My Pilates Journey

Pilates and fitness have been my passion for close to thirty years. Before I dove into the world of fitness, I was a software analyst in the aerospace industry. Yup. That was a lifetime ago. I decided to take an extended family leave as a mom with 3 little ones. Fitness and wellness became my new passion.  I started teaching fitness, Low impact and step aerobics (ACE),  then became certified through ACSM as a personal trainer, and focused on helping other new moms and moms-to-be. 

But I was really curious about Pilates. Pilates studios were hard to find in the late 90s, but I did start my journey in Northern California, circa 1998. Eventually, I began to understand its nuances that the exercises were much more than the shapes you made.  My hyper-mobile body could make the shapes, but not always feel the work.  Not all teachers put emphasis on the foundation or pre-Pilates work.  And, yet building body awareness is key to advancing safely through the repertoire and building this fine balance of strength and flexibility.  It took learning the whole system for me to fully appreciate the mat repertoire.  Although mat is also a great place to begin.

Five years into my Pilates practice and teaching endeavors, my world changed forever the day I experienced a mild, but traumatic brain injury (TBI). There were many small steps that supported my healing path, but fast forward 7 years following this event, when I was living my life, but still feeling very disconnected and far from my old self, I stumbled upon a life-changing Oprah interview, with Jill Bolte Taylor, speaking about her book, “My Stroke of Insight”, a fascinating account of the author witnessing her own stroke and her unique recovery. Jill is also a neuroanatomist and was able to witness what was going on in her brain during the process.  Her insights and wisdom helped guide her brain back to “normal”.  She helped me realize that many of the things that I lost, personality traits, memories, and abilities, were still in there, yes- in disarray, but that I was just as capable as her of reorganizing and repairing my brain.  I didn’t know exactly the steps, but I was convinced that the secret was in the Pilates Method, and there was something really important that I was missing from my current Pilates understanding, so I began my search.  Jill’s book offered me a vision of radical healing and Pilates provided a Method to repair my own brain.

I found the answers I was seeking in the classical Pilates Method.  While the Pilates exercises reshaped and toned my body, the most profound shifts were how I felt on the inside. The transformations that I have experienced through Pilates were beyond what I could have imagined.  Reuniting with the familiar was the best surprise.  I was reunited with humor, my emotions, and my analytical left brain. But I also gained many new gifts. Aside from becoming more light-hearted and a seeker of possibilities, I became stronger, more agile, and more resilient than when I began this journey.

My hypermobile tendencies are still a part of me, but my awareness has shifted to more aligned freedom in my joints.  s and sacroiliac pain is something I may still notice, but I have tools I count on that help me realign and rebalance.

If I take a misstep, sit too long or overexert myself, I may feel discomfort or pain, but I have many tools in my toolbox to get me back on track and keep my low back and SI joint pain-free.

Pilates continues to teach me about my body as we evolve together.  It keeps me honest as to what movement is good for me at different times.  

Joe’s philosophy of life, “play hard and work hard” and his intuitive understanding of the body are all woven into his system. Pilates is really akin to an owner’s manual for your body.  It teaches you how to use your body as it was designed.  The mind and body work together to achieve this.  Pilates employs many principles of natural and posturally correct movement in a thorough and creative system, that can return you to a life, of health and vitality.  This was Joe Pilates’ manifesto about his own work and very true of my own journey to health

I have been a student of the body and the Pilates Method for over two decades and consider myself a forever student of the body. I am a Nationally Certified Pilates teacher (NPCP) and a graduate of the Pilates Center of Boulder’s advanced teacher training program.  I am also a certified practitioner of the Yamuna Body Rolling®, Yamuna® Foot Fitness, and Yamuna® in Bed restorative programs and a certified Holistic Health Coach.  I have also completed two Applied Neurology Mentorships and am a Certified Neuro Studios Level 2 practitioner.  I have recently upleveled my understanding of the Foundations of Core and this current understanding of Core and Breath relationships has again given me new insights into working with bodies.

My curiosity about all things related to our brain and body fuels my passion for unraveling tough movement puzzles. My joy is helping others like you enrich your movement life. My reward is witnessing your light bulb moments when you make a new discovery in your body.  My mission is to help you reach a new level of fitness and health and reap all the benefits that align with your vision of an active and vibrant life.

“Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.”  Joseph Pilates

Inspired to go on a movement journey with me?   Reach out and set up a call.

With the right mindset, you can achieve anything. 

To your abundant health, Laurie