I’m here in Ha’iku, Maui with Caleb Rhodes doing a teacher training. Check out Caleb’s beautiful church in the jungle cum Pe’ahi Pilates Studio.

Here’s Caleb on the Chair

Functional Anatomy in the Sun

Here’a Caleb training Mike to do Knees Stretches- go Mike!

Here’s Angelika levitating beautifully!

Here’s Cheryl doing the lower leg lifts with grace and concentration.

Char is having a quiet moment with her anatomy.

I just got back from teaching at the first Pilates Conference held by FIF (Federazione Italiana Fitness) in Ravenna. It was one of the nicest conferences I’ve ever attended. Mainly because it was held in a beautiful old building with high ceilings, natural, light, wooden floors and a magnificent marble staircase.

Lisa Lapormada, who took the teacher training in SF last August, translated for me, and I had the pleasure of taking her roller class. She’s a fabulous teacher!

The hotel had a great view.

And the great thing about Ravenna is that there are hardly any cars, everyone bikes, and the whole community comes out to people watch and have an espresso on the square on the weekends. (especially the old men).

Oh and here’s me teaching ball class.

And here’s Nancy after her third espresso. It didn’t really help the jet lag.

Brooklyn is offering free private Intake sessions. I’ll even be teaching this week so call today!

In SF and Oakland we have free classes. For new clients, and continuing students bring a friend and get in free!

Call for more info:

SF: 415-285-5808
Brooklyn: 718-230-3707
Oakland: 510-594-8507

Register before January 15th and get $100 off the price of the Pilates Retreat. We’re going to have a great time doing Pilates, walking on the beach, reading fiction, eating delicious, getting massages, food and drinking margaritas. Sign up today!

link:
http://www.ellie.net/store/EHSstoreRetreats.htm

Nancy, Tracey and I are still recovering from the onslaught at the PMA conference. We had a booth there, where we sold MBT shoes, Ellie Books, etc. We were swamped with excited Pilates instructors evidently in dire need of MBT’s now! People were even willing to buy their least favorite style such was the consumer need.

Nancy and I were very pleased to have got Elizabeth Larkham (she buys only the extra high soles and won’t wear anything else), Mary Bowen (loves the shoes- I think she likes the black sport), Rael Isacowitz from BASI, Brent Anderson from Pole Star (he said his hip felt better), Ken Endelman from Balanced Body (he said he had no back pain, which he normally would after a long conference standing all day) all in the black sandals. Pilates people just get it.

I taught two Mat classes and had a blast. The topics I covered were: the serratus v. the lat (how to un-lat-ify your Pilates practice and find the serratus instead), how to teach a Teaser starting from the fundamentals, how to get the deepest psoas stretch imaginable.

Studio owners from around the country are excited to learn Walk-ilates and introduce it to their clients. Nancy and I will be doing lots of travelling around the nation next year doing Walk-ilates teacher trainings.

I took a fantastic Cadillac workshop with the ever-inspiring Rael Isacowitz and a workshop on lumbar vertebral movement with Irene Dowd. I look forward to learning more from both of these geniuses in the future.

Here I am relaxing at the Movie Colony hotel (a special treat for Nancy after all the hard work!). We had a party after the close of the conference with Caleb Rhodes from Maui, the gals from Walk and Roll, Carol Shore, Hilda from SF and fresh grapefruit juice picked from the trees and vodka with a splash of champagne!
(Sorry about the photo quality; it’s from Nancy’s cell phone)

Zoe Sanders, Jen Bleier, Ariel Genee doing the Mermaid

Tara Frederickson, Natasha White, Libby Snodgrass doing the Single Leg Kick

Come join us for a week in Mar de Jade with lush tropical mountain forests, sandy beaches, and warm ocean water- “one of the undiscovered pleasures of Mexico”, 90 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. Daily Pilates mat and props classes, guided walks on the beach, walk-ilates. All levels welcome from beginners to instructors.

I’ll be there and I hope you will be too!

Click through to
Pilates Retreat in Mexico for more information about this fabulous Pilates Retreat in Mexico!

The PMA conference will be in Palm Springs November 2-4 and I was honored to be chosen to teach a few Mat Classes. Interestingly, I received a list of mat exercises from the PMA. I fretted. A set repertoire? Funny the PMA would invite me to teach and then provide a list- I’m so un-listy as a teacher. Non-linear.

EHS will also have a booth and we will be selling MBT’s as ususal as well as all my books for a conference discount!

For more info about the PMA conference go to:
http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/conf2006.html

Lisa Lapomarda learning the Metronome, spotted by Jennifer Pearl

Lisa Lapomarda was a professional cyclist for seven years, winning the Italian championship in 2002 and many international competitions. Lisa came to study in San Francisco last year for the first time, thinking she could quickly master the repertoire in a week or two and go back to Italy to teach. She was humbled by the depth of the Pilates work and has been committed to learning the sublties of movement and body awareness that she didn’t realize she had never really experienced.
“Pilates has changed my life- as a cyclist and athlete growing up my goal was only to win- I pushed myself and used only force —and now I have finally found my body- and have a new awareness and love for my body and the subtleties of how my body works. Since I’ve started teaching Pilates I’ve realized how much I can give body awareness to others and people thank me because they find a way to love their bodies and not feel the competitiveness of the Italian gym. ”

She has a Pilates and Fitness Studio in Cesena in Emilia Romagna provence of Italy (near Bologna). She has one handmade Springboard, mats and props (roller, ball, therabands, magic circles). She’s planning on buying a Reformer soon. She studied Physical Education at University of Urbino and now works for the FIF (Fedarazione Italiana Fitness) teaching Step, Spinning, Body Sculpt.

We’re at it 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. Wow- that’a alot a Pilates. Here’s some shots of our new superstars.

Shari Jones and Ann Beck doing the Swan on the Wunda Chair

Anne Beck and Joanna Harp doing the Ballet Stretches

Shari Jones showing off her flexibility