Lauren Kehl is a Seattle-based aerial coach, Pilates instructor, and GYROTONIC® trainer known for her technical expertise and innovative approach to coaching. She began her aerial training in 2008 and has been coaching for over 15 years, dedicating her career to refining technique and advancing coaching methodologies. As a curriculum developer and co-leader of the teacher training program at Versatile Arts, Lauren specializes in mentoring other coaches, helping them build a strong foundation in biomechanics, progressions, and student-centered teaching strategies. She has developed Movement First Aerial, her own methodology that focuses on understanding foundational movement patterns to create strength, efficiency, and artistry in the air. Lauren works with students of every level, tailoring her teaching to meet individual needs while fostering growth and confidence. Her approach blends aerial arts with Pilates and The GYROTONIC® Method, creating a holistic foundation for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Her work is a trusted resource for aerial instructors and students alike, providing tools to deepen technical understanding and refine their practice. Learn more about Lauren and her resources at laurenkehl.com.
You might want to stop saying this...
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Hey Reader, As a person with strong opinions about how to teach movement, certain cues can make me a little crazy. “Squeeze your butt” is one of those cues. You’ve almost certainly heard this cue. Chances are high you’ve given this cue! I have also given this cue! And then I learned more and stopped. What’s the problem? Well, there’s a few: Intentionally squeezing your butt on the regular can lead to dysfunctional movement patterns. When the glutes get squeezed, it pushes the pelvis forward, and moves it away from being stacked under the ribcage. And if we spend a lot of time squeezing the glutes, we can start to hold tension that ends up locking us into this less functional position. And then:
That’s all stuff that’s pretty important! Language matters There is also a difference between “internal” and “external” cues. An internal cue is giving a cue about what the body is doing. “Engage x muscle”, or “externally rotate” are internal cues. External cues use the environment or outcome to guide movement. “Push your hips into your hands” or “try to touch the wall with your foot” are external cues. All of the current research shows that external cueing is far more effective for helping people learn a new movement or task, while internal cues are useful for layering information and for more advanced movers. The goal is integration Squeezing specific parts of the body might also make it harder for all the surrounding muscles to get on board to help. There are a lot of muscles around the hip, and they all have important jobs to do. If you’re always focusing on squeezing the glutes, it might be inhibiting your hip stabilizers and hamstrings from fully getting on board. And, ideally, those muscles are all working together to accomplish whatever movement you’re doing. Our bodies evolved to move as an integrated unit, where all the parts and pieces are interdependent. When one part starts doing too much, or too little, the whole system gets thrown out of whack! And then you have to book an appointment with your PT… What should we do instead of squeeze? There are a lot of different ways to think and talk about movement, and it can take practice and experimentation to figure out what works best for you or your students. In this video, I share some of the ways that I teach my students hip extension using a variety of external cues. If this is the kind of thing that gets you excited, this is exactly what we’ll be diving into inside the ELEVATE Aerial Teacher Training I’m offering with Emily Scherb. In this training we'll...
If you’re ready to level up your teaching game, come join us! Love, Lauren |
Lauren Kehl Aerial Fitness
Lauren Kehl is a Seattle-based aerial coach, Pilates instructor, and GYROTONIC® trainer known for her technical expertise and innovative approach to coaching. She began her aerial training in 2008 and has been coaching for over 15 years, dedicating her career to refining technique and advancing coaching methodologies. As a curriculum developer and co-leader of the teacher training program at Versatile Arts, Lauren specializes in mentoring other coaches, helping them build a strong foundation in biomechanics, progressions, and student-centered teaching strategies. She has developed Movement First Aerial, her own methodology that focuses on understanding foundational movement patterns to create strength, efficiency, and artistry in the air. Lauren works with students of every level, tailoring her teaching to meet individual needs while fostering growth and confidence. Her approach blends aerial arts with Pilates and The GYROTONIC® Method, creating a holistic foundation for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Her work is a trusted resource for aerial instructors and students alike, providing tools to deepen technical understanding and refine their practice. Learn more about Lauren and her resources at laurenkehl.com.