ONLINE PILATES EDUCATION AND ITS INVITING LIGHTS
Recently in Vietnam the interest for the culture of conscious approach to body training is greatly increasing, as well as interest to on-line schools - which are calling to find a “true knowledge” looking into the screen.
Our mind is accepting the fact - if information has been recorded somehow, we can use this channel for learning, to teach Plates as well.
So what?!
Here is the voice behind the screen, here is text. Everything is clear: memorize, repeat, become a teacher. Of course there is on-line tests and exams. All this without live contact with a master.
The contact with a masters online is existing too, especially now in a world constant lockdowns here and there.
But is it the same?
I don’t think anybody would argue with the fact, that swimming in a real sea is not the same as online (even 8D).
“Consciousness at the end has to result in instinctive movement…” - better than Joseph said we could not imagine.
So the fears about those who is passing by opportunity to learn from the live Masters (who will never pass knowledge online) are creeping in.
Because many real Masters are very hesitant about passing the knowledge online due to age and wisdom.
Once, in a conversation, Lolita San Miguel, who last year turned 86 said: ” … amazing how fast technologies are developing! But I lived long amazing life and Im very happy that this train will continue its trip without me”.
Alan Herdman, 77 years old, his experience of teacher has exceeded 45 years sadly admits – non of online product cant pass the knowledge fully.
Mary Bowen, young lady of 90 years old, see no sense in “depriving itself the happiness of meeting extraordinary people – Pilates masters”. In her age she still travels worldwide with live events. Many times she was suggested to switch online streaming, and she even sometimes agrees, but always says- it’s a waste of time.
The list can be continued.
To talk about advantages of online trainings we can learn in those advertisements.
But now I suggest to think about the following – thing we cant pass online:
- No feedback
Interaction teacher-student is always two-sided. How the teacher are responding to reactions of the student, so the student is reacting to the actions of the teacher. Even protesting - it’s a reaction, without talking about the level of perception, which is not possible to feel immediately through the screen. Chat - is delayed in timing and doesn’t give to the teacher an opportunity to use intuitive and non-verbal skills fully.
2 . Absence of individual approach
Rule :”listen, look, do”.
Even if online there is a practical tasks, sadly-the reaction of a teacher will be greatly delayed (if even at all they will be available). Value of teaching the pilates method is so much dependent on passing the experience of quick and precise correction of the mistakes, which are done by a client during the movement or – in opposite – the reaction to successes of a student.
To learn the perfect execution of exercises – is not the most complicated. To teach how to react, to “ see the body”, deliver information – these are the main goals of learning process.
Percentage of effectiveness of such a skill online goes to zero.
- Remembering
Our memory (storage and reproduction of information) is a complex process: memorization occurs not only at the intellectual level, logic remembers very little, the subconscious mind remembers everything.
In order to extract information, we rely not only on logic. Components such as light, vibrations, temperature, atmosphere in the group, touch, energy, etc. are equally important components. Sometimes the memory of the touch makes it possible to verbally describe the movement more accurately than the use of logic. Not to mention the bodily reaction to the teacher's presence.
Have you ever noticed?
Giving a class – you suddenly see the client in a back corner of the room, who lets say-forgot about axial elongation.
Even before you give hime a correction, you observe he starts to correct himself in away you would like. Without hearing the correction from you! This is the magic -absolutely impossible online.
Possibly in case if this type of interaction were gained long before online experience in a life interaction with the same teacher.For example – if you know the client long time and even on a distance he can “ read” the change in your voice, in your mind direction, but for this the real and long live experience is needed.
- Channels of connection.
We are talking about all known ways: kinesthetic, visual. Audial and its combinations.
Doesn’t matter what the online training is great, it has only 2 channels – audial and visual.In an art of teaching Pilates kinesthetic compound is the most important. Even if person is not a kinesthetic type of a learner.
The Pilates method is teaching mainly - body awareness.
Of course we use our hearing and sight during learning process, but touch, or voice corrections of a teacher at the correct moment may teach you more than any video or a book.
Majority of people have difficulties to transform video streaming and a sound into an effective movement.
Even if teacher will tell you what to do - he can never touch and correct you-so you will memorize wrong pattern forever!
5. Quality of the movement
Pilates-is the method which is teaching very simple, yet difficult to distinct things by your attention. Using Pilates we are trying to “ renew”, optimize the “picture of body image” in a movement. The feedback of a experienced practitioner is so much important for It – like appropriate breath type for a certain movement, degree of effort and many more.
But all this becomes impossible though the screen, just because reactions of observer and percipient is distorted by signal and distance.
We think we are relaxed, but teacher touch gives you understanding -how much of unnecessary efforts we are using to create a movement. We dream that body part are properly arranged – but on-time manual corrections of the teacher explains t us – is illusion.
6. Skill of using the intellect only deprived the full image of the world
Pilates teacher constantly dealing with reactions of the client, which require quick correction- its emergency response.In an emergency we use the handy skills. Stimulating only on intellectual part of profession – just a part of a training, not the only important one. If we stimulate it too much – it will dominate.
But “Contrology - is a full coordination of mind-body and spirit”( j.Pilates)
The highest stage of development of a professional teacher - unconscious competence. This is the level -where you don’t know how you now it. Speed of reaction id greatly exceeds intellectual attempt to explain it. To reach this level -is much easier by live interactions with experiences, talented intuitive masters.
Summarizing: “ The full contact with experienced master increases the coefficient of useful acton in hundreds of times!”
What we want to call you for – dear friends, humans, practitioners! While you have a chance to meet with those : who is not going to ride this train” forever – don’t miss this opportunity. It will ever repeat.To learn truly – it’s not possible only to touch, you need t immerse into the process of learning.
Author:Kateryna Smirnova
translated by Radionyheva Nadya