“Trust that the process has instilled everything you need for this moment.”
Meet Steven Gray, a Level 4 Essentrics® instructor in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
With a career filled with diverse experiences, from dancing professionally on stages around the globe to working in both the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds, Steven has done it all! In 2020, a chance comment from a client changed his movement trajectory, leading him to Essentrics. In this conversation, Steven shares his experiences teaching Essentrics and offers advice and inspiration for those thinking about becoming an instructor.
Can you share with us how you first discovered Essentrics®?
My passion for Essentrics hit me like a ton of bricks after seeing Miranda on YouTube at the beginning of the pandemic. I had been teaching another fitness modality that involved weights, cables, and expensive equipment in someone else’s studio. When studios shut down, neither my students nor I had the equipment to work out.
One of my students wanted to continue to move by tapping my knowledge of modern dance. A few classes into our “Let’s Keep Moving” sessions, she asked if I knew Miranda and Classical Stretch. I saw Miranda on YouTube and signed up for the instructor training after the first video! I appreciated the flexibility of the Essentrics Teacher Training department in allowing us to teach online classes, and the resources offered with the Essentrics Academy online portal and Essentrics TV during that time.
It’s amazing how a single video can ignite such a strong passion! I’m sure many of our readers can identify with that initial feeling. After joining the certification program, what other elements in Essentrics® kept you hooked and inspired?
I was a professional modern dancer and recently turned 70, and for quite a few years, I have been looking for low-impact dance or fitness classes. I was still looking for exactly what I wanted, and I wanted it to include classical music or a more exciting genre of music than what most fitness classes involve.
Essentrics allows me to have that creative freedom with music so I can create an exciting and diverse soundscape for my classes.
I love how changing up the music can refresh your outlook on the movement. These varied soundscapes were crucial for me during those initial 30 apprentice classes, teaching the same routine! I also appreciate that I have so many pre-structured Pre-Choreographed Workouts (PCWs) to utilize in my classes, so I can be confident that I am addressing the entire body.
Wow, that sounds like a perfect blend of your dance background and love for music! How has Essentrics® influenced your own fitness journey and overall well-being since then?
I tend to be a bit shy and nonverbal, so Essentrics has built my confidence. Initially, when I realized I had to talk for the entire Essentrics class, it was daunting. But now, it is so easy to cue and pass along information.
On the physical front, I had a biking accident about nine months ago, which tore my Labrum. I consulted with doctors, and one was dead-set on replacing my hip ASAP… (do they see a 70-year-old and automatically think that hip replacement is unavoidable?) At least the doctor I approached for a second opinion offered PT and a follow-up visit to see if the PT worked. However, the PT sessions were dull, and the therapist was dry and uninspiring.
I trusted the power of Essentrics plus added a membership to the local Y, not for weightlifting, but to use the pool. I used their “Walk and Stretch” lane to do Essentrics movements in the water (Hip Cleaners in the water are fantastic!) I am fully recovered now, but I know that maintaining a regimen of Essentrics is vital to keeping pain-free, strong, and resilient to other injuries.
Building confidence in yourself is so important. One of the things we pride ourselves on at Essentrics® is the supportive sense of community from our instructors and fans alike. Did you find this to be the case with your instructor journey?
I began my Essentrics training by studying alone. Eventually, I joined an online study group of others studying at the same level. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. I wish I’d had this support group for all the training!
I had also only experienced virtual classes on YouTube or Essentrics TV, so getting an opportunity to take a live class (once with a fully-certified Level 4 instructor in Orange County, CA, and attending the first live community event in Montreal after the pandemic) was life-changing. I have found everyone in the Essentrics community to be supportive, nurturing, and willing to share their experiences.
Yes, there’s nothing like taking an in-person class when you have the chance! Moving in sync with others who love the technique can be so uplifting. What excites you the most about being an Essentrics® instructor and keeps you motivated to continue teaching?
A while back, I requested some testimonials for my old website. A male student in his mid-eighties responded by saying prior to my classes, he was able to walk about a block comfortably. Now, after a few months of taking my class twice a week, he can walk as far as he would like (and I’m sure that is much longer than one block!) I love having people mistake me for decades younger, and I enjoy helping others toward their goals.
That’s so wonderful to know your classes are having such a positive impact on his quality of life! For those just starting their Essentrics® instructor journey, what advice would you give to help them succeed?
Join a study group of your peers, take a class from another teacher, and film yourself (it will be surprising, but don’t be too self-critical). As you progress through the 4 levels, find the right way for you to study anatomy and don’t be afraid to reach out to the instructor community!
Most of all, realize that the Teacher Training department is on your side and not there trying to trip you up – they want you to grow and be the best you can be. I got so in my head about having everything perfect that I delayed taking my exams. Trust that the process has instilled everything you need for this moment. There will always be more to learn, and that will happen organically.
Before we wrap up, can you share with us one more memorable experience or success story of a student you’ve worked with through Essentrics®?
I have a student with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. We work privately once a week via Zoom for about 40 minutes. We focus on the standing portions of the gentler PCWs, as she would need to have an assistant help her to the floor. After a few sessions, she was beaming.
She said that Essentrics, and the way we have approached her condition through movement, has made her feel so much more confident in moving and improved her life overall. She is one of my most loyal students now.
More info about Steven’s classes: Steven Gray
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