Wow, what a challenging and fun class. Love it when all the exercises are familiar so you can listen to all the great cues without having to look to learn new choreography. The only time I needed to look at the screen was to see if Kristi and Benjamin were sweating as much as I was! Thank you Alcea and PA
Silja, I hardly know where to start! My first reaction to your request is that at the beginning of class I was thinking "OMG! Alycea Ungaro is teaching me and BENJAMIN DEGENHARDT in MY studio!" I wasn't expecting to be in this class that day until moments before we started and besides hoping I didn't fall over during the standing footwork, I was having a "somebody pinch me" moment/s. Once immersed fully into class, which happened fast and was only made possible by Alycea's skillful teaching, I found this class incredibly challenging and totally inspiring. I was also glad that Benjamin was on the Reformer that we have the close up on! Continued...
...I am still gaining from the nuggets that Alycea offered throughout this class... "Do as you hear, not as you see" seems to be the most profound for me thus far. I think we can all get caught in how things are supposed to be, or look, or feel when we workout which, I believe strips us of opportunity to discover more of ourselves... even if it is just on that day. Alycea (and Benjamin for that matter) has a knack for pushing me into a place that forces total exploration of where I and my body are in that moment... I can't say that I always like what I discover, but as was the case on this day, I tend to remember all over again why I do and love Pilates.
Loved the nuggets and of course the energy and contagious laughter :) Thank you Alycea!! And thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us Kristy... beautifully put and inspiring.
What a wonderful classical class - no better! Thank you for highlighting the importance of following the order of the exercises and explaining how it helps to faciliate the next movement in the series.