Hi owen,
Without knowing what "certification" you got and from whom, I can't (and wouldn't presume to, anyway) say anything about its quality.
As far as I know, there might be zoning laws to carry on a business in your home, but that's about it. As long as you have willing subjects....
We have no regulation standard at this time in pilates. And, if we did, the reality is, you could call what you do something else. "Piloxing" is already taken, I hear.
Welcome to America.
: )

Regarding the recently released agenda for the PMA teacher Training Sunmmit in Dallas in Nov 2009, please go to:
http://aasicontributions.blogspot.com/2009/08/update-on-pma-dallas-summit.html

Hi Carole,

I am new to this rather "old" but not outdated forum. I have a question about the PMA certification exam? Has it been accredited?

Hi Michele,
I am only privy to the online listing of NCCA accredited certification programs, which readers can view at:
http://www.noca.org/NCCAAccreditation/AccreditedCertificationPrograms/tabid/120/Default.aspx
(The PMA is a NOCA Organizational Member).

So, no, to my knowledge, the PMA Certification Exam has not been accredited.
-Carole : )

I have gone through this process before being a massage therapist for the past 20 years. It is a struggle for a profession to grow and gain credibility and sometimes we have to jump through 'hoops'.
Here in New Jersey they are trying to pass a license for personal trainers which we as pilates instructors will fall under. So I am reconsidering the exam. As a massage therapist many states used the National Certification Exam for Massage and Bodyworkers as a bench mark for state licencing. So, in hind site if the PMA had not gone through this process for us as a profession where would instructors in states like mine be? I am re - considering taking the PMA exam. Thank you.

I have posted about the NJ bill (which, to my knowledge, is no longer in play) many times, including my April 17 comment under this post. Here it is again, if you missed it:
http://aasicontributions.blogspot.com/2009/04/pma-victory-is-that-so.html

You can read about another legislative issue by reading the NYTimes Article: "Yoga Faces Regulation, and Firmly Pushes Back."
Find the link here:
http://aasicontributions.blogspot.com/search/label/Legislative%20News

I have read many of these posts, though I admit I couldn't get through them all. It seems to me the PMA is not owned by anyone; no single person stands to gain anything from its efforts, and the goal is to create a standardized test that shows an individual has mastered the basics, primarily for safety purposes. Some have mentioned PMA's self-serving practices. Self-serving to whom? Who stands to benefit other than a group of like minded people who want to be considered professional and not lumped in with group fitness instructors? My co-owner is a PT and "certified" Pilates instructor. She can accept insurance for her Pilates sessions and thus has a waiting list of 10 people trying to get in on her schedule. We have 8 other instructors with plenty of openings. Most insurance companies are not likely to reimburse for Pilates instruction without a formal piece of paper stating that you have met certain standards and are safe. Ask your local BlueCross or Aetna rep if they know who Romana is or if they've heard of Power Pilates. Lots of people still pronounce the name wrong for Pete's sake.

I liked the reference to the fact that nurses, lawyers and massage therapists all get their education from different places but all meet the same requirement for a specific standard of knowledge. Rather than complain about the single organization that seems to be making an effort (not money) to bring the Professional Pilates community together, why can't we support the mission and offer suggestions or participate in board discussions. In other words, why not help to mold the PMA into what we'd ALL like it to be. Pointing fingers and throwing out nasty comments and accusations has led to nonconstructive discussion. Why not offer suggestions rather than take the easy route and bash the one organization that is trying to support you?

I have taken the PMA exam and I agree, it was not difficult. I also understand it is a foundation and that additional levels are coming.

I have classical "certification" through a small single teacher studio as well as STOTT PILATES and the PMA. I intend to also continue my education with Polestar. There is no single perfect training program but they all offer useful and important information in a slightly different way. The training has been different in every case but it all leads to the same basic pool of information. No one takes a "certification assessment exam" from any training organization and "knows it all". That is why we are required to continue our education minimally every year with CECs.

If you have been teaching for 15 years and your associate has been teaching for 2 years you are probably (hopefully) going to be a better teacher no matter who "certified" you. How about using your knowledge and experience to shape the PMA (again not-for-profit i.e. - no single individual or corporation benefits). The only organization I know of where I can do continuing ed with ANYONE and use the credit. They do not benefit period. I am not required to take their workshops.

I began this post after eight years of loyal membership because the structure of the PMA never allowed for an open discussion to reveal the discontent in the greater community. I hope it has proven useful to those who were otherwise unaware of the situation.

"...they all offer useful and important information in a slightly different way" "same basic pool of information"? -Tori

"The Schools never sat down and agreed on what they all believed to be necessary for the training of a competent Pilates teacher, and they never agreed on how to measure these skills. Their syllabi can differ radically."
-E Anderson Nov 25th comment

So, which is it, slightly different or radically...?

Perhaps you can get through the 2006 PMA Position Paper: On Pilates (published after the exam) and think the PMA still supports you.

As a student since 1981, and a teacher since 1986 the PMA's Position differs radically from how I and many others teach pilates. To those of us with discerning minds and hearts, our history has been far from an "easy route."

"...they all offer useful and important information in a slightly different way" "same basic pool of information"? -Tori (Me)

I am referring to comprehensive training programs vs. weekend courses. Comprehensive training that I have participated in has been similar vs. the 2-day mat "certification" obtained by some that is obviously radically different. We interviewed a woman who claimed to be certified. When we asked her to add some anatomical information to her cues, her reply was, "do you think people really care?" Holy Cow!

Honestly, my "classical certification" from the privately owned studio was every bit as good as what I learned from the big name International Pilates organization. I learned new things from STOTT PILATES and other things were not covered. I intend to learn more new things with Polestar and expect that they will not cover some things I have learned in other programs.

Overall I have a very good education and could have passed the PMA exam with either of the certification prep-courses I have participated in. I agree (again) the PMA exam needs a little work, but I could not have passed the exam if I had done the FiTour do-it-all-at-home or 2-day "classic mat" certification.

"I began this post after eight years of loyal membership because the structure of the PMA never allowed for an open discussion to reveal the discontent in the greater community. I hope it has proven useful to those who were otherwise unaware of the situation."

I see a 180deg turnaround since E. Anderson took over. There is a teacher training summit coming up in Nov for example, and ANYONE involved in teacher training is invited to participate. That would be a good place for someone to go and voice their concerns and help shape the PMA training standards. I see several small organizations and most all of the "big" names on the list. I see the usual 2 names in particular that are not attending. Seems to me, general consensus is that a standard is not a bad idea. It just needs to be molded a bit (or a lot).

Again I say, rather than complain why not participate in creating something useful to ALL of us? Something that is not owned by a single individual or corporation. Something that we can all own and approve of, if we want to put in the effort.

"Perhaps you can get through the 2006 PMA Position Paper: On Pilates (published after the exam) and think the PMA still supports you."

I re-read it. Which part of it should I be looking at that does not support me? I couldn't find anything. Are you referring to deviation from the classical method? Joseph Pilates continued to evolve his work right up until his death. Who's to say he wouldn't have evolved it further, as ALL Pilates Elders have continued to do.

Tori, You obviously have not worked with ALL the Elders, or you would not have stated that they have evolved the work. As a matter of fact the divergence from the original and classical work is at the heart of the debate that is taking place amoung Pilates professionals as we speak, (er, write) If you ask Siri Galliano or Jay Grimes or Romanna, they will tell you, they teach what Joe taught and his method has withstood the test of time and is proven over and over again, without evolving into some hybrid of PT, Chiropractic, ballet/ dance training and/ or anything other than the pure method that Joseph developed.

You are correct. I have not worked with all of the elders. Have you? You missed Ron Fletcher, Mary Bowen, Lotita San-Miguel. How about the fact that Eve Gentry, who worked with Joseph Pilates for over 20 years, is the first person to coin the term "neutral spine".

My first experience with Pilates, in 1994, was with a woman trained at The Pilates Studio in NY. Thus, the classical repertoire. It hurt my lower back intensely and all she could tell me was, "this is how the exercise is suppose to be done," though she couldn't tell me why. I continued to do Pilates and located other training venues with "classically trained" instructors because I was a dancer and was told that this was the ONLY good Pilates instruction. I even became "certified". Later, I was introduced to "neutral spine" through another organization. Working in neutral spine alleviated ALL of my back pain and I progressed much more quickly to better posture and a stronger body.

The flat back may be good for some people, but it turns out that I have a VERY unstable SI joint and flexion was about the worst thing I could have done for it. Not only did it not help me, but it made things worse. I had to miss performances because my back pain was so bad.

We currently employ individuals with certifications from Romana Pilates(R), Authentic(TM) Pilates, Power Pilates(R), STOTT PILATES(R), and Pilates Associates of Central NY. They are ALL excellent instructors. Based upon certifying agency however, there is not one that is better than any other, and different clients prefer (or need) different program styles.

What's good for some is not always good for others. Your way (I mean "your" in the collective sense of the word) is not always the right way, and to think so is vain. There is never only one way to do things and there is never only one person who has all of the right answers. Pilates was (apparently) an amazing man, way ahead of his time and profound in his understanding of biomechanics for his time. But, he was not God. Oops. I probably irritated a lot of people with that comment. But, what I am getting at is, I know from first-hand experience that Pilates in its original form was not good for me and I can't be the only one. I believe your teacher is superb but I also know there are other superb teachers out there.

Your Pilates style is good for you because that's what you know and mine is good for me because it doesn't hurt me. I find it ridiculous to argue about who is better rather than spending the effort on ways to come together. (see my blog post: http://nypilates.blogspot.com/2008/07/classical-or-contemporary-pilates-which.html)

A follow-up to my last post. I have been told by individuals certified by the elders you mentioned that they DO in fact make occasional changes in their continuing ed workshops. - "We don't do this anymore"

Tori, just a note here, that I never mentioned at which school I trained. I do know that there is a raging debate about flat vrs neutral and I do not recommend a flat back nor do I recommend flexion when not approproiate. I am not so entrenched in the dogma of the Pilates Method that I fail to see what is the best thing for my clients.
All I was saying is that most of the Elders I have worked with, give credit to Joseph Pilates for the original work and claim that when they make changes it is not as an evolution of his teaching, but things that they have learned along the way. The Elders DO say, "Joe never taught this", or "Joe never did it this way' . I have also heard them say we don't do this anymore and then state the caveat that it's because Joe never did it in the first place.
And never in all the many workshops did I hear any Elder mention the idea of flat back or neutral spine. Because it's not what was taught to them. I do not think that Joe Pilates was God, or that he was infallible. I use many tools to teach my clients and don't think too much about what "style it is as long as it's helping the client in front of me at the time.

.

Referencing the 2006 PMA Position Paper: On Pilates (published after the exam), Tori writes:

"I re-read it. Which part of it should I be looking at that does not support me? I couldn't find anything."

Well, I'd say it makes perfect sense to me that you would feel supported by a paper that insists that pilates in its original form is bad for people, since "it hurt (your) lower back intensely." You are absolutely entitled to your experience. I am not here to convince you otherwise.

I am also entitled to my experience, and my experience is that Pilates in its original form, when understood and taught appropriately to the body/the person in front of you, is awesome.

A question... from time to time in posts here and in other places, I read mentions of injuries made worse (like yours, Tori) due to the flat back positioning. These instances all occurred with "classical" instructors, generations (lineage-wise) after Joe and Clara. Are there any stories out there of clients coming away from those two people, worse off than when they went in?

As far as the PMA's position paper, I expressed my concern when ACE published a research paper stating Pilates was not aerobic when they only used half of the system (mat) to judge this by. It is not a question of whether Pilates is aerobic or not, but as to the fact they would consider at research paper which only accessed part of a method. P.S. earlier in this discussion, Ms. Anderson denied any work by the PMA on this subject. NOW I see it is part of their position statement. Also, I do know people who have also been injured by "nuetral" spine instruction as well. So, why would I support an organization which would limit Mr. Pilates work to only "nuetral" pelvis, which in term would limit my scope of teaching? Every single body which enters my studio is different and I refuse to say I will only limit my work with them to "nuetral". How many times has science stated one "fact" and then later changed their findings?

I referenced the "2006 PMA Position Statement: On Pilates" above and I've received emails asking where to find it.

Go to the PMA website: www.pilatesmethodalliance.org.
You will find a section that says "Download it! Download our newest position paper: 'On Pilates'" in the right hand column.

Also, you can click on my name at the end of this post to find a link to a discussion on the PCDB that came out of pilates07's comment above.

"We have no regulation standard at this time in pilates. And, if we did, the reality is, you could call what you do something else. "Piloxing" is already taken, I hear.
Welcome to America.
: )"Carole Amend

This is probably the most ridiculous statements I’ve read in weeks. This is like suggesting a doctor could change his title to advanced nurse and avoid taking the board. This is a reflection of how people are mislead in the absence of regulation. “Welcome to America” – sounds like a Palin ad.

My statement was absolutely correct, "Lawrence." And, it's obvious that you haven't read the entire post through, otherwise, you would know that I am all for regulation as a concept, just not the PMA's Exam or 2006 PS. Btw, I was a supporter of the PMA for eight years and the reasons why I quit are all here in this post.

Your analogy was ridiculous; no one suggested anything of the sort about doctors. What a lame attempt by someone unwilling to use "his" full name to discredit me...wasting all that effort making a point of typing in my full name after a comment taken out of context, that I can easily refute. Classy.

Every profession formed and practiced without standards. The American Medical Association did not form until 1847 and even that organization can not police the ethical standards of an individual doctor. What is important is that a group of ethical professionals felt it was neccessary to protect the public against the charlatans. Even an organization as strong as the AMA; it can not mandate the individual ethical standards of a doctor, but they can make the public aware of what is appropriate.

The PMA is still working through the same process that the AMA went through to establish their professional standards over 100 years ago. It's government and it takes time and it takes support.

I am currently not a member of the PMA for my own reasons, but that doesn't mean that I do not support their mission. I keep my PMA certification current because it is the only LEGAL certification that I have and even though I do not agree with the test; I do agree that it's a start. In fact, I would love to see the first medical and bar exams, just to compare them to their current versions.

I have also been researching a documented history so that changes can be made through the proper channels instead of personal preference. If I wasn't going to step up to become part of the solution than I would only be part of the problem.

The PMA needs a cooperative effort not alternative methods.

Stacey,
To say that the PMA Certification Exam is a "LEGAL certification" is incorrect. There is no legislation at this time. And you seem to have changed your tune on the idea that the test means anything at all to you since your comments at the beginning of this post. I'm glad. And I'm glad you are using the word "cooperative."
Hopefully, others will gain insight on how we might all possibly work together as well.

Many of us believe in the idea of regulation and professionalization, and we "have our reasons" as well for not being PMA members at this time. I have great hopes for unity in the pilates community, and if that is the ultimate mission of the PMA, then I am all for it.

It will take a bit more time, and conversations need to be and are going on towards that end both within and outside of the PMA. My hope is that the PMA will move forward in its way, and the rest of us will move forward in our own way towards an ultimate common goal of unity...someday, hopefully sooner rather than later. I know that I keep that always in my vision.

The ideas that will bring us together are not only about getting the historical facts correct, although that will be very helpful. Coming to an understanding of how and why the different styles developed and how we can all communicate around that is what I see as a very helpful piece as well. This, and more, is our work at AIM Academy for Somatic Integration.

Your statement was not "absolutely" true, nor was it taken out of context. Anyone interested, scroll up to the top of the page.
Furthermore, I don't care if you support the PMA or own the PMA! I was responding to what I know IS RIDICULOUS,flippant, and irresponsible.

I don't know what your notion of class is, but my full name is L. Whittaker

Mr. Whittaker,
I am sorry for any confusion as it seems you are still misunderstanding my statement. I will try to clear it up.

Please do read my comment yet again, since you're still having difficulty. It might help to also refer to owen's statement on the previous page--the comment before mine at the top of page 5 to which you refer.

"owen" (from page 4) asked a question. If you read his comment, you'll note that he took a certification in South Africa and wanted to know if it could be "used to teach Pilates in America, from a home studio." Every part of my response was correct, and this is why my FULL response ended in "Welcome to America.:)"

The movement arts are "unregulated" in the US at this time. No matter how unfortunate you might feel that to be, the only responsible thing to do is to state the facts about it. Forums like this help to educate the public about the situation at hand and I'm thankful to Pilates Pro for hosting this very important discussion and many more.

As it happened, on August 10, there was a community post entitled: "What does everyone think of 'piloxing'??!" Owen's question was posted the very next day.
As this is a very sensitive and SERIOUS issue, I find it helpful to try to keep a sense of humor, whenever possible, as we all work very hard to create the necessary change.

I am guessing that you are not, in fact, a pilates teacher? This is, in fact, a professional site, and I'm guessing that somehow my comment lost something in translation for you.

I must thank you for bringing further attention to an issue that's close to my heart. Now, I really must get back to work!

Best wishes to you, sir.:)

Once again,Ms. Amend, your statement was NOT absolutely true. I am clear that the movement arts are not regulated, but what you said was:

We have no regulation standard at this time in pilates. And, if we did, the reality is, you could call what you do something else....

The "if we did" part deconstructs your premise. Just because I refuse to accept you as an authority on regulation and Pilates does not make me 'not a Pilates teacher'.

Best wishes to you Madame.

And, once again, Mr. Whittaker, I will have to disagree with you.

There is much more to this conversation than meets the eye. Unfortunately, I do not have the time for this discourse with you.