The psoas is often attributed super–powers and, when things go wrong, blamed for all manner of dysfunction. It is true that the Psoas is a bridge between the upper body and the lower body, that it plays a supportive role in stability as well as mobility. However, it is not alone and its health and function in movement relies on, as well as is supportive of, its movement partners, all of whom are super in their own way. Join Joy and take a 360⁰ journey exploring the psoas and its partners in movement. Using the Reformer, you will learn multi-directional exercises which will add unique vectors of tension, push and pull, and are designed to train optimal lumbo-pelvic-femoral movement ability, coordination, and rhythms. 

As a high-level dancer, performance was expected. While not everyone needs to function at such a high level, everyone can elevate their movement ability and reach their own level of exceptional. How do we get from the basic execution of an exercise to exceptional? Starting with the foundational movement principles, you will learn how to progress your clients, to unlock optimal movement patterns, and develop strength and endurance. Your clients may not ever need to dance on a stage, but understanding how to utilize the effectiveness of the movement principles to build skill will make them feel like they can dance with the stars!

Getting up, and lowering down, to the ground is a key component of health and longevity. Mobility of the lower limb controlled spinal movements, and even upper limb integration are all involved in effectively and efficiently getting all the way down and rising back up. In this workshop we will explore how to utilize Pilates equipment, and small props, in the Pilates studio to develop the skills needed to enhance the strength, joint mobilization, and flexibility needed help people feel and discover their own best pathways for getting down and back up! Strategies learned here are excellent for clients with mobility issues, aging clients, and clients with balance and coordination challenges. 

This workshop will focus on specific tools to enhance motor learning with individuals suffering from a variety of pathology related movement dysfunctions.  Join Brent Anderson for an experiential workshop consisting of three labs, each one focusing on a powerful tool to facilitate efficient and natural movement patterns.

We all love a good flow in client sessions and classes. In this workshop, you get the total package! Join Erika as she takes you through creative and FUNctional ways to stay fresh with your Pilates-based movement sessions, all while focusing on seamless sequencing and user-friendly flows to use with clients and classes. Get ready to smile and laugh along your journey as you learn to FLOW with FUN. You know you’re ready. Let’s FLOW!

In this workshop you will learn movement strategies to engage and strengthen the respiratory system. The breath will guide, support, and inform familiar (and not so familiar) exercises designed to stimulate the trunk musculature and enhance the efficacy of our 3-dimensional ribcage and diaphragm. We will jump between mat and apparatus, with emphasis on the connections to all the other exercises in the repertory. You will learn several breathing techniques and use props to help you access a deeper connection between breath and movement.

In looking at the Pilates exercises that we have used for years, it is time to adjust them to suit our individual clients and to add some choreography. Let us stimulate our clients with subtle changes in the way they perform the exercises.

The number of factors that influence how we move seems to be growing – factors such as perception, genetics and biological to psychological influences. Learn with Dr. Brent Anderson how these factors can be considered and managed when working with individuals suffering from chronic pain. Research shows that education can reduce pain by as much as 30%. Learn powerful tools that you can apply immediately with your clients to encourage independence and healthier movement behavior.

Join Ken Endelman and he takes you on a journey from the infancy of the Pilates methodology, Contrology, to contemporary times where Pilates is now a household name.   

Experience the transformative power of fascia by exploring the intricate relationship between fascia and movement. We’ll focus on fascial qualities such as adaptability, tensile strength, elasticity, and fluidity, integrating them into your Reformer training. The workshop incorporates principles from the Slings Myofascial Training to enhance resilience and vitality in both body and mind. Learn innovative techniques to stimulate and strengthen the fascia, promoting glide and optimizing movement efficiency and body awareness. 

The Pilates method is full of opportunities to go upside down and extend. During this workshop, you will redefine the concepts of extension and inversion, review and practice the pre-requisite exercises needed to learn and build safe and strong backbends and learn how to apply what you learn across the all the apparatus in a Pilates studio.

Find the foundation and power in the FUNCTIONAL FIVE full body moves (squat, plank, bridge, core, lunge)! Discover and learn form, progressions, and common considerations along with a fusion & flow mini-workout highlighting each foundational exercise which can be linked together to join up with the next OR used separately with clients and classes. Get both form and FUN in this dynamic workshop!

Why are clients always afraid of the chair? It’s challenging, it’s a small footprint, and it’s still quite unknown to many. In this workshop you will learn how to make the chair go from a client’s worst and most feared apparatus, to become the best and be seen for the incredible value it adds to any program. You will learn way to put aside your own fear of teaching on the chair and both you, and your client, will come to love it and all that it can do!

Snake and Twist, High Bridge and Star are just a few of the advanced Reformer exercises covered in this workshop. One of the primary indicators that an exercise on the Reformer is more advanced is that the body has less contact with the apparatus which requires a client to attain a heightened level of body awareness, control and balance in order to successfully achieve access to these exercises. We will look closely at teaching strategies and offer tactile assists, that safely build the strength and confidence required to dig deep to meet these challenges and ultimately enjoy the fullest and most bold expressions of advanced Pilates exercises. 

Poor posture, muscle imbalance, kyphosis, lordosis, are a few of the issues that, if not addressed before attempting the traditional Pilates mat and apparatus regime, could cause problems for new clients who are starting their Pilates journey. Pre-Pilates, with simple but targeted exercises, will help the client/student understand how their body works and which areas of that body need more attention and help. The exercises are designed so that they can be used as homework and warmup.

Nothing about the organization of the pelvis, hip joint, and legs are linear. Our musculature is oriented in fans and spirals, so why then do we train in discrete linear planes of motion. This dynamic workshop explores muscular balance, coordination, strength and flexibility of the pelvis and hip joint. We will journey 360⁰ around the Reformer and examine multi-directional exercises which will teach you how to create enduring strength of the hip. Yes, we will review anatomy of the pelvis (even the pelvic floor), discuss hip function, explore hip mechanics in relationship to the core, rib cage, and the spine as well as to the knee, ankle and foot. Come and learn hip focused exercises that are safe, practical and immediately applicable to practice in both private, semi-private, and group settings.

This workshop is an introduction into Polestar’s updated Principles of Movement which successfully impacts how we move, how we teach, and how we assess.  Join Brent as he shares a combination of problem-solving techniques to optimize treatment design for clients in the Pilates Environment. This workshop is experiential and will provide some models to help the Pilates teacher and physical therapists improve their outcomes with clients. Updated evidence-based tools including the International Classification of Function (ICF), the Polestar Assessment Tool (PAT) and Polestar’s unique Principles of Movement will be used to facilitate this experience.   

Let’s dive into the living roots of the three main traditions in Pilates teaching. The Kathy Grant, Eve Gentry and Alan Herdman pre-pilates approaches show us how from the same trunk different branches can grow and bloom. Comparing them, understanding their similarities and differences, provides us with a unique opportunity to draw a clearer image of the future of Pilates. 
Moderated by Roberto Cerini.

When it comes to successful execution of a preplanned movement, any movement teacher knows that setup is key. In Pilates, the setup typically includes a certain start position, a controlled environment (the apparatus), and a clear movement instruction. During this workshop, we look beyond the setup to the role of ‘initial activation’ as an additional strategy. Initial activation brings mindful intention to set our students up for success in their practice and engages them with an exercise before it even begins.

Pregnancy and postnatal recovery are extraordinary phases in a woman’s life, where the body, including the fascia, undergoes profound changes and performs near miracles. This journey calls for dedicated care and nurturing attention. Experience an empowering workshop that combines Slings Myofascial Training with prenatal Reformer Pilates. Discover how to integrate foundational prenatal principles with specific Slings techniques and Reformer exercises that promote stability, breath, alignment, and essential support throughout pregnancy, while building a strong foundation for the postnatal period. 
Explore the fascial connections from toe to head, and learn methods to deepen and internalize movement, enhancing your clients’ comfort, resilience, and adaptability throughout their transformative journey. Empower women to stay active with confidence and ease as they connect to their bodies in this unique and sensitive phase. 

It is almost a hundred years since Joseph Pilates asserted that we are ‘only as young as our spine is flexible’. As the idea of modern-day Pilates explodes in the consciousness of the world, let’s take a moment to root ourselves deeply in his original essence. Join Joy and Christine as they share with you the new Balanced Body Pilates Essentials. The Wheels of Motion are a snapshot of our exciting new Essentials course and are learning tools designed to explore and experience the movement ability of the spine in the Pilates environment. 

Discover the versatility of the Low Chair by exploring ways to incorporate it into your clients’ first sessions and beyond. A playful and dynamic place to explore movement skills; the exercises on the Chair foster a deep connection to the abdominals, increase thoracic mobility, and strengthen the shoulder and hip complex. In this workshop you will learn modifications and variations of known, and lesser-known exercises, as well as strategies for building sequences that will re-enforce the fundamentals and challenge your clients at every level.   

Let’s get up in arms about the upper body and discuss, play, learn, and practice ways to train, strengthen, and mobilize our shoulders and arms. From brushing our teeth, to playing an instrument, to pushing and pulling heavy weights, our upper body is arguably the most complex area of the body and probably one of the most mysterious. A strong upper body is not only critical for everyday activities – it is critical to good posture. Training the upper body might be complex – yet, it can also be fun, and we will show you ways to enhance your own upper body while adding endless variations and fun into any Pilates workout or session with a client and/or class. Ready to PACK a Punch into your client sessions?

Alan specializes in teaching the Pilates basics in a clear and compassionate style to students at any level. Working with seniors can be especially challenging due to mobility limitations, osteoporosis, balance challenges and lifelong postural habits. In this workshop, Alan will teach you a variety of Pilates and Pilates–based exercises and sequences to address the key issues in this population.

It is all about the moves! Challenge your own creativity and learn how to trust your creativity on the Reformer. In this workshop you will create new moves and learn how to integrate them into a traditional Pilates Reformer class or with private clients. Together, we will review key exercises, explore creative adaptations and variations and address safe and effective progressions. You will have all manner of new moves to show on Monday morning. Your clients will love you for it!

The Cadillac is the most versatile piece of apparatus in the Pilates studio. Exploring original repertoire with the traditional features of the Cadillac or Tower, this workshop is designed to reveal how the apparatus can play to our creativity, support our students’ greatest weaknesses AND unfold their greatest strengths!