I have been trained by four different pilates instructors over the course of six months on a…read moresomewhat regular schedule, and Barbara is by far the best of them. She's an experienced and devoted instructor, and attentive from the moment you enter her studio. She's observant and knows right away when I'm doing something wrong and is quick to adjust my position to avoid injury. The adorable thing about her is that I don't even have to adjust the springs myself! She does it for me! I believe I've had four lessons to date with her, and each time she's taught me something new. She recognizes my potential and offers something different each time to keep my body challenged. I never feel like our time is wasted with idle chitchat or weird mind/body meditation like I have with other instructors. She gets down to business and is very time conscious. There are days when I feel drained or just plain lazy, but after her class, I feel refreshed and energized. Barbara also tends to work out alongside of you if there's an available reformer, so it's easy to follow her example....if you can keep up with her. Just as a side. I had a class with her yesterday, and I can barely walk today; legs sore, abs sore, it hurts to laugh. But I know I'll be laughing all the way to the dept. store when I buy that bikini.

Barbara was my first Pilates instructor and she is one of the best! She's an instructor at the…read moreclub where I am a member and I've taken reformer classes from her for over a year. Barbara is an excellent instructor with a thorough knowledge of Pilates. Though there are multiple people in a class, Barbara customizes our movements based on each person's abilities. She makes the classes fun, energetic, varied and always ensures that we have perfect form. I have lower back problems and Barbara always ensures that I perform movements to help strengthen, not harm, my back. Since taking her classes I feel as though I have a new body; leaner, stronger and healthier. I have stomach muscles I NEVER thought I'd have and I am ready for summer! Do yourself a favor and take some Pilates classes with Barbara. Your body and mind will benefit AND you will have a new friend. LC

Dara is a master at her craft. I'm an elite athlete and she's been treating me with focus and…read moreimmense attention to detail, most of all easing my mind with her vast knowledge of injuries like mine. Every time I go to see her, she is on schedule, greets me with a smile, and is very personable... you can tell she loves her work and she cares. Not only that but her follow up is remarkable, punctual and she goes the extra mile with email and phone check ins. After 2 days of doing my PT exercise prescription, I had significantly reduced my pain, thanks to her magic recipe of exercises. Bottom line, Dara works very hard to be the best at her craft. She's an athlete, understands my needs and mindset, and obviously cares for her clients because she constantly goes the extra mile to deliver exceptional service and results. Thank you Dara!!

Wow Dara really knows her stuff! I've been dealing with elbow pain and shoulder and neck chronic…read moresoreness to an extent that I haven't been able to mountain bike the way I want to for six months now, and what a relief it was to have Dara figure out what's going on and why I haven't gotten better! I know it will be a process but I'm so happy to have found someone kind and experience that was able to explain to me the source of my problem and how to fix it! Can't wait to start my physical therapy program and get better. If you have some sort of chronic injury or are just overly tight and need preventative advice so you can continue to do the sports that you love I highly recommend you book an appointment with Dara!

**5 stars** I've…read morebeen going to Nikita for private session pilates for about two years, and it's one of the best decisions I've made! She has an incredible ability to push you, while still keeping the sessions enjoyable and lighthearted. Her energy is fun and welcoming, and you can tell she truly cares about her clients' progress. If you're looking for a Pilates instructor who is experienced, knowledgeable, and makes you feel comfortable from day one, I couldn't recommend anyone better.

I have been training with Nikita for almost two years, and practicing Pilates for over ten years…read more Nikita is highly knowledgeable about Pilates in particular and body mechanics in general. She has introduced me to many new and effective moves that I had never tried before. She does a great job of mixing things up while ensuring progress with exercises we have been working on over time. Most importantly, Nikita creates an environment where I can be honest about what my body needs. She is not afraid to push you to your limits, and helps you approach them with courage. Thank you Nikita!

Been struggling with chronic pain on my left side--hip, QL, shoulder. Chiropractic has provided…read morerelief, but I needed a way to keep my body in alignment between visits. Then I found Valerie Loo, and wow--she's incredible! Instead of just treating the pain, she finds what's out of alignment and teaches me how to correct it using Counter-shapes tailored to my body's unique movement patterns (quirks really). I don't think I've ever worked with a PT who truly understands how everything is connected. One time, my shoulder was hurting, and she had me do a foot exercise--not touching my shoulder at all-- the pain went away. So wild! What she teaches is like self-massage that actually gets to the knot--not just by pressing on it, but by using movements to retrain my body. Now, the pain stays away for days! And when it sneaks back in, I know exactly what to do to reset and feel good again! Valerie doesn't just "hand me the fish" so to speak--she teaches me how to fish, so I can take care of my body (at home) instead of relying on constant treatments. So grateful for this woman and her work. If you've noticed limits in your movement or want to move better while improving your posture and alignment, this is for you. She calls her method "prehab" (preventative rehab)-- it's a game-changer!

If you have the opportunity to work with Valerie Loo, it will change your life! I came to her…read moreinitially to help with persistent hip pain. Our work together has gone far beyond getting out of pain. Valerie's understanding of the body is unparalleled. She has an incredible gift for recognizing how to improve alignment - identifying patterns that pull us out of alignment and teaching very precise Counter-shapes that help us regain alignment. Not only have I eliminated the hip pain, but I've regained mobility I didn't know I had lost! I haven't felt this good physically in many years, and the journey with Valerie is just beginning. The unexpected, and truly wonderful, aspect of working with Valerie is the strong community of people who work with her in small group settings. I learn from my fellow students in each class. It's a gift that's benefitting my life every day.

I started working with Anya a year ago, after being diagnosed with a pelvic floor injury. A…read morespecialist recommended her to help with my recovery. Anya worked through the healing process with me, complementing the work I did with a PT, and helped me rebuild a core that I had neglected for ten years, after having two kids. She taught me breathing and stretching techniques that were instrumental in my healing. In addition to a pelvic floor injury, I had diastasis recti, and Anya was knowledgeable about how to avoid worsening that condition while strengthening my core and helping me get to know my body again. Months after being healed, I continue to see Anya 1:1 on a weekly basis, because the physical strength, better posture, body awareness, and increased confidence I have gained in our sessions has been truly life-changing. She is trained in pilates, yoga, and massage and is incredibly insightful about the particular areas in which her clients need support and coaching. Pilates is nit-picky, but Anya has a patient, kind, and warm approach to building strength and personal confidence. Working with Anya has been the best gift I've given myself in years. I encourage anyone I know with pelvic floor issues, or any mom looking to get back in touch with her body, to work with Anya. She's brilliant, knowledgeable, and beyond that, she's genuinely one of my favorite people.

I've been taking weekly private lessons with Anya over the last two months, and absolutely love…read moreworking with her. It has been a few years since I've done any kind of exercise. Between a busy work schedule, having a baby, and being a stay-at-home parent, it has been easy to have an excuse not to exercise. Pregnancy and labor also left me with diastasic recti, (a separation of the abdominal muscles), so I was afraid to do any exercise that might exacerbate the injury. My goals in working with Anya was to incorporate exercise back into my life again, learn how to work with my injury, and gain the confidence and skills I needed to attend group exercise classes. Anya is a very intuitive and attuned practitioner, who prioritizes her client's comfort and proper form, while also providing exercises that are challenging and dynamic. During our lessons, she checks in with me about how I'm feeling when doing certain exercises, and makes suggestions to help me prevent discomfort and engage the correct muscle groups. Beyond being a wonderful teacher, Anya is a lovely, kind person whose company I really enjoy. No matter how frazzled or stressed I may be feeling when I arrive, I leave each class feeling more energized and joyful :)

I was rescued by Francis after being released from Physical Therapy following meniscus repair…read moresurgery. Our focus was building back leg strength as well as improving overall body mechanics. She listened to my concerns and provided a rehab workout strategy that has me feeling active again. I recommend Francis for her positive energy, encouragement, insight & skill. Thank you Francis!

I started with Francis in terrible shape. My back, leg muscles everything hurt. I got to the point…read morewhere I couldn't even take my dog for a walk. After working with Francis twice a week for a few months, my whole body feels better than it has in years. She is excellent at balancing what you need to have a good workout but not to the point of feeling pain. She is so happy, bubbly and positive, she passes that energy onto her clients! Highly recommended!!

I've worked with Jon for 3 years now. We have done qi gong, hands on massage, weight training,…read moremobility work -- the whole gamut. It's been great to both train outside at the park and in the gym, online and in person. Especially given the pandemic in which we started, Jon's flexibility has been huge in keeping me consistent. Jon has really helped me refine my approach to fitness and help me refine my inner somatic awareness. I have a much better understanding of both how and why to use which muscles for what purposes, as well as what that feels like inside.

Over the years (I am 82) I have worked with 4 trainers. All of them good. Jonathan has an…read moreapproach that is, for me, quite different. His approach is integrative and wholistic. And it is working. I have severe muscle atrophy and have been told I would not recover. While I do not expect to returning to my former gym glory days, I am now able to do things I thought I would not be able to do again. And each time we meet he adds another small increment to my progress.

Yoga - TRE Trauma Release - Cranial Sacral…read more Aviva is an amazing healer! I started out doing yoga with Aviva at various yoga spots in the East Bay years ago. Whenever I found out where she would be teaching yoga or having a TRE Trauma Release seminar I was there. Blending her yoga and TRE is amazing...one time a major purge was released at the end of class when I was going through some heavy stuff. Another time when I was in trauma she came to my business and did an hour of cranial sacral on me. It was phenomenal. Aviva rocks! Recently I had a traumatic thing happen to me and she came to my house, did TRE with me while I cried on the living room floor. She truly came to my rescue. The East Bay is lucky to have her on our team!!! XO

I don't know how to express in words how amazing this woman is!…read more Aviva is not a simple yoga/pilates instructor. Her classes have nothing of all that small-talk-cashier-line-convo bs. She knows a lot about the body, about how the muscles connect to each other, how and where we tend to hold stress and tension. She teaches you how to listen and work with your own body. I hated yoga and today I cannot go a week without her class! I've been taking her classes for 2 years and I have never felt so good with myself. I am the strongest I have ever been, I know each and every part of my body, I know how to listen to my body, and how to respect its limitations. All thanks to Aviva. Her instructions are very detailed and will teach you how to align your body in every pose so you can get the most out of it. She is very mindful about limitations and injuries, and will also teach you modifications for when you're working with some sort of pain, injury, or when we are tighter due to stress. Taking her class in the middle of my week completely reenergizes me. I highly recommend her classes for anyone, regardless of their age or level of instruction in Yoga/Pilates.