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Welcome to the ALL THINGS PILATES Season Three highlight show. This Season was a fun one for me and I hope you thought so also. As with Season one and two, there were many opinions expressed about the Pilates method, but this time around there were also insights shared about the Pilates history in photos and magazine articles. There were complimentary modalities presented and how they fit in to the Pilates landscape. Many episodes illuminated the versatility of Joe’s method and his inventions. You also heard from some of my hard working students when asked how the Pilates method had impacted their lives. For your listening pleasure, ALL THINGS PILATES presents the 2021 Season highlight show.In order of Guest appearance:Mary BowenJudith GreenJoe DeRuvoLiz KochDr. Nic ButowskiRoberta Kirschenbaum Chuck RapoportIn order of Student testimonials:Alison NewsomeMary SpragensJesse Hombre BanderaKate BradyJonathan GrubbBeatrice de NijsCarole LeMaitreMastered audio mix: Fabian RomeroMusic credits:Kiwi Lime - River BeatsLights - Vincent88Damned - Jahzzar

You know, maybe there is something to this idea of six degrees of separation. My guest today, Roberta Kirschenbaum and I and Joe Pilates walked the same streets in New York City and actually, climbed the same stairs in the now famed building, 939 8th Avenue. Without being aware of each other, Roberta and I both took dance classes on the second floor at Clark Center not knowing that on the same floor Joe Pilates once had his first and only Contrology gym.It was during a ballet class in 1984, when Roberta first heard about Carola Trier, one of Joe Pilates disciples. Roberta had injured her back and the studio manager suggested she go see Carola. At that time, Roberta couldn’t afford Pilates classes and was able to heal herself, but the buzz around the Pilates method intrigued her and eventually she began studying with Carola. Roberta’s story gets much more interesting! In 2005 she returned to 939 8th Avenue not as a dancer but as a Pilates studio owner, and incredibly for the last sixteen years has taught the Contrology system in Joe’s original space. I’m very excited to have Roberta here to put a cap on Season Three and to hear how she’s helping to keep Joe’s method alive. For more information about Roberta Kirschenbaum: https://rolates.com/studioMusic credit: Hot Coffee by Ghostrifter 

Injuries are sometimes unavoidable. Though I’ve always contended that an injury can be one of our greatest teachers, it’s comforting to know if surgery is necessary, having an experienced and caring surgeon can ease some of the anxiety produced by going under the knife. With us on this episode is one of those caring physicians, his name is Dr. Spencer Stein. Dr. Stein is a Sports Medicine surgeon who specializes in repairing shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. His intention is to educate his patients about the least invasive treatment options he offers but if surgery is the best choice, then he explains clearly what the patient can expect. My burning question during this interview is will we all eventually develop arthritis? Dr. Stein offers his expert opinion and advice.Music credit: Be Quiet by Jahzzar

The Feet. Ugh, love ‘em or hate ‘em, we’re stuck with them. Many people experience foot pain and may not know what to do about it, but Joe Pilates understood what to do, in fact, he invented two small devices to help correct the feet. The foot corrector and the Toe exerciser or sometimes referred to as the Toe Gizmo, were designed to strengthen and make supple the very foundation of our skeleton. I’ve asked our guest today, Karen Moran, a physical therapist to explain from her perspective how the feet play a major role in developing and maintaining a healthy functioning body. Karen is the founder and CEO of Fusion Arts Physical Therapy in Los Angeles, CA., where she specializes in Dance Medicine. Theaters such as the Pantages, the Ahmanson, Mark Taper, and various other theaters in the Los Angeles area have employed her to keep their performers healthy. In addition, Karen has treated professional dancers in companies such as Los Angeles Dance Project, Los Angeles Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance. For more information about Karen Moran: https://fusionartsphysicaltherapy.comMusic credit: Sweet Memories by wavytrbl on YouTube

We are so lucky to have with us today, Lolita San Miguel. Known in the Pilates community as one of our Pilates elders, Lolita has been practicing the Pilates method for sixty-two years and teaching for over fifty-four. There is so much to Lolita’s story from an illustrious ballet career, meeting and learning from Jospeh Pilates to her own Pilates programs that she imparts to students across the globe. Lolita shares stories and thoughts about Joe and his method.For more information about Lolita San Miguel - http://www.lolitapilates.comMusic credit: Panda Paws by Aaron Lieberman 

Photojournalist Chuck Rapoport, the man  hired by Sports Illustrated for a one day assignment to photograph Joseph Pilates, is here to share a part of that story and others including his time at the White House photographing President Kennedy. For more information about Chuck Rapoport  - http://icrapoport.com/Music credits:Guitar player - Eduardo Christian"Good Pace" - Thomas Gresen

When a Pilates conversation happens especially with those who have only heard bits and pieces about the method, usually there is nervous laughter about bodies contorting on torturous contraptions. But all that changes when someone begins a Pilates program and is introduced to this brilliant system. They get to work on fun apparatus like the reformer, the different chairs and barrels and even the Cadillac. There are a number of Pilates apparatus companies supplying studios and individuals, but newer Pilates companies have entered the market. Many of these companies replicate the existing Pilates designs. In this episode, Joseph DeRuvo who has practiced and taught the Pilates method for over 10 years, recognized a need to redesign lighter weight and more affordable equipment. For more information about Joe DeRuvo: https://www.barefootcontrology.com/

On this episode we have with us Judith Green.  Judith has quite a story to tell beginning with how she met and became a student of Naja Cori, a disciple of Joe Pilates. Unless you’re a Facebook follower of Jonathan Grubb, the Pilates historian, you may not have heard of Naja Cori and neither had Judith. Special thanks: Hot Coffee by Ghostrifter Official https://soundcloud.com/ghostrifter-of... Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2CMqiz0 Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Y30VQPGtxOs

Our guest is Full professor, Dr. Nic Butowski, a neuro-oncologist who researches brain disease at UCSF in the Neuro-oncologist department. He also is a Pilates devotee. Though his specialty is researching and studying brain cancer, today we’re focusing on brain health and, if the Pilates method is a key factor in maintaining a healthy brain. Dr. Nic says we hold psychological and physical tension in our fascia and in the way we move. By practicing the Pilates method regularly, his own daily stress is alleviated especially by using the breath correctly. Practicing the Pilates method focuses so much attention on the physical body - mastering our technique, learning transitions, balancing on one leg, etc. But is the brain involved also? I’ve asked Dr. Nic to explain to all of us Pilates devotees how the brain functions during exercise. Special thanks: “Sweet Memories” is produced by wavytrbl on You Tube.

I’m sure most of you have used an encyclopedia at some point in your life, but did you know there is now an encyclopedia dedicated to the Pilates method? Our guest today is Mara Sievers and she’s created an online educational platform for Pilates instructors especially those just entering this field. Mara, a former actress and dancer had a career in musical theatre and it offered her the chance to travel and express her stage talents in a variety of venues. It was at one of these venues where she sustained an injury which led her to yes, you guessed it - Pilates. Mara not only healed from her injury, but felt so empowered by her Pilates experience she wanted more and enrolled in a certification program through Polestar Pilates. Though Mara’s passion and understanding of the Pilates method deepened, she was becoming buried in her copious note taking. She also had many questions and found herself clicking from one website to another, rarely finding what she was looking for. Out of frustration birthed an idea - why not have tons of Pilates information in one place? For the last 2 years, Mara has been building her online library and she’s here to tell us more about the inner workings of the Pilates encyclopedia.For more information about Mara Sievers: https://www.pilatesencyclopedia.com/

Joe Pilates’ life’s work is incredibly versatile. On one end of the spectrum his exercise program attracts people interested in mainly becoming fit, but at the other end, people seek out Pilates because it can help heal the body. Our guest today is Linda Burquez, a certified Pilates instructor and master teacher in Qigong, also a healing modality. Linda explains beautifully the healing possibilities of combining Qigong and Pilates.For more information about Qigong please visit: https://www.lindaburquez.com

Liz Koch is the creator of Core Awareness, an educational website dedicated to understanding the psoas through enhanced somatic awareness. She’s had 45 years of experience and her unique approach to movement has garnered a large following both nationally and internationally. She’s authored a number books that focus on kinesthetic intelligence and somatic awareness for developing our human potential. According to Liz, the psoas is much more than our deepest spinal muscle. She says that this bio-intelligent tissue expresses one’s integrity on every level and may be perceived as the guardian of the Hara, commonly referred to as the moving center. Liz is ever evolving and as a conceptual artist she explores the deep sensory system and the wild wisdom of the psoas. Stalking Wild Psoas is her passion and Changing the Language of Body is her mission. For more information about Liz Koch: https://coreawareness.com

Unless you’re a Pilates geek, you may not know the history of Joe Pilates, especially the time period when he was  interned on the Isle of Man during WW1.  In this episode, Jonathan Grubb, a Pilates instructor, practitioner and Pilates historian has lived on this Isle almost his entire life. Situated between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, Jonathan originally began his research into the life of Joe Pilates after discovering his own great grandfather was interned at the same camp and same time as Joe. Perhaps you recall Jonathan’s visit to the show last year when he spoke about some of his Pilates discoveries and introduced us to his history driven Facebook page. Now, Jonathan shares new details he’s uncovered about Joe and his method.To learn more about Jonathan's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1506287476355247

As promised, I’m excited to share with you a very special guest. Her name is Mary Bowen and she is the eldest of the Pilates Elders still going strong after sixty-one years of practicing and teaching Pilates. Since 1975, Mary's taught Joe's method and for the last twenty-six years has folded in to Joe's teachings her own Pilates Plus Psyche. According to Mary, Joe addressed the whole body in each move, but she's added her own Pilates Plus Psyche to address the whole person, conscious and unconscious. Some of the most delightful moments of the interview weren't even part of the interview! For more information about Mary you can visit her website: https://pilates-marybowen.com

It's  been over six months since ALL THINGS PILATES has aired a new episode and I wanted to share with you the reason why. So in today’s episode, I’m turning the mic on myself and for the first time speaking out about my life-changing experience. It won’t be the entire story, but enough for you to understand my absence. For those of you who don’t know me personally or aren’t one of my students, I was exposed to Covid-19 in November of 2020. I had no idea how my life perception would alter or how my own sense of self would change.For more information about Darien or the traditional approach to the Pilates method please visit: dariengold.com. 

As Season Two comes to a close and we say good-bye 2020, we wanted to share four of our outstanding podcast and radio show interviews. We begin with John Steel, author of the hotly debated book, Caged Lion...

Paige Dent, a third generation classical Pilates instructor began her love of movement as a young competitive all-around gymnast where she learned hard work and discipline. Later, when she discovered the Pilates method, she delighted in knowing it was a natural evolution of her gymnastics training. In 2005, after experiencing what she now describes as, “Pilates lite,"  Paige took the next step and  became certified with Power Pilates in  Atlanta, Georgia. A move to England offered Paige the chance to take her classical Pilates education and mix in what she was learning from her husband, Alex, an Osteomyologist. Together they were inspired to create  comprehensive health program designed to encourage their clients to take control of their long-term health through movement, clinical therapies, detoxification and lifestyle strategies. As classical Pilates was a large component of their program, Paige grew more and more frustrated because the apparatus she had at the time, would not accommodate the classical repertoire. Then three years ago, Paige became an online student of mine and she warned me it might be frustrating to teach her because her equipment wasn’t meant for the original Pilates method. We both concluded after a number of challenging lessons it was time to sell her equipment and purchase new from the leader of classical apparatus, Gratz Industries, Inc. Paige is here to share her incredible journey of reconnecting to the original exercises and sheer delight at being able to express her God given talents. Originally aired: August 16, 2019

My guest today is Tracy Belcher, the founder and managing editor of the popular Pilates blog and brand, Pilatay. Tracy is a classical Pilates instructor, Franklin Method teacher and former marketing and communications professional. And though Tracy is completely obsessed with classical Pilates, she says it has a public relations problem - actually two. Problem #1 - An awareness issue: People do not understand what classical Pilates is and what makes it different from its contemporary sister. Problem #2 - An image issue: There is a perception of elitism and exclusivity. As Tracy explains, “This generation of Pilates teachers and students don’t care about past drama, it’s a turn off. We just want to learn the work.”

What Olympic sport asks of its athlete to have 3 distinct qualities: the carriage of royalty, the freedom of a lap dancer and the delicate hands of a lady or gentleman? If you guessed Dressage horseback riding, you’re absolutely right. In today's episode, Allison Mathy, a 2008 USDF Gold medalist trains horses and riders at Lyric Dressage, her facility located in Petaluma, CA. But Allison is also a Pilates devotee and you'll learn just how many similarities there are between classical Dressage and classical Pilates. 

What is it like to be at the helm of the most recognized classical Pilates apparatus manufacturer in the world? In this episode, David Rosencrans, co-owner of Gratz Industries shares his thoughts about his role and his company's role in the classical Pilates industry.