Pilates...It"s Transformational.

"In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions you will see the difference and in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body."   
- Joseph H. Pilates
Pilates is a method of exercise that blends together elements of strength and flexibility that you'll feel with every move your body makes. All work is initiated (primarily but not exclusively) through the core muscles of the deep abdominals, the pelvic floor, and diaphragm; the total known as the “Powerhouse”.  The movement is dynamic, but mindful and controlled. It’s deep and close to the bone, but works the full body.  It works the body as an aligned and integrated whole as the body moves in real life, rather than isolated muscle groups.

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The Pilates Experience

Pilates...It's Personal
There's a reason you can't do good Pilates by watching a tape or reading a book. Successful Pilates, more than any other exercise you'll find, is totally based on the individual's unique body. Each Pilates exercise has elements of strength and stretch, with precision and absolute control, coming from the deep abdominal muscles. But precision only comes with developing deep, personal body awareness, which you can't get from a book.

Each body carries a history of how it has moved; its strengths, its injuries and weaknesses; its lifetime of learned patterns. All are there for the trained, experienced eye of the Pilates teacher to read, like a map. Then the transformation begins. Drawing on the wealth of Pilates exercises, systems, and strategies that Joseph Pilates developed over many decades, the student is empowered to change their bodies, with the training, guidance, and insights of the experienced Pilates trainer.


Pilates...It's Mindful
As modern human beings, we often find ourselves in two modes, stressed/frantic, or exhausted/asleep. This can cause us to often move through our days in an inattentive state, operating in auto-pilot and not fully mindful of the task at hand.

But Pilates demands your full attention and brings you back to a mindful state. It teaches you how to connect with each muscle and each movement. To pay attention to how you feel and how your body responds to your commands. Pilates training develops that capacity of relaxed focus, a 'presence',  where the mind is at it's best and most effective. Definitely not like plopping yourself on a boring exercise bike while you watch the news.
Pilates...It's Joyful
Children, and young animals of all types know it; movement is fun. But we adults forget. Most of us spend too much time stuck behind desks, steering wheels, or in front of computers. We forget that to be able to stretch like a cat, swing like a monkey, or to roll like a ball are things we used to enjoy. We remember that joy in our Pilates lessons.

The Pilates apparatus is designed to help you feel your best possible freedom of movement, joyful strength, fluidity, and flexibility, but starting from where you are, right now. Whether you're a professional athlete,  a great grandmother, or anything in between, in the studio we push and pull (against and with) springs, align and lengthen around the arc shapes of barrels, glide on wheeled carriages and more. It certainly looks and feels different from what you see in a huff and puff gym.  The feeling of the various Pilates apparatus makes sense to the body, and that ease of movement translates to the rest of your day.
Pilates...It's Healing
Pilates exercise is not therapy, but it can be the next logical step for someone who is recovering from an injury , or as a next step after finishing their course of physical therapy. The apparatus can be used by a student with problem knees, hips, or back to learn how to move more efficiently, easing strain on the joints and strengthening the deep core muscles that support a well functioning body. The springs on many of the apparatus help people with MS to better feel where their body is in space without overworking the nervous system. The ability to balance well is essential to prevent injuries from falling, which is the single biggest catastrophic event that leads to decline in health for seniors. Pilates improves balance.
Pilates...It's Smart

In Pilates, we learn how to move and where to move from, and that knowledge, once learned in the body, informs the way we move and live the rest on the day. Our posture improves. Our flexibility and strength improve. Even the way we do our other movements improve. Our exercise classes, our gardening, our golf, our ability to chase and lift toddlers, everything in our life improves. Pilates truly allows us to Return to Life.*

*One of the two books written by Joseph Pilates was Return to Life - revolutionary for it's time.
Studio Address: 8289 Fawn Crescent, Birch Bay, WA 98230 | Ph: (973) 865-2764 | Email: colleen@wholepilates.com