Episode Details

Nic is joined by Clarissa Shepherd, kids Pilates specialist, pre and postnatal educator, Club Pilates master trainer, and author of Sage Does Pilates and Babies & Barre.

Clarissa's story is anything but conventional. From working in TV news and witnessing a live on-air shooting, to packing up her car with $600 and driving to Dallas, to funding her Pilates certification while working night shifts - her path to becoming a Pilates teacher is one of grit, resilience and pure determination.

But what makes Clarissa's work truly unique is who she teaches. While the Pilates industry talks about being "for everyone," Clarissa noticed a glaring gap - children are almost always left out. 
She shares why bringing Pilates into families' lives earlier is one of the biggest untapped opportunities in the industry, and how her own experience of an absent mother during childhood became the driving force behind her mission to connect families through movement.

The conversation explores how to adapt Pilates for different ages - from babies and toddlers to teenagers and everything in between - and why storytelling, play and affirmations are just as important as the repertoire. Clarissa also shares how she's training other teachers to do this work and working towards licensing her kids Pilates framework so it can reach families around the world.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro to Clarissa 

00:32 Why families are the missing piece in Pilates 

02:51 Clarissa's backstory - news, Dallas and $600 to her name 

05:43 Discovering Pilates and being inspired by female leadership 

09:01 Funding her certification and the sacrifices she made 

13:13 Moving to Germany, becoming a mother and finding her path 

16:03 How pregnancy sparked her interest in pre and postnatal Pilates 

17:30 Teaching children for the first time 

17:40 How to adapt Pilates for different ages and stages 

20:07 Using affirmations and mentorship with teenagers 

22:52 Making Pilates a game for younger children 

24:18 Mommy and me classes and incorporating babies into movement 

25:41 The creativity and storytelling skills kids Pilates demands 

25:41 Training teachers to teach kids Pilates 

44:10 Who Clarissa works with - from ballerinas to retirees 

45:04 What's next for Clarissa 

46:24 Quick-fire questions 

48:24 Where to connect with Clarissa

Thanks so much to Clarissa for coming on the podcast and sharing such an honest and inspiring story. Please make sure to subscribe and rate the show 5 stars if you've been loving it - it helps the show more than you know.

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Connect with Clarissa:

• Clarissa's Instagram
• Pilates Mamii Website
• YouTube: Pilates Mamii
• Facebook: Pilates Mamii