Today, on this Soulful Sunday, let's take a moment to pause, breathe, and reflect. Someone recently described one of the teachers in their studio using a phrase that absolutely caught my attention: "She's a Marmite teacher." Now, as a good ol’ Brit, I knew exactly what they meant. You either love Marmite, or you hate it there’s no middle ground. So, naturally, the phrase made perfect sense! But it got me thinking… am I a Marmite teacher? Are you?
Let’s be honest, in Pilates teaching, we sometimes try to be pleasers striving to be liked by everyone in the room, going out of our way to meet everyone's expectations. You know the type, the teacher that tries to appease every client, no matter how many different reasons they’ve shown up. They want sweat, they want weight loss, they want peace, balance, the full Pilates buffet. And as we all know, that's a lot to juggle! I mean, we can only roll up and roll down so many ways before you realise wait a second you can’t actually please everyone!
Now, if you're a Marmite teacher, like I suspect I am, you’re probably already chuckling.
Some clients adore you; they cling to your every word. Others? Well, let’s say they politely “attend” your classes but don’t exactly rave about your repertoire. But here’s the thing it’s not offensive! I’ve come to find it quite freeing. It’s a reminder that not everyone is going to love your style, your approach, or even your jokes (not everyone appreciates a Pilates pun, after all!). And that’s okay.
It reminds me of when I first encountered group reformer studios popping up in London all those years ago, with heart rate monitors strapped onto clients like it was a race to keep their pulse sky-high. Honestly, the first time I saw it, I thought I’d walked into a fitness experiment! But here we are, over a decade later, and it’s only grown. The idea of pushing Pilates into a high-intensity, calorie-burning experience became the norm for some. Now, we know that’s not what Pilates is all about, but there’s an audience for that, just as there’s an audience for Marmite.
So, today’s reflection is this: are you a Marmite teacher? Do you have clients who absolutely love you, and others who... well, politely nod and choose a different flavour next time? And if so, are you okay with that? Because, after all, it’s part of being true to yourself as a teacher. Let’s stop trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, let’s embrace our uniqueness—even if it’s as divisive as Marmite.
And yes, I’m proudly waving the Marmite flag. What about you?
Welcome to the club.
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