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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.”

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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. 

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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. 

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In today's episode, a Pilates mystery will finally be revealed! It all began when my guest, Nora Gomez-Dears was in Bob Leinken’s certification program, The Pilates Standard. A culminating requisite was to research a part of the Pilates history. Bob mandated that all of his graduates dig deep into the life of Joseph Pilates or the apparatus he invented and share those results with the other students. Nora chose the Jump Board, an added accessory to the Reformer. Looking to find out how the Jump board came to be, she learned it wasn’t even in existence when Joe was alive. In fact, Nora discovered there was more than one story of its invention.

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Simona Cipriani and Joe Muscolino are a wife and husband powerhouse. They impart Pilates information from two different perspectives. Simona is a Second Generation instructor from the Romana Kryzanowska lineage and Joe is a chiropractor who specializes in manual and movement therapies. In this episode, Simona and Joe share their love of movement and how they utilize the healing power of the Pilates method to address various pathological conditions.

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In today’s episode, we take a look at what it’s like to be a studio owner and mother and all of the expectations that accompany these 2 huge responsibilities. Our guest is Sasha Koziak, a Second generation Pilates instructor who was certified in 1996 by Romana Kryzanowska. Four years later, certificate in hand, Sasha opened her own studio and quickly developed a following. Between running a successful studio and raising her two boys, Sasha felt happy and fulfilled. But as the months turned into years, she struggled with handling it all. She tried to remain positive and energetic both at work and at home, but by year eleven, she finally accepted she had hit a wall. Something had to give...

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Our guest, John Steel, author of the recently published book, Caged Lion shares pieces of his story and the unique relationship he had with Joe Pilates. For Joe, his Contrology method would solve every physical and mental ailment to anyone who practiced it. For John, it was a time in his life when he needed something to help anchor him and so Contrology found its way into his life. John takes us back to the 1960’s when he first met Joe and Clara. Part biographical, part historical and even part controversial - this book has it all. 

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What does push pull mean? Can push and pull be done at the same time? Can anyone experience it? 

Pilates instructor and studio owner, Glenn Wilkinson shares his thoughts and ideas about this critical concept in the Pilates method. 

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Today’s episode is filled with historical information surrounding the years Joe Pilates was interned on the Isle of Man. Our guest, Jonathan Grubb who lives on the Isle of Man, discovered the teachings of Joseph Pilates in 2013 and soon after, learned that his great-grandfather was interned on the Isle of Man at the very same time as Joseph Pilates and in the same sub camp inside Camp Knockaloe. Though there is no proof,  it’s believed that his great grandfather was actually one of those internees that Joe instructed.

This is a fascinating interview with someone who has spent the last seven years researching not only the connection between his great-grandfather and Joe Pilates, but on how other fitness pioneers of the early 1900’s influenced Joe and his exercise method.

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I’m so 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 61 years of practicing and teaching Pilates. 

When Mary was 29 years old, she discovered Joseph Pilates while scanning a NYC newspaper and saw an article about him. He was being interviewed about his exercise studio and his Contrology method. What caught Mary’s eye was the accompanying photo of a man of medium height, barelegged, bare chested in tight shorts, canvas shoes, and a lion-like mane of white hair. Something else kept Mary’s attention. “I base my whole method on the baby and the cat, Joe said.” Mary had no baby and no cat, but her intuition told her to go meet him. That was 61 years ago. Mary doesn't hold back and shares stories of her experiences with Joe and Clara...It's a delightful interview, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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