The Common Ground is the Idea

Dear Carole,

Forgive me if I admit my amusement at your first question of "From whom did you get the suggestion of a two-way treet?" Looking over my shoulder? Wondering where I could have possibly gotten that from? C’est moi. It comes from me. It comes from my meager exposure to the Pilates world.

"Why single out the PT model when Pilates has clearly moved in so many directions?" I know you read what I write, but I’m left wondering if you get anything I’m saying. If Pilates has any essence of it own, it wasn’t (and isn’t) just a collection of influences that have continued to be influenced. If you take influences towards a clients issues, most obviously it seems this is what PTs do, it’s their job. If you take on my view of Pilates being an idea, then what is that idea, and how is it different than taking what you know towards a clients issues? Pilates has moved in so many directions, but all of them are out, away from the essence of what it is. (That is of course if you believe it has an essence.)

I don’t think there are that many teachers on forums. Further, from evidence already present on them the reason they fail to attract significant dialogue is the quality of its leadership, both in its range of comprehension and their supercilious and sanctimonious attitudes. But hey, bird’s of a feather. You assume their "view on whole body and progressing to the mat" is the same as my view. And it’s not. That just doesn’t say enough about what Pilates really is. It only acknowledges the necessity of whole body achieved through the performance of the mat.

I am someone who professes to have an ideal point of view taken directly from Joe’s words. I may know nothing of Pilates. "Pilatical" now there’s an interesting mis-type. It was a mis-type wasn’t it? The combination of Pilates and Political? If you want clarifications from me—invest in my material! Spend $20 bucks. I don’t think you really want clarification. I think your motivations are more personal than that.

"The way I see it, it comes down to how we define the terms we use to describe Pilates. For example, what you call "fluorescence," I might simply call "presence." Does that necessitate a divide between us? If anyone ever suggested that I brand Amend Pilates, I can tell you, that would never happen." I don’t see it the same. It’s more than equivocating terms. I say Pilates is an idea. What do you say Pilates is? I can explain the idea in great detail. I have explained the idea in great detail. You either don’t listen, don’t get it, or refuse to acknowledge it. Just my view. It’s not my way or the high way. My view is not the only way to look at Pilates. If you can explain to me a more ideal way of understanding Pilates, I’m all ears. Tell me. What makes it what it is? What is it?

There’s more than gems in my writing. There’s a message. Am I interested in other people’s viewpoints? (Well, you’ll love this answer.) No, I’m not. I am consumed with communicating my view. My message. If you’re not interested in understanding my message, that’s okay. Leave me alone. Of course, there’s only one problem with doing that—the desperate ground you say is so important right now to come to—the idea is it. Don’t think so? Wanna go find some relativistic, group agreed upon ground, have at it. Eventually, the ground you want and the people that want it will have to understand the idea, before they build anything on that common ground. And that’s not my humble opinion. It’s my heart felt, arrogant, egotistical opinion. And it wouldn’t be that way if I didn’t have so much confidence in what I am talking about.

I don’t see you as a messenger. I also don’t see you as a student. Maybe more of a politician.

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Dear Carole,

Just because you are not in disagreement with my view of progressing clients to the mat doesn’t mean that you understand my view of Pilates or the idea I believe inherent within it.

Insignificant. If you understood my view, you would understand my statement about Clara’s insignificance. You don’t. So you choose to insult me by claiming it’s obvious I am unaware of the history of Clara’s participation. Really? You really don’t think I know about Clara? You don’t think I’ve seen the old archival footage and Clara’s relatioship to her students? (100s of times) Heard countless stories of her tenderness, that she was the one to take a delicate client behind a curtain to work with them? What you don’t see, is what I’m saying. The mat makes a point, and the point was made before Clara arrived on the scene.

And ridiculous? Maybe with Madame Curi, I don’t even know if she were married. I was trying to avoid being sexist. But with Einstein? Yea, read your history. There’s a whole following who would credit Einstein’s work to a female companion of his that worked side by side with him. The presence of a companion, no matter how much support given, never compares to the one that makes the original point of their passion.

I’m not discounting the associations to Joe, those deceased, and those alive currently making a living off of telling stories because that’s most of what they have to offer. Once you understand Joe’s message, strolling down memory lane is nice, adds context, color, but not the essential ingredient for credibility.

You say you steer clear of the word "guru" but, it seems to me, you tolerate it in others if it suits your agenda. To say that Joe was an inspiration, is okay for you, if that’s all he is. For me, Joe made a sensational point. He said that control was possible through the complete, coordination of body, mind and spirit. That that is a state of being, in the body, in the moment of the doing, and the means to get there. The means is the performance of his mat, but to say that his method is the performance of the mat is to miss his point altogether. IMAO (in my arrogant opinion.)

Carole, if in some way I didn’t respect what you write, I wouldn’t take the time to write back.

I hope you sense this,

Regards,

Michael

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My sense of humor comes from the confidence of what I know. My sense of humor comes from those who think they can evaluate me from my bio and their depths of experience. If I can make fire and you can’t, it doesn’t matter how I learned.

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It’s not my exaggeration that makes me stand out from the crowd. It’s my view, it’s the trademark that can act as a catalytic key to triggering the sensational effect of Pilates.

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I think there is only one expression of Contrology. I think that Contrology is the complete coordination of body mind and spirit, and is accomplished in the moment of the doing. Many messengers, just one message, and it’s Joe’s message. If you took the time to learn the message, you wouldn’t be so focused on the messenger. But you don’t really want to learn the message, because then you would lose the freedom to make Pilates personalized to whatever you want. Wouldn’t that be inconvenient?

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Incoming link love, yea that’s me. The record of why I don’t stoop to participate in other forums is there, in those forums, for anyone to evaluate. Your insidious degrading remark included.

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If you really want to chew on something significant, chew on why Joe moved from "body/mind" in Your Health, to "body, mind and spirit" in Return to Life.

From geist,

and wishing you the same...

Michael Miller

Comments

[Carole Amend]

Michael,

So glad you clarified your perspective.

So now, the idea is "the common ground."

I thought you said it was "fluorescence."

Then I guess I'm just an idiot who doesn't understand your many uses of the word "idea."

Here's to the common ground,

Carole

PS First you ask,"What do you say Pilates is?"
Then you write, "Am I interested in other people’s viewpoints? (Well, you’ll love this answer.) No, I’m not. I am consumed with communicating my view. My message. If you’re not interested in understanding my message, that’s okay. Leave me alone."

So, I guess you can read what I have said pilates is in my online writing, if you want, it's there.

But, I'll also be happy to leave you alone, because you seem convinced that, "(I) either don’t listen, don’t get it, or refuse to acknowledge it."
It doesn't sound to me that are at all interested in a conversation...and that's okay!

[MM]

What I've said Pilates is, is also out there. So which is it? You're not listening? You don't get it? Or are you just refusing to acknowledge it?

I don't want a conversation. I want to communicate the idea while I have the breath to try. You act dense, as though me saying the common ground is the idea somehow contradicts the target of fluorescense. I suggest you take some privates from me or one of my teachers so you can feel the idea in your body.

[Carole Amend]

Pilates sessions, to me, are conversations between the teacher and the client/student.

Thanks but no thanks on the suggestion. At this point in my practice, I am not interested in taking a session from anyone who is uninterested in having a conversation. However, I am sure that there are still many others who will reap benefit from studying with you.

Good luck to you and your "relativistic group."

[MM]

Not my relativistic group.

[Lynda Lippin]

Changing the venue of the conversation to your own blog is still "stooping" to participate in the PCDB Forum Michael, all you do is make it a little more difficult for the rest of us to follow the stream of thoughts.

From the creator of the "insidious degrading remark" ;-).

[Carole Amend]

Mr. Miller,
This is a professional issue for me, not a personal one. Now on to the second half of your comment.

You write:
"Of course, there’s only one problem with doing that—the desperate ground you say is so important right now to come to—the idea is it. Don’t think so? Wanna go find some relativistic, group agreed upon ground, have at it. Eventually, the ground you want and the people that want it will have to understand the idea, before they build anything on that common ground. And that’s not my humble opinion. It’s my heart felt, arrogant, egotistical opinion. And it wouldn’t be that way if I didn’t have so much confidence in what I am talking about."

1) I am absolutely not desperate.
2) Your, "the" idea, IMHO, could be said to define a portion of what I might call the personalized ideal (it's obvious that you believe there is an ideal, an essence). I might give you that, however, that would require you to simultaneously acknowledge that I already have the idea in my body, that I have mastered the ideal which you assert, and of course, how could I possibly have it in my body if I have not first studied with you?
3) It seems to me, that you are not interested in the pilatics (not a typo) of professionalizing pilates. In that light, the specific, personalized idea you present could not be "the common ground." The common ground must be universal in nature, that is, it needs to include more than the ideal. The ground must be soil from which all could grow (universally reform!) into personalized expressions of the ideal. Any less is clearly not in full appreciation of the scope of Joe and Clara Pilates' collective vision.
4) In my estimation, there are many teachers who do understand your idea. However, I would require more of a teacher, namely, the ability to hear/listen to more than the sound of one's own voice, for starters.

Finally, yes, you are correct sir! I was acting dense. You want acknowledgment from people whose mind/body intelligence (which you apparently believe you can assess from an online discussion) you insult and whom you characterize as sanctimonious and supercilious? I should sense that as respect? Interesting....

As I said before, Good luck to you and your relativistic group.

Carole

[MM]

Ms. Amend,

For starting off saying this is a professional issue with you, you sure seem to end your post on a personal note.

I’m not saying you are desperate. I am saying the Pilates community seems desperate. I say this from the nerve I seemed to hit by pointing out that Pilates is a two way street. The whole PT thing is to take whatever they make of Pilates into an issue oriented methodology, taking what they know from PT school, and whatever they learned about Pilates and applying what they know in a PT paradygm of making their work about the individual and the individuals issues.

Classically trained Pilates professionals whose focus is on whole body feel threatened by where the PT world is trying to drag the method. Their problem, your problem, is that you can not clearly and lucidly explain the ideal which you claim to have mastered in your body. What the heck does that mean? What have you mastered? The idea is not something you master in your body. Ideas are comprehended in the mind.

I am not saying you can not get to the state of Contrology without studying from me. Contrology as the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit has been reached by millions who have never heard of me. What I am saying is that I have a very specific view of what that state of being is in the moment of the doing, and how to achieve that state of being. And it is such a good view that it will become the common ground. Because it is ideal. Because it is understandable. Because you can feel the idea and skillfully, appropriately, and creatively teach towards that sensation.

“the specific, personalized idea you present could not be "the common ground." The common ground must be universal in nature, that is, it needs to include more than the ideal. The ground must be soil from which all could grow (universally reform!) into personalized expressions of the ideal.” (your statement is confusing to me) An idea cannot be personalized. An idea is what it is. And an idea is not an ideal. One is a noun; the other is an adjective. (as I look at it) In the pursuit of the ideal you get personalized expressions of the idea.

“Any less is clearly not in full appreciation of the scope of Joe and Clara Pilates' collective vision.” You’ve read what I said about Clara. You’re still needing to look at Pilates (with our without a capital P. It’s a proper noun, it warrants capitalization.) as some kind of collective vision. If you read my work, you would understand this is not where I’m coming from. I mean really, do you know what I mean when I say that Pilates is an idea? I agree with you that there are many teachers who understand and take to heart my view of Pilate as an idea. I haven’t gotten to travel the world without perception of value in what I have to say.

You think I have no ability to hear or listen to more than the sound of my own voice. That must be very frustrating. My point is that my art is in a place where I care more about communicating it that incorporating it with anything else. That’s because what I have to communicate stands on its own two legs. It doesn’t need dialogue, communication, and interaction with you to be what it is. You’re still trying to come from what you know and incorporate what I have to say (that you really haven’t taken the time to absorb) into your view of Pilates. I say, forget what you think you know about Pilates, learn my point of view, and then take my point of view into your view of Pilates and make of it whatever you want.

“You want acknowledgment from people whose mind/body intelligence (which you apparently believe you can assess from an online discussion) you insult and whom you characterize as sanctimonious and supercilious? I should sense that as respect? Interesting....” I don’t see where I’ve insulted anyone. In my opinion, and it’s not humble at all, (I wish you’d drop the acronym IMHO. The connotation does not match the denotation. Just have an opinion and don’t try to convince me of your attitude towards your self.) my earlier direct participation in the forum you are so proud of was insulting. More of it came recently, accusing my motives as vane and monetary. If you read my history in that forum and can not see the sanctimonious and supercilious attitude towards me, we have different sensibilities. By posting on my forum, I have control of what I allow to be posted.

I can acknowledge intelligence over the web, because that’s what it takes to write anything that makes sense, between the ears, or between the fingers. Last night I conducted my Tele-class that you can listen to and hear my latest best effort and teaching the idea of Michael Miller Pilates and why the brand matters. Just dial 1-712-432-1590 and use access code 396353#.

If this is, as you say, a professional issue not a personal one, then quit trying to fit segments of what you hear into what you already know and listen to the entirety of what I have to say. That should reduce the whole focus to just one word. If you can get to that word then maybe we can really have a discussion.

Finally, if you read my past use of the word relativistic, I’m not referring to my group. I am referring to yours.

I’m coming from the same place I’ve always been coming from, at least for the last 20 years. You really will like what I have to say once you get what I’m saying. The idea sets you free.

From geist,

Michael Miller

[Carole Amend]

Dear Michael,

Thank you for hanging in there with me.

You write:
"I am not saying you can not get to the state of Contrology without studying from me. Contrology as the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit has been reached by millions who have never heard of me."

Good!

"What I am saying is that I have a very specific view of what that state of being is in the moment of the doing, and how to achieve that state of being. And it is such a good view that it will become the common ground. Because it is ideal."

You believe your view, your idea is ideal (adj.).
I'm sure many agree with you.

I was referring to the interpretation of physical fitness as an Ideal (n.) stated by JHPilates.

"Because it is understandable. Because you can feel the idea and skillfully, appropriately, and creatively teach towards that sensation."

Very Good....in agreement with you.

And....
Still, a "common" ground needs to include more than the Ideal....

Just food for thought from me to you.

Sincere Best Wishes,

Carole

[MM]

Quit trying to teach me!

I don't seek or need your approval.

You over estimate your grasp of the situation.

And I'm about done trying to hang in there with you.

To me you now qualify as condescending, sanctimonious and supercilious. Don't need it. Don't want it. Don't think you're even aware of it. Ciao.

[Carole Amend]

Dear Michael,

Please allow me to clarify.

I heard tell that you are an inspiration to pilates teachers globally. This gave me the understanding I have about your work: that your idea, taken directly from the words of JHPilates, is helping teachers to come into their own. I also hear this as your main mission (and I sense others as well) when I hear, “Pilates is an idea.” What a wonderful gift that is to the world. I wish you every success in bringing your message to many, many teachers out there.

I, myself, have taught only a few wonderful individuals as apprentices in pilates. They all now have their own studios. My focus, and their focus, has always been in teaching our varied clientele the work, as we have come to know it, as appropriate to the client’s needs, goals, and desires.

I have, however, met some wonderful teachers at the PMA and other conferences. I am coming to know many wonderful teachers through the PCDB and the United Pilates Collective and I am so happy about that. The UPC is open to all teachers of the method and there I am heading a committee on client care. Many teachers from all disciplines are finding their way to the classical viewpoint, regardless of where they first studied and have come to the PCDB. My interest is in asking all fellow teachers their opinions.

One of my missions has to do with how the work of JH and Clara Pilates lands in the minds of the public. For that, I am going about my passionate (not personal) mission as a fellow pilates teacher, in the AIM Academy (AASI) Forum, a subforum of the PCDB, and through the UPC Client Care Committee, asking all teachers and enthusiasts their ideas about pilates towards a definition of the classical viewpoint. I see this as a first step towards consensus on the classical community perspective on the teaching of pilates.

To me, you are clear in what your idea is. As you say, you have been “…coming from the same place (you’ve) always been coming from, at least for the last 20 years.” I am sure that many will resonate with it to a degree at some point, whether they hear it from you first or not, and I thank you for your work and for this conversation. I believe it has really helped.

What some of your teachers and even others who have only read your book have written on the PCDB has also helped. Perhaps some of them would like to join in the conversation, if you are unavailable for further discussion in relation to my post.

Please hear me when I say that I am sorry if I, in any way, have distracted you from your mission. It was not my intention.

Sincere best wishes,
Carole

PS As I have never studied with you, all I can do is to try and resonate with what you are saying. I understand Michael Miller Pilates to be a brand, and therfore a type of model. If you are ever interested in how I believe* it resonates with AIM, a model for communication about movement and embodiment practices, I would be happy** to have a conversation.

* Of course, this is only what I perceive thus far, with only limited exposure to your idea. I would never assume to understand its relation to AIM and of course, there is absolutely no intention to absorb or approve your model in any way. AIM doesn’t change models; it just helps to communicate about them.

**I am not so happy with your characterization of me and/or my intention; it was quite annoying to read that. However, as a professional, I can let it go and let it flow….Peace.

[Lynda Lippin]

And what is wrong with trying to teach one another? Why wouldn't we want to learn from one another? Why is having this conversation "condescending, sanctimonious and supercilious"? And if the body-mind-spirit are connected why can't an idea be understood in the body?

[Carole Amend]

I offer my last word to all (that is, if there really ever is one...:) on Michael Miller's "The Defining of Pilates" and "The Common Ground is the Idea" Posts on my blog at:

http://aasicontributions.blogspot.com/2009/08/surviving-in-pilates-jungle_02.html

Best to you,
Carole