Pilates changed my life by deepening my mind-body connection and boosting my confidence in my strength and alignment. It’s given me physical and mental resilience, making me feel empowered both in and out of the studio.
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Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones, affects millions of people worldwide, especially older adults and postmenopausal women. Exercise plays a crucial role in managing osteoporosis, helping to improve…
by Francine Rodrigues and Daniela Escobar
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It came to my attention one of these days that whenever I type the word Pilates on a Google search, one of the most popular questions that comes up is "Why is Pilates so expensive?"
by Nathalie Gonthier-Thomas
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Meet Tanya Scott, the new addition to our amazing team of instructors. Tanya started practicing Pilates to ease her back pain and has been teaching for over 8 years. Click on the Read More button to find out how Pilates has helped her alleviate her back issues.
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“I take great pride in Westwood Pilates. It took me almost a decade to fully understand my vision for the studio, and I am thrilled with where it stands today. Our community, our team, and our clients are all dedicated to the method, and I am proud of what we have achieved.”
- Daniela Escobar
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"Pilates didn't just change my career, but made me a much better person! Today I am calmer and more empathetic. I learned to control my breathing, my body, and my mind in the most diverse situations. I've learned that nothing changes if I stay in my comfort zone, which helps me to find comfort in discomfort. I've learned that I'm capable of things that even I didn't believe I would be able to do”
- Francine Rodrigues
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“What I like most about Westwood Pilates is that we are all a team, not rivals against each other. All the instructors are always willing to offer and accept advice and new ideas, regardless of experience. I love that kind of supportive environment and love learning from my peers.”
- Asayo Yi
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“My strengths as an instructor are my intuition and my capabilities in meeting students where they are, encouraging them to explore their individual strengths and capabilities”
- Regina Santos
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Nathalie has been working at Westwood Pilates since 2019. Her love and commitment to Pilates and her teaching, as well as her dedication to the studio, is so remarkable that in May last year she became the queen bee at our Mar Vista location. Read what he has to say about her Pilates journey and what she has learned throughout her many years of practice. If you haven’t seen her practice Pilates, click on the video below. You’ll be very impressed!
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Ken started working at Westwood Pilates in November 2018 and since then he already left his mark on everyone that meets him. Read what he has to say about his Pilates career and his impressions about the method. Needless to say, it’s going to make you laugh!
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Having good balance is important to keep yourself upright and move with dexterity, avoiding falls and possible fractures – a skill that becomes extremely important, especially as we age.
But what exactly is balance?
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We get this question almost everyday. You see printed on our t-shirts, the name of our classes and even the name of the apparatus we have in the studio. Then we realize that even though we, Pilates instructors, know the history behind the name, our clients don’t. So here we go…
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There is no doubt about the importance of exercising for our physical and mental health, especially in times of a pandemic. The body affects the mind, and the mind affects the body, so we need to look at the whole - like we do in Pilates! Practicing Pilates is a great outlet for our mind and invigorates our body, right?
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The questions my clients ask me sometimes are the greatest inspiration for me to write about. The other day one of my clients asked: “Why do we have to do swimming?” Of course, the question came about because she strongly disliked the exercise.
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I am over 50 AND I just spent the summer hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, river rafting, and surfing. The most amazing thing to me was to be able to do all that with ease and pleasure because my body was following and doing exactly what I wanted to do.
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Stiff lower back?
Looking for stretches to do in the morning?
In this month’s article, I am sharing with you five of my favorite lower back stretches. Images of each with descriptions on how to complete the poses are found below.
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I am often asked this question from new clients: “How many times a week should I do Pilates?”
My first answer (to myself) is always: "Every Day!”… The reality (of life, time, finances, motivation, etc) is that most people can do two, or one weekly session, but as long as you can make it to the studio, even once a week is already a good start. However, the most progress that I have seen in the majority of clients…
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By Joselyn Hitter
When I began practicing Vipassana, or Insight Meditation regularly, I noticed immediately how much I relied on my core to sit upright. My first love was the abdominal series. So when Iattended my first long silent Vipassana meditation retreat in 2016, I committed to doing the abdominal series every day while on retreat.
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By Nathalie Gonthier-Thomas
A few years ago, during a workshop with Jay Grimes and Sandy Shimoda at Vintage Pilates, I was doing the Semi-Circle on the reformer and Jay was explaining that this particular exercise shouldn’t be felt on the quads/thighs. He came close to me, as he was watching different students, and I told him I was feeling the tension in my legs. I expected him to give me a guided answer, but instead, Jay’s answer was: “What are you going to do about it?” - with a smile. And he walked away to the next student.
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By Daniela Escobar
I’ll never forget the day one of my long time clients asked me why she should pick up the box when doing the short box series, instead of me picking up the box for her. Of course, the question was followed by a long lecture by me, being the Pilates nerd I am …
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