Teaching Pilates to Children: How to Make It Fun, Inclusive & Effective

Nic is joined by Clarissa Shepherd, kids Pilates specialist, pre and postnatal educator, Club Pilates master trainer, and author of Sage Does Pilates and Babies & Barre.Clarissa's story is anything but conventional. From working in TV news and witnessing a live on-air shooting, to packing up her car with $600 and driving to Dallas, to funding her Pilates certification while working night shifts - her path to becoming a Pilates teacher is one of grit, resilience and pure determination.But what makes Clarissa's work truly unique is who she teaches. While the Pilates industry talks about being "for everyone," Clarissa noticed a glaring gap - children are almost always left out. She shares why bringing Pilates into families' lives earlier is one of the biggest untapped opportunities in the industry, and how her own experience of an absent mother during childhood became the driving force behind her mission to connect families through movement.The conversation explores how to adapt Pilates for different ages - from babies and toddlers to teenagers and everything in between - and why storytelling, play and affirmations are just as important as the repertoire. Clarissa also shares how she's training other teachers to do this work and working towards licensing her kids Pilates framework so it can reach families around the world.Timestamps00:00 Intro to Clarissa 00:32 Why families are the missing piece in Pilates 02:51 Clarissa's backstory - news, Dallas and $600 to her name 05:43 Discovering Pilates and being inspired by female leadership 09:01 Funding her certification and the sacrifices she made 13:13 Moving to Germany, becoming a mother and finding her path 16:03 How pregnancy sparked her interest in pre and postnatal Pilates 17:30 Teaching children for the first time 17:40 How to adapt Pilates for different ages and stages 20:07 Using affirmations and mentorship with teenagers 22:52 Making Pilates a game for younger children 24:18 Mommy and me classes and incorporating babies into movement 25:41 The creativity and storytelling skills kids Pilates demands 25:41 Training teachers to teach kids Pilates 44:10 Who Clarissa works with - from ballerinas to retirees 45:04 What's next for Clarissa 46:24 Quick-fire questions 48:24 Where to connect with ClarissaThanks so much to Clarissa for coming on the podcast and sharing such an honest and inspiring story. Please make sure to subscribe and rate the show 5 stars if you've been loving it - it helps the show more than you know.Connect with Nic:Beyond the Reformer InstagramSoul Pilates InstagramSoul Pilates EducationNic's InstagramJoin Soul at HomeBook a Pilates ClassSign up to Our NewsletterConnect with Clarissa:Clarissa's InstagramPilates Mamii WebsiteYouTube: Pilates MamiiFacebook: Pilates MamiiClarissa’s Sage Does Pilates BookClarissa’s Babies & Barre BookJoin the Soul Pilates Retreat in Cornwall on 19 June for a weekend of movement, rest and nourishment. Find all the details here.Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.