This will be my eighth year as a Pilates instructor! It is not my career job, nor do I want it to be, but is probably one of the things I am most proud of doing.

My first Pilates class was in 2016 when I joined my local gym. After years of thinking that exercise was either team sport during high school or forcing yourself on a run to burn off what you’d eaten, I absolutely loved pilates.

I loved that there was no jumping, no sweating, no exhaustion but still what felt like an amazing workout. You really can’t beat those teeny tiny evil little pulses. The pilates instructor at the gym was a woman named Dana, she must have been in her 50’s or 60’s and over the months of doing her classes I found out she was also an artist, she had 3 adult sons and she could do a full push up on her toes. Consider me sold. I saw far into the future and decided that when I was her age, I wanted that lifestyle. I loved the idea of having that kind of balance of creativity and fitness and to have a skill that could be monetised. I enrolled to do my Mat and Reformer qualifications in 2017.

Over this 6 month course I did observation hours in a Physio and Pilates clinic where they let me teach my first class to seniors in the local hall. We mostly did balance work. The year after I got my qualifications I didn’t teach much. I was too nervous, felt too much imposter syndrome and also an old back injury started to flare up. In 2019 I moved to London and arrived having very little teaching experience except to a few 70+ year olds. I decided that I wanted London-Bridget to actually be an instructor, not just have the qualifications so I told myself I needed to fake till I made it.

I reached out to a boutique gym / studio near my house in SW London; they didn’t need any instructors but they did need a receptionist so therein I started one of my many random jobs around that time. I was checking people in, changing towels, topping up shampoo - living the dream! One day they did need an instructor to fill in, and soon enough I had my own slot in this beautiful studio.

I also started working at another smaller little studio in Battersea; the owner never even asked to meet, interview or observe me before just giving me the instructions on how to access the studio. Covid happened and I kept up a bunch of these studio classes on zoom. I had a corporate client where 1-2 people would show up each week and I would teach the class on zoom from my tiny London bedroom 💀 I did an instagram live class for one of the studios I worked at that you couldn’t pay me to rewatch back. My confidence was still growing at this time but I just kept forcing myself to show up. I ran a few of my own sessions on zoom with friends and after discovering our apartment had a rooftop one day I ran a pilates/breakfast event on a Saturday morning - that was a real highlight.

One day a friend sent me an instagram post by blok, a beautiful studio in East London (where I’d moved to) who were looking for instructors. I interviewed online and in studio and then began teaching at their Shoreditch studio. Despite this being around 3-4 years after I got my qualifications, this was where I felt as though I truly became a Pilates instructor 💖

I was surrounded by the best of the best instructors in London and learnt so much from attending their classes and the training they would run for us. It was an incredible community and business to be a part of. I began teaching weekly across both their Clapton and Shoreditch studios.

During this time I also taught a weekly lunchtime class at a members club in Shoreditch, this was a well paid gig even when often no clients showed up. London is just another world…

I loved teaching little events for friends in the park or in boutique studios I’d hire. I loved creating beautiful experiences where people could have a wholesome morning of movement, making friends, drinking coffee and eating pastries. Another highlight was the opportunity to collaborate with Malin+Goetz, an amazing skincare brand. I would teach a class in their store followed by drinks and facials.

I’m now back in Sydney and teaching at a beautiful studio in the Northern Beaches as well as running my own events every few months. I still get nervous before teaching but I know now this is because I care and I want to create an amazing experience.

I love running a class on the morning of my friend’s weddings, I love the excitement of one of my friends coming to my class as a surprise, I love creating playlists, justifying activewear purchases and how many new friends I’ve created through the Pilates community.

I’m excited to see what other opportunities arise and I’m so proud of 23-year-old Bridget for chasing her dreams!

If you’re wanting to become an instructor and you have any questions I’d love to try and help! My Pilates instagram is bridgetmornings.

See you in the next one,

Bridget x