My apologies...this review went much longer than I suspected possible. Who knew there is a 5000-charater limit! So, the first paragraph is actually excerpted from the tail end of the full review. I moved it to the top so you don't need to scroll to get the message.
Irina sees how you perform and she provides targeted feedback to perform better. She adopts my sessions to pace with my ability so I was never discouraged and always felt...maybe naively...I was making great progress. She recognized my ability to concentrate on any given morning and varied the exercises accordingly. And...most importantly for the reasons I looked to Pilates originally...she produced results. After the first six months with the first studio, I was about to quit. After six months with Irina, I discovered I needed to buy size 10 jeans and skirts instead of the familiar 12's.
FULL REVIEW....
I used to think sushi was nasty and disinterest best characterized my attitude. Later...there is always a later in these kinda stories...I joined a dear friend at a really nice sushi place. I suspended my contempt if only because the occasion was entirely not mine. Yes...it was amazing! It was then I wasn't contemptuous of sushi...only bad sushi. Good sushi is amazing and great sushi is intoxicating. Totally learned my lesson....Puh-leeze!
After this epiphany, I considered investing time, effort, and care in my physical health....er...appearance. I decided I would adopt a routine that would 1) produce positive improvements in my health (visible) and B) support the desire to integrate this practice as part of my normal life-style. For whatever reason, and whatever influences my friends might have offered, I opted to explore Pilates. So how did I select my first Pilates instructor? Of course!!! I picked the place closest to my house. Sheesh!
It was six months before I confessed Pilates was not what I hoped. It didn't seem to provide the physical impact I imagined and I didn't seem to be developing the connection I thought necessary to sustain the practice. Fortunately for me, a dear friend...different one...mocked me for my disappointment with this new 'bad' sushi and insisted I visit Irina before I abandoned Pilates all together.
Wow! The equipment is the same...the terms are the same...and the experience was entirely different. The only other thing different was the presence of gifted instructor who doesn't merely understand how to perform Pilates but also understands the various motives and barriers each of us has to learning that skill. Irina bridges the gap between the desire and ability to perform.
What distinguishes Irina from the average instructor is her ability to measure the sessions with my ability...my ability in general and also my ability for the day. No matter my mood or energy, I would experience the same fatigue and exhilaration of the targeted work out I completed that morning. On more than one day, I was embarrassed at the Coffee Bean counter and realized my butt was quivering still quivering. The fatigue is not exhaustion...it is the product of utilizing muscles so long neglected. It is not endurance from exhaustion but a challenge for precision. And...honestly...it is absurd to imagine that quality exists in the studio closest to your home. That quality exists in a few instructors.
Irina sees how you perform and she provides targeted feedback to perform better. She adopts my sessions to pace with my ability so I was never discouraged and always felt...maybe naively...I was making great progress. She recognized my ability to concentrate on any given morning and varied the exercises accordingly. And...most importantly for the reasons I looked to Pilates originally...she produced results. After the first six months with the first studio, I was about to quit. After six months with Irina, I discovered I needed to buy size 10 jeans and skirts instead of the familiar 12's.
Don't get too excited. I wasn't shedding pounds. I know! I was confused too. How is that possible? Well, it was my posture that changed!! Seriously! My shoulders where relaxed and squared and my slouching was reduced so my tummy was now pulled firmly away from my waste. It was that day that I realized Pilates was no an integral part of my life style.
I am not suggesting Irina will make you drop a size. And I'm not suggesting Irina will magically transform your appearance. I AM suggesting that if you are considering Pilates as a possible exercise or if you are considering stopping your current Pilates routine...you should also seriously consider who is helping you achieve the goals you originally imagined. I've been working with every week since 2008 after nearly quitting altogether. Like my dear friend did for me...I ask you please consider visiting Irina before you form any final opinion. Suspend your judgment on bad sushi until you have the experience of amazing sushi. Then...judge all you wish. read more
