What kind of bagel do you like and how do you prefer to “dress” it?
Cinnamon raisin with scallion cream cheese
What’s your favorite exercise to teach and do you have a special spin to it that you prefer to throw at your clients?
There are SO many!!! I guess the first that comes to mind is Pull-ups on the Chair, because when a client first gets how to lift the pedal using their abs, it is this huge a-ha moment in their body. They FEEL how lifting the abs can defy gravity.
If Joseph Pilates were alive today, what would you ask him?
How many drinks was too many before you could no longer teach Pilates? (the man liked his drink evidently)
Top 3 places you’ve traveled?
Across the Atlantic in a sail boat; Europe on a bicycle; ITALY ITALY ITALY
Top 3 things on your “To Do Before You Die” list?
Oh… it’s just too long… check in with me in 50 years!
What’s the farthest point from the Core studio (or NYC) that you’ve done Pilates?
Italy!
What’s your Pilates “a-ha” moment?
When I realized how to lift my abs AND lengthen the spine while lying on my stomach and coming into extension. (Swan on any of the apparatus being one example of this)
Two words that describe your teaching style?
Serious (with a) smile
Favorite type of sessions or classes to teach and why?
Prenatal Classes and clients because they are so aware of and IN their bodies when they practice. The prenatal clients are careful and they listen well!
Care to share any teaching blunders?
Um…. when I accidentally tried to get a physio ball down from above the towers and dropped it on a clients head (he was fine but totally didn’t see it coming)…. and when I had a client doing Pull-ups on the Cadillac and on his first Pull-up he smacked his forehead right into the bar (should’ve moved him out a little) We both laughed very hard.
How has Pilates changed your body?
In every way! Visually, I actually gained a waist that went in at the sides instead of straight down. Mentally, I can be fully aware of the movements that I make, whether sitting, climbing stairs, or waterskiing. This improves my focus and concentration in general and in life. Physically, I have never felt stronger in my life than when I am doing Pilates on a regular basis. It improves all sports that I participate in and makes me feel agile, solid, and flexible all at the same time, no matter what I am doing. There has been no other discipline that has made me FEEL so connected to my body and so healthy in my everyday existence.
Where can we find you on any given Friday eve?
Teaching at Core, then home walking my dog. My weekends have always started on Sundays!
Mat Class Gone “Mad”
The first time I taught a group Pilates mat class, I felt like I was going to (expletive verb) ignite. I asked the (adj) righteous class, if anybody was new to Pilates and they had all been taking class for (number) 888 weeks. After I found out how long the (adj) englarged class had done (adj) creative Pilates, I had to throw my plan out the (adj) bright door! Their Hundred looked like (noun) puppies gone wild, and their Teaser was (adj ending in ing) death-defying.
(exclamation!) Yippee! Someone (verb) knocked which made the class go wild. (body part plural) fingertips were (verb ending in ing) ripping like (animal) spiders everywhere. And I only had (number) 0 seconds to get the class to Seal. You could see the sweat through my (article of clothing) fingerless gloves. In the end, my (adj) stone-cold class left feeling (adj ending in er) softer, and I feel (positive emotion) satiated to be a Pilates instructor. Sign up now for my (exclamation!) Sassafrass class!
