WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US.
Learn more about our philosophies and what we love to teach.
Reasons to fall in Love with Pilates Mat Classes (Again)
Although this blog is a simple list of some of my favorite reasons that Mat work works, there are more, so many more. Movement with breath work and internal strength through the body? No wonder Pilates is one of the most popular forms of exercise out there. Bring on...
Comparison is the thief of Joy
Comparison is the thief of Joy This topic has been in my mind a lot lately. It seems somehow to echo from our recovering perfectionism conversation weeks past. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been able to get comparison out of my mind for awhile now but...
Essentials
This work is loaded with Essentials we all need. There are certain things we all need to be able to do with our bodies. The ability to stand, Reach, Open Change levels, Be at ease and do what life and our heart asks. Learning (or re-learning!) and practicing...
Your Body Your Home
Your Body Your Home What do you think of when you think of home? A safe place, a place of comfort, perhaps a sense of connection or belonging. We have a home that we walk around in — and live in every day — our bodies. Our studio’s message for this year is Your Body...
Moving beyond Perfectionism
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman Perfection is different from a commitment to self- improvement. “I know, I know” .…I would say out loud or...
Unified Field of Attention- A peek into How we Learn
I hope you enjoy this next post by Carolyn Johnston. It is essentially a key component into understanding how we learn. I particularly find the conversation on expanding our focus or the opposite "narrowing our focus" to be helpful. Anyone who has the experience of...
Value
This work is invaluable. As someone who does the work and shares the work through teaching and stewarding for our studio and its community, I witness this every day. It’s not opinion, it is based upon fact. Here are some things to consider regarding the value of what...
We all need different types of motion to be at our best
Hi Everyone, I have an unusual topic to talk about with you today. Properties of fascia and how they affect our movement and wellness choices we make. As you may recall, I taught a course at Point Park University for 12 years. Throughout those years, I discovered some...
END-GAINING: What it is & Why You Should Be Aware of it
This is a guest post, written by Carolyn Johnston, Alexander Technique instructor. Check out our schedule to book time with Carolyn. “The idea of taking the control of the use of the mechanisms of the human creature from the instinctive on to the conscious plane has...
Exercise is not meant to be punishment!
Exercise was not designed to be a form of punishment. There, I said it. I truly believe that when it comes to exercise, the way that we talk about it and think about it determines the results we receive from it. However, I’ve observed that exercise brings out a lot of...
A Fathers Day Success Story with GYROKINESIS® Classes
Let me share a success story. My father, aged 68, is a dentist who operates a small private practice in a little town with two stop lights. He also devotes his time to his farm. My parents live on 160 acres as a lifestyle choice to foster their equestrian enthusiasm...
From the Ground Up
Did you know each foot is made up of 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, all of which work together to provide support, balance and mobility. Your feet and legs are the first structures that allow you to be upright. They are...
New Considerations in Self-Care
Anytime you spend working on your body counts - you can learn simple, easy ways to layer self-care into your life. Mother's day is this month, but we want to take a moment to celebrate all people who birth ideas and care for others. To birth an idea and actualize it,...
How to Enhance Your Practice with Contrast in Movement
Contrast in movement is one of the most powerful ways for you to not only enhance your Pilates practice, but to achieve better movement throughout your day-to-day activities. Contrast is movement in opposite directions that occurs simultaneously in your body, such as...
Introducing The GYROTONIC Expansion System®
We have exciting news in the studio! Here's what it means and how you can take advantage. In October 2020, we purchased a new piece of equipment in the studio and thought you would appreciate if we shed some light upon why and the process that is happening to bring...
Oh That Cleaning! Studio Takeaways for Safe Cleaning
So along the years of teaching, invariably a lovely client comes into the studio and lets me know that their knees, back or lower hips are really sore. Sore, from what I ask? “Cleaning. I just think that when I am cleaning my house I am not really using my body...
The Wellness Essentials that Come from Practicing Pilates & the GYROKINESIS® Method
As we begin a new year, I have a strong urge for rest, assessment, and renewal. I like to take a moment and really see what is working and where we have missing links in our program and business. With enough "R and R," I gather steam to move forward on the items we...
Idea: Move with Us for 30 Days, Based on Your Terms
What's the most powerful thing in the world? An idea. We hold many ideas in our minds regarding our health. We hold ideas about our bodies and capabilities - whether they are accurate or not. We tell ourselves we are fragile, consistent (or not), capable (or not),...
The Joy of Teaching Privates
Recently, a student arrived at the studio for her appointment. We talk briefly about weather, clothes, food, their family or work, how they woke up. It was early, we were both still waking up. As we both began to show up for one another, we needed our minds to...
Whats the Difference Between Pilates and the GYROKINESISⓇ Method?
Over the past few weeks we have had more clients try the GYROKINESISⓇ classes out of curiosity and looking for a fit for their range of motion. I hope this post helps to shed the light on what is similar and different between the Pilates and GYROKINESISⓇ methods. The...
Pilates for Runners: Why It Matters & How It Can Work for You
In this blog post, we talked with one of the talented instructors in our studio, Kelly Mroz. Kelly is launching a new program specifically designed for runners to enjoy the benefits that Pilates brings to a runner's body, including stability, strength, and recovery....
Fall Checklist for Health & Wellness
We, at the studio, truly hope you are well. I used to write this phrase and not think about it but now it means something different to me. We hope you are well: whole in health, body, brain and soul. This is our "why" for everything we do in the studio. We know that a...
Understanding Extension and How It Impacts Wellness
Extension has been on my mind quite a bit this summer. Once I started feeling the physical effects of lifestyle changes, anxieties, unemployment fears, etc. my patterns of rounding my shoulders and gripping various areas of my body (i.e. chest closing) showed up...
Pilates for Athletes: Training the SHAHA Panthers
In the past, we’ve written blog posts on the benefits of Pilates for the spine and to improve circulation in your joints. You may have never considered how these and other benefits can translate to the athlete - that’s what we are going to cover in this post. In...
Pilates Center Teacher Round-Up: How Your Teachers Really Feel About Their Practice and More
We talked to a few of our teachers about their practice, the meaning of their teaching work and what they’ve been up to during this period of quarantine and social distancing. What is your hardest exercise (or the one you skip the most…)? Christin: Corkscrew Flat...
Interference
I recently reconnected with a colleague — Carolyn Johnston. This past year, if you have been active with us, you have been hearing more about her and some of you have experienced her teaching. Needless to say, I am a fan of Carolyn and her work. She teaches the...
Moving Through the Unknown: Wellness in the Midst of Continual Uncertainty
As we begin to transition out of quarantine and shelter at home and begin to dip our toes back into the activities that were considered “normal” prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be scary, unsettling and confusing. Amidst all of the uncertainty, we...
Moving Forward: We’ll Meet You Where You Are
We will meet you where you are. This has always been an important part of our studio’s mission. From the beginning, I envisioned the studio serving people of all ages and needs to optimize their wellness and inform their life with the skills that come from these...
How to Build a Sustainable Pilates Practice
These words popped out of one of my favorite client’s mouths a few months ago, just before Christmas. It has stayed with me as that was the goal all along in opening up our studio 14 years ago.
Is the GYROKINESIS® Method a good for your fitness needs?
Is the GYROKINESIS® Method a good fit for your fitness needs? You might have heard about our newest offering of the GYROKINESIS® Method and may be wondering whether or not you are a good fit? In this post, we’ll discuss who can most benefit from this work. The...
What is the GYROKINESIS® Method and is it for you?
What is GYROKINESIS®?Created by Juliu Horvath, GYROKINESIS® system of exercises is designed to help a person move beyond their limitations. The exercises feel like a combination of swimming, dancing, tai chi, yoga, calisthenics movements, but are unique to this...
How Do you walk? Combining Consciousness with Balance for Better Movement
The following is a guest post from Carolyn Johnston. Through her background as a dancer and performer, she discovered the Alexander Technique. We will be welcoming her into the studio for a special workshop to teach the technique as it applies to walking. Hope to see...
What it Takes to Become a Pilates or GYROKINESIS® Teacher
What it takes to become a Pilates or GYROKINESIS®teacherRecently, I attended a course lead by one of the experts in the GYROKINESIS® Method field, Kathy van Patten. She was sharing stories of “the old days” when she was training Pilates teachers. I found her comment...
Gain Poise and Grace with the Alexander Technique
The following is a guest post from Carolyn Johnston, who I’ve known and had the pleasure of working with for several years. Through her background as a dancer and performer, she discovered the Alexander Technique. We will be welcoming her into the studio for a special...
In Pilates, The Transition is the Exercise
“The transition is the exercise” popped out of my mouth one day in a session a few weeks ago. It really got me thinking, and I began watching how people use their bodies and minds between sections of the class, both in terms of the groups of exercises and of course,...
The Spine in Pilates
If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young. - Joseph H. Pilates Our spine connects to our entire body. This includes our nervous system, the brain, our limbs, the intrinsic core and our organs. Our...
Cue: Hug your midline!
Thank you Allie Castello for writing this piece. Hug the midline is a cue many teachers use and clients hear on a regular basis. But what does it actually mean? To understand this cue, we first must back up and understand what a cue is and why we use it. Cues are...
What is quality of breath in my practice?
The intrinsic core consists of the Diaphragm Transvesrus abdominals Posterior fibers of internal oblique Pelvic floor Multifidus (back muscles) and the Lumbar portions of longissimus and iliocastalis I share this breakdown of intrinsic core not to go deeper in the...
Improve circulation in your joints with Pilates
A joint is a movable body part in which adjacent bones are joined by ligaments and other fibrous tissues. A joint is constructed to allow for different degrees and types of movement. When your Pilates teacher gives you the cue, "Open up your hips, Open your shoulders"...
Taking a Tower Pilates Class
Tower is Pilates most popular class. It offers a very work-out experience, one which our society has come to know as “Oh I got a good workout” because in Tower class, you move every part of your body. Students love it because it is well balanced, and has the feel of...
Why do Pilates teachers tell me to scoop my abs?
Have you ever wondered why all this fuss about “scooping” of the abdominals? How exactly are you supposed to bring the Abs In and Up anyhow? Unlike many other forms of workout, Pilates focuses on the deepest most innermost layer of your abdominal muscles, the...
Teachers share favorite mat exercises
For this week, we polled the teachers. We asked them what are your three favorite Mat exercises and why? Read below and hey, you know you can use one or two of these in your home routine! Ask at the studio how to create a home routine next time you are in. VIVIANA 1....
The Box as a movement cue
“The Box” is a Pilates term referring to the box frame made by your Shoulders and Hips. Think about it, the hip bones and the shoulder points do form a box! When beginning any exercise you want to strive to engage the abdominals pay attention that this Pilates "Box"...
What is Quality of Movement
Defining quality of movement can be elusive, difficult to define or describe. To help with this, we use our six Pilates principles.
Tone Body in Pilates
TONE BODY IN PILATES What does having a tone body in Pilates mean? How do we get you there? One of the main requests we receive from clients is Can you tone me up? Or, I want to increase the tone of my body. So we started talking about it in the studio in the past...
History of Joseph Pilates
HISTORY OF JOSEPH PILATES Joseph Pilates was born in a small village near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1883. His father was a prize winning gymnast and his mother was a naturopath. He achieved some success as a boxer, a gymnast, a skier and a diver. During World War I, he...
Pre-Natal Pilates
PRENATAL PILATES We are happy to announce an exciting new program coming to the Pilates Center of Pittsburgh: “Prepare the Body™” and “Repair the Body™”a specialization in prenatal and post-natal body work. Based on conversations with the teachers at the studio and...