Jasmine Gannam and I have yet to actually meet in person physically, but our spirits found each other about a year or more ago and we have found that our energy, enthusiasm and love of the #ClassicalPilates System has made us fast friends and #PilatesSisters. She was one of the first people to jump in and join me during the first two months of the pandemic as we all tried to find our footing and balance using virtual sessions with each other and with our clients.
Specifically, we worked out together on the Wunda and Reformer quite a bit and I love that Jasmine works at a high-quality advanced level in every thing she does. It shows in her work, words and her teaching. Living in CA, her exposure to Brett was, as she said, only via Pilatesology. She was aware of my cherished relationship with Brett for regular private and semi-private sessions and practically twisted my arm to set up a semi with him on the Wunda.
I knew Brett would hold fast to his methodical tempo, pace and precise, exacting instructions and I also suspected that he might conservatively approach the session because he hadn’t worked with Jasmine before in person.
So I opened my big mouth and made a special request that we “take it up a notch” at the outset of the session. This particular virtual session was preceded by a week or so of my devouring Christina Gadar’s book on the Wunda Chair. I knew Jasmine also had a love for the Wunda and we were both game for anything with Brett’s instructions.
Boy was I feeling myself! I had the audacity to ask Brett to “pepper in” some of the “less common exercises” in our session. Uh Oh! I am giggling as I write this, as Brett knows me well and with a wink and a smile will bring it when you ask. He didn’t hold back. He added several of the less common variations in the sequencing of the hour; one arm variations, fish, pumping on toes. The one that threw us the most was Teaser Twist with no spring.
Jasmine killed it without complaint. As I said, she approaches everything with the utmost quality and respect. After the first side, (which I completed) I stopped, watched and applauded her while Brett winked at me and continued cueing her for the second side of the movement. I rebounded the next day, though, as shown here after adding the Cunha as “short person” support for pulling that pedal up.
Note to the #PilatesSisterSquad: With a 2ndGenMaster, “Be very careful with your requests.” 😉
“This action shot is THAT moment during a session with @bhpilates this past weekend. There was SO much to love in that session, but this tiny moment of finding and maintaining more scoop as I practiced an exercise that I practice often, really lifted my spirits (and my seat!) Have I mentioned how much I love the method? Both universal and uniquely personal.
Do me a favor. Next time you practice, listen. To your body. Your mind. Your current teacher. Teachers before you. (Maybe teachers who were once around you.) Sometimes those cues get sprinkled in where you least expect them.
