HEIRLOOM SPRINGS FOUNDER + TEACHER TRAINER + RETREAT GUIDE + ENTREPRENEUR 
Rachael is an international educator in the Pilates community at large and has presented on topics ranging from pre and post-natal, athletes, business coaching, and a range of special conditions. As a teacher of teachers, she continues to teach for Alycea Ungaro’s Real Pilates, training the next generation of teachers. Rachael teaches from a place of authenticity, encouragement, and clarity. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, her passion and dedication to preserving the legacy of Joseph H. Pilates’ work has only gotten stronger. 

Through Pilates, Rachael has continued to watch people's lives and bodies change. She is profoundly moved at seeing individuals realize their own inner strength and just what they are made of! In the fall of 2020 Rachael sold Pilates Methodology in Dallas, TX which marked her third studio to build, open, operate and ultimately sell. In 2021 she opened Heirloom Springs, a wellness retreat focused on farm, food, and Pilates in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains!

Read more here heirloomsprings.com/pilates

Workshop 1: From the Front Desk to the Reformer

Meeting a client for the first time is a little like speed dating. You know minimal information about them, you're unsure how you will get along, and you are trying to figure them out quickly. When the client walks through the door for the first time you get to see what they look like, how they move and a glimpse of personality. Sometimes you learn everything about them quickly with long drawn out stories or clients withhold important information that only trickles out overtime. 

That first date requires a menagerie of skills. Teachers must be able to listen carefully and extrapolate the most important pieces of information. The teacher must use their keen eye to identify potential issues that have not been stated or conflict with the story you were told. They must also make decisions quickly on how the session should start, where it should start, and determine the right amount of intensity and skill level. All the while, taking into consideration the various things you’ve just learned about them and their personality. It is your job to set the tone of a judgment free zone and encourage open dialogue from the beginning. To create a safe environment where a partnership can flourish. 

So how can we as well-trained teachers deliver the best possible first session with accuracy, involvement, and so much joy that the client wants to return over and over again. In this workshop, we will learn key ways to listen to the most important information, anatomically dissect it, determine how to make hard decisions quickly and deliver a safe and effective custom workout. We will explore easy ways to accomplish big goals for even the most challenging special cases. We will establish strategies for a protocol that will take the guesswork out of the equation and allow you to do your best teaching while meeting the client where they are at.

Workshop 2: Active Listening from the Forest to the Studio

Given all the listening we do in a day, one would think we'd be good at it! In fact, most of us are not, and research suggests that we only remember between 25% and 50% of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, clients, or romantic partners for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation.

To truly listen requires focus, patience, and thoughtfulness. Your skills have to be honed and practiced daily. 

We listen to obtain information.

We listen to understand.

We listen for enjoyment.

We listen to learn.

Learn the secret sauce for turning new clients into devoted students, active listening. We will put those listening skills to the test on an interactive field trip into the forest.