Online sessions

In light of the current pandemic situation many of us are stuck at home. Many of us are feeling stressed and uncertain. In a time like this exercise is very important.

I’m offering a pay what you can sliding scale for sessions via video chat.  You can have a private session from home and get all the benefits of one on one training while still practicing safe social distancing.  And now exercise is so important for keeping your immune system healthy, as well as your body and mind.

No matter what physical issues you might have I can help. I have 25 years experience working with people with back pain, sciatica, neck issues, disc herniations, MS, and many others. I can teach you safe exercises that are appropriate for you. And if you’re fit and healthy and need a challenging work out we can do that too!

All you need is a little bit of space, a mat, carpet or blanket and an internet connection. I’m giving the pay what you can sliding scale to make it accessible for everyone. Please contact me if you want to schedule or if you have any questions. I’m here to help you stay healthy and keep moving.

Modern Mat

The Pilates method of exercise  was created by one man, Joseph Pilates.  He taught a number of people, mostly dancers,  who carried  on teaching his method. They all had different experiences working with him and brought different perspectives to the method. But one teacher decided that their version was the “authentic” version, often known as “classical” Pilates.

I was trained in a more “contemporary” Pilates style. I learned the classical exercises as well as various “pre-Pilates” exercises created by one of Joseph Pilates original students to help people who were unable to do the traditional exercises. These focus on building  the strength and movement skills required to be able to do those “classical” exercises.  I learned many exercises that while not in the “classical” repertoire definitely carried the core principles of the method and were widely accessible for the people I was teaching. And those people were not professional dancers, but regular people.

You don’t need to be a professional dancer to do Pilates! But a lot of the original exercises are quite challenging, especially if you have a sedentary job, lack flexibility or suffer from pain or injuries. By being flexible and adaptable the work becomes more functional and effective for all people.

The mat work is maybe where these different approaches are most obvious. Many people have tried Pilates mat work and found that it hurts their neck, lower back or is just very frustrating due to inability to perform many exercises. I teach a “Modern” mat class which means I teach those “pre-Pilates” exercises and modify the more  “classical” exercises so you are challenged but capable and comfortable. You can avoid neck strain and pain. You can find ways to support your back and build strength without flaring up injuries.  There is no one way to do each exercise, I give you options for making each movement work best for you.  You’re building strength, flexibility and most importantly body awareness which will be invaluable for improving your quality of life.

Isn’t improved quality of life the desired result of fitness and exercise?  Much focus is put on “shape” and “tone” and looks but if you are having pain and lacking ease and freedom in movement those “ripped” muscles won’t make you feel good. Having a body that can move, that is capable of doing what you need and want it to do is the goal. A modern approach to the Pilates method allows for everyone to gain the benefits. Instead of trying to force a body to fit an ideal I will always adjust  each exercise to make it appropriate for each body.

Expanding beyond a rigid structure creates a more inclusive system. I want to teach a version of Pilates that everyone can do.

The Teaser

Client testimonial “I feel 15 years younger! I started Pilates with Solara Jean about three months ago, twice a week every week. I used to go to the chiropractor every week for my back but not anymore! My chronic back pain is gone! Prior to Solara’s expert, unparalleled tutelage, I had injured my rotator cuffs weight lifting about 18 months ago. I could not lift my arms straight over my head without pain. After one month the pain was gone and I have regained full mobility! I simply am astounded at the changes in middle aged body by only an hour workout twice a week. My stamina has increased, I’ve lost three inches off my waist, and my mood is near an all time high. I’ve had many instructors and coaches in my life. Wrestling, grad school, flight instructors etc. Nobody is a better teacher than Solara. She is simply gifted. She tailors her sessions to your specific individual needs in real time with immediate feedback. If you want to feel young again, change your body, feel good and be strong and healthy, go see Solara Jean!”
This is the Pilates exercise called Teaser.  I’m not sure how it came to be named as such, but it’s no laughing matter!

At first glance it’s an abdominal exercise. But it’s actually much more than that. It takes a lot of control of breath, spinal articulation and coordination to achieve it. Here it’s being done on the Cadillac and the springs are giving some assistance. It can be done in a variety of ways on every piece of the Pilates equipment or the mat.

This client didn’t do this exercise in the first session. It took time building up the elements of strength, flexibility, breathing and coordination to achieve such a beautifully executed teaser! And while it’s wonderful to master an exercise it is even better to feel the results of the practice of Pilates in daily life. Those same elements of strength, flexibility breathing and coordination make every day activities easier. They make sports and hobbies more enjoyable. The benefits follow you from the studio and stay with you in your life.

Pilates is a practice. Like any practice it takes, well, practice! If you commit to sessions 2 times a week you will really see and feel results quickly. Those results will continue and increase over time. If you only do one session per week your results will be less dramatic. There’s nothing that you could practice for only one hour a week and expect to master. But if one session a week is what you can do it will still be beneficial! And if you put in some time doing some “homework” on your own you’ll increase your results accordingly.

This client has been practicing 2 times a week for over two years now and continues to get increased results. He has less pain, more mobility and more ease in all of his life’s activities. With practice things just keep getting better and the body has more potential for movement. Progress hasn’t plateaued, and new movements are learned with more ease. And ease of movement is the best result of all!

Humans have so much potential. A lot of focus is on our mental potential but we live in these physical bodies and the potential for movement is just as important to explore. Movement is now being viewed as a form of healing and medicine in Western cultures like it has been in Eastern cultures for thousands of years. Pilates is a great way to get in touch with your physical potential.  With practice you’ll be amazed by what you can do and how great you can feel!

Don’t feel that you are not “in shape” enough to do Pilates! You don’t need to be flexible. You don’t need to be coordinated. You just need to show up and be present. I will teach you at your own pace and help you discover your body’s potential. With practice you’ll be amazed by what you are capable of!

 

What does “fit” mean anyway???

My introduction into Pilates was entirely rehabilitative. It was prescribed to me by my orthopedic surgeon alongside my physical therapy sessions. At the time there was no Pilates as “fitness” to speak of. When I begin teaching it was still pretty unknown and most of the clients were there for rehab and help with chronic pain and recovery from injuries. My first job was in a chiropractic office and I worked with people who’d just been in auto accidents or had herniated discs or sciatica.

After a few years Pilates began to grow in popularity. There began to be a mix of people looking for fitness alongside the existing rehab and back/neck/hip/shoulder pain people.  But it was still really known for being excellent for people with “issues”. Fast forward many years and now everyone “knows” Pilates. Unfortunately they have an idea that you have to be “fit” to do it. “Pilates is so hard! I could never do it!” is something that I’ve heard too many times. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The idea that you have to already be “fit” to do Pilates is just not true. And what the heck is “fit” anyway?  Being thin doesn’t mean you’re fit. Being “overweight” doesn’t mean you are not fit. Having a “toned” body is not necessarily a sign of actual fitness. What a body looks like isn’t nearly as important as how a body functions. I’ve worked with people who “looked fit” but were crippled by pain and struggling with basic functional movement. If you want to be able to move and live and be in a body that is capable of doing the things that you want and need to do it is far more beneficial to focus on movement than looks. Doing something to get “ripped” arms and “tight” abs might not be the answer. And you certainly don’t need those to start doing Pilates!

I enjoy working with athletes and very active people. Pilates compliments all sports and physical activities and can give balance to your body as a cross training addition. But I love teaching people who don’t already have movement or exercise in their life. I’m thrilled to work with people who are “out of shape” or even intimidated to approach a fitness experience. And this is because Pilates is for those people too!

The Pilates method is designed to teach every body how to move well. If your back is tight there are wonderful exercises that will help loosen it up and strengthen you at the same time. If you’ve been sitting at a desk for years and feel that your posture is “terrible” there are exercises that will open up your chest and strengthen the muscles of your back to help you stand up straighter. If you have had sciatica pain for months or years there are gentle exercises that will move your hip joints  and stretch tight muscles to give you relief from pain and build up deep muscles that create the stability that the hips and spine need.

I will support you in achieving your goals whatever they are. If you want to get out of pain Pilates is for you. If you want to improve your posture and balance it’s for you. If you are training for a marathon I can help you improve your running and give your body the flexibility and balance it needs to withstand intense training. If you want to do Netflix marathons without feeling stiff afterwards we can do that too!

There’s no one way to be fit. Fitness means function and we’ve all got different lives with different demands. Pilates can give you the exact workout that you need for whatever you’re going through or doing in life or hoping to do.  Pilates will fit your needs. You don’t need to fit any image or outfit to do Pilates!  It’s my job to help Pilates fit you!

The fundamentals

Most images of Pilates show advanced and extreme exercises. Those are “showy” and perhaps aspirational. Not so “sexy” or impressive are the fundamentals. These are the building blocks that give us the skills to get to those advanced exercises. They might not be “fun” but they are vital.

Sometimes these small deep exercises don’t “click” for some time. And that’s ok. But they need to be practiced and eventually things connect and that realization of “Aha! This is what makes teaser possible!” happens!

So, spending a bit of time on the not so “fun”damentals is important but the beauty of the method is that there is so much variety of exercises that we can move on to more “exciting” moves that are more fun and still work on these fundamental principles while giving you a full movement experience.

The amazing equipment can give your body access to movement potential. Those springs can provide support and assistance and let you move in ways not easily done on the mat. But the mat work has it’s own joys and challenges. Either way you will have the opportunity to move in ways that give your body functional strength and flexibility. But don’t think those fundamentals are “too easy” or boring. They might not be the most fun but they build up your deep strength and awareness of movement patterns. They build the bridge from not being able to imagine how you’d ever be able to do those “showy” advanced exercises to doing them with ease. And if those moves aren’t your goal that’s fine, but the fundamentals will still be invaluable in improving posture, balance and getting out of pain and being able to move and live in your body in the most functional way. And functional is definitely “fun”!

Fun!

“This isn’t fun for me!” A direct quote from a client. We were working on a standing balance exercise, improving balance was a goal for them. It was challenging for them. I was trying to help them make adjustments for better balance. And they got fed up and made that “not fun” pronouncement and gave up. We moved on to something else. Later on I pointed out that while maybe not fun that it’s important work on challenges. And then we did some “fun” stuff.

Pilates can be fun. But it’s not a form of entertainment! It’s sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, sometimes confusing and always work. It’s conditioning for the body and mind and often you’ll discover that you had no idea that your body moved that way or maybe no idea how to get your body to move that way. Some exercises will feel wonderful. Others not so much!  You shouldn’t be in pain but if we just did the things that were easy, feel good and “fun” for you you’d make very little progress. The point of Pilates is to teach your body to move in all ways possible, developing balanced strength and flexibility for better posture, balance and coordination. This is a challenging task, especially if you have had a sedentary life or only moved in limited ranges. Fortunately sessions mix up the challenges with the “fun” stuff. And which exercises are which is different for everyone!  One person might find roll up easy and “feel good” while someone else might dread it and struggle through it. Private sessions are great for helping you conquer the exercises that you struggle with in your own time while ensuring that you get to do your favorites too. Group classes are always a mix but you can go at your own pace and get modifications to help make exercises work for you as you progress. But the point of Pilates is not to have fun. Fun will be had. But facing challenges will happen. Conquering those challenges will be very satisfying. But it’s not gonna happen instantly, and some of the best exercises are the ones we like the least because they highlight our personal weaknesses. Those are usually not fun but working on them is crucial. Even those can be fun if you enjoy being challenged and experiencing something akin to failure. You’ll never truly fail if you’re attempting movement but it might not feel like success for a while.

Pilates takes practice, like anything. And we have to practice those things that are not our favorite, or “fun”!

How often should I do Pilates?

I’m asked this question by every single person in their first session with me. And my answer is always the same. As much as you can.

Pilates is often touted as a magic workout that will change your body in x amount of sessions. But truly, it’s not magic. It’s practice. It’s movement. And like anything you get out what you put in.

No workout will transform your body in one hour a week. That would be magic! But nothing works like that. To learn a new language or to play the piano it takes practice. One hour a week won’t move you forward. You can do Pilates once a week and get benefits but the more you do the more benefit you get. If you want to move and feel better once a week might be enough. But if you’re hoping to get Michelle Obama arms you’ll have to do a lot more than one hour a week. Those workouts promising “6 pack abs in 10 minutes a day!” are lying.

To figure out how much you should do you have to decide what your goals are. And then you have to do the work, consistently and patiently. Changing our bodies takes time! A super hard workout one day doesn’t boost transformation. Transform occurs over time. There’s no magic. Consistent work over time equals change.

What is magic about Pilates is how powerful the gentle exercises are. How a few repetitions of small movements can be deeply strengthening. How you can get strength and flexibility out of each exercise.  But the real magic is in the practice.

If you do one hour a week and you are happy with your results, great!  But if you want more results then you have to put in more time and work. That’s how it works.

You don’t have to come to the studio to do that extra work. I’m always happy to give people homework. And when people do their homework they see and feel the difference!  But for many many humans they won’t do the work on their own. They need the appointment to show up for. They require the help of a teacher/trainer to guide them through the exercises. But if you’re motivated and do it yourself you’ll get the results.

You don’t have to do each exercise perfectly. You just have to practice and move. Even 10 minutes a day.

So the answer to “how much” is ultimately up to you. How much do you want to get out your practice?  Pilates is not magic, it’s practice. The magic of practice is real, if you give it time you’ll feel that. You’ll see it. But it’s up to you!

Good posture

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What is “good” posture?  “Hold your shoulders back!”  “Stand up straight!”  and “Keep your core tight!” are some common phrases that are associated with “good” posture.

But the body is three dimensional. Holding the shoulders back usually means pinching the upper back tight which is not really effective or functional. Trying to stand up straight with willpower won’t go far if your body doesn’t have the deep intrinsic strength to allow your spine to be aligned and supported. And walking around with a tightly held core just makes you look and feel constipated!

What our body really needs is more complicated than some words to make us “fix” bad posture. Pilates was literally designed to achieve muscular balance and give strength to all of those deep postural muscles that let us stand up straight. And it’s not enough to just have “good” posture in standing, our bodies are always moving and the mechanics of our movement are crucial to having a functional and pain free body that can carry us through life and handle the physical challenges we face.

By practicing Pilates you will move your body through all kinds of movements and develop your awareness about how to move efficiently. You’ll connect the deep muscles and find yourself standing up without having to try hard. Your spine will become both stronger and more flexible.  Things like bending and lifting will come easier. And maybe you’ll get a “6 pack” but even if you don’t you’ll discover that you’re capable of doing things with your body that you have not done in years, or maybe ever. With practice you will get better at Pilates but also better at anything you do with your body. And since it’s the only home and vehicle that you truly own it’s wise to take good care of it. You can’t buy another!

Pilates does improve posture but it does so much more. It improves movement, balance, breathing and coordination.  And it can really improve life in general, the best results of all!

The Pilates equipment

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The Pilates equipment looks kind of intimidating. But it’s actually quite the opposite of what it appears!  Rather than various “torture racks” these machines use spring resistance to provide support and assistance making movements easier to accomplish and assist your body in finding new healthier ways of moving. In a Pilates mat class you’ve got your body and gravity. It can be a struggle to make your body move fluidly through challenging exercises. The equipment is designed to help you find your deeper muscles, help your body be aligned and provide feedback to help you feel imbalances and correct them. The mat work is much harder than working on the equipment!

The design of these machines is ingenious. The springs can make movements easier or more challenging depending on what you want or need. The same exercise will target different muscle groups depending on what springs you use. And many exercises have versions for the various machines and this is great because if the swan is confusing or uncomfortable on the Cadillac we can try it on the Reformer and it might suddenly make sense and feel great! The equipment expands your potential for movement and makes things possible that doing on the mat are not possible for you.  Those springs can give muscles great strength challenge as well as wonderfully delicious stretch. Using the machines can give your spine and joints traction to open up space and provide decompression to relieve pain and tension. Unlike traditional gym equipment working on the Pilates machines feels like an active massage. You can get a challenging workout and feel refreshed and relaxed at the end of the hour instead of exhausted and beaten up.

Fitness can feel good. And it should make you feel better. And move better. Doing a grueling workout and being so sore you can barely walk isn’t required in order to get stronger and healthier. And Pilates can provide a very challenging workout that you’ll be sore from but it’s real focus is on improving your movement and posture. Being strong isn’t beneficial if you are not developing better movement patterns and improving your bodies’  structural integrity. And those weird machines are designed to do just that!  I feel like they are grown up versions of playground equipment! And while the exercises focus on breath and form, movement is a form of play. Pilates can give you freedom in your body that you might not have had since your days on the monkey bars!

So, don’t be afraid of those machines. They are there to help you, and so am I. Come try a session and see what you’re body is capable of.

Practical fitness

I see many people who in their efforts to get fit wind up injured. Many fitness methods and trainers take a very aggressive approach. People subscribe to that “no pain no gain” ideology and it’s not really true. If your workout leaves you hurting it’s probably not doing your body any favors!

Our bodies need movement. The reason to build strength and flexibility is to gain better stability and mobility. Making muscles “burn” and being sore for days aren’t really a sign of a beneficial workout. Being sore is a byproduct of a challenging session but it’s not the goal. Feeling like you can stand taller, move easier and function better in your life’s activities are much more beneficial than “getting ripped” or “feeling jacked”!

I will work with you in very practical terms.  If you’ve been away from fitness and movement we will start slow and progress surely and safely. If you are already fit but experiencing limitations due to injuries we will address the issues while still giving you a challenging workout that will both increase your ability and reduce your pain.

There is no reason to work out like a professional dancer if you’re actually a lawyer and spend long hours at a desk. You don’t have to do extreme workouts to reap extremely beneficial results! I will listen to your needs, carefully watch your bodies patterns and guide you through appropriate exercises that will challenge you and leave you feeling better.

Every body has different needs and I love helping everyone find what works best for them. With consistent work you’ll be amazed by how much improvement you can get from exercise that doesn’t leave you feeling beat up! Moving, breathing and challenging your body give invaluable benefit to both body and mind.

If you want a workout that is safe, effective, challenging and feels like an active massage try Pilates!  Fitness can and should feel great. I’m here to help you get lots of gain without the pain.