SOMApilates™
Teacher Training

A Nervous-System–Informed Certification Pathway

SOMApilates™ offers two certification levels — start with the Mat Certification, then advance into the full Comprehensive Certification covering Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, and Barrels. Each level builds on the last. The Mat Certification is the required foundation for entry into the Comprehensive program.

CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Two Levels. One Method.

LEVEL ONE

SOMApilates™ MAT-ONLY CERTIFICATION SOMApilates™ MAT-ONLY CERTIFICATION
SOMApilates™ MAT-ONLY CERTIFICATION
$1,500.00

LEVEL ONE

SOMApilates™ Mat Certification

Certified SOMApilates™ Mat Instructor

Our inaugural cohort completed this training in June 2026.

Next Mat Certification: January 29–31, 2027

*Payment plans available with Klarna
Split payments — flexible options available at checkout.

LEVEL TWO

SOMApilates™ COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION SOMApilates™ COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION
SOMApilates™ COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION
$5,500.00

LEVEL TWO

Certified Comprehensive SOMApilates™ Instructor

Prerequisite: SOMApilates™ Mat Certification

First Weekend: August 28th–30th, 2026 (beginning & intermediate systems)
Second Weekend: November 6th-8th, 2026 (advanced, special cases & programming)

The full apparatus certification — Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, and Barrels — plus our signature Somatic & Recovery Specialization.

*Payment plans available with Klarna
Split payments — flexible options available at checkout.

THE METHOD

The SOMApilates™ Philosophy

Every SOMApilates™ certification — Mat or Comprehensive — is built on the same foundation: movement as a relationship with the body, not a performance of it.

01 / Overview of the SOMApilates™ Method

SOMApilates™ recognizes that how we move matters as much as what we move. Instructors are trained to read the nervous system, adjust pace and load in real time, and teach Pilates — mat or apparatus — as a tool for both strength and self-regulation.

This method emphasizes:

  • Safety before intensity

  • Awareness before effort

  • Breath before force

  • Regulation before performance

02 / Why SOMApilates™

SOMApilates™ offers a modern, nervous-system–informed approach to Pilates that meets students where they are — physically, mentally, and energetically. Designed to be accessible yet deeply effective, this method builds embodied awareness, resilience, and intelligent movement, whether instructors are teaching from the floor or across the full apparatus system.

✔ Unique nervous-system-informed approach
✔ A unified philosophy across every certification level
✔ Perfect entry point into the Pilates by Jen Academy
✔ Ideal for studios, retreats, and wellness programs
✔ A stackable academy — Mat builds directly into Comprehensive

03 / SOMApilates™ With Depth

Graduates of the SOMApilates™ Certifications emerge with:

  • Confidence to teach Pilates safely and intelligently

  • Tools to support recovery and regulation

  • A distinctive teaching voice grounded in awareness

  • A professional pathway into advanced training helps shape Pilates instructors who don't just teach movement — they teach connection, resilience, and presence.

PROGRAM DETAIL

Explore Each Certification Level

LEVEL ONE - MAT CERTIFICATION

SOMApilates™ Mat Program Overview

Next Cohort: January 29–31, 2027

Time: 9am–3pm daily

Location: Pilates by Jen Studio, Jacksonville Florida

Investment: $1,500

The SOMApilates™ Mat Certification is a deeply intentional teacher training designed for movement professionals seeking to teach Pilates mat through the lens of somatics, recovery, and nervous system regulation — without the use of equipment.

This certification is ideal for instructors who want to teach:

  • Mat Pilates classes

  • Restorative and recovery-based sessions

  • Trauma-informed movement

  • Small groups, private clients, or community wellness classes

    • Pilates principles through a somatic lens

    • Nervous system basics (polyvagal-informed)

    • Interoception and proprioception

    • Language that supports safety and autonomy

    • Creating a regulated learning environment

  • Repertoire Includes:

    • Pre-Pilates and developmental patterns

    • Classical Mat Order (Beginner–Intermediate)

    • Contemporary variations and regressions

    • Functional transitions and floor mobility

    • Sequencing for strength, mobility, and ease

    Emphasis On:

    • Precision without rigidity

    • Adaptive cueing

    • Choice-based layering

    • Teaching multiple bodies at once

    • Diaphragmatic and lateral rib breathing

    • Extended exhale techniques

    • Box breathing and coherent breathing

    • Breath as sensory feedback

    • Breath-led pacing and rest

    • Active vs. passive stretching

    • Somatic micro-movements

    • Contract-relax (PNF) methods

    • Gentle rocking, unwinding, and release

    • Restorative sequencing for fatigue and stress

    • Teaching group mat classes

    • Private mat sessions

    • Trauma-aware cueing and consent

    • Observation and assessment

    • Designing:

      • Classical mat classes

      • Soma Pilates™ restorative mat classes

      • Mixed-level offerings

Register Now

LEVEL TWO— COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATION

SOMApilates™ Comprehensive Program Overview

First Weekend: August 28th–30th, 2026 (Beginner & Intermediate Systems + Somatic Principles)
Second Weekend: November 6th-8th, 2026 (Advanced Systems, Special Populations & Teaching Mastery)

Time: 9am–3pm daily

Location: Pilates by Jen Studio, Jacksonville FL

Investment: $5,500

This cohort is open exclusively to graduates of the June 2026 Mat Certification. New students: our next Mat Certification cohort runs January 29–31, 2027.

A Comprehensive Teacher Training integrating classical Pilates apparatus instruction with our signature Somatic & Recovery Specialization — for Mat-certified instructors ready to expand into full apparatus teaching.

Weekend One: Building the Foundation

Beginner & Intermediate Systems + Somatic Principles

    • History and philosophy of Pilates

    • Principles of efficient movement

    • Neutral alignment and spinal organization

    • Core integration

    • Breath mechanics

    • Movement quality and precision

    • Interoception and proprioception

    • Sensory awareness

    • Developmental movement patterns

    • Breath as a movement organizer

    • Nervous system regulation

    • Embodied movement exploration

  • Participants will learn:

    • Exercise objectives

    • Proper execution

    • Set-up and transitions

    • Modifications

    • Progressions

    • Contraindications

    • Common compensations

    • Hands-on teaching strategies (when appropriate)

  • You will begin developing your instructional voice by learning:

    • Observation skills

    • Verbal cueing

    • Visual demonstrations

    • Movement analysis

    • Creating safe learning environments

    • Teaching with curiosity rather than correction

  • Each day includes:

    • Somatic movement explorations

    • Pilates practice sessions

    • Lecture and discussion

    • Anatomy integration

    • Partner teaching

    • Group feedback

    • Practice teaching opportunities

    • Advanced mat exercises

    • Higher-level progressions

    • Flow development

    • Dynamic sequencing

    • Advanced transitions

    • Integration of complex movement patterns

  • Participants learn how to:

    • Layer movement appropriately

    • Progress clients safely

    • Regress exercises when necessary

    • Identify readiness for advancement

    • Build long-term movement plans

  • Explore how effective cueing transforms movement by developing:

    • External cueing

    • Internal cueing

    • Imagery-based cueing

    • Somatic cueing

    • Breath-centered cueing

    • Functional movement cueing

  • Further explore:

    • Trauma-aware teaching principles

    • Autonomy and consent

    • Restorative sequencing

    • Nervous system regulation through movement

    • Functional movement variability

    • Client-centered teaching

  • Throughout Weekend Two, participants will receive:

    • Instructor coaching

    • Peer teaching opportunities

    • Individual feedback

    • Movement assessments

    • Teaching refinements

    • Practical preparation for certification

Certification Requirements

  • Minimum 500 total hours

  • 200 hrs — Lectures & workshops

  • 150 hrs — Practice teaching

  • 100 hrs — Observation

  • 50 hrs — Self-practice & journaling

Final Certification Assessment

Certification is awarded after successful completion of all program requirements, including:

  • Attendance at both training weekends

  • Completion of practicum hours

  • Submission of required assignments

  • Written examination

  • Practical teaching examination (test-out)

  • Demonstration of professional teaching competency

Register Now

Practicum Requirements

  • Personal practice hours

  • Observation hours

  • Practice teaching hours

  • Teaching reflections

  • Class planning assignments

  • Self-assessment and journaling

  • Completion of required reading and coursework

Advanced Systems, Special Populations & Teaching Mastery

Weekend Two: Refinement, Progression & Professional Teaching

YOUR JOURNEY

The SOMApilates™ Pathway

Step One

Mat Certification

Certified SOMApilates™ Mat Instructor

*our prerequisite for the comprehensive certification

$1,500 · Next cohort: January 29–31, 2027

Step Two

Comprehensive Certification

Certified Comprehensive SOMApilates™ Instructor

$5,500 · August 28–30, 2026 & November 6th-8th, 2026

*must attend both weekends

QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

SOMApilates™ Mat Certification FAQ’s

  • The final assessment includes a written exam covering anatomy, somatics, and methodology, along with a practical teaching demonstration where you lead a full mat class incorporating the SOMApilates™ approach.

  • The written exam covers Pilates principles, nervous system basics, somatic teaching language, and the core philosophy and methodology of SOMApilates™.

  • You'll lead a live teaching demonstration — a full mat class — incorporating breathwork, somatic cueing, and trauma-aware language in front of your instructor and peers

  • Graduates receive the Certified SOMApilates™ Mat Instructor credential, allowing you to market and teach under the SOMApilates™ name.

  • The Mat Certification is $1,500, with payment plans available through Klarna.

  • Your enrollment includes digital training manuals, teaching templates, sequencing guides, mentorship throughout the training, and your final written and practical assessments.

  • Yes — payment plans are available through Klarna at checkout for both the Mat and Comprehensive Certifications.

  • Applicants should have a minimum of 6–12 months of Pilates practice (any style) and an interest or background in movement. Open to dancers, yoga teachers, fitness professionals, and dedicated Pilates practitioners.

SOMApilates™ Comprehensive Certification FAQ’s

  • Yes. The SOMApilates™ Mat Certification is the required prerequisite for the Comprehensive Certification. This ensures every Comprehensive graduate has a strong foundation in our somatic, nervous-system-informed methodology before advancing into full apparatus work.

  • The total investment is $5,500, which includes all manuals, the SOMApilates™ Somatic & Recovery Specialization, assessments, and mentorship. Payment plans are available with Klarna.

  • The program requires a minimum of 500 total hours: 200 hours of lectures and workshops, 150 hours of practice teaching, 100 hours of observation, and 50 hours of self-practice and written assignments.

  • Pilates teachers, dancers, yoga teachers, therapists, and wellness professionals who have completed their SOMApilates™ Mat Certification and want to expand into full apparatus teaching.

  • The Comprehensive Certification adds full apparatus training — Reformer, Cadillac/Tower, Wunda Chair, and Barrels — plus our signature Somatic & Recovery Specialization, a deeper curriculum covering polyvagal-informed teaching, breathwork, and trauma-aware professional practice.

  • The Comprehensive Certification's practical assessment includes two teaching demonstrations rather than one — a Classical Pilates session and a SOMApilates™ restorative/nervous-system-focused session — reflecting the broader scope of the apparatus training.

  • Yes — payment plans are available through Klarna at checkout for both the Mat and Comprehensive Certifications.

  • This certification is highly interactive and experiential. You can expect to:

    • Move every day and experience the repertoire in your own body.

    • Practice teaching from the very beginning.

    • Receive personalized feedback from instructors and peers.

    • Develop confidence through repetition and guided practice.

    • Explore anatomy, biomechanics, and nervous system science in an accessible, movement-based way.

    • Learn to teach the why behind every exercise—not just the choreography.

    • Cultivate a teaching style that is both technically precise and deeply responsive to the individual in front of you.

    By the end of the SOMApilates™ Comprehensive Certification, you will have a strong foundation in Pilates methodology, a rich understanding of somatic movement principles, and the practical teaching experience needed to guide clients with clarity, compassion, and confidence. You will leave prepared to teach Pilates as a whole-person practice—one that develops strength, mobility, resilience, and embodied awareness across a wide variety of settings and populations.

Have additional questions?