We offer a program to help you complete your hours at Center of Balance, called “Practice Sangha,” or Practice Community. It is a program specifically for Balanced Body students actively enrolled at Center of Balance in Reformer and/or full Apparatus. The cost is $100/month and includes observation of Pilates equipment, self-practice and practice teaching hours during select times at the studio.

Our goal is to help you develop the confidence and skills to teach by providing a rich learning environment that you can be immersed in, and not work in isolation. We want for you to feel that you have a base at Center of Balance to practice, observe and collaborate with others and learn from the talented teachers at the studio.

Depending on space, you can sign up for Practice Sangha directly with Center of Balance and may begin any time after REFORMER 1 is completed. You will need to carry your own liability insurance and have Center of Balance listed as “additionally insured” on your policy. We can help you with the process.

How long it takes to complete the full teacher training is really up to you, your focus and your time commitment. Students who are motivated and willing to put in the necessary hours can often test out nine months to one year after completing their coursework. It really depends on how much time you have to dedicate to your training each week, and how ready you feel to take the exam. We recommend a minimum of 10 hours per week to get the most out of the training. This time is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the work, practice the repertoire, and develop a solid foundation for teaching.

We suggest you check the requirements and employment guidelines of each studio or facility you are pursuing employment. Some places are only outfitted with Reformers, so you would not necessarily need full equipment training. Also, you should check how many years of experience they are seeking from their instructors. For established studios like Center of Balance, we require complete certification in Mat and all equipment — I think you may find this typical. You'll need to really check on the places you'd like to work and then ask them for their criteria.

While you missed the MAT courses at Center of Balance, you can visit Balanced Body's website to see other host studios that may be offering Pilates Principles and MAT modules. If you are interested in pursuing the equipment teacher training with us and can meet the pre-requisites, including Pilates Principles, you can jump ahead and start with REFORMER 1. You can then catch up with your Mat training as it fits into your schedule.

That’s great that you are interested in getting certified in Pilates. All modules are taught on the weekend, so this should fit well with your schedule. We are a teacher training studio for Balanced Body, and offer courses in Mat, Reformer and full Apparatus.

We also offer a program at Center of Balance called "Practice Sangha" which is a way to do your observation, self-practice and practice teaching hours at our studio. For $100 per month, you can do unlimited hours, based on the studio's schedule, Monday through Saturday. We have morning hours available on Saturday at Center of Balance, so you would be able to do Practice Sangha on Saturdays if that is the only day you can participate.

We'd love to have you join us at the studio! We have several options for you, from drop-in mat classes to scheduled private and group sessions. We have many Pilates instructors from the Bay area who come to Center of Balance for continuing education, so you will be joining a knowledgeable community and rich learning environment.

We do not offer observation for mat classes. Observation of equipment sessions is part of our Practice Sangha and is for students enrolled in Reformer or the full Pilates teacher training program. This is available for students after MAT 1 & 2 and REFORMER 1.

Taking private sessions, groups and mat classes will help you get the repertoire in your body and is the first step towards becoming a teacher. We also recommend getting the manuals and begin reading about the principles behind the method and exercises to further your understanding. At Center of Balance, your observation hours for the full certification are all compiled together. If you are considering the full program, you will keep track of all your hours of observation, self practice and practice teaching to fulfill the overall requirement to take the certification test out.

Observation is part of a program we offer at Center of Balance called Practice Sangha. It includes pre-scheduled hours of observation, self practice and practice teaching. Practice Sangha costs $100 / month for select hours, based on the studio schedule. You can sign up for it after MAT 1 & 2 and REFORMER 1. Personal classes (mat class, privates and group sessions) are independent of this and have their own prices. We offer package rates as well as student discounts — check out our prices.