We’re Like Puppies
Like puppies, we humans are messy, naughty, get up to all sorts of tricks and have various levels of training on how to behave.
In the spaces I taught Pilates over seventeen odd years, people would walk into the space mid-conversation on their mobile, talk across the room over the top of people already in class, or stomp on the gorgeous clean carpet in their shoes. You get the picture.
So, when designing calm Pilates studios in the past - spaces where humans are stretching, yawning, getting’ physical, and sometimes vulnerable, I kept puppies in mind.
I positioned furniture, lighting, curtains, artwork, and actually signage (we’re a literal bunch) to create an environment, I thought, most conducive to learning and de-stressing (these measures were as much to support me delivering the service as for the clients) and for the best chance of us puppies behaving.
Here’s what I did and you could too, in your space:
Had an entry area for mess - no matter how small the space, I provided hooks for bags, a seat of some kind, and a barrier like a plant or reception desk to cordon the entry off from the main space.
Made sure the space was clean (as I knew people were getting right down on the floor)
Picked a space with good natural light
Good music (on pretty low volume)
Made sure people knew where the bathroom was (and that bathroom was super clean and equipped with a touch of personality like a some flowers, a candle etc)
Positioned equipment or mats where people were going to be lying or kneeling with their legs or butts in the air, pointing away from the entrance, where possible.
Worded artful and clear signage telling people what to do 🙂
And last, but not least, the decoration on the walls - the designs, photographs, and artworks I placed with the ambiance and function of a particular part of the space in mind e.g. I hung a less challenging artwork in a corner where a human would be lying on a Pilates table working intensely. But, on the back of the bathroom door, I could get away with something more cheeky (on one studio bathroom door, I stuck up a framed replica of the Borat mankini complete with an annotation of the muscles running in the same direction of the mankini that you might use doing Pilates exercises. This provided much mileage for banter back in the studio).
Just thoughts on supporting us humans in our human-ness.
In the words of @thevauclusedaily on Instagram…“til next time, stay stable”,
Rachel
