Next up in the kinectED line-up: Postural Analysis and Functional Joint Assessment with Kinected Senior instructor, Michael Ballentine, DPT. Join us on Sunday, February 26th from 1:00-5:00pm to learn a variety of tried and true assessment tools, including:
Sign up here!
Meet Rachel!
Rachel Felson is a Certified Rolfer®. After years of athletics (soccer, skiing, yoga, tennis, hiking, kayaking), Rachel had accumulated numerous postural patterns and chronic pain which severely began to limit her physical activity. Because of Rolfing®, she was back on the hiking trails and ski slopes enjoying life as she remembered it — pain free.
Through manual manipulation of the connective tissue and special attention to the neural network she is able to help people from all walks of life, including ironmen, marathon runners, yogis, dancers, rock climbers, doctors, students, babies, mothers, fathers, artists, lawyers, and dog walkers. Rachel brings her wealth of knowledge and sincere dedication to making people feel more comfortable in their bodies so they can get back to living their life.
Q: What are you most passionate about in your work?
A: What I am most passionate about at the moment is working with the neural network. I specialize in working with athletes that have joint pain. The nerves that run through the shoulder and pelvic girdles are usually much less cranky and irritated after a Rolfing® session. The reason why I’m so obsessed with working with nerves is because my clients notice the positive effects almost immediately and a nerve Rolfing® session isn’t nearly as painful as old-school rolf sessions. Often, once a nerve is less irritated, I can then go in with the more “intense” Rolfing® tools and the fascia opens even more then it would have because the nerves have relaxed around and through it.
Q: Do I need to do the 10-series?
A: Your neck may hurt because you’re not getting the proper support from your feet. Your pelvis may be askew or your shoulders may be rounding forward. Until your entire body structure is re-balanced, your strained neck will remain strained trying to keep your head upright. Focusing where it hurts goes after symptoms, not the root problem. Think of The 10-series like a tune-up for your body. The first three sessions work on your superficial layers of connective tissue. Sessions four through seven remove strain from deeper layers of the body. The last three sessions organize and align the body as a whole, providing better balance, enhanced freedom of movement, and a higher energy level.
The 10-series is tailored to suit each individual’s needs. As a general rule, each session is scheduled about 10 days to two weeks apart, The schedule is flexible. If necessary, breaks can be scheduled after sessions three and/or after session seven, both natural places for a pause. If you are indeed interested in doing the 10, what I recommend is that you commit to the first three sessions as it will be the appropriate amount of time to feel the effects in your body.
Q: Fun fact about you?
A: I love adventures in rain forests and hula hooping.
Read more Q & A here!
Book a 75-minute session with Rachel on Mondays, 10-4 and Tuesdays, 12-9. Sessions are $150/each; 30-minute free consultations available upon request. Call us at (212) 463-8338 to schedule!
Meet Clare!
Clare is a graduate of the American Conservatory Theater MFA program and a long time student of Pilates, having been introduced to it as an excellent accompaniment to her work as an actress and physical theater artist. Clare is received her Pilates Mat and Equipment Certification through the Kane School of Core Integration. Having discovered her inner anatomy nerd, she strives to continually educate herself – recently participating in Kinected’s Functional Anatomy for Movement and Injuries (FAMI) at Mt. Sinai Hospital and workshops through Balanced Body with Lolita San Miguel and Madeline Black.
Preferred Prop?
“The foam roller – it’s a balance workout and massage tool all in one!”
Fave muscle?
“My peroneals. It’s a love/hate relationship. We’re working it out.”
Fun fact?
“I’m the proud owner of a clown nose.”
Come see Clare on Fridays, Saturday or Sundays for a private or semi-private session, and take her marvelous mat class on Fridays, 6pm — welcome your weekend right!
On the fence about Pilates teacher training? Looking for more than a generic course description to pique your interest? Check out the Kane School–our certification program at Kinected–& hear from Kane School converts about their first-hand experiences in the Comprehensive Mat program. Questions? Contact Casey at education@kinectedcenter.com.
Real World Application by Josephine Yeh (Sep ’10 Mat student)
I graduated from Kinected’s Comprehensive Mat training program this past summer, and I’ve been working steadily in the field for the past four months. The training program gave me the necessary tools to work with a diverse clientele—from the elderly woman with osteoporosis and a hip replacement to the mid-30’s weekend warrior who wants more variety in his training.
Though I come from a dance background, I had only a superficial understanding of anatomy and biomechanics prior to the program. Since becoming a student here, the program not only gave me a strong theoretical foundation in how our bodies are structured, but it also taught me how to apply this theory to real, moving beings.
The supervised teaching hours were most valuable in this regard. Working with actual clients under the guidance of Kinected’s experienced instructors helped to refine my teaching skills, and it also taught me the ins and outs of working within a studio environment.
Pilates Reformed and Reform through Pilates by Lucie Baker (Aug ’11 Mat student)
In the process of becoming a Kane School certified Pilates mat teacher I have become more of the person I want to be. One of my goals in life is to help people discover their own bodies. So often in contemporary society we view our bodies as a transport for our brains and ignore the incredible wisdom that is stored right in our muscles and bones. I am now able to guide and support people in becoming healthier, more joyful in movement, stronger and more comfortable in their bodies through the Pilates form. It is due to the supportive atmosphere and incredible wealth of knowledge and experience offered by Kane School instructors that I can provide that for my students. I am forever thankful.
Spending time at Kinected has been enlightening. My first experiences with Pilates were less than exciting. I found the exercises dull and I always felt tight after a class. As I took classes at Kinected I was able to access a whole new feeling through the intelligent cueing of the instructors. I found the open minded approach to Pilates liberating and the attention to detail an incredible asset. It completely changed my experience of the form. The philosophy of the training places individuality over conformity in order to serve the clients in the most effective way. This is one of the most valuable elements of the Kane School program. No two bodies are alike and they shouldn’t all be treated the same. Something I had thought impossible in Pilates before. I’m glad I was proven wrong.
I have enjoyed the community at Kinected. The studio attracts those who are passionate and curious about the body. They are the kind of people that get excited about posterior diaphragmatic breathing and hip differentiation. I can ask all the questions I want (and I ask a lot of questions) because everyone is searching for the answers together. We are all explorers of the same mysterious continent: the body. It has been a pleasure.
Rejuvenation and Pilates by David Gilheany (Jan ’11 Mat student)
2009 was a rough year for me. My fiancee and I split up, and not long after that, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She passed away only a few months later. It was not easy losing the two most important people in my life. I wallowed around in the muck & molasses of depression and self pity.
About 2-months after my mom died, I was walking through my hometown and I saw a Pilates studio. I had tried a few Pilates DVD’s with my ex-fiancee. Based on those experiences, I disliked Pilates. Ouch, what a terrible “neck workout”. Hah! But I looked through the studio windows, fascinated by all the equipment that looked like medieval torture devices! Hmmm, so interesting and somehow appealing!…
The next evening I had dinner with a close friend. At one point I was verbally thrashing the universe, every god in the book, and “this stupid, unfair world.” In the middle of my rant I stopped and said, somewhat tongue in cheek, “So, I noticed a Pilates studio in town yesterday. Oooh, little hometown moving up in the world!”
With that, my friend poked her finger right into my chest and said, “That’s what you need to do. You need to go take some Pilates classes. They will straighten you out and fix your effed up attitude.”
So I signed up and took a mat class. I did not do very well. But for one full hour, the crushing pain in my heart melted away. All I could think was, “Holy jeez, I’m shaking uncontrollably! How am I going to get through this?!!”.. Afterward, I actually felt happy! And I wanted MORE!
I began taking classes regularly, as often as money and time could afford. I could feel life coming back into my being! I could feel my confidence magically returning.
Not long after I started practicing, during a conversation with another friend and fellow Pilates student, I expressed that if I could ever get good enough, I would consider teaching Pilates. I said how if Pilates could help me so profoundly, I wanted to help other people experience the magic of Pilates. Well, my friend told the studio owner what I said. Sarah, the studio owner exclaimed, “I think you’d make a GREAT instructor! Let’s get you trained & certified. You have a job; you’re hired!” She smiled and shook my hand.
So, a year after taking my first mat class, after much research, and while feeling quite encouraged, I decided to sign up for the mat certification at the Kane School. Two other instructors, (fellow “Kaners” or “Kane Schoolers” as we like to say), at the studio had completed the entire program, and I was impressed with their classes and instruction. In addition, what can I say, I’m partial to New York. I love the city.
What I did not realize, but quickly discovered that first day of Comprehensive Mat, is that Kelly Kane has a spirit and persona that is larger than life! The divine quality of her instruction, the depth of her knowledge & experience, and her gentle humility, while adding a healthy dose of her amazing sense of humor, made for an incredible beginning to my Pilates journey. Kelly Kane’s positive attitude is infectious! She made us feel right at home. What an inspiration!
We immediately began working intensively with fellow classmates. We also worked with the Expert-level instructors on staff. Every staff member at the studio is focused on, and committed to, helping other people, the students and clientele alike. I never felt a sense of ego, competition, or intimidation while in classes, or during supervised teaching/observation hours. Pretty incredible!
While working on my certification hours, I started to see the Kane School program/Kinected Studio as a living, breathing organism. To me, it is exactly that. A beautiful studio and awesome school set up perfectly for integrating practitioners into the world of Pilates instruction. The approach at the Kane School sets the program apart and makes it super special.
There is a very holistic and open-minded approach to the body at the Kane School. Since every body is different, I can really appreciate that the school acknowledges this. I feel that the Kane School doesn’t just produce great Pilates instructors. The Kane School transforms you into a movement specialist! How cool is that?!!
I see my mat training at the Kane School as a pivotal moment, not only in my career, but in my LIFE! Pilates helped pull me out of a very bad place, but the Kane School helped fuel my passion by inspiring me. Through their program I earned the confidence and know-how that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and jump right into the fire with both feet, smiling the whole way!
I have now been actively teaching for nine months. The clients are wonderful. They enjoy my classes as much as I enjoy teaching them. I can truly say it is a mutually rewarding experience. Beautiful!
I’m anxiously looking forward to continuing my Phase I & II training (equipment training) at the Kane School. The Kane School rocks! If you’re wondering if you should sign up, do yourself a favor and DO IT! Become a fellow Kane Schooler. You will not regret it!
More to come! Check back in soon for more Kane School testimonials.
Posted in Instructors, Kane School
As we look forward to FAMI 2012 with much anticipation (registration is now open!), here’s a final look back on FAMI 2011 through Priti’s eyes, ears, and…touch! Soak up her wonderful insight & read on for FAMI praise~
Life After FAMI by Priti Radhakrishnan
It has onl
y been three months since FAMI. Somehow it feels longer. In my mind, much of the dust has settled, and I’m able to concretize the ways in which my teaching is different, the ways in which my relationship to pilates is different as a result of FAMI.
Not long ago I was a student in the Kane School teacher training program; I can crisply recall Kelly (Kane) telling me and my fellow teacher trainees to make sure our map of the body was strong, to know where we were headed before embarking on the journey of touch. Now, after FAMI, when I use my hands to palpate, I know that I possess a clearer sense of where I am going. It is a refined intuition, a more mature instinct than it was a few months ago. My hands, it seems, have a mind of their own. They find the muscle or the bone they are looking for, and have an intention for where to go next, and a deeper understanding of where from they came. In cuing or adjusting with my hands there is little hesitation or even thought, just an ability to navigate that seemingly does not come from my mind. As a newer teacher, it is a powerful transformation to succumb to trusting one’s own intuition – and in doing so, I have found a space, a moment, in which healing is possible.
FAMI students explore in the Gross Lab.
In addition to teaching clients, FAMI has changed my ability and my confidence toteach other movement professionals. Since July, I had the opportunity to teach four Teacher’s Labs at Kinected. At FAMI we were challenged to think differently about our own exploration of the human body, to redefine our learning process of bones and muscles. As mentioned in an earlier post, we were asked to think out of the box – to view anatomy as dynamic, not static, to think of groups of muscles in terms of movement, and to understand the meaning behind words and actions. In doing so, my comfort level with the body, and teaching what I know to others, radically shifted. I began to teach labs to other movement professionals, designing the time in a way that participants could absorb the anatomy by experiencing it in their own bodies. It felt completely different to teach teachers, after seeing the diaphragm itself, and the relationship to muscles that attach to the ribcage such as the scalenes or the quadratus lumborum. A new template for learning the body emerged for me, learning the bones, then the muscles, through movement, touches, names and actions. Anatomy no longer feels daunting to me, it feels like it fits.
Before I sign off, I want to share with you that I reached out to folks from the conference to ask them if they feel like their teaching practice has changed after FAMI. The responses were eloquent…I’ve enclosed excerpts from their emails below.
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FAMI faculty give the inside sccop on the body.
“No matter how many times I viewed the iliopsoas (for example) in Trail Guide to the Human Body or looked at my Netter flash cards, I would always question the accuracy of my description, whether I was describing it internally to myself or describing it to a client for cueing purposes. Now that I have seen it in prosection, gazed upon the muscle fibers and actually touched it, I feel that I can trust my concept and understanding of the muscle. It is much easier to visualize something that you have actually seen and touched.
In the study of human anatomy and the anatomy of movement, so much time is spent dissecting the human body into its component parts, identifying the actions of individual muscles. This is a necessary evil in the learning process, but it often results in a fragmented and two-dimensional understanding of the human body that is less than accurate. Seeing how the muscles lie, one on top of the other, enveloped in and divided by fascia, made me realize that although we often talk about isolating a single muscle in an exercise, there will always be several structures at work.
We were guided toward this understanding by the incredible FAMI faculty, all experts in their fields; these gifted lecturers were brimming with knowledge and the genuine desire to share that knowledge. Under their supervision, I got to touch the spinal cord and the nerves of the brachial plexus. I held a human heart. I was blown away to discover just how incredibly smooth articular cartilage actually is. Holding the tiny and perfectly crafted bones of the inner ear was another impressive moment. After seeing a total knee replacement, it is still hard to fathom that someone had the guts to saw off the ends of two giant bones and replace them with man-made imitations in metal and plastic – and that it actually works!
I could go on and on about these “wow” moments. The best part about having this new knowledge, resulting from a true visceral experience, is that I can tell it’s really going to stick – the information is a part of me. I now view the human body with appreciation and reverence, as a wonderful paradox: beautiful simplicity encompassing endless complexity.”
Lauren Alzamora Pilates Instructor & Teacher Trainer, Kinected
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“I find that one can never review anatomy too often. A new level of understanding sinks in each time. Getting to see prosections has aided in my being able to envision proper or more beneficial biomechanics, which in turn helps me troubleshoot my clients’ movement dysfunctions. Being literally reminded of the three-dimensionality and interdependence of the body (“the hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone…”) in such a way is so much more effective than looking at an anatomical chart or reading a list of muscles. As a pilates instructor, whether in the rehab department at the hospital or in my private practice, I only hope that I can teach with the passion and genuine joy that Dr. Laitman and Dr. Reidenberg do as I continue to help others learn about their bodies through movement.”
Steven Fetherhuff, PMA Certified Pilates Instructor Integrative Care Center, Affiliated with Hospital for Special Surgery
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FAMI students hone their x-ray vision.
Through interesting out-of-the-box lectures and Gross Anatomy Lab sessions, I was able to immediately expand my sense of the body as a 3-dimensional, dynamic being. Looking at and handling real specimens is both a privilege and a new mode of understanding muscles, bones and nerves in unexpected and crucial ways. We all have some grey areas in relation to the shapes of specific muscles, the sizes of certain bones, how certain joints behave, etc. When you are able to concretely explore, with the adept aid of enthusiastic professionals in the medical field, there is a huge advantage…
We also learned about common difficulties and injuries, and this is an integral part of the domain of movement professions. It is an area of great responsibility precisely because I am not a medical practitioner, and therefore, there lies a need to understand what is appropriate and safe to do with clients. I feel more comfortable in addressing clients’ injuries and conditions because I have a clearer sense of what is happening internally, and what certain common issues actually are.
In working with clients after the workshop, I found myself picturing parts of the body how they actually are and from the inside, and with a better understanding of innate musculo-skeletal structures by touch, and their associated movements.
The FAMI Workshop provides an open door to real learning because it is about exploring the most important elements of the body for movement professionals. It is the best anatomy course I have ever taken! Thank you FAMI!”
Sandrine Harris, Recipient of the 2010 FAMI Student Scholarship; Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, Kinesoma
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Posted in Anatomy Fun, Continuing Ed, FAMI
Meet Candace!
Candace received her Pilates Mat & Apparatus Certification from the Kane School, and her GYROTONIC Level I training from Kinespirit Studio, both located here in NYC. She specializes in pre & post natal, scoliosis, spine and pelvic alignment, and the psoas muscle, to better address structural alignment issues. She holds a BFA in Dance & Choreography from VCU School of the Arts, was on Broadway at age 11, and has been a professional performing artist since the ripe old age of 5. Candace incorporates the influences of her artistic background, as well as various healing arts therapies that have helped her, into her teaching. She offers a somatic minded fitness approach for increased strength, mobility, and symmetry, with the aim to improve her student’s overall health and efficiency for their daily lives.
Fave muscle? ”The psoas — it’s the only muscle that truly connects the torso and the legs! How cool is that?”
Preferred Prop? ”Yellow Bumpy Ball — nodules are great for proprioceptive training, and it’s perfect size for travel!”
Fun fact? ”I can whistle through my teeth (and on pitch!)”
Book a private session with Candace today, or come check out her 8am reformer plus class on Tuesday mornings!
Elliot Fishbein, PT, OCS, CFMT, FAAOMPT, brings more than 11 years of extensive experience and training at some of the top rehabilitation facilities in the country to Kinected.
About Elliot Well-known for his functional manual therapy approach, which works to free restrictions in your joints and muscles to allow more freedom of movement, he aims to strengthen your body in a new, fuller motion and re-train it to avoid further injury. He treats each patient as an individual, addressing the whole body to eliminate weak links that lead to pain and injury. With a diverse educational background and a wealth of hands-on experience, Elliot enjoys helping others by customizing specific treatment plans to meet each patient’s individual needs. He is expertly trained in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries and many chronic conditions to get your body functioning at its best.
Elliot’s past experience is rooted in both orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation gained working at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and as the clinical specialist in the outpatient spine clinic at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He has also completed certification training in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, CA, and his fellowship training at Johnson and Johnson Physical Therapy in Steamboat Springs, Co.
In addition to his clinical experience and functional manual therapy training, in which he is only one of 17 therapists in the country to have completed the one-year fellowship training in this area, Elliot is a board certified specialist in Orthopedics and a certified Vestibular (dizziness) therapist with the American Physical Therapy Association. He has also completed coursework in craniosacral therapy, and currently teaches both as an associate instructor with the Institute of Physical Art and as Adjunct Faculty at Long Island 
University’s Physical Therapy Department. When not treating patients, Elliot can be found playing with his daughter, riding his bike, or playing tennis & basketball.
Keep reading for his insight into a common injury that walks through his door; find out more about PT @ Kinected here.
Knee Pain – Finding Answers Above & Below
by Elliot Fishbein PT, OCS, CFMT, FAAOMPT
When patients come in with knee pain, they expect the emphasis of treatment to be centered on the knee itself. Often times, however, knee pain arises as a result of weakness and tightness above and below–at your feet, hips and low back. Here’s a quick look at how addressing each of these areas can be the key to successfully treating your knee.
Your feet act as the foundation for your body. If you are not balanced and stable over your feet when walking, then everything above cannot be stable. The most common problems are pronated feet (“flat feet”) and supinated feet (“high arches”). In an ideal and biomechanically-efficient world, the foot features a fairly high arch when not bearing weight, and flattens out (pronates), though not excessively, when standing on it. The high arch is designed to give your foot stability and provide a base of support for your body. The flattening out of the foot (pronation) is designed to allow your foot to adapt to the surface underneath and absorb shock.
Flat Feet When somebody over-pronates, the foot either flattens out excessively or does not rebound out of that flattened position, leaving no resting arch of the foot. This loss of the resting arch decreases the stability of the foot, so when you contact the ground, your foundation is unstable. As a result, that instability translates to poorer stability and abnormal medial rotation at your knee and can lead to arthritic changes, tendonitis, bursitis, or any other common knee ailment.
Tip: Pronation can be addressed in physical therapy in various ways including mobilizing the joints of the foot to increase the balanced position of the foot,orthotic fabrication, and strengthening muscles that limit excessive pronation.
High Arches When somebody over-supinates, the foot strikes the ground with a high arch and doesn’t flatten out enough. This creates the opposite condition where there is too much stability and not enough shock absorbed by your feet. As a result, the shock absorption that should occur at your feet occurs at your knee, hip and low back. This can be just as problematic as having flat feet and can cause all of the same problems at the knee, but for different reasons.
Tip: Treatment for a supinated foot may include an emphasis on mobilizing the foot to allow it to absorb more shock and decrease excessive stress at the knee.
Where’s the Gluteus Medius Love? What many people don’t realize is that your hip muscles are among the main muscles that keep your knees from collapsing inward when standing. Mutliple muscles, but particularly your Gluteus Medius, prevent your knees from turning in when you climb stairs, squat or just walk. This prevents excessive torsional stress on your knees. When these muscles are weak or not firing in correct sequence, alignment at your knee goes awry, and wear and tear along with knee pain often ensue.
Tip: Strengthening your hips (especially your Gluteus Medius) to reduce knee stress and prevent long-term pain.
Hip Alignment In addition to hip weakness, hip misalignment can also be a pain in the knee. Your hip is a ball and socket joint. If the ball is not properly centered in the socket, the same compensatory inward rotation at your knee caused by hip weakness can ensue. This misalignment may have developed over your life due to trauma, muscle imbalance, or mild arthritic changes in the joint. In this scenario, even if you have strong hip musculature, you can end up with excessive stress at your knee due to improper mechanics at your hip.
Tip: A good physical therapist can use various techniques including joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization, and neuro-muscular re-education to re-establish normal hip alignment and create normal mechanics for you knee.
The latest fad is training “the core” for total body wellness. The question is, does this actually work? The answer is, unquestionably, yes. But why would strengthening your abdomen reduce pain at your knee? That answer is multifaceted.
Moving Forward Efficiently First, your spine acts as a stable base from which your lower extremities muscles can move. The psoas muscle, for example, originates on the front of your spinal bones (vertebrae), and travels down to the front of your hip to attach onto your femur (thigh bone). This architecture makes your lower spine an anchor for the psoas to help propel your thigh forward. If this anchor point has poor stability, your legs loose that connection to your trunk and, thus, loose that stability as well. This creates inefficient alignment and muscle function, which will eventually contribute to knee pain.
Tip: Strengthen your core to create a stable base from which your thigh muscles can work efficiently and reduce stress throughout your legs.
You’ve Got Nerve! Another way that poor core stability contributes to knee pain is via nerve dysfunction. Your lower spine has small holes (foramina) on either side where spinal nerves exit from your spinal cord, to then combine together and travel down your legs. When you have poor core stability, the positioning of your vertebrae is not as stable. This can cause excessive tension on a nerve, or potentially change the space of the foramen, either of which can affect how efficiently your nerves get their message to your muscles. This is another way that core instability can lead to minor weaknesses in your legs, which can decrease balance and shock absorption in your joints, and ultimately contribute to your knee pain.
Tip: Do Pilates! 
Want more? In person? Come in to see Elliot today!
Be it by plane, train, or automobile, traveling can leave your body feeling bound up and cranky. Here’s a few of our fave on-the-go stretches to get you through those tight times. See Part 1 here!
What you’ll need:
Yoga strap or Thera-band
Small rubber ball
Yoga block
Room to stretch
Target: Tight hip muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Prop: Yoga block
Target: Tight back muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Set Up:
Move
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
*Tip: Be careful not to force stretch or turn head.
Prop: Small ball
Target: Tight shoulder, upper back, and neck muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
If you’ve been following or perusing our blog, you no doubt have become familiar with and definitely inspired by our lovely Priti. Now coming on staff as an instructor, we’d like to introduce her in the good old fashioned way:
Meet Priti!
Priti Radhakrishnan is a pilates teacher in New York city. She received her certification in both mat and apparatus/equipment from the Kane School/Kinected and is certified in both pre-natal and post-partum pilates. Prior to embarking on her journey as a pilates teacher, Priti worked for nearly a decade as an attorney fighting for access to affordable medicines for patients living in poverty in the developing world. She has lived, travelled and worked in over 20 countries. Priti came to pilates through rehabilitation after sustaining dance-related injuries, introducing her to a therapeutic form of movement. She plans to combine that with her experience working in clinical and low-income settings: her dream is to ensure that pilates is available to everyone regardless of economic status.
Fav muscle? Piriformis. As Martin Luther King Jr once said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
Preferred Prop? Foam roller.
Fun fact? I am a closet Mexican food addict, my husband and I have matching bikes and never ride publicly together, and despite all odds I’m hoping for another Celtics-Lakers matchup in 2012.
Book a private session with Priti starting September 20th: Tuesdays, 7am-12pm.
Posted in Bio, Instructors, Kane School
Be it by plane, train, or automobile, traveling can leave your body feeling bound up and cranky. Here’s a few of our fave on-the-go stretches to get you through those tight times. Part II, with more tips & techniques, coming soon!
What you’ll need:
Yoga strap or Thera-band
Small rubber ball
Yoga block
Room to stretch
Target: Tight back, neck, shoulder & abdominal muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Repeat 6-8 times.
Modify:
Tip
Target: Tight back & abdominal muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Repeat 6-8 times.
Modify:
Target: Tight back and hip flexor muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Continue for 4-6 rotations, and then switch directions.
Prop: Yoga strap or flex-band
Target: Tight hamstrings
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Prop: Yoga strap or flex-band
Target: Tight inner thigh muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Tip:
**See Exercise #6 for video instruction**
Prop: Yoga strap or flex-band
Target: Tight outer thigh muscles & IT band
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Tip:
Prop: Yoga strap or flex-band
Target: Tight calf muscles
Set Up:
Move:
Modify:
Tip:
