Meet Emily Keiser

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily Keiser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Emily , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I was born with confidence and what I thought was an unshakeable belief in myself and my abilities. When I was a toddler, I was the kid who entered a room and you knew it right away! I was talkative, engaging, curious, and bold. I remained this way for most of my life. My confidence was first shaken when I entered the highly competitive world of Classical Pilates. I hadn’t researched the industry as much as I should’ve and chose to dive in. I didn’t ask many questions, I decided that I was going to become a Pilates instructor and just go for it. I thought it would be a quick and painless process. I was wrong. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that training to be a Classical Pilates instructor meant that I would deal with verbal abuse, financial abuse, humiliation, and sabotage. It would take a few years but I realized that in some Pilates training programs, you are not just torn down, but torn apart in order to be rebuilt and repackaged by the people causing you harm. In an industry that values titles, generations, and pedigree, there are trainers who go to great lengths to make sure you carry their legacy exactly the way they want it. They want your confidence to come from them, because then they can take credit for your “stardom.” If you start your training too pretty, too educated, too talented, you will be perceived as a threat. While I was in training, my confidence and self-esteem were destroyed. It came to a point where I couldn’t speak. I would open my mouth and nothing would come out. I was terrified, anxious, and a shell of myself. I couldn’t find my confidence and my voice, no matter how much I tried. I couldn’t shake the sense of terror I felt and I blamed myself for not being able to get over the hurdles quickly enough. I know now that I was stuck in a freeze response for most of that time and only those who have been through it can really understand how painful it is. It took me four years to come out of this state, rid my anxieties, and find my fire again. It was an intense process of journaling, going to therapy, opening up about my time in training to family, friends and speaking to Pilates professionals who went through similar experiences. When I learned that I wasn’t alone and others had their own hardships in training, I knew it was time to stand up, shake off the pain, and be a warrior for myself and fellow Pilates teachers. Today, my biggest motivator and confidence booster is a picture I keep with me at all times. It’s a picture of myself at two years old, when I was as bold and uninhibited as they come. I owe it to that little girl to just be me, all of me. The beauty of confidence is the freedom that comes with it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Teaching Pilates is what I want to do for the rest of my life and I want to work with clients who love Pilates as much as I do. I’ve chosen a very niche type of training and branding for my business because Pilates has been diluted for financial gain by many in the industry. I recognize that the path I’m taking will be a long one and not the most fruitful, at least not yet. However, the beauty of the Classical Pilates method has been sold out to marketing and “get rich and fit quick” schemes and I refuse to participate. The work is being lost to neon lights, loud music, mindless movement, and getting as many people into a group class as you can in order to make as much money as possible. As someone who loves and appreciates the method, I hate to see what is happening to it. Therefore, my focus is on teaching private lessons to people who appreciate discipline, commitment, and will be patient enough to see themselves grow through the method. The benefits of this work don’t happen overnight, and the people who tend to understand this most are professional athletes, industrial athletes, first responders, and the courageous men and women in our military. These people understand what it means to be on a mission, set goals, achieve those goals, and keep going, no matter what. Pilates is not meant for those who want instant, “just add water” results. Pilates is for those of us who thrive on discipline, routine, and appreciate the small victories. Joseph Pilates said it himself, “Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.”

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

When I look back at my Pilates journey, I’m immensely grateful for my time as an educator. Before I entered the Pilates industry, I was a school teacher and instructional coach. Educational theories, curriculum, and pedagogy contributed greatly to my Pilates journey. Due to my background, I knew how to study for my Pilates exams, how to modify instruction for clients, and support fellow Pilates professionals with their own teaching and understanding of the work. Unfortunately, there are still many trainers out there calling themselves “Master Teachers” but they aren’t actually teaching or differentiating for their apprentices. As an educator, I couldn’t understand how some of those trainers were getting away with taking our money to train us but providing a poor learning experience. In some training programs, you’re sold a dream of constant support and collaborative learning. It’s not too long after entering a program that you realize you’ve unwittingly signed up for an independent study. It’s not rare these days for Pilates apprentices to feel like they’re on an island. In some cases, your trainers are rarely present in the studio, they don’t allow you to take notes or record your lessons. Some trainers are more concerned with copyright and gatekeeping information than actually teaching you. I understand now, that some Pilates teacher training programs are just a way for studio owners to keep bringing money into their business. They’re not training people because they genuinely love to educate and want good Pilates instruction to continue, they’re doing it to keep the lights on in their studios. I believe that without my background in education, I wouldn’t have been able to get through training or support others in their learning of the Pilates method.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would love to work with more athletes, especially baseball players. I’ve been a New York Yankees fan my entire life and as someone who has witnessed the number of injuries they’ve experienced over the years, I want to bring the Classical Pilates method to them either through private lessons or training them on-site. As a fan, and Pilates instructor, it breaks my heart to see the number of strains, tears, and impingements that could be prevented by adopting a regular Classical Pilates practice.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @emboldenpilates
• Other: Emboldenpilates@gmail.com

Image Credits

Sergio Villatoro