Sornam is SO wonderful! In short, she is the most knowledgeable instructor I have ever met (and I have taken private lessons at some of the best places in Manhattan), the most motivating, and truly the most down-to-earth and friendly! If you want to get into shape, have more energy, better posture, less muscle aches and pains from too much desk work, GO TO SORNAM!
Here is my story: This spring, I developed hip pain that just wouldn't go away no matter what I did (turns out it was deep muscle aches from too much studying -- I am a graduate student). I also wanted to get into shape for my upcoming wedding and my oh-so-tiny dress.
On the hip-pain front: I did both private and group lessons each week. In the private lessons, Sornam showed me stretches to do at home to help, and took the time to fully explain why my hip was aching and how we were going to fix it. She also geared the entire hour to my specific goals. Now after three months, thanks to her expertise and the exercises to strengthen the muscles, I no longer have hip pain, which is a big accomplishment because it used to be painful to just walk to school.
On the wedding-dress front: During the private lessons, Sornam and I first discussed the best foods to eat. She also gave me clipped magazine articles about what to eat. In terms of pilates training, she pushed me to work harder than I thought I ever could and was always positive. Sornam also thought specifically about my goals (i.e. to have less wiggly arms and a less wiggly stomach for my dress) and helped me accordingly. The group sessions were also very good because Sornam spent a lot of time thinking about which group to put me in according to my strength level and my goals. When I first began group sessions, I didn't know about half of the exercises, but I never felt silly or out of place. This is because Sornam really knows how run a group well and how to quickly spot any wrong movements that you might do at first.
I could go on and on and on (as you can see). So the take-away here is GO TO SORNAM! The classes are so enjoyable and the conversation always interesting. Tell her your goals and you'll be amazed at how you can achieve them. I reached all of mine thanks to her! read more