Two weeks ago I shared with you this stunning video of a cheetah running in slow motion, and told the story of one of my first and favorite visualizations I used with my students back when I began teaching Spinning. I asked my students to close their eyes and picture a cheetah running in slow motion, and then to imagine becoming catlike in their movements, with no wasted energy and everything flowing in perfectly timed and harmonious sequence (pedal stroke).
My hope was that the video would touch the instructors who saw it and encourage you all to use it in your classes. I was so pleased to receive this e-mail the other day, and I wanted to share it with you in the hopes that it will inspire you to find a way to incorporate the cheetah video into your teaching. This e-mail is from Rebecca Young, who is the co-owner of Charleston RIDE in Charleston, SC. She shares how she and another instructor at the studio, Vatsa, used the cheetah video in two very different ways, and the music they accompanied it with.
Hi Jennifer,
You know I enjoy and learn so much from all of your posts, however the Cheetah video has to be one of my favorites! I used it the very same day you posted it. I dropped it into iMovie and added one song. I opened an endurance RIDE with it. It is an amazing teaching tool….just incredible. Another instructor at RIDE, Vatsa, used it this past Saturday morning for the 8 a.m. class. He customized the music and used it as a visualization to dissect sprints in the Spinning® program. I LOVE that! It is like that perfect song that you can use for all 5 movements.
The clients LOVED it and wanted to see the video again after class.
We both kept the original beautiful intro song.
Endurance profile: I added Cirque du Soleil – Sun Drum Fun-Carmen Rizzo (Toumany Remix) by Ravin.
Sprint dissection: Vatsa added Abraham’s Daughter, Arcade Fire (The Hunger Games).Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and helping me to become a better instructor.
Much gratitude from a forever student.
Rebecca Young
By the way, Rebecca and Vatsa teach at the same studio where Krista Leopold teaches–the woman who inspired the touching tribute to the deceased in the Newtown, CT, massacre. If you haven’t read the blog post about Krista’s proposal to commit to 28 days of kindness in honor of each of the deceased, read it here. Wow, what a group of amazing, inspiring instructors! One of the reasons why is that the second co-owner is none other than Luciana Marcial-Vincion, master instructor for the Spinning® program. I was on the Spinning® MI team for many years with Luciana and can tell you that she exudes passion, inspiration, and love wherever she goes. She is one of the brightest stars of the Spinning team, so it must follow that her partner and team are also top-notch. I can only imagine the rest of the instructors at the facility are the same. If you are ever in or within driving distance to Charleston, make sure to take a class there! (Tell them Jennifer sent you and ask them to play the cheetah video for you!)
How about you? If you have found a way to use the cheetah video, will you share with us your experience, as well as the music you used? If not, and you have access to a video screen in your cycling studio, are you inspired now to incorporate it into a profile? It might just be a coach-altering experience!