'Hanging Out' (literally!) with Georgia Vaines

Sarah has a 1:1 Pilates session in Exeter

Sarah trying a back extension on the Cadillac in Georgia's studio

I set out on foot, apple-maps in hand to find Georgia Vaines studio in central Exeter. I felt both excited and a little nervous to ne honest. How would Georgia take to this (very!) rookie vlogger? How would my body fare in a focused traning session? Will our experience of Pilates be totally different and she'll think I'm an idiot?

It has been years and years since I found myself on a cadillac. When I first did my Pilates training with Marie-Claire in Southampton, she kept me on at her studio as a teacher, where she had a private studio room including a cadillac. I was lucky enough to be trained by MC a number of times, but that was easily over ten years ago, and I've been all about the mat and reformer ever since.

Having found the right address, tucked neatly behind Exeter cathedral, I was met warmly by Georgia in her 'three-floors' up sunny studio. She had prepared a cadillac-focused session for me (at my request having been excited to reunite with the apparatus) and having also been witness to my excitement of seeing her Pilates chair in the corner, happily said she would adapt her plan to incorporate some 'work' on that too - okay let's go!

I set-up my camera (okay iphone 16) on my stand in the corner of the bright naturally-lit space and nervously tip-toes toward the large metal frame dominating one half of the space. Georgia guided me through some spinal-warm ups in the form of some different roll-downs on the chair 'your back moves really nicely' she encouraged me as she watched haw-eyes to my body and the way I was executing these initial exercises. Phew!

We then moved onto the cadillac and we started (much like we often do on the reformer) with foot-work. This time on a different plain though - I was lying on my back, feet on the bar with was directly above my hips - my legs stretching up towards the celining holding the metal bar against two springs that were attached to the frame - my legs were working against the spring tension as well as gravity to lift and lower the bar - requiring a lot more mobility and flexibility than the more horizontal plane of the reformer set-up.

footwork on the cadillac

Georgia's teaching style was arguably a lot more 'classic' than we are used to in our group reformer classes at Kore Pilates Studio. Firstly, no background music, clean clear space to deeply focus on the movement and the cues. I felt her deep focus and concentration on my body and how I was moving it - her cues were hands on, precise and specific. I felt slightly as if my attempts to make little jokes and initiate light get-to-know-you chat were politely and breifly acknowledged before being swiftly guided back to the exercise or correcton at hand. I was appreciative of the deep focus and connectoin to the movement - as a Pilates teacher myself I was interested in 'checking in' with my technique. We all get into our comfort zones, programming and teaching the movements in the style that we are most drawn to - how would I fare being taught and challenged?! Can I really do this Pilates thing??

Turns out, yes - not bad actually Sar...

The outcome of my session was exactly what I needed - a general sense of reassurance about my movement and abilities. Georgia had a brilliant balance of authoritative energy and trust-worthy technique-correcting - balanced by warm and encouraging feedback - even whipping out her own camera at one point during 'the saw' because 'you do that so well'. Phew!

Importantly - I came away with some areas highlighted to work on - my hip rotators and grip strength for example ( as I discovered attempting to hang from the cadillac frame at the end of the session!)

After an hour or so of working through our session, which included:

• warm up spine curls on the chair

• footwork, ab curls on the cadillac

• quad strengthening standing work on the chair

• feet-in springs on the cadillac

• seated spine stretch & saw

• hanging bak extensions

• lying prone shoulder stretch and back extensions

Georgia was generous enough to give me even more of her precious time and agreed to sit down with me (I needed a sit down at this point!) to chat about all thing Pilates, and her / our experience as Pilates teachers.

It was my first tentative step into a longer, bigger prject reaching out to meet other Pilates teachers, and to deep-dive into Pilates as a phenomena, industry, profession amd global movement...

My tech was basic, my interview techniques lacking - but I was doing my first 'teacher talk' and Georgia's openness, acceptance and encouragement was so very welcome as I embark on this next stage in my Pilates journey, and I remain very grateful to her for her time and help with my first vlog.

If you're interested in following along on my research project (over the next year) then check out my Youtube channel: Sarah - on the move.

There you can find two videos about this visit

1. Vlog about my provate session

2. The chat at the end with Georgia

   
   

   sarah's vlog about visiting Georgia Vaines in Exeter