Let’s go girls
Welcome to the first blog post here at Align!
Let’s get to know each other, I’ll start (as if y’all could be chatting with me in real time lol) - my name is Becca. I live in Chicago and though I didn’t grow up here, I’ve always called the Midwest home. There is something special about the Midwest, maybe it’s trauma bonding (these winters and muggy summers can be brutal) or just the intuitive desire to connect and help each other out.
After graduating Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, I moved to Chicago on a bit of a whim. I didn’t have things lined up but I knew that I wanted to make Chicago home bad enough, that I eventually figured it out. My path has taken me in many directions, some dead ends, but mostly paths that lead me to the next thing to the next and landed me where I am today. Though I work full time, I’ve found an immense amount of passion through my part time work as a Pilates teacher.
My first Pilates class was in January 2024 at Bodybar Pilates, and my goodness was I HUMBLED. Even though I had been weight lifting for over a decade and training martial arts, there was something truly special about my first experience. I left the studio buzzing (or maybe I was still shaking??) and immediately signed up for more classes. Those classes turned into an unlimited membership and an actual obsession (literally taking 6+ classes a week)! I loved the community and feeling I had so much, I applied and started working the front desk.
After months of working at the front, taking classes, observing different instructors teach, I thought … hey, I think I could do that. Though I had never taught anything before, when the opportunity presented itself in September of 2024 to go through Instructor Training at Bodybar Pilates, I didn’t think twice. Training was so fun, enlightening, and I built up a lot of confidence throughout the process. I took my test as soon as I could and was teaching within a month!
As I write this first post in January of 2026, I’ve taught over 600 classes. Through Bodybar we get the ability to teach different styles of classes with different apparatuses. I teach on the reformer, jumpboard, tower, chair, and even some mat classes! Teaching has been so rewarding, I have built confidence I didn’t know was possible. I love walking in with a plan as much as I love walking in to realize this plan is not going to work on these bodies and getting to adapt to the group in front of me.
For the last few months I had been thinking about continuing on my education and going for the full comprehensive certification. In mid-January I went to a Pilates Summit here in Chicago, and attended a workshop led by Holly. The way she shared information (it was anatomy which is a lot of information, especially if you don’t really remember much from high school like me!) was so approachable. I had heard of The Lab for teacher training before and as fate would have it, the next cohort was starting that very Friday. Again, fate on my side, there was a single spot open, so I signed up without thinking twice.
I write this on a Monday afternoon, weekend one of training just wrapped last night. I can honestly say (literally 1 weekend in out of 6) that this was one of the best choices I’ve made for myself. The past weekend opened my eyes to such an approachable way to teach clients the basics. We just started scratching the surface, covering anatomy, breathing patterns, breathwork, and preparatory mat exercises but I swear everything is different.
I’m so excited to share my journey with you all. Let’s stay connected on Instagram @becbot & @alignpilatesmovement ❤️
