{"id":82075,"date":"2017-12-10T12:47:28","date_gmt":"2017-12-10T12:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pilates4fitness.com\/site\/?p=82075"},"modified":"2025-08-10T15:46:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T15:46:46","slug":"wisdom-wit-of-bowen-mayo-perspective-on-2-first-generation-teachers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pilates4fitness.com\/site\/wisdom-wit-of-bowen-mayo-perspective-on-2-first-generation-teachers\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisdom & Wit of Bowen & Mayo | Perspective on 2 First Generation Teachers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I met Mary Bowen and spent six hours with her in a two-part workshop\/dialogue at a Power Pilates Education Conference. I needed and wanted to meet and experience this living elder firsthand after she sent a FB friend request earlier in the year (which I must say delighted me to no end). I was drawn to Mary\u2019s workshop with intrigue for the melding of Jungian Psyche archetypes with movement in the body.<\/p>\n

Also in December, on the weekend of our first snowfall on the East Coast, I attended a two-day workshop with Sonje Mayo at The Art of Control studio in Stamford, CT. I was drawn to it for my clients with severe scoliosis and my desire to find out more about Schroth, a therapeutic movement methodology that she incorporates as a Pilates teacher. The decision to attend was cemented after watching a 3 part interview Sonje gave to Alisa Wyatt in her home studio in TN. A strong opinionated teacher with a perspective that was unique and passionate in an area that few in the world know anything about.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text_color=”accent” text_transform=”uppercase” uncode_shortcode_id=”209577″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Wisdom & Wit of Bowen & Mayo<\/strong>[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”385498″]<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so much easier to be a critic than a celebrator. This is by no means a critique.<\/h3>\n

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It will be a few words of observation from two eye-opening experiences, in celebration of two powerful women I had the honor of meeting and connecting with in December 2017; Master Teachers, Mary Bowen and Sonje Mayo.<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”164227″]Truthfully, I love making social media connections that become real, whole, alive and allow for a two-way exchange; either through the sharing of ideas, practice and camaraderie or with those I am inspired to follow as fellow teachers\/mentors to observe the practice, work and discipline of our craft. These are two women\/teachers\/mentors that I am planning to continue to follow and celebrate.[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading uncode_shortcode_id=”869994″]Widen the Spectrum and Deepen the Reach<\/strong>[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”198303″]It was the second time in the span of 30 days that I had been in a workshop and recognized by an Instagram follower. Boy, that\u2019s an awesomely odd feeling. It\u2019s not like I have gazillion followers or friends, nor do I seek them. I am clearly not hiding though, for I post religiously, sharing my work, joy and occasional frustration as a teacher and small, boutique studio owner.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_visibility=”yes” medium_width=”0″ mobile_visibility=”yes” mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image media=”82080″ caption=”yes” media_width_use_pixel=”yes” media_ratio=”one-one” shadow=”yes” shadow_weight=”std” shadow_darker=”yes” uncode_shortcode_id=”197868″ media_width_pixel=”600″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_separator sep_color=”,Default”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”5″ bottom_padding=”5″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”4″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”802234″][vc_custom_heading uncode_shortcode_id=”333966″]Mary Bowen[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”478607″]<\/p>\n

Mary Bowen, a Jungian psychologist, Pilates lover, Teacher and elder of our community says our unconscious speaks volumes about us in our bodies movement and the older we get the clearer the sound and messages may become. I came to the workshop wide open to her thoughts and experience. I admit, I will need a bit of time to fully unfold the package she presented. Yet, as one of the three in the room that raised our hands for being a part of the #PilatesOver60 crew, I resonated with her forthrightness quite a bit more than many other millennials in the room.<\/p>\n

Someone asked at the break if I had worked with her before, as it seemed we winked, chuckled and at times, seemed to have a little bit of an eye-to-eye connection. I replied no, I just \u201cget her,\u201d she feels like an \u201cold spirit\u201d sage. She used a few divergent techniques and an arsenal of pithy quotes and statements; some of which I got, some of which I simply released and let go of trying to understand or fully capture, e.g., the yawning growl (a breathing technique she employed).<\/p>\n

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It should be expected that her perspective would be distinct and unique, as she stated, she had been doing Pilates for 58 years. She spent 6 1\/2 years with Joe and Clara 3X a week. Joseph Pilates came in dreams to her, and Romana gave her \u201cpermission to teach\u201d in 1975. Hell, I finished high school in 1975! Like most teenagers, knew nothing of myself, my body or the world at that time. She told us she realized so much more at 65 years of age; and that it took that long to integrate all parts of the self into being. It was at 45 years of age, that I found Pilates for myself, as a shift in life and lifestyle, thus I found it absolutely delightful that Romana gave her permission to teach at a young age, and that it wasn\u2019t until she was well past 60 years of age that she realized the value of freeing herself of the ego that calls us to \u201cmake it happen\u201d and inviting her \u201cmind to partner with the body\u201d to \u201callow it to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cOnly Compete with Yourself\u201d \u2013 Mary Bowen<\/h2>\n

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\u201cTake Your Whole Body On\u201d \u2013 Mary Bowen<\/h2>\n

I took her admonishment as a way of encouraging a yin\/yang conversation with the disparate parts of the self. For example, imagine the difference in physicality when one invites the mind and body to \u201crelease the spine\u201d rather than intentionally contracting a muscle to accomplish a movement.<\/p>\n

The work of Joseph Pilates \u2013 Contrology \u2013 is that, the art of control. The grounded, masculine, willful consciousness. Mary said, \u201crepetition was dominate with Joe.\u201d Repetition for emphasis was the teaching style. Repeat the same movement, again and again until it, in its finite form and point of reference are perfected. She observed, this left no patience, no room, no space for intuition. It narrowed the work and the form to a point of precision, contractions and limits.<\/p>\n

Both Mary and Sonje Mayo, observed this as truth in their individual experience with Joseph Pilates as his students.<\/p>\n

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Sonje Mayo<\/h2>\n

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I met and experienced Sonje, eight days after the Bowen workshop. Sonje also trained with Joseph Pilates as a long-legged, lithe dancer in her 20s. She spoke honestly and forthrightly about the gift of Pilates to her life and living. There is no question about the wealth and value she attributes to Joseph, Clara and The Method in moving, healing and training the body Sonje Mayo on Joe Pilates\u00a0Part 1<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0Part 2<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0Part 3<\/span><\/a>. However, she had scoliosis, not unlike a wide array of us (including myself) walking the earth. She admitted to willfully, consciously and intentionally working to strengthen her weak side and lengthen the contracted \u201cprominence\u201d as a result of the structural and compensating curves of her spine.<\/p>\n

Sonje spoke of the thousands of hours, through the years, using the Pilates method, strength training in the gym, therapies etc., and her frustration and inability to correct the curve. She felt as if she were \u201cfighting herself\u201d the very same thing Mary had expressed the prior week.<\/p>\n

Frustrated at 54+ years of age, still dancing on the stage she told us, the pain increased, as her body\u2019s curvature and structural imbalance were not \u201crighted\u201d or \u201ccorrected.\u201d Pilates training \u201cdoesn\u2019t and won\u2019t arrest it,\u201d she said. She found and embraced the Schroth technique as a complimentary discipline to her teaching.<\/p>\n

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Essentially Sonje did what Mary admonished us to do, \u201cwiden the spectrum and deepen the reach.\u201d Staying within a narrow framework is, perhaps, limiting. Her teaching offered a divergence from the classic format and teaching protocols. She brought so much heart, energy and verifiable concrete evidence. Her personal experience and perspective with both Joseph Pilates and Schroth methodologies and teachers is unique and frankly, I believe to be unprecedented.<\/p>\n

I admit, I was surprised a couple of times, and had to pick my jaw up off the floor, yet I was open and willing to immediately utilize her advice and teaching. After spending the entire day with her, as the first snowstorm of the season hit the northeast and during dinner, I immediately texted the most consistent student in my studio the names of the only two Schroth practitioners in the NY area and told her \u2018get an appointment.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sonje\u2019s words and admonition completely altered my cueing and expectation of a lot of the work with my scoliosis clients.<\/p>\n