Ten years ago I sat in a friend’s dorm room bemoaning my chronically achy back, which I had abused by daily forcing it into a chair for long periods of studying, when I saw a DVD entitled Pilates. An avid reader and an athlete, I was either curling my spine around a book or pounding it into the pavement. I had no idea what Pilates was or that in my hand was the solution to my neglected spine. I never could have conceived that one day I would not only become a practicer of the Pilates repertoire but also a practitioner.

A few years later I finally gave Pilates a try with a DVD in my living room. I felt instant relief. This was the beginning of a beautiful relationship, as they say. I progressed from DVDs to privates and classes, to ultimately becoming a Pilates instructor myself, placing the art and practice of Pilates at the center of my life. Trained by Master Trainers and Pilates Studio City owners Lora Anderson and Nichole Martinez, I received my instructor certification from Pilates Sports Center. In addition, I have received extra training in the fields of prenatal Pilates and spine problems.

I teach for Pilates Studio City in the San Fernando Valley, and I also help to manage the studio. I teach private and semi-private sessions as well as equipment and mat classes. My clients vary in terms of age, background, injuries, health conditions, goals, and physical ability, and I love working with each and every one of them. My clients can expect to be pushed and challenged in their workout while also being educated and supported as they learn how to achieve their goal—be it a faster mile pace, a pain-free day, or being able to stand up straight. It is my clients that truly inspire me as I see them take control over their body.

It is that control that is at the center of what I do and why I do it. Pilates was originally named Contrology, and I believe it was a perfect moniker for the repertoire of exercises that allowed a person to take back the control of the body, which is generally controlling us.

“My back is killing me.” “My shoulder is acting up again.” We say these things like we are at the mercy of our own bodies, as if we are victims. When Pilates entered my life, I was no longer the victim of my weak back. Rather, I was in control.

Daily I see clients take control of their bodies and refuse to be victimized. Not only do I have the privilege of watching this transformation, but I get to go along for the ride, guiding my clients down a path of greater body awareness, strength, and control. It is incredibly fulfilling.

The career I left to become a Pilates instructor was in book publishing. I wrote, edited, and proofread advertorials for big companies. Though I loved working with the written word, I hated sitting all day and I resented promoting unwholesome companies. Still an avid reader and athlete, today I enjoy a career that promotes a healthy lifestyle in me and my clients, and I get to write about it—combining two of my passions in life! Through my blog I hope to disseminate helpful information about movement and the human body as well as to dispel any inaccurate or incomplete truths about Pilates. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Thanks for reading, and remember to stand tall!