September 27, 2008

To the staff at Studio One Pilates,

      There are  those rare moments when we meet the most extraordinary people who forever change how we perceive ourselves, others, and humanity, but rarely, if ever, do we take the time to express how deeply they have impacted our lives. Studio one Pilates is filled with such exceptional human beings who have given me the opportunity to experience many transformational moments. I would like to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the entire staff for their constant support, generosity, and dedication to my healing journey. I have struggled to write this testimony because I feel there are so many key factors that contribute to a person’s healing experience, and the instructors at the ‘Studio’ collectively posses them all which is why it is difficult to separate out any one person or moment as the most valuable or transformative. Upon reflection, I realized that the collective knowledge, integrity, and humanity of the staff is the ‘Studio’s’ unique quality which separates it from other health centers in the industry.

        My narrative is not unlike other peoples’ stories: I have had cancer, immune dysfunctions, joint and heart problems, and have spent the past 15 years diligently working on improving my health - physically and spiritually. When i stumbled onto the ‘Studio,’ approximately eight months ago, and signed up for ‘Boot Camp’ I did so with much trepidation. i had recently broken several ribs in a fall and was concerned that I would not be able to perform the exercises correctly to obtain any meaningful results. I also feared being in a large class because of lack of individual attention I experienced at other centers. Lastly, I was trained in another form of Pilates and did not experience much healing benefits from that training so I signed up with much anxiety. I was completely surprised and shocked at the dramatic physical and emotional changes I experienced during my first week of ‘Boot Camp.’ However, i think it was Kristen and Lindsey’s level of dedication, expertise, and genuine concern for each person in my group that impacted me the most. The effort they exerted to be attentive to each person’s unique concerns was remarkable. Both Lindsey and Kristen showed a level of intuitiveness, intelligence, and humanity that is missing in most other fitness centers. I was deeply touched and to simply say thank you seems so trite compared to the wisdom I gained from each of them as well as physical and emotional changes I made under their tutelage.

        My body felt taller and lighter and my energy level increased so drastically in just two weeks that I decided to make a commitment to consistently attend classes at the ‘Studio.’ I also decided to complement my class work with one-on-one instruction and made an appointment with Lindsey since she was available during my time frames. Since I am a writer, one might suspect that I could articulate my feelings well, but when it comes to describing my experiences with Lindsey as a personal instructor one would be wrong to assume as much. I find it extremely difficult to convey all that I felt, experienced, and learned from my one-on-one instruction with Lindsey. Her gentle, patient nature together with her knowledge and commitment to Pilates as an integrated practice was invaluable and immeasurable to me. She never judged only encourages and gave wise critiques. Lindsey radiated confidence and acceptance, and listened to my body attentively. Oftentimes, i was moved to tars by the level of sophistication and grace my body movements achieved under her instruction. she worked patiently and diligently within my awareness level while gently moving me beyond that which i thought was impossible only to be delighted by my progress. She instilled a level of confidence in me that I thought I had lost. There were so many memorable moments that moved my body to the level of health that I am now experiencing that I wish I could list them all. suffice to say, that within just a few months my body moved and performed in ways it had not done since my illnesses: it became toned, flexible, and adaptable with a strong core. I found that I could sit for longer periods while writing without incurring the neck and back pain I was so conditioned to living with. My energy level increased as did my circulation and respiratory functions while my joint and back pain decreased entirely. People began commenting not only on my physical appearance, but also on the ‘glow’ in my face. My orthopedic doctor, chiropractor, Rolfer, and oncologist were astounded by my improved health and how quickly my ribs healed. My asthma disappeared all together. But for me the most significant changes were the internal feelings I began to experience: I felt calmer, more centered, and definitely more empowered.

        I continued to work with Lindsey every two weeks or so because my private instructions added a depth and breath of focus to my class work which accelerate my physical and mental changes. Once again, I find the words thank you to be stale and overused, but I hope that Lindsey knows how special her gifts and talents were to me; I will carry them with me wherever my travels lead, and there is no doubt that my body will not forget them either.

        I also want to express my sincerest appreciation to sunday and Elaine as well. both of these women’s honesty and integrity are to be much admired, When I asked their opinions in regards to taking higher level classes they both answered honestly from the perspective of my fitness level and physical needs. I did what Sunday suggested first which was to get a greater connection with my core and then progress to a higher level of work. By following her advice, I re-entered her classes stronger and much more connected. it was a pivotal and transformational moment, and I experienced rather than intellectualized the wisdom of her words on the first day I returned to her Level One reformer class. But more importantly, Sunday’s Honesty and sensitivity to my body’s needs helped me to become more aware of my physical requirements rather than the intellectual dialogue playing in my head. Through that gift I gained a more authentic confidence because she re-educated me to the art of listening to my body rather than my mind, and that awareness progressed my body further than I thought imaginable.

        Elaine also worked closely with me as I progressed into Level Two Classes. She offered recommendations for my private sessions with Lindsey which enhanced my overall progress ten fold. Her sense of humor and directness was refreshing and sustained me through many challenging exercises. However, it was that same genuine concern, expertise, and compassion that I had experienced with other instructors that she too possessed that moved my body past stuck patterns and into harmony which I most admired and respected. I really do wish I could find two words other than thank you to convey how helpful Sunday and Elaine’s advice was to the improvement of my physical and mental well being. I can only hope they both know how much they impacted my life.

        The truth is I feel the same way towards Breanna, Amanda, Kristina, Terry, Jess, and Jen - they too demonstrated a level of expertise, dedication, and kindness that one rarely, if ever, finds in this industry, and were just as instrumental to my health achievements. Truthfully, i cannot remember a time in which I walked into the ‘Studio’ that any one of these women were not smiling and ready to help. It always felt more like a safe haven to me than a fitness center.

        Last, but not least, is Paul. His patience (with me in particular), knowledge and true commitment to physical, emotional, and spiritual harmony exceeded all my expectations. But more importantly, I think, is his accessibility to his clients. He answers questions and works tirelessly to ensure the highest level of commitment and skill; always striving to perfect and communicate his knowledge of Pilates as an integrates program with integrity, compassion, and spirit. Paul gives testimony to the nature to the nature of wisdom and acts with the spirit of grace. I admire and respect his vision of health and harmony but his gift to create a venue in which to share such a vision is truly unique. His classes added a depth of knowledge to a body striving for recovery and continued to evolve its recuperative powers. What a true blessing.

        It has been a privilege and honor to have been a part of such a special and dynamic group of individuals who all posses an indomitable spirit that affirms life and healing. I continue to be surprised and impressed with their abilities and genuine concern for the clients they serve. In the last eight months I felt a tremendous shift internally and witnessed innumerable changes externally. by combing Studio One Pilates with my regular Rolfing sessions with Ed Toal, the changes have been even more dramatic. I never did return to the physical body I had before I was sick because I went beyond it to a healthier body, mind, and spirit.

        To me, Studio One Pilates is more than a fitness program it is an educational, inspirational and transformational journey. I have receives a myriad of benefits from the ‘Studio’ including the gift of great friendships with other clients. I will not only continue to carry and act upon all the knowledge, expertise, and wisdom the instructors gave me in my travels, but will also recall their warm smiles, integrity and genuine hearts when I need inspiration. the people of Anchorage are so blessed to have a ‘Studio’ in their community filled with individuals who deeply care for their clients and act from concern. Studio One Pilates is truly a treasure chest of knowledgeable, caring, and supportive individuals who put the ‘being-ness’ into humanness. Thanks to each and every one of you. My wish is for all of you to receive all you have given me and more - so much more!

With much appreciation and love,

Gale Kurtz

LONG VERSION

"I am a dancer, a movement educator and I have worked in the field of mind-body fitness since 2001. I teach Pilates, GYROTONIC® and dance, and have taken many Pilates education courses as well as regular classes, in USA and abroad over the past ten years.

I am truly impressed with the program of Pilates Studio One, the client program as well as the instructor education. It's the most effective and coherent Pilates program that I have encountered so far, and it goes far beyond what is out there in terms of exercise, especially group exercise.

I have experienced the classes of Pilates Studio One, on my own body and at end of each class I felt like my whole body system was reset and reengaged. I felt an alignment and a sense of a well balanced structure, that one would feel after a good session of body work. I also felt very connected, tension free and long, as if I had stretched every muscle and made room in my joints, and most interestingly, I felt as if I had a very deep rest and was now awake and invigorated. This experience made a big impression on me, because the class structure seemed simple and included fewer exercises, than most classes that I am used to taking, or even teaching, but the result was an incredible sense of alignment and strength.  I believe that this was due to the clarity of approach and the choice and arrangement of exercises. The following day, I retained this sense of strength and alignment in my body and continued to feel like had done some really good, deep internal work.

The other part that made a big impression on me as a movement educator, is what I saw in the other participants, and what they told me about their experience. I participated in beginning and more advanced classes and at the end of each class I noticed that the participants looked different.  I had a chance to speak to some of the people that were in my classes. These were regular people, from all walks of life and with different movement and exercise backgrounds. I was impressed to find out how much they knew about Pilates, and that they could explain it better then some instructors I have met! That's when I realized that they were being educated at this studio and taught how to take responsibility for their body and approach this work consciously.

The other aspect of the success that this program has, is the overall cohesion of the studio, the unity of what is being taught and the methodology. I have never been in a studio where the instructors were on the same page in such a manner and I believe that this is a very important part of being able to educate the people, reorganize the body and provide a solid base, from which any individual can maintain health and well being though movement. This is a truly amazing approach to the work of Joseph Pilates, and to the education of instructors and I think it's brilliant.

The classes are taught with a very clear focus on the intention of each exercise, and not just muscular engagement, but the clarity of intention encompasses many layers of our body, the bone structure, the nervous system, the visceral system, the respiratory system. The instructors are taught to conduct classes with these layers in mind and the assistants help to make sure that each student discovers a better connection to their body and learns how to work effectively. There is an overall structure in place, which helps the instructors and the students they teach to achieve the goals that Pilates promises, in a systematic way. The instructors really know how to look at the human body and how to impart knowledge to the students, which is a reflection of the high quality training program at the studio.

Many of the concepts are merely implied by other Pilates training programs but this is the first time that I have seen a new, explicit way to make Pilates work so precisely and cleanly that it integrates all layers of the human body, in a way that only many years of body work and regimented exercise can only hope to achieve. Pilates is simply not being taught like this anywhere else."

- Olga Kokaurova

    December 2008