Become The Teacher Others Trust:
Starting with trust in yourself
Next Cohort Starts January 2026!
Our 9-month, NPCP-compliant Teacher Training program blends classical Pilates with modern movement science, personalized mentorship, and trauma-informed support—designed for people who want to teach with confidence, clarity, and purpose.
You’re Ready—Even If You’re Still Wondering.
There are many paths into teaching Pilates. What matters most is how you want to show up for others—and for yourself.
You may be:
A long-time student ready to turn passion into purpose
A wellness professional seeking deeper tools and new ways to serve
A lifelong learner drawn to movement as healing and discovery
What Makes This Program Different
Most programs train you to teach Pilates. Ours helps you become a teacher others trust—by helping you embody what you teach and understand why it works.
What You’ll Experience:
Small, supported cohorts with 1:1 mentorship
Flexible formats: weekday afternoons, evenings, or weekend intensives
Integrated curriculum rooted in classical Pilates and movement science
A trauma-informed, inclusive learning environment
Real teaching experience inside our active studio community
This isn’t just a certification. It’s a transformation—of how you move, how you teach, and how you lead.
New Cohort Options That Fit Your Life
You shouldn’t have to choose between a meaningful education and the rest of your life. Our new formats give you the same depth of learning—on a schedule that works for you.
Choose Your Track
Weekday Afternoons
For those with daytime flexibility.
Weekday Evenings
Designed for working professionals.
Weekend Intensives
Immersive and focused for long-weekend learners.
All tracks include live instruction, mentorship, observation hours, teaching practice and Pilates too.
More Than Exercises: A Way of Seeing, Teaching, and Leading.
Core Curriculum Highlights:
Classical Mat + Apparatus Systems
Applied Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Nervous System Education
Practice Teaching, Feedback, and Peer Learning
Client Care, Communication, and Ethics
Business Basics and Career Support
Mentorship Hours and Studio Observation
You’ll graduate not just certified—but confident, embodied, and ready.
Different Students. Shared Outcomes.
If You Are: You’ll Get: Because:
New
to Teaching
Already a Movement Professional
Learning for Personal Growth
Clear structure, patient mentorship, and space to grow
Advanced anatomy, spine, joint health with nervous system integration, classical refinement
A safe, supportive path into movement education
You don’t need to be perfect to begin
You want to deepen your toolkit and produce results in your clients and patients
You’re ready to move, feel, and lead with confidence.
January 2026 cohort
Join a vibrant community of aspiring Pilates instructors in our exclusive fall 2025 cohort. Immerse yourself in collaborative learning, where you’ll engage with fellow trainees, exchange insights, and build lasting connections. Our structured curriculum covers a comprehensive range of topics, ensuring you develop a well-rounded skill set. From group discussions to shared accomplishments, the cohort experience fosters a sense of belonging and accountability.
Course Content
Below you'll find a list of the modules included in our 550+ hour Comprehensive Teacher Training curriculum. You will be required to fulfill the remaining hours in observation, your personal Pilates practice, and practice teaching Pilates.
We promise to educate and empower you to teach Pilates from a biomechanics and current exercise science and physiology perspective!
ANATOMY FOR PILATES INSTRUCTORS
This online learning module is to be completed prior to the start of Intro to Pilates and Movement Foundations. What you will learn: Key anatomical terms and concepts related to human movement. This course includes your own personal access to the Visible Body anatomy app during your course enrollment.
INTRO TO PILATES AND MOVEMENT FOUNDATIONS
This course focuses on key concepts for success in teaching Pilates exercises, with a wide variety of goals, interests, and physical abilities. You will learn Reforming Foundations movement foundations, including preparing to move, stable foundations, and controlled spinal mobility. These precise exercises emphasize quality of movement in each body region and serve as building blocks to the most challenging of Pilates exercises. These foundational exercises assist with proper movement in day-to-day life and recreational activities.
MOBILITY, INJURY PREVENTION, AND SCIATIC NERVE CONSIDERATIONS
Learn to help people find controlled spinal mobility and improved muscle flexibility in this course. It emphasizes injury prevention and protection of the spinal joints and associated nerves. You will also learn essential building blocks such as the Reforming Foundations Method for designing classes, the art of cueing, how to use physical touch to correct movement dysfunction, and how to build community in your classes. This results in Pilates classes and sessions that are safe, successful, and fun.
BODYWEIGHT & PROPS AND SMALL BARRELS
At Reforming Foundations, we believe core strength and stability is the foundation to every exercise. You will learn the classical mat Pilates repertoire and standing/bodyweight exercises necessary for strength training, bone density, and mobility. Learn Pilates exercises on the Spine Corrector®, the West Coast Arc® and the Pilates Arc®. All three of these Pilates barrels have different degrees of the arc. You will see how these barrels help provide feedback to the spine to improve mobility while developing strength. In addition, we incorporate various Pilates props (Ultra-Fit Circle®, bands, free weights, foam rollers, balls, etc.) to both assist and challenge the exercises.
CLASS PROGRAMMING
Our training continues by learning how to program small group classes. You will learn the classical Pilates order and our why and how Reforming Foundations is revolutionizing Pilates for the 21st century. We designed a very specific framework to help take all the confusion out of class programming. In this Pilates course, you will learn how to program your classes to teach Pilates at all levels, from a first-time student to an elite athlete.
TRAPEZE TABLE AND SPRINGBOARD®
In this module you will learn classical trapeze exercises, along with therapeutic strength and balance exercises. This modern piece of exercise equipment is a long raised table with various springs. It is like a Pilates playground, designed to rig up every sort of spring configuration to assist a movement or to challenge balance and stability. The original design was invented from rigging up springs to a hospital bed to help assist movement. You will also learn how to adapt the trapeze table exercises to the Springboard® for group class programming. This springboard was designed by Ellie Herman. It is attached to the wall to save space and allow for Trapeze exercise training in groups.
LADDER BARREL
You will also learn the Ladder Barrel. It is a wonderful apparatus for strength and mobility. It is also designed to provide feedback for improved spinal mobility. It’s a standalone piece of equipment with a large barrel and has a system of ladder rungs to provide stability and support. In this module, you will learn Ladder Barrel exercises along with therapeutic mobility stretches. You will also learn how to make use of the ladder barrel in individual session programming.
INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION & PROGRAMMING
Individual session programming and instructional strategies to promote movement success for an individual client. We’ve covered class programming, flow, and what should be included in every Pilates session - those items all apply to individual sessions, but today we begin to talk about focusing 1:1 sessions to the needs of an individual client and using tactile/verbal cues (in a 1:1 or small group setting) to promote success for an individual client.
REFORMER FOUNDATIONS
You will learn foundational and neutral spine exercises on the reformer, taught the Reforming Foundations way. This includes the classical Pilates repertoire with the addition of Reforming Foundations movement foundations applied in order to execute precise movement patterns during every exercise. Exercises are broken up into five sections: abdominals, lower body, upper body, full body, and mobility. Learning these exercises teaches you to start thinking about effective programming for your client sessions. This is the Reforming Foundations method of movement. You will learn how to use reformers designed by Balanced Body, including the Clinical Reformer® which is designed for both rehabilitation and an athletic challenge.
REFORMER PROGRESSIONS & CARDIO JUMPBOARD
In the second weekend of reformer training you will learn to program classes using multiple pieces of Pilates equipment. You will learn to use the cardio jumpboard, a fun apparatus added to the reformer for an athletic challenge in plyometrics. This is good for cardio, strength, and endurance training. We will also cover reformer progressions and advanced movement skills.
PILATES CHAIRS
You will learn Pilates Chair exercise on the EXO Chair®, which is more commonly used in the class environment, and the split pedal Combo Chair® with handles. The chair exercises provide an athletic challenge, support longevity and balance in our aging population, and support a Pilates program for prenatal moms-to-be. We will teach you to program classes with chair equipment and mat exercises.
INDIVIDUAL SESSION INSTRUCTION PART 2 & PROGRAM DESIGN, and CASE STUDIES
At this point in the curriculum you are now ready to to learn how to use biomechanical keys listed in every exercise to unlock the greatest human movement potential. You will learn to design programs that build strength, produce endurance, improve mobility, and challenge balance. This will empower you to deliver an amazing experience every session or class you teach!
RFTT COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION
This weekend is dedicated to your certification process to ensure you are prepared to excel! You have worked so hard and made it to this important milestone! You will review, practice, and take your final written and practical exams. Congratulations, we can’t wait to watch you blossom in your new career!
what our past students are saying
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"I wasn't sure I could do this. But the mentorship, the community, the way the program held me-it changed everything."
—Sarah K., Class of 2023
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"I've thought yoga for years. This helped me understand movement in an entirely new way. And I now teach Pilates with real confidence."
—Chris D., Class of 2023
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"This wasn't just a program. It was a healing, embodied, powerful journey."
—Megan T., Class of 2021
Meet Our Founder and the Authors
Brooke alexander
Founder of Reforming Foundations, Co-author
Lead Educator, Brooke, has studied Pilates repertoire through multiple comprehensive programs and continuing education courses. Through her training she has explored her own cues, modifications, and nuances. She is passionate about sharing her unique techniques, and wants to expand them beyond the walls of Reforming Foundations. Passionate about sharing her knowledge, she has created a unique group of instructors who work as a cohesive team. Brooke began practicing Pilates to help her husband recover after cancer treatment in their early 30s. Brooke was thoroughly impressed with the rehabilitative qualities she witnessed for Aaron, and she loved the intense yet fun workout that brought awareness to her own body! Brooke took the STOTT Pilates teacher training program in Bloomfield Hills. She then completed her advanced training and became a specialist in athletic training and rehabilitation.
As she developed her skills, she discovered the Madeline Black Method, which approaches practice from a biomechanical perspective, focusing on what muscles need improved flexibility or strength to produce certain movements. These key concepts and techniques learned helped Brooke to become known as a “body mechanic.” Later, she met and trained under Jean Sullivan of ITT Pilates, from A Body of Work in San Francisco. Jean became a mentor and dear friend to Brooke, and Reforming Foundations hosted Jean and Madeline’s teacher training program “ITT Pilates” from 2018 to 2020. Sadly, the pandemic halted Jean’s monthly teaching trips to Detroit and Reforming Foundations was left without an instructor training program. Passionate about learning more the pandemic allowed Brooke to study Classical Pilates with Karen Frischmann who ran a graduate program with Jay Grimes. As the pandemic regulations loosened, Brooke worked with Dr. Lindsay Brandt to create the Reforming Foundations School of Pilates Teacher Training program.
Dr. Lindsay Brandt
DPT, OMPT, ACSM-CEP, DScPT(c) Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Dr. Lindsay Brandt is a professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, in the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program and the Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy post-professional residency. She brings a deep love for educating patients and movement professionals alike, and has more than two decades of combined education and experience in movement and rehabilitation. Lindsay has worked with a wide variety of orthopedic injuries and conditions, and has a rich background in heart and lung disease research. She is passionate about using manual therapy and smart movement strategies to improve quality of life for those with chronic conditions. An advocate for high-quality, patient-centered healthcare, Lindsay enjoys guiding patients through recovery processes and providing movement strategies to prevent future injury.
Lindsay discovered Pilates several years ago as a client at Reforming Foundations and after completing ITT Pilates with Jean and Brooke, she began integrating Pilates into her clinical practice. She found it to be essential for retraining key movement patterns and avoiding undesirable stress to the body. Through the Reforming Foundations School of Pilates Teacher Training program, Lindsay shares successful movement principles and advocates for a partnership between physical therapists and Pilates instructors. She believes those trained in the Reforming Foundations method can support the rehabilitation and long-term wellness goals of a wide variety of movers. Lindsay brings a depth of understanding biomechanics that become the key to unlocking purposeful movement.
With influence from their mentors and colleagues, Brooke and Lindsay have created a school that showcases the RF Difference.
Protege Course
Want to start your journey now, without waiting for the next cohort? The Protégé Course offers you the flexibility to become a Certified Pilates Instructor on your own timeline. Modeled after the personal mentorship Joseph Pilates provided his protégés, this course allows you to learn at your own pace with tailored, one-on-one guidance from our founder, Brooke Alexandra. Known for her expertise in teaching and mentorship, Brooke will support you in developing a deep, nuanced understanding of Pilates.
The Protégé Course is ideal for those seeking a private learning environment and a schedule that adapts to your life. Whether you’re new to Pilates or a Certified Instructor looking to deepen your practice, this course offers a unique opportunity to refine your skills, receive immediate feedback, and accelerate your growth.
Ready to elevate your learning?
Your Pilates Journey Begins Now
Next Cohort Starts: January 2026 — Apply Today!
Are you ready to turn your passion for movement into a purposeful career?
✅ Step 1: Submit Application
✅ Step 2: Attend an Open House get all your questions answered and learn whether our 550‑hour teacher training is the right fit. (NO obligation—just a movement experience and conversation to explore your goals and our mission)
✅ Step 3: Decide you are in and Book Your Intro Session
✅ Step 4: Lock in your spot in our exclusive fall cohort—designed for aspiring instructors seeking a modern, science‑based credential.
We look forward to welcoming you to our community of compassionate movement professionals eager to transform lives through Pilates and biomechanics! We are here to guide you to a purposeful career in movement.
Still Have Questions?
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No. We welcome beginners, career changers, and professionals alike.
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Yes! You’ll complete hundreds of hours of practice, observation, and feedback.
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Yes. Our formats are designed to be compatible with full-time work and caregiving.
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That’s okay. Many students join us for personal growth, and still walk away deeply changed.