the support you needed
“I feel so grateful that I was able to be part of it.
It was like Pilates Teacher Therapy where I could just be myself, ask questions that I’ve been too nervous to ask elsewhere and I feel like it’s made me a more understanding and compassionate teacher.
I feel refreshed! I have so many new ideas on how to support my clients better. I have felt more playful with my group teaching and more curious exploring movement for those in pain.”
— C, Studio Owner and Pilates Teacher
Small Group Mentoring
Have you reached out for Mentoring support in the past but felt left behind or dismissed?
Had questions that you didn’t feel safe asking?
Struggling to support your clients with particular challenges and unsure what do next?
No long term support, or feedback about you are integrating new knowledge?
I’ve been where you are…
Terrified of making my clients pain worse
Wondering why clients dropped away and didn’t come back
Panic when a client mentions that an exercise hurts “the wrong way”
Unsure of how to support my clients towards their “dream movements”
I used to go to ALL the weekend courses, webinars, lectures and conferences. But each time I left I felt like I just had a bunch of new repertoire to add to the 500+ exercise library that I was already dealing with!
It didn’t help me build relationships and trust with my clients, but it DID make me feel burnt out - like I had to be inventing new programs and choreography ALL the time!
Finding my own long-term mentors has been an absolute game changer for me.
I want that for you to.
So I’ve created our Small Group Mentoring
In these sessions we will…
Build a long-term relationship based on mutual respect, trust, curiosity and compassion
Have a safe-space to ask the questions you haven’t been supported with elsewhere
Discover how free-ing it is to drop the rules and work with the HUMANS in front of you
Learn how to reframe both yours and your clients perspective towards optimism and progress
Discover why embracing uncertainty makes you a BETTER teacher
Reframe outdated narratives to empower both you and your clients
Why Mentoring with Alex?
I have been on a journey with Pilates that gives me a unique perspective to share with you.
I’ve practiced it for 20 years.
I trained as a Contemporary Teacher, got burnt out, fell in love with Classical Teaching and was revitalised, plus in between all that I went back to Uni and became a Physio - delving into the additional Clinical aspect of movement, exercise and rehabilitation.
The last few years of my own learning and reflection has been all about…
What are we actually doing when we Teach Pilates and how does it REALLY help people?
How do we integrate current evidence with the history of our teaching method?
How do I support and serve the humans in front of me without doing harm?
How can we be more mental-health aware and provide trauma-informed experiences for our people?
I LOVE supporting other teachers through the journey of learning and discovery.
I want to be on YOUR team.
How does it work?
Each month we will get together for a 90 minute mentoring session via Zoom.
These sessions will largely be driven by YOUR goals and questions, and will also cover content including:
Managing pain in the studio
Steps towards creating a safe, trauma-informed space and culture
Progressing your clients with confidence, even with pathologies
Empowering your clients towards autonomy and independence in a way they will love
Between sessions you will have access to a Private Facebook group to continue the conversation, post reflections, ask for feedback and receive support.
There will be a maximum of six Teachers per group - small enough to feel safe and build trust, while enriching the sessions with a range of experiences and backgrounds.
Teachers from all training backgrounds are welcome to join.
If you are Teacher that is a BIPOC, identifies as LGBTIQA+, are living with a disability or identify as another marginalised person and finances are a barrier to your attendance please email alex@aokkeepmoving.com to discuss scholarship options.
Upcoming 2024 Small Group Mentoring
dates July - December TBC
Investment - $185 (+gst) per month for 6 months
“The biggest learning from Alex has been around changing the language we use and that client’s use...Alex has shown me that often the thing they “can’t do” isn’t that far out of reach, and there are many adaptations we can make to give them a sense of achieving this."
— Phoebe
“Totally engaging, relevant, topical and inspiring to take on change. Loved it!”
— Sarah
Gain knowledge. Step up your own practice. Lead with confidence.
I get it! I’m Alex and after teaching Pilates since 2011, presenting at national conferences and mentoring my team, I have created the professional development and movement opportunities that I wish I had when I was starting out. I love sharing my knowledge and experience so that teachers all over the world can feel more confident, connected and supported both in their own practice and when leading others.
Earlier in my Teaching journey I would panic if a client told me that an exercise was hurting them. It made me doubt myself and the rest of my lesson plan!
The more I learnt about the body, exercise, pain and rehabilitation, the more confused I felt! I was getting caught up in the waves of conflicting info and was struggling to figure out the best way to help my members in front of me.
To help myself build my skills I’ve been on a journey of learning and movement exploration my whole life. So far my qualifications include…
Bachelor of Dance
Bachelor of Health Science / Masters of Physiotherapy
Diploma of Professional Pilates Instruction
Countless PD workshops & conferences in both Pilates and Physiotherapy
Plus I’ll be starting a Masters of Science in Medicine (Pain Management) in 2024!
In the last few years I’ve grown to truly appreciate the value in building long-term mentoring relationships - as this has helped me grow my own practice & teaching in ways that allow me to give my best, without burning out.
Figuring out what my values are, and how to bring that into my practice, my teaching, and my mentoring services means I am now living a life I don’t feel I need a holiday from!
Helping other Teachers build their confidence supporting their members with pain is also why I created my Pilates Teacher’s Guide to Pain.
When I started out, I would panic if a client told me that an exercise was hurting them. It made me doubt myself and the rest of my lesson plan!
But it doesn't have to be that way - by committing to the lifelong process of learning, unlearning and integrating new knowledge whenever I can I now feel at ease when faced with challenges in the studio…and you can too!
I now LOVE IT when I have to think on my feet, adjust exercises and work around pain. I know it means my clients get the very best experience, keep coming back, and learn that they CAN move!
Click the button below to grab your copy.
“Attending Alex's workshop gave me more confidence in my teaching and provided me with valuable knowledge that applied immediately to my daily work”
— Eve
With the right mentoring and support, you can:
Feel more confident when helping your clients with pain
Feel stronger in your own body and when leading your classes
Look forward to teaching and be excited to connect with your students
Feel proud of your programming decisions and find your own style
Stop feeling lost in the sea of cues and learn what really works
Free up time, stop burning out and fall in love with teaching again
I believe that with the right guidance, you can fall in love with teaching while expanding your own training to feel GOOD in your body.
“ I left Alex’s workshop feeling more empowered about my own practice and also connected with others who stay curious, ask questions and seek their own answers.”
— Lisa
Free downloads
Guide to Pain
Do you panic when your client tells you that an exercise is hurting them?
Here are 5 things to try next time a client tells you an exercise hurts!
Pain Resource List
A list of resources that I have found helpful on my journey of learning to empower my clients with pain.
“The workshop demonstrated her deep knowledge of the Pilates system both ‘classical and contemporary’ and as a Physiotherapist with both private practice and public health experience, this is rare.”
— Nicholas
We acknowledge the Beeliar Nyungar people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we move. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging.