Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rhea Patterson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Rhea, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
I was raised by a mother who was a public school math teacher. Although she is no longer living, I still run into people who stop me to tell me stories about her. “She was my favorite teacher.” “She was always willing to spend extra time with me to make sure I succeeded.” ” She gave me a ride home when I was stranded after school.” I grew up watching her give strangers her undivided attention. She had a unique style and an extensive jewelry collection. She would often receive compliments on her jewelry and more than once would give them the jewelry as a gift in return. She knew how to make everyone she encountered feel seen and special. I am aware of her influence when working with my clients.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I teach private and small group Pilates locally and virtually. I work with my privates out of my home and teach group classes at an indoor rock climbing gym in town. In both spaces, my work is deeply personal and heavily influenced by somatic movement and mindfulness. I work to foster a body-positive, self-aware, and empowering environment. Pilates can be intimidating and exclusive. I really try to counter that narrative and create an inviting and approachable experience for people. To me Pilates is not a workout, but a mind-body practice. I truly believe Pilates is for everybody and every body. Every body and everybody can move with strength, ease and grace.
Over the years I have worked with many different bodies in different phases of life. I have extensive experience with clients with Scoliosis as well as pre and postnatal women. While I prefer to see my scoliosis clients in person, I am developing a more flexible and accessible virtual model for my pre and postnatal Pilates offering as I know first hand that time, space and energy can be a challenge for mothers.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Consistency, Presence and Grace.
I try to remind my clients and myself that it often takes time for the body to catch up to the brain. We have so many ideas about what we want to do, how we want to be and show up in the world. So how we show up in each moment requires our presence of mind, an awareness of our thoughts and actions and forgiving ourself when we miss the mark.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I am generally a grounded and confident person, however I have recently had a significant life change and find myself in a state of overwhelm more often than I’d like to admit. I have a couple of tools to help me through these moments. My first go to is to lean into my meditation and spiritual practice. This practice reminds me that everything is temporary. Nothing is permanent. People will come and go. Feelings will pass. Circumstances will change. More importantly I have the power to change my thinking and in turn change the feelings or the circumstance that I find overwhelming.
Contact Info:
- Website: pilateswithrhea.com; mamahousepilates.com (coming soon)
- Instagram: @pilates_with_rhea_satx; @mamahousepilates @reclaiming_rhea
- Linkedin: Rhea Patterson
Image Credits
Molly Badger
