rhythms fall intensive 2026
for teachers & aspiring teachers
Join Rhythms, Portland’s Best Pilates Studio 2025, for a three-weekend training designed to deepen your teaching and expand your movement toolkit. Each weekend explores a different focus, from Pilates philosophy and functional anatomy to creativity, sequencing, and teaching skills. This program is centered around building a custom toolkit for the population you want to work with. You’ll build language, clarity, and practical skills to better serve your chosen demographic.
The full training includes 100 total hours, combining guided training, personal practice, practice teaching, observation, and self-study so you leave feeling confident and ready to teach. You’re welcome to attend Weekend 1 as a standalone advanced workshop, complete all three weekends without testing out, or complete the full training and certify
who is this for
Current Pilates or fitness instructors looking to expand their mat teaching skills
Reformer-trained teachers who want to translate repertoire to the mat
Movement professionals interested in deepening their understanding of anatomy, cueing, and sequencing
Dedicated students who want to explore Pilates more deeply (no teaching background required, but teaching labs are included)
what’s included
30 Hours of In-Person Education
Three immersive weekends focused on:
Building your teaching demographic + clarifying your voice
Intelligent sequencing & creative programming
Functional anatomy for mat-based Pilates
Cueing labs + peer teaching
Philosophy, lineage, and contemporary application
Comprehensive Exercise & Anatomy Manual
A professionally designed training manual including:
Postural analysis guide
Classical & contemporary mat repertoire
Movement regressions & progressions
Sequencing frameworks
Cueing language + tactile strategies
Injury considerations & modifications
10 Drop-In Studio Classes (Full Certification Track Only)
Valid for: Rhythms Pilates, Beginner Rhythms
(Designed to support your practice hours and teaching fluency.)
Individualized Mentorship & Feedback
Ongoing support to troubleshoot questions, refine your teaching style, and build confidence in real-time application.
Certificate of Completion
Awarded to participants who attend all three weekends.
Access to a Supportive Cohort Community
Connect with fellow teachers-in-training through shared practice, teaching labs, and peer feedback.
Digital Workout Library Access (90 Days)
Continue studying sequencing, pacing, and cueing through guided mat classes.
additional certification requirements
20 hours practice teaching: can be a community class, or recorded
20 hours of personal practice: at home, or in studio
20 hours of shadow teaching
10 hours of reading, reflections, quizzes & cueing homework
test out to be scheduled & completed by April 6th, 2027
program overview
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Go back to the roots of Pilates and explore how the method has evolved. Day one dives into the classical approach: its history, core principles, and original mat sequence. Day two shifts into contemporary Pilates, with a focus on how modern movement science, inclusivity, and rehabilitation have reshaped the work. You’ll learn when and why to use each approach, practice blending them, and build a stronger framework for your own teaching style.
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Develop the teacher’s eye. We’ll break down postural patterns and common deviations. We’ll practice making safe, effective corrections both visually and hands-on. From there, you’ll explore planes of movement, myofascial lines, and the role of eccentrics in Pilates. We’ll also cover contraindications, use of props, and tactile feedback to add resistance and precision. By the end, you’ll have sharper observation skills and more confidence in your cueing.
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Learn how to design classes that are both intelligent and inspiring. We’ll cover principles of progression, transitions, rhythm, and flow to keep students engaged across levels. A major focus will be on adapting movements from equipment to the mat (with and without props) so you can offer creative variations that still honor Pilates principles. You’ll also learn how to sequence for specific goals (strength, mobility, recovery, athletic conditioning) and practice teaching mini-classes to refine your voice and delivery.
dates
Saturdays & Sundays 12-5 PM
Weekend 1 | Saturday, September 5 & Sunday, September 6
Weekend 2 | Saturday, September 19 & Sunday, September 20
Weekend 3 | Saturday, October 3 & Sunday October 4
pricing & registration
meet Tenley, your facilitator
Teaching, to me, goes beyond delivering a good workout. It’s about deepening our understanding of movement, somatics, and the human experience. Pilates offers a framework to explore this relationship in a way that is both structured and sustainable.
My movement journey started back in college in 2008, where I studied to become a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. After spending five years post-college in the corporate world, I returned to my passion for fitness and began teaching full-time. Along the way, I’ve traveled internationally to complete a 300-hour RYT training, attended somatic meditation retreats, immersed myself in intensive studies with world-class leaders in movement and mindfulness.
I’ve trained extensively through Comprehensive STOTT Pilates and bridged into the Classical method with The Pilates Source. Over the years, I’ve worked individually with clients ranging from teenagers to older adults (16–85), tailoring sessions to meet unique needs and abilities. I began teaching almost exclusively on the reformer, but my passion for accessibility led me to focus on translating Pilates to the mat, making the work available to a wider community.
My approach integrates anatomical precision with somatic awareness, always grounded in compassion and community. I believe that becoming the best teacher requires both a deep understanding of the body and the flexibility to adapt Pilates to all experience levels.