Purely-Pilates | April 2006 Newsletter

The Purely Pilates Scoop

Pilates - The original core conditioning!

April 2006 / issue #2

PILATES SUCCESS STORY

Barb Boschetto came to Purely Pilates two years ago after having been diagnosed with breast cancer. Barb had been through a complete mastectomy (in which part of her musculature was used for reconstruction) and had also recently completed her chemotherapy. She came to Purely Pilates for private sessions three times a week. Although she had done Pilates before her diagnosis, the invasive surgery created an unusual scenario for all of us. Without the use of the muscles that had been moved, we needed to help Barb strengthen her other muscles to take over for the missing muscles as well as help her lose some of the weight she had gained during the chemo process. Thanks to her tenacity and patience, Barb can now almost do a full intermediate workout. Pilates is also serving as a cross-training tool for the bike rides she participates in, raising money for cancer research. As an added health bonus, Barb has lost nearly 50 pounds, making the work easier, but not easy! In her spare time, Barb continues to raise her three sons, run her household and participate in other charity fundraisers. We are astounded by the results of Barb Boschetto's consistent work, her positive attitude and the many ways in which she supports us as a small business in the community. Congratuations Barb and good luck with your next marathon! Thanks for letting us tell your story.

So many of you have told us about the great success that you've had since you added Pilates to your exercise routines. We are excited when we hear your stories and see your progress in our sessions. I intend to highlight some of your success stories in our newsletter and if you are willing to share your story with us, please let me know. Allison

Allison (l), Barb (m) and Phaedra (r)

In this issue:

Latest news
Pilates Success Story
New Seminar Series
6 Principles of Contrology
Massage Therapy
Basic Mat Certification

LATEST NEWS

Purely Pilates announces the first price increase since it's inception in 2001. You can still purchase a class series before the price increase on June 1, 2006. We value your continued patronage.

Prices as of June 1

Privates	$80 each or $375 for 5 sessions
Duets	$60 or $275 for 5 sessions
Trios	$50 each or $225 for 5 session

Group class prices remain the same.

MASSAGE THERAPY AVAILABLE

Did you know that we offer massage at Purely Pilates? Vince Baza offers therapeutic massages & table shiatsu at $90 per session (approximately 70 minutes) every Monday and Wednesday.

Give Vince a call or email for questions or to schedule appointments. Contact info: 650.678.2925 or Email: vcbaza@sbcglobal.net

Whether Vince Baza's massage is light, medium or deep work, it's creative, relaxing & thorough.

6 PRINCIPLES OF CONTROLOGY

1	Concentration — “Study carefully and do slowly the foundation work,” Joe wrote once. “Follow directions exactly, with respect to every detail given.” You have to concentrate on what you’re doing. And you must concentrate on your entire body. This is harder than you think. Once you begin really to pay attention to your body, you will find that a movement which may have seemed simple is actually quite challenging.
2	Control — deliberate, purposeful muscle movement. Control is vital! Momentum has no place in this method of training.
3	Centering — power emanates from the core or "powerhouse." Your “girdle of strength” (as Joe called it) forms a continuous band, front and back, between the bottom of your rib cage and the line across your hipbones. We call this your “center.” The center is the focal point of Pilates. A properly developed center means a trimmer waist, flatter stomach, and better posture. It can also mean less fatigue and a lowered incidence of back pain and injury.
4	Precision — Precision is another important part of control. “Concentrate on right movements each time you exercise,” Joe Pilates said, “else you will do them improperly and lose their value.” Concentrating on precision of motion and precision of alignment creates a kind of bodily fine tuning that carries over into everyday life as grace and economy of movement.
5	Flow — rhythmic motion, added to the precise work. In combination with deep and relaxed breathing, the flowing movements in Pilates reduce stress on the body and the risk of injury.
6	Breathing — oxygen controls all movement. Pilates believed in getting the blood pumping so that it could revitalize the whole body. Full inhalation and exhalation are part of every Pilates exercise. Joe saw forced exhalation as the key to full inhalation. “Squeeze out the lungs as you would ring a wet towel dry,” he used to say. “ Soon the entire body is charged with fresh oxygen from toes to fingertips, just as the head of steam in a boiler rushes to every radiator in the house.”

NEW SEMINAR SERIES

We are proud to announce that we will be presenting a variety of seminars for our clients. These classes will be offered from time to time, as interest and time permits. If you have an idea for a seminar, please let us know.

Healthy Aging
April 29th from 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Julie Mink, DC will offer this FREE seminar discussing what happens to the muscles and bones as we age. Of course, we all age, but what can we do to age in a healthy way? What is a good plan for prevention? Dr. Mink, of New Life Chiropractic, will give you a plan for staying young.

Reserve your spot today with an email message to info@purelypilates.com

Foam Roller Workshop
May 13 from 12:00-2:00 p.m.

This workshop, taught by Allison Gonzalez, will focus on Foam Rollers.The therapeutic roller has been adapted to be used both as a great stretching aid and to practice some Pilates exercises with a different twist.

This cost is $40 and will include a foam roller for you to take home. This workshop will teach you stretches and Pilates-based exercises designed specifically for the roller.

Reserve your spot today with an email message to info@purely-pilates.com

BEGINNER MAT CERTIFICATION at Purely Pilates

Purely Pilates, the exclusive Power Pilates affiliate in the Bay Area, will run a Beginner Mat Certification Weekend May 7, 8 and 9. These dates are just around the corner, but it's not too late to register. This will be an intensive weekend learning how to teach the first 18 exercises of the Pilates mat. Power Pilates has developed teaching tools to help with the development of the best teachers, as well as to add skill to the experienced teacher. All participants will be tested on the final day of class to receive their mat certificate. Certified personal trainers will also receive continuing education credit from ACE and AAFA. Contact Purely Pilates at info@purely-pilates.com for more information.

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