Going on a Teacher Training is a special time. Immersed in the teachings of Pilates with a group of like-minded soon-to-be Pilates Teachers. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a special magic on its own. The excitement of a new beginning and starting something is in the air. Often friendships for life a formed during this special time. But what is a typical day like during the 2-week teacher training at Blue Spirit Costa Rica? Find out below.
For two weeks the group dives into four different courses that will give them in depth knowledge on how to teach the pilates mat work. Roughly five hours per day will be spent in the studio learning.
A typical schedule looks like this:
6 am Wake up with the monkeys
Quite literally you will hear those little cute creatures making some noise in the morning, they are not called ‘howler monkeys’ for no reason. You will also spot them for sure. They like to hang out in the big Guanacaste trees.
7- 9 am Delicious Breakfast Buffet
Served at Blue Spirit Costa Rica with tropical fruits and yummy treats to nourish you for a day ahead in training. A typical breakfast here consists of rice and beans, called 'pinto', eggs, cheese, tomato, herbs and fruits or granola. If you like it sweet or salty, you will not leave hungry.
9- 12 pm Study Time
There is lots to cover! The Balanced Body curriculum includes Movement principles, Mat 1, 2, and 3 are taught in two weeks.
Before the morning class students usually find one of the many quiet spots at Blue Spirit and go over the material of the past day. Then we meet in the beautiful Heart Mind Studio for our morning session.
12- 1:30 pm Lunch & Free Time
After the morning class we nourish our body, mind and spirit and enjoy the views of this magical place and let the teachings sink in. Blue Spirit has an open-air restaurant and lots of places to enjoy the view of the gardens an ocean. Lunch is healthy and colorful leaving our bellies happy and satisfied.
Pool Break
If we don't head to the beach we take a refreshing dip in the saltwater infinity pool and get some tan and rest, and if possible a quick siesta time before we head to the afternoon class.
3-5 pm Afternoon Study Time: Practice & Teach
During the classes we teach each other, observe, and learn. W try out new poses, be silly, and most importantly HAVE FUN. To embody the teachings we are going through the different exercises and teach them to each other. The Balanced Body programming system is introduced to make class design easy, effective and fun. One of my favorite modules to teach is Mat 3. It completes the mat training by adding rings, rollers, bands and balls to the traditional Mat exercises.
18- 7:30 pm Sunset Celebration and Dinner
The beach is just a 5-minute walk away. the sun sets early here so after the last class of the day, we are going down to the close beach and saying goodbye to the sun and are grateful for a day rich in information and companionship. Sunsets in Costa Rica are simply magical. At Blue Spirit we see the sun right diving into the ocean. The sky shines bright even minutes after sunset in different shades of orange and pink. Another day in paradise ends before we get dinner and some rest to be fresh for the next day of study and adventures in the jungle!
Being together in a group at a retreat center like Blue Spirit, away from the noise and distractions, is making this training so special. Dropping in and being in nature during the brakes is so beneficial for the mind to take in the teachings of the day. The perfect conditions to fully concentrate on the teachings of Pilates.
