Olivia: [00:00:00] Welcome to Pilates Teachers' Manual, your guide to becoming a great Pilates teacher. I'm Olivia, and I'll be your host. Join the conversation on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual. Today's chapter starts now.

Hello, hello everybody. Welcome back. I have an excellent treat for you today. I'm on the line with Jason Williams, who is an incredible Pilates teacher. I had the pleasure of e-meeting him at the virtual Momentum Fest that happened just a couple of weeks ago. 

Jason Williams is awesome, in a word. He's been [00:01:00] in the health and fitness profession for a long time. He has trainings in everything from spin to Pilates to barre. He also works in meditation, with Reiki energies, and also in nutrition. He wears many hats, all of them fantastic and wellness based. He's also an author of The Adventures of Frankie Fitness, which is a fantastic children's book that introduces concepts of exercise, nutrition, meditation to kids. And there's like nothing that he doesn't do. Thank you so much for being on the show, Jason. 

Jason: [00:01:34] Thank you for having me, Olivia. How are you? 

Olivia: [00:01:36] I'm doing great. So my first question for you is how did you find Pilates in all of your adventuring? 

Jason: [00:01:44] Yeah, so I found Pilates, probably it was about 2005 or 2006. It was one of the things they offered it at my gym, the mat certification.

One of the, I guess, group exercise instructors ,or head of group ex, was like, Hey, you ever try teaching Pilates? Cause I think it would be something you [00:02:00] would like to do in terms of the way you train. And as soon as I took the course and you know, did my mat and I was like, Oh wow, this is pretty cool. This is where it's at. I was getting along the lines of like foam rolling and myofascial work and longevity in terms of how the body should operate and perform.

And Pilates was like the perfect kind of segue way into that. At the point in time, and kind of being a somewhat new trainer too. So I think I'd only been training for like four years at that point. I just took the course and I fell in love with mat and then just kind of kept it going from there. 

Olivia: [00:02:29] Well that's fantastic. So becoming a teacher sounds like a really natural thing for you because you'd already been teaching movement for, for a bit. 

Jason: [00:02:36] Yeah, just getting certified as a personal trainer, and then just realizing like how you can kind of effect- My thing was kind of like the fixing part of the body, my background's in sports medicine. So I kind of have that interest of this human performance, and the way the body operates and heals and things like that, and keeping it operational. So that's kind of what led me to it. It was, yeah, a pretty easy transition. 

Olivia: [00:02:59] And I [00:03:00] loved in your class in Momentum Fest, you were fusing barre and Pilates. And I know that in your bio, you talk about barre being a passion, and you're also the director of Pilates Barre Training in Baltimore. So can you tell me about how that connection was made, too? 

Jason: [00:03:16] Yeah, so I started teaching barre. That was one of those things that got kind of thrown into at another gym later, like 2010 or 11.

Yeah, we didn't have an instructor and somebody asked, Hey, Jason, you know, you teach Pilates, can you just fill in for barre? Like, Oh yeah, I'll look it up and figure it out. Right. And then I kind of figured it out like, Oh, okay. Here's another modality. Right. And the class went really well and it was one of those things after that, kind of got hooked on that and started teaching barre for, you know, for the gym, for the club ,for awhile.

And then 2016, I was making my way out on my own from the gym. One of my friends, I became friends with through Lululemon ambassador. He's opening up a yoga studio with barre and he was like, Hey, Jason, do you want to teach barre here and kind of, you know, put something together. Cause we have of [00:04:00] these formats of barre, but we're wanting something that's a little more back to that, I guess a classical type barre, more stretchy, more the lengthening through the body.

And I was like, yeah. You know, I was kind of thinking about doing something with Pilates and Barre kind of mixing the two and he's like, yeah, that'd be awesome. So I talked with another yoga instructor who was interested in Pilates. She has a dance background and she teaches yoga and her name is Courtney.

And we kind of came up with the whole Pilates barre concept together, right? She kind of filled me in on the dance terminology and I did the Pilates terminology and we kind of meshed it all together and came up with this course. So it was kind of happened very organically. After that we kind of said, Hey, let's just do a certification and kind of started there. And then we have about 40, 50 people certified by now and so it was cool. It was really fun to do. 

Olivia: [00:04:46] It's amazing. It's like, you're just in the right place. You've just got these people and you're making the moves and doing the things I love it. 

Jason: [00:04:53] It's always right place, right time. I always say that, you know, when it comes to life.

Olivia: [00:04:57] You've been teaching Pilates then, for over 10 [00:05:00] years. What have you learned through teaching? 

Jason: [00:05:03] So much. I think over the last even couple of years recently, I've learned how much of a mindful movement Pilates is. It is almost like a form of meditation as I got more into meditation, just from, you know, the principles of Joseph Pilates and same thing with yoga, right? The eight limbs of yoga. 

So when you have all these disciplines, there are certain elements to them, right, that go into it. And I think that keeps your mind focused on that present moment, right, the present moment awareness. And Pilates really does that, you know, for me as I practice or even take classes or teach our trainings, is that how much it does coincide with other modalities. It can help it with your yoga, you know, whether you box, do CrossFit, any other type of cross training it can help you with.

So I think that's the thing I've learned most about it, and also how easy it is for anyone to do it. You know, no matter if you're out of shape, no matter if you're hurt or injured, how old you are, you can do the mat stuff, right. So that's [00:06:00] what I've learned most and love most about teaching Pilates. 

Olivia: [00:06:03] I can totally jump on that. I'm also a yoga teacher and I noticed right away that you can get that same mindfulness, that same mind-body connection doing Pilates that you can doing yoga. Even though you're moving differently and the way we're thinking about movement is maybe a little bit different, but you really can connect deeper into yourself and into that present moment, like you said. Your mind doesn't wander if you give it something to focus on. 

Jason: [00:06:29] Can I ask you a question? 

Olivia: [00:06:30] Sure. 

Jason: [00:06:31] It's interesting with yoga and Pilates, like you always find some people who like one or the other or- And I feel like there's not a lot who like both. And maybe there are, but do you find there are people who like them both or they're kind of like separated?

Olivia: [00:06:43] It's interesting because I see yoga and Pilates is like speaking two different languages that are going to get you to the same place. And some people really resonate with- when I think of Pilates, it's very technical and it's very, you know, [00:07:00] precise and these focused movements. And I know a lot of times people coming out of rehab or coming out of PT are really connecting with that. Cause it's very similar to exercises that maybe they've already done. 

And then people who are coming to yoga, yoga kind of has this like gentle stretching kind of mentality and. But still with like this really strong focus and really deep connection, there are people who definitely fall into those camps and they're like, I would never do yoga. That's just like lying around. And there are people who are like, I would never do Pilates. You're just like pumping your arms and breathing really quickly. 

But the style of yoga that I actually practice is Ashtanga yoga and it very closely mirrors the classical Pilates mat series. So for me, there's not a huge difference.

It's very much choreographed movements that you're doing with your breath with total concentration. And if you're doing it correctly with centering with, with flow, that there's like a flow to it. I don't want to get in trouble with Pilates people or yoga people, but I really do, I see them as like best [00:08:00] friends.

Honestly, like maybe one speaks French and one speaks like Dutch, but they're like both talking about the same stuff. 

Jason: [00:08:06] That's a good way to put it. 

Olivia: [00:08:07] And I love it as well that you are now explicitly fusing barre and meditation. That was the class that I was so drawn to at Momentum Fest is that you were like, Oh yeah, we're doing barre, which is a meditation. And also we're going to meditate. How did you get inspired to start including meditation into your classes? 

Jason: [00:08:26] So as I got a deeper practice into meditation, I saw the benefits of, again, present moment awareness. And also not just like during the class, but outside of class, right. How it's going to affect your life.

You know, it was something I love, kind of getting the rejuvenation process of just workouts and things like that. And then just leaving, feeling really good and feeling like, Oh, not only am I tall and I feel a little more aligned. My body feels good, but my mind also feels good. So I kind of wanted to incorporate some of the breath work and mindfulness into that Pilates barre class, because I just think it goes almost hand [00:09:00] in hand with it too.

It's fun to kind of plug in meditation in different spots. Usually I typically do it in the beginning or at the end or one or the other, you know, type thing so. 

Olivia: [00:09:09] Also as someone who has been teaching so many modalities, in addition to Pilates, what advice do you have for teachers who are maybe a Pilates focused or maybe have this kind of like network of movement?

Jason: [00:09:22] I would always say, just be open to learning as a instructor, no matter where you are and whether you're a quote, unquote master trainer or a novice or whatever, you always have to learn. Because it'll want to keep you on your toes, right? And you'll learn something from someone else or a different way of teaching a style or way of communicating to your participants or your clients.

So I would always, I just say, keep learning. That's kind of how I was kind of brought up, even just from the personal training world. And just being observant of other, you know, teachers and saying, Oh wow, that's a cool way of using that maneuver or transitioning that maneuver or getting that through or that cue through. The more I [00:10:00] think you learn, the better you're going to become. You know, hence why it seems like you have the many hats, but like you always want to learn, right? It makes you a better instructor that way.

Olivia: [00:10:09] And you can definitely see that that's something that you've embodied through your life, that you are constantly growing. And that's so, so wonderful. 

I see it a lot in Pilates in, like, Instagram, because you can't take your reformer to this beautiful place. You can't like take it to the beach and like, here I am doing Pilates on a sunset. 

So a lot more of the focus seems to be on what you're doing, how you're doing it, how you're cuing it. It's a really nice, and then easier way to keep learning because everyone has their own way of doing it and their own way of talking about it. And so even classical Pilates, that is going to be the same movements, you know, in the same order, every teacher has a different focus. Every teacher has a different way of getting you into that rolling like a ball, and it will connect in a different way too. 

Jason: [00:10:56] I heard another Pilates instructor, say, this is like years ago. [00:11:00] I mean, it might've been even during my, you know, reformer training, but they said, even if it's like, maybe Joseph Pilates was alive today, I'm sure he would have changed some things up.

That's kind of one of those things, like you have to grow and evolve, right? No matter if you're the creator of a concept, you know, you have to be willing to change. And again, it only makes you a better teacher to always be a student, right. 

Olivia: [00:11:20] For Pilates teachers who are just getting started or maybe in teacher training right now, do you have any advice for them when they're just getting started that as they're making their way into the field of Pilates? 

Jason: [00:11:32] I would say simplicity. Keep it simple and just slow down and take your time. You know, you can always tell people in my training, it's better sometimes digress in the progress, right?

So it's better to kind of- because you can still get a hard workout and make it simple. Right? You don't have to have something, you know, crazy and out in this world. And I think it'll come to you a little bit quicker and easier if you slow down and you can find your own voice and your own style to be able to teach and feel confident to teach.

Right. [00:12:00] So just, you know, keep it simple. Work with what you know, and then as you get comfortable, they can start expanding outside of that and adding certain things. And so I would just, the simpler the better. 

Olivia: [00:12:09] I definitely fell into the camp when I was a brand new teacher that like I have to do the most things. And then I ended up rushing through because you know, I have to fit all of this in, and this is on my note card and I've got to get it in. 

I really see the value because when you go slow, you make sure that the students understanding the core kernel of the exercises. Like it doesn't matter necessarily where your arms are, where your legs are if you don't have the connection at the core. Just finding that and doing that correctly is going to be memorable and delightful.

Hi there. I hope you're enjoying today's chapter so far. There's lots of awesome stuff coming up after the break as well. Please share this episode with your friends and followers and share the Pilates love. [00:13:00] Now back to the show.

One more fantastic question for you, or maybe not one more. We can keep talking. But what other projects do you have in the works right now? What is happening? 

Jason: [00:13:36] Yeah, as of maybe like a week and a half ago or so. You know, we've had three to Frankie Fitness books dealing with fitness, nutrition, meditation. And, you know, I always said I wasn't going to do another book, but I kind of got talked into doing another book.

So just like having conversations, you know, from Momentum Fest, with other Pilates instructors and then just other people in general, even people in meditation and [00:14:00] wellness, you know, who were saying, Oh, you're going to write another book. And I was like, no, I'm not the write another book. And then it kind of just popped in and I was like, Oh, I guess I gotta write another book.

And then I just slowly started kind of writing it and you know, about halfway, three quarters done. And I met with my illustrator last week and he's a go and ready to roll and working on the cover. Yeah. Looks like it's going to happen. 

It's going to be Frankie Fitness does Pilates. So it's gonna have a pretty cool storyline as the same as all the books. You'll be able to color it. They'll have some interactive stuff in the back so that parents and teachers can do with kids. It's going to talk about some inclusion and also again, just like opening a door up to kids. No matter who they are, where they are, oh, this is a cool modality that you can do. I think that it's going to be pretty cool.

Olivia: [00:14:48] I love that about Pilates, that you can really do Pilates for your entire life. That I know people who became teachers in their sixties, like they're retiring and then now they're doing this [00:15:00] thing that they love. And so I love to see the other side of that age spectrum really getting involved in Pilates as well.

Of course you wouldn't do it the same way that you would do it with an adult. I know when I've taught, like kid's yoga classes, that we're going to focus on the animals and we're going to like make funny noises and do silly breaths and stuff. 

It's just so valuable, I think, for kids to see, you know, other kids in books, like in Frankie Fitness, where they're able to do things, and that this is for them. It's not just for someone else or for adults. 

Jason: [00:15:30] I mean, think about, I don't know how old you were when you got exposed to Pilates. I mean, I was in my twenties. To be able to be like six, seven, you know, and say I've done Pilates a little bit. It's like, kind of cool. Right. 

So, and I think that's the thing about Pilates in general cause you don't see that very much. I don't see a lot of kids just doing mat. Where now yoga is in schools, you know, but Pilates is not in schools probably, you know, I would say probably not. But now I think it's time to make that shift, you know, getting it out there a little bit more at a early age. That's definitely, I think, on the [00:16:00] forefront, so we'll get it there.

Olivia: [00:16:01] Yeah. And I just think that, you know, having kids try new things the same way that when I was little, I did like a year of ballet and then I did a few years of soccer. That Pilates is something else and another way. 

And especially Pilates, I'd say, maybe even more than competitive sports, that it's something that you can keep doing. And not at a professional level, you don't have to go to college for Pilates. But you can keep doing it and just feel strong and be healthy. 

I know that alignment is something that's really important to you as an athlete that you definitely saw that having proper alignment is going to prevent injuries and then also help you heal from injuries. Can you talk a little bit more about that connection? 

Jason: [00:16:44] When I was a high school, I ran cross country my senior year and form was kind of like one of those things. I was kind of, not necessarily obsessed with it, but I kind of like, for some reason, just hit my mind, like, oh, running correctly. It's gotta be a thing. And it's gotta be able to help you in terms [00:17:00] of, you know, performance, right? How you exert energy and save energy, and use energy. Right? So that's where kind of, I think the alignment, it came from me. Even one of my coaches said, Oh, Jason, your form is really good. And it was like, one of the things I didn't even know it was really good. 

As a track athlete, it's all about form when you're sprinting and when you're doing events and that kind of thing. So that kind of transition from like that to Pilates or anything else, even training, was pretty easy to kind of, it's like looking at the body and sensing kind of what's going to come next and where muscles are going to be tight. Where are things going to be weak? It makes sense to me. 

Olivia: [00:17:33] I'm definitely jealous because it's one of the things that I had to- like now I people watch like, as a Pilates teacher, just having that anatomy background. Now you can see people, it's warmer outside. I see lots of runners. And then you see things happening in bodies and you begin to, like you said, predict, you're like, Ooh, we're getting a little tight in those hip flexors. And that's going to act up if you don't attention to it. 

Anything else that you want to share or anything else that you [00:18:00] want to talk about? Say amazing things about yourself, perhaps? I am going to be linking to Jason's social and his website so that you can follow him on social media. He has lots of fantastic resources. He offers meditations and online workouts. Even if you're not in Baltimore, you can hang out with him. I'll turn it back. Anything else that I can let you share? 

Jason: [00:18:19] I think the book I'm really super excited about. You know, like I said more so, cause this is a lot more direct in terms of what I'm writing. So that'll be pretty cool.

And then, yeah, just continue, you know, the path, you know, meditation and Reiki and all that fun stuff. And using that in my practices with people. You know, in terms of also, as an assessment tool with, you know, using meditation Reiki and kind of getting to the root problem with things and why people can experience what they experience or feel what they feel to help them kind of navigate their body and get the results they want to get.

Not just physically, but also mentally, and also being able to figure out what it is nutritionally, right. From mindfulness and listening to your body. How certain foods [00:19:00] affect your body. And you wonder why, if I eat this, this, you know, my stomach doesn't feel so well or I get fatigued or I'm not sleeping well. So I think that's kind of like that journey of that kind of figuring that out for people is fun and continue to do that.

So that's going to be kind of my mission moving forward. 

Olivia: [00:19:17] I really love your holistic approach to people because both in Pilates or in physical therapy, a lot of times we're working with the body a lot, and we're looking at the body is either functioning well or not functioning well, or there's things that it can do or things that it can't do just yet, or has to do differently to compensate.

And I think that you're really bringing in the missing piece. That's like the rest of the person that is there, you know, emotional being that is their energetic being when you're working with Reiki, things like that. Because at the heart of it, we're just another person working with a person and we're using the language of Pilates or the language of meditation to meet them. And the more [00:20:00] tools you have to do that, I think the better. 

Jason: [00:20:02] Yeah. I mean, I think that's going to be the future of, of trainings eventually. Whether it's a personal trainer or a Pilates instructor or whatever, is going to be kind of some point of mindfulness, maybe built into that course a little bit so that you can kind of start using that, you know, with your clients. 

You know, for me, I use it kind of as they ask about it, I don't like say, Hey, we gotta meditate, you know? Cause it's not, it's not for everybody, you know? So it's kind of one of those things they'll ask about it a little bit, you give them a little bit. And then same thing with the Reiki. They'll ask about it, you give them a little bit. And then they're kind of like, Oh, I want to do a Reiki session or we'll do a meditation session. Right, cool. We'll do that. 

And then they kind of start to travel their own little path again. I kind of looked at myself as the facilitator. However they got to get there, even if it's not through me, it's fine. I might open a door for something else and then they can kind of figure out their own path, their own journey, and however, they got to get there. That's all I do. 

If you can get them to kind of like start looking at their body, being more mindful and even in their life, more [00:21:00] mindful, that sort of simplicity of life, I think comes in, right? Just the ease of life comes in. Hopefully more people start getting into it a little bit, and more instuctors start getting into it and teaching their clients about it more.

You see a lot of trainers doing it now a little bit, and a few that are doing meditation after sessions and workouts which is pretty cool, but it's still not a lot, so. 

Olivia: [00:21:21] That's a great place to be headed. I think that's awesome. Well, thank you so much for being on, Jason. You have been an absolute blast. Really, everyone who's listening, go stalk him on social. He is fantastic and has so much to offer. And really, I think like you said, the future of training, the future of Pilates is going to be with this mindfulness, with this nutrition, just this whole body approach to working with people. Thanks so much!

Jason: [00:21:47] Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Olivia: [00:21:57] Thank you so much for joining me for today's [00:22:00] chapter of Pilates Teachers' Manual, your guide to becoming a great Pilates teacher. If you loved today's episode, subscribe and leave a review. You can reach out to me on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual or send me an email to pilatesteachersmanual@oliviabioni.com.

The adventure continues. Until next time.