It is a big day for me. I am crossing the finish line. Today, at 3pm I will have completed all of my student/practice teaching hours for Reformer. To top it off, tonight at 7pm, I will teach my first client after crossing that threshold. I will actually be training my mom at 7pm. Which makes that session even more fun.

There were many times I wasn’t even sure this moment would come. I have been done with the training classes since February and now we are in June. It took a while, that happens when you have a life, a family, a husband, a child, and such.

I have had a lot of great moments on this journey. I have also had a lot of tough ones. Moments where I was not sure I was even making the right decision. I have been constantly encouraged by those around me. My husband, my mom, my best friend, and my master teacher, they all told me I can do this and I should do this. Where would we be without our support system? This may be my accomplishment, but I would not have gotten here without the ones I love telling me to keep on trucking.

I assume I will have many wonderful classes after this point. I also assume there will be days where the class just didn’t click or something wasn’t awesome. I am aware not everything will be sunshine and butterflies merely because I finished teaching hours. But I can look back knowing that I did this work. I know the work. I busted my butt to become a Pilates teacher (wow, that feels good to say!) I am a Pilates teacher!!!!

My biggest challenge has been confidence in myself. It has been hard to overcome it. In some ways I am still slightly less than confident in myself. Why? I am not sure. I think it is partly my nature. I have been told repeatedly that I know the work. I know what I am teaching and what I am talking about and I need to remember that as I am in front of each and every class. My master teacher and other instructors have said these words to me. Monday night was a turning point for me. Last Tuesday, over a week ago, I had a rough class. One thing after the other went wrong. It was awkward. I was discouraged. I had a long talk with my master teacher on Friday. I went in to work on  more hours and we also discussed where I was. I was a bit frustrated as I left on Friday. Very mad at myself. I had Saturday and Sunday to get it together in my brain. I had all of Monday to feel that confidence. I went back to teach Monday night. I nailed it. I left my home telling myself I could and would do this. She was very pleased with how confident I was. I was pleased with myself. So that is what it feels like! She told me time and time again, that I know the work. I spent countless hours in class learning. I spent countless hours outside of class studying, teaching, prepping, practicing, and thinking about Pilates. I have to walk into that room and have that in the back of my mind. I did. It worked.

I am young. 28. The studio is not a young crowd. A lot of women and men who could even be my mom and dad. I think that is part of my own personal hurdle. I had/have to get past that feeling. I cannot care if they think I am young. If I bring it, they will know I mean business. I am aware of that now.

On that same note, the very fact that I am 28 and completing this journey means that I have a very long career in Pilates ahead of me. To think, when I am only 38, I will have been at this for 10 years. 10 years of teaching Pilates under my belt before I am 40. That is an exciting thought! I started my Pilates journey in high school with Mat work. When I was about 16 or 17. I was instantly drawn to it. I have always thought it was the bees knees and way better than Yoga. Yoga just always bores me. I have tried a lot. But after that 1st Pilates class my mom took me to, I was in love. So there we are. My mom took me to my 1st Mat class and I will be instructing her for my very first Reformer class after finished my student teaching hours. Full circle in some ways.

Here is to a new adventure and a long career doing what I love. A long career that is my total passion.