Our Secret Sauce: A Strong Set of Values and No BS

There is no prerequisite for completing a Pilates certification or learning the associated movements. Top-of-the-line clinical Pilates equipment is also available for purchase to anyone. And yet, I do believe that what Movement Remedies offers is truly unique in the world of Pilates.

Most people who come here have never done Pilates before. All the complex equipment is foreign and, oftentimes, intimidating. On top of that, most clients have tried a million things already to get out of pain and are at the point of desperation, frustration, indignation–or all of the above! And more than that–I can relate to all of these things and can validate that experience. People are skeptical that anything can help and yet changing that mindset is an essential part of getting comfortable being active. We all want to feel good in our bodies but it’s SO hard to figure out how to get started. Many have never actually felt comfortable and safe in their bodies before.

While people come to Movement Remedies because they have heard about the unique expertise in helping people conquer persistent pain to get moving again, I think they stay because of our core values. It’s not just the novel approach to movement coaching, but how those services are delivered.

The Movement Remedies approach combines Pilates with clinical research and broad anatomical knowledge, as well as pain reprocessing therapy. I believe in being realistically optimistic about the changes that are possible, but you will never hear me claim that I offer “pain relief” or “healing,” even though those words are compelling indeed. And many a marketing advisor has suggested that I should. But giving people false hope just isn’t my identity. I know what it’s like to be bull-sh*tted and I want none of that. “Give it to me straight,” I always say.

Pain is a part of the human experience. I keep scanning the literature, but I have yet to hear of any solution that has been shown to eliminate pain from your life for good. So until that happens, we have to keep striving for as much strength and mobility as we can muster to face each day’s challenges with confidence.

So what are the Movement Remedies core values? Well, I am glad you asked:

Empathy

We approach each client with compassion, taking into consideration the full picture of the factors that make them human (physical, mental and emotional). We know people’s names and their stories. We treat each person as unique.

Safe Space

We understand that persistent pain profoundly affects the lives of our clients and is frequently connected to trauma, grief and other intense emotional experiences. We hold a judgment-free space for our clients to be honest and thoughtful about their pain. We handle what we hear with professionalism and confidentiality. While we do not let emotions interfere with our movement goals, we welcome clients to express their perspectives and sensations fully for the purpose of healing and reprocessing pain symptoms. 

Body Positivity

We do not use or allow the use of negative body talk in the studio. We do not promote weight loss and we steer clients away from self-criticism towards recognition of the things that our amazing bodies CAN do. We are sensitive to and knowledgeable about the mobility limitations our clients may have and we adjust their movement programs accordingly. 

Rooted in Science

We keep ourselves informed on the latest in pain and movement research. We leverage everything at our disposal to design tailored, evidence-based movement programs. We don’t promote modalities that are not science-based as anything other than placebos. We stay within our scope of practice. We work closely with a network of clinicians to refer out to specialists when a client’s needs extend beyond our scope of practice.

Pilates is One Tool in the Movement Journey

Perfect Pilates execution is not our goal. Our focus is on improving each client’s experience of movement in their bodies, not judging the perfection of their performance of the Pilates method. We are not interested in movement as an “aesthetic” but rather as a means to living a full and joyful life.

Continuous Self-Improvement

We employ a range of functional movement approaches and tools to the benefit of client experience. We continuously expand our knowledge and training to include the latest in movement and rehabilitation science. We educate ourselves on the conditions our clients are facing so that we can make recommendations with confidence.

Client Empowerment

Each client is the expert regarding their body. Our clients should feel that they have agency to define what movement is for them and how they want to feel in their bodies. Helping each person to fully inhabit their own body with compassion and confidence is the most important thing we can do as movement teachers in the pain and rehab space. It is the key to unlocking recovery and self-efficacy. Most people hold on to negative beliefs about their bodies that hinder progress and we, as their coaches, help them form new beliefs with positive reinforcement and movement training.