Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Sherwood.
Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started practicing Pilates 15 years ago and fell in love with how it not only strengthened my body but helped me feel calm and grounded. However, at the same time, I was relentlessly going to high-impact high-intensity style classes which added so much stress to my body thinking it was the only way to get fit. I was stuck in a cycle thinking that pushing my body hard was the only way to get results and it was not until I did my Pilates teacher training in 2019 that I began to see the mental shift. I did my Classical Pilates certification with Risa Sheppard in LA at The Sheppard Method. The training and learning from Risa opened my eyes to Pilates and helped me understand there is so much more to the practice than just the movement, it is a connection between mind, body, and soul. During the pandemic, I briefly taught online, but my passion is person to person so once studios started to re-open, I began teaching in studios back in London, UK alongside my full-time job.
End of 2021 I moved to Miami with my husband and cockapoo. I started teaching at Fuzehouse on Miami Beach as soon as it opened in April, and I teach 4 classes a week which I love! Alongside teaching classes, I have built up my private clients that I see mostly 3x week each. Being part of their journey and transformation is such a delight to witness and of course extremely rewarding.
Pure passion and drive have enabled me to leave my 9-5 and pursue my dream of teaching pilates whilst helping women feel strong, feminine, and confident in themselves. I am so grateful every day for doing what I love and helping others see the wonders Pilates can do for them. My next step is to expand my offering online including breathwork to help combat anxiety and stress- so stay tuned!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggles for me have been mainly mindset. Self-doubt, fear of failing, and fear of being judged have all played a part in not going for my dreams sooner. For the past 3 years, I have really focused on personal development, self-confidence, and putting down steppingstones to reach my bigger goals. I have come a long way and am really pleased with the direction I am heading.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am Certified Mat Pilates Teacher specializing in helping women feel confident and femine in their bodies as they go through their 30s and beyond. My style is very holistic, I take into account the client’s energy, stress, hormones and cycle to ensure we maximize each session and work with the whole body not just the physical being. With an emphasis on classical pilates my style also blends in strength conditioning using light equipment, mobility, and yoga to achieve perfect body control and complete body balance. I also like to play classical/chill/lounge music whilst we workout to ensure we don’t add any more sensory stressors. Living in a bustling city like Miami and leading very busy lifestyles, I don’t believe we need to add any more stress to our daily lives. The time I have with my clients (both class and privates) is their time for them and my goal is help them feel rejuventard, centered, confident, and energized after each session.
Being a pilates teacher, you have many proud moments so my list would be very long! However, hearing clients tell me that they now feel confident wearing a bikini, or they no longer wake up with an anxiety attack, or don’t have a back pain they have been suffering with for years is truly rewarding.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
What a wonderful question! I think a mix of clear vision, hard work, patience, and good timing have helped me get to where I am. I am really into personal development and as soon as I was able to let go of what others think is when I really saw a big shift in “luck”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jennysherwoodpilates.com/
- Instagram: @jennysherwood_pilates
