May 27, 2010 was a sunny, hot day in New York City. Summer had finally arrived and I for one was extremely happy, as this is my favorite time of the year. The day started out as an uneventful one-- I began my usual pilates and yoga teaching schedule. However, the day did not end as uneventful as it started. May 27, 2010 was the day my dear teacher and mentor of 13 and a half years died.
I met Kathy Grant, one of Joseph Pilates' protegees, in 1997. I had already been studying with Romana Kryzanowska, another Pilates protegee, for three years. I had heard about Kathy from the many dancers I came in contact with at Romana's and was curious about her, but I was also happily embracing the authentic pilates method and figured I would meet her sooner or later. Then I got a lower back muscle strain from lifting a piece of furniture at work, and the PT I was sent to knew Kathy and recommended that I study with her. The rest is history.
Kathy was a force to be reckoned with. She was quite stern, but at the same time very compassionate, and was one of only two people ever to be certified to teach Pilates by Joseph Pilates himself. She always maintained that "Mr. Pilates" as she used to say, was 'way ahead of his time' and was a 'genius'. She believed he was the first physical therapist of his time. She was able to tap into parts of the body no other teacher could because of her perceptiveness, meticulous attention to details, eagle eye precision, and the ability to see not only what each student needed at any given time, but each student's innate ability way past what the student him/herself was able to see and/or do. The sign of a great teacher is the ability to hold the seat of the teacher, and at the same time allow the student to grow, embody, embrace and support the work on all three planes: body, mind and spirit. My Teacher and Mentor, Kathy Grant was all that and so much more. I can speak for all of her students when I say that under Kathy's guidance, we all grew in more ways than one: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and also gained tremendous knowledge and wisdom of the Pilates Method in the process because of who she was and what she so generously and willingly shared with all of us as her own teacher Joseph Pilates did with her. She was truly one of a kind.
I have been extremely lucky to have met and worked with this extraordinary woman every week for so many years. Although she is no longer physically with us, she will remain in our hearts forever. I miss her terribly, but Kathy will always be with us as we, her students continue to share her work and Joseph Pilates' legacy with our own students.
No comments:
Post a Comment