News

Introduction Continuing the theme of governance and recognition of Pilates, the following abstract features research compiled by Moira S. Lewitt, Lesley McPherson and Marisa Stevenson. The aim of their research was to explore the meanings of the terms Classical, Contemporary and Pilates expert used amongst Pilates teachers today, and to explore the views on the scope of practice in order to create a framework that can be used by all professionals in describing this area within the physical activity and health contexts. Such a framework might also be useful to underpin approaches to formal professional recognition. The survey which informed…

PAA Committee Action for the amendment of Government Health Fund Reforms On Friday 22 Feb myself, Sharan Simmons (PAA President), and Mary McArthur (PAA Secretary) met with Sam Develin, Senior Adviser to Minister for Health, Greg Hunt at the Ministers office in Canberra. The audience was secured as a result of an earlier meeting with Andrew Wilkie, MP for Clark TAS. At short notice, we had been allocated a 10 minute timeslot to present the PAA case. However, we were grateful to eventually spend nearly an hour with Mr. Develin, and feel our concerns were being heard. We outlined the…

A very warm welcome to the 21 new members who have joined the PAA over Winter/Spring since the last newsletter, and also to the 1 new studio. Congratulations to all the students who graduated and to the members who have worked to achieve upgrades this period. A total of  50 graduates and upgrades in all! New Associate Students (10) Avery Wu Emily Avery Erin White Eunkyoung Jeun Jenna Salvaterra Karin Zitzmann Michelle Esdale Naomi Jones Penelope Johnston Rocio Hernandez   New Mat Members (6) Corrine Vallelonga (Balgowlah Heights, NSW) Elisse Stevenson (Gymea, NSW)Kerri Burgess (Mount Lawley, WA) Laura Errey (Warrnambool,…

A Pilates Instructor’s Journey into Developmental Kinesiology An article by Chris Lavelle PAA Vice President Romana’s Pilates, Certified Level IV Principal Trainer, Pilates Alliance of Australasia Certified DNS Exercise Trainer, Rehabilitation Prague School In 2014, pain and dysfunction led me to look beyond traditional biomechanical models of movement, to a unique rehabilitation and exercise approach called Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation (DNS). DNS was developed by Professor Pavel Kolar at the Prague School of Rehabilitation. Kolar’s groundbreaking method builds on the pioneering work of other Prague school ‘greats’, in neurological development and movement rehabilitation (Professors Lewit, Janda, Vojta and Vele).[1] DNS is based on the scientific…

Meet our new President – Sharan Simmons I am very excited to step into the role of PAA President, having spent 3 years on the executive team as Vice President I am confident we are well placed to carry on the work of successive committees to realise the vision of the PAA, that the Pilates Method is a recognised, professional and valued healthcare and fitness discipline. The Strategic Direction 2019 and Beyond plan outlined at the recent AGM addresses professional and education standards, promotion of the Pilates Method, learning and research, member services, membership and governance. The key initiatives focus…

Julia Potter, PAA Mat Member Instructor name: Julia Potter Studio(s) you work at: Clarity Wellness Centre Location: North Adelaide Instructor training and level: Matwork Level 1   Focus Questions: In one word, describe your first Pilates experience? Hooked! What did you eat for breakfast? Buckwheat toast + coffee. Share either the best or most challenging thing about your job: Best: witnessing students’ ‘uh huh!’ moments as they perform exercises. Your ‘go to’ website for all things Pilates (other than PAA)? Not a website per se, but a really great Instagram page with lots of info + inspo: Physiotherapy Stockholm. How…

A steady stream of new clients… …is what keeps every business healthy and alive. When a business first starts out finding new clients is essential. When a business is in expansion phase new clients help the business grow and expand. Day to day pretty much every business needs a steady flow of new clients. There are actually 3 ways to grow your business and attracting new clients is only one of the ways. The 3 ways to grow your business: See more clients Increase how much each client spends with your business Increase the frequency of sales to your clients…

And for our Independent Contractors! Many of our members are independent contractors and some are super savvy with a business head and are all over how they fit within the system. But many aren’t, so here are some tips to making sure that this is the best option for you. First and most importantly, visit https://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/independent-contractors it is a great, concise guide for you to look at to assess whether you fit into the Independent Contractor mould and some of the things you need to do. A couple of quick points that seem to be getting missed, or confused are:…

A Closer Look at Sham Contracting The topic of Independent Contractors has been weighing heavily on our world for the last 4 or so years as the governing legislation and subsequent confusion related to contractors has continued to grow. As a studio owner, I have heard other owners discuss this topic a lot. All I can surmise from these discussions is that it is a very grey area, many business owners out there are often not seeking advice from the right sources (e.g. ‘my accountant told me…’), getting general advice from peers, or getting no advice at all and are…

Jen Guest PAA Outgoing President I have the lucky pleasure of writing to you all just one last time, more so as a past president. The PAA annual general meeting was held just over a week ago on the 16th November at the Adina Hotel, in Sydney with 23 members attending (14 in person and 9 via Zoom link). I congratulate Sharan Simmons, the elected President of the PAA. Sharan’s passion, dedication to and desire for the Pilates Industry both here in Australia and internationally, is her point of call. The position of Vice President has been taken by Chris…