Pilates Intel Online Newsletter for the Pilates Teaching Community

Issue #463 Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Power of Form: Reclaiming the Movement Language of Pilates by Tabatha Russell The Pilates method is trending—and fast. Scroll through Instagram or TikTok and you’ll find perfectly synced reformer routines, beautifully branded studios, and influencers sharing “Pilates-inspired” flows with thousands of likes. The aesthetics are […]

Issue #462 – Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Poking Back at the Classical Pilates Stereotype by Rebekah LeMagny A few weeks ago, my friend Brett published an article titled “Poking the Classical Pilates Bear.” It seems his poking was effective, because here I am—ready to respond. Let me start by saying: to […]

Issue #461 – Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Tips and Techniques for Mastering the Pilates Push UpPart 2 by Cathy Pagani Is there anything new to be said about learning to do Push Up? It turns out the answer is “yes.” In Part 1, we discussed using a three-pronged approach to developing […]

Issue #460 – Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Tips and Techniques for Mastering the Pilates Push UpPart 1 by Cathy Pagani Push Ups are challenging. They require not only strength, control, and stability, but coordination and balance as well. They ask us to engage the entire body, from our toes to our […]

Issue #459 – Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Poking the Classical Pilates Bear by Brett Miller Longtime readers of Pilates Intel know that I deeply appreciate the “classical” method of Pilates—by that, I mean the approach passed down through Romana’s lineage. My original training was in Stott Pilates, a contemporary style that gave me […]

Photo Credits: Herb Flatow, 1955  Copyright Mary Kelly, 2025 for the exclusive use of the Pilates Transparency Project  Issue #457 Wednesday, April 9, 2025 Is there value in looking at historical Pilates images?   by Mary Kelly ABSOLUTELY!  A photo represents a slice of life – it captures an instant in time – […]

Issue #455 Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Pilates Applications for Health Conditions  by Madeline Black There is little debate that Pilates helps heal people in so many ways. We often hear from new clients “Pilates is my last attempt of addressing XXX.” As Pilates teachers, we know Pilates works to help alleviate […]

Issue #454 Wednesday, March 19, 2025 How Embodiment Makes Pilates “Holistic”  by Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle As one of the Pilates teachers who received a cease and desist call in the early 90’s which led to being involved in the Class Action suit that freed up the Pilates name in 2000, it was […]

Image courtesy of Pilates Anytime Issue #454 Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Jean TEASER Process by Ruth Alpert  The backstory:Jean was a client for several years at Simpatico, a pilates studio in Santa Barbara, CA. She lives in a retirement community one mile away. When I first moved to Santa Barbara and […]

Issue #453 – Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Beyond the Studio: Expanding Your Pilates Career Flexibility and Profitability – Part 2 – Match your Work Ethic to your Pilates Profits by Anne Bishop The work ethic it took for you to become an exceptional teacher is not what is required to […]

Issue #452 – Wednesday, February 19, 2025 Beyond the Studio: Expanding Your Pilates Career Flexibility and Profitability – Part 1 – Stretching the Pilates Teaching Landscape by Anne Bishop One of the biggest myths in teaching Pilates is that in-person private lessons are the apex or pinnacle experience of teaching […]

Issue #450 Wednesday, January 29, 2025 Why New Pilates Teachers Are Tempted by Instagram Exercises  (And What to Do Instead) by Mara Sievers Scrolling through Instagram, you might spot a cool move, performed by a super-fit instructor on a reformer, and think, “That looks awesome — I should teach that!” But hold […]

Issue #447 Wednesday, December 11, 2024 Empowering Inclusivity in PILATES by Tabatha Russell Fifteen years ago, I attended @balanced_body Pilates on Tour  conference in Chicago, eager to learn, connect, and grow, as I had recently opened my studio.  As a young, enthusiastic instructor, I was excited to be among experts and […]

Brett Miller introduces a unique exercise called “Cat” on the Spine Corrector. The exercise involves kneeling on the barrel, engaging the core, and balancing through various movements, including stretching, bending, and rolling up. It emphasizes body cohesion, strength, and relaxation, forming a harmonious connection between different body parts.

Issue #441 Wednesday, October 16, 2024 Pilates 101: Teaching Contrology as a College Course Part 3: Teaching the Teacher by Cathy Pagani Photographs courtesy of The University of Alabama If you want to learn something, read about it.  If you want to understand something, write about it.  If you want to […]

Issue #440 – Wednesday, October 2, 2024 Small Weights Pack a Punch by Clare Dunphy Incorporating Reformer exercises onto the mat for your Pilates practice can introduce a whole new dimension to your routine, offering variety and challenge. This innovative approach can significantly elevate your practice, providing benefits for both seasoned […]

Issue #439 – Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Key Influences That Affected Pilates by Amy Alpers I’m asked constantly – all around the world – how and why has Pilates changed? There are many solid reasons. Let’s take a look at a few key ones. It wasn’t until after the word […]

Issue #435 Wednesday, June 19, 2024 “I never intended to be a Pilates teacher” An interview with Sonjé Mayo – a student of JP! Part 2 by Tricia Whitlock Sonjé returned to South Africa in 1972, determined to start her own contemporary, multi-racial dance company.  It was a very challenging time […]

Issue #437 Wednesday, August 28, 2024 In Memory of Romana Kryzanowska “You should be able to teach in an evening gown” by Jennifer DeLuca In a protective boot and crutches (not nearly as sexy as an evening gown and only slightly less efficient), I am in Vestby, Norway visiting a Pilates […]

Issue #436 Wednesday, August 21, 2024 Pilates 101: Teaching Contrology as a College Course Part 2: What the Students Think by Cathy Pagani Photographs courtesy of The University of Alabama My time as a student in this class has been truly wonderful. I’ve discovered a deep enjoyment for learning the movements […]

Issue #434 Wednesday, June 19, 2024 “I never intended to be a Pilates teacher” An interview with Sonjé Mayo – a student of JP! Part 1 by Tricia Whitlock Over the course of my career as a Pilates instructor, I’ve taken many workshops. Some of these workshops are more memorable than […]

Issue #433 Wednesday, May 29, 2024 Writing a Pilates Book Part 2 by Eme Cole Hello again! I am happy to return this week with the completion of my previous article about writing a Pilates book. If you haven’t yet, please read part 1 first so that you have a sequential […]

Issue #432 Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Writing a Pilates Book Part 1 by Eme Cole If only I had a nickel for every Pilates professional who has said to me: “I have always wanted to write a book, I just don’t know where to start…” Hopefully, this article will be the […]

Issue #431 Wednesday, May 8, 2024 Pilates 101: Teaching Contrology as a College Course Part 1: Designing the Curriculum by Cathy Pagani Photographs courtesy of The University of Alabama It began with a casual comment. I had recently retired after nearly thirty years as a professor of Asian art history and […]

Issue #430 Wednesday, May 1, 2024 The Renaissance of Joe Pilates’ Magic Square by Rebekah Le Magny Very likely you have never heard of Pilates’ Magic Square. The Magic Square is undoubtedly one of Joe’s least known apparatus, although others have also “disappeared”. I first became intrigued with the Magic Square […]

Issue #429 Wednesday, April 17, 2024 How to Avoid Burnout as a Pilates Teacher by Mara Sievers Are you on the cusp of burnout . . . and think that maybe this whole Pilates teacher thing isn’t for you?  Or maybe that you’re not cut out to make it happen the […]

Issue #428 Wednesday, April 10, 2024 Go with the Flow by Dianne Gard My focus today is less technique and rather a lesson I learned from observing the life of an amazing person, my Aunt Flo, who recently passed at age 95.  Her faith and trust enabled her to truly “Go […]

Issue #427 – Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Activities of Daily Living in Pilates as Motivation by Gwen Miller We all know that Pilates is great cross-training for many activities, that working on balanced muscle development, core strength, mobility and stability are crucial for long-term health of all the joints in […]

Issue #425 – Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Archival 80 Inch Reformer Review by Stefanie O’Rourke Part 2 In our studio, one of our reformers is a little shorter than the others. Most traditional reformers are 86 inches long. This beauty is the 80 inch Gratz Archival Reformer. Pilates apparatus connoisseurs geek […]

Issue #424 – Wednesday, February 21, 2024 Boost Your Pilates Business with AI: Engage More Clients, Save Time, Get Creative Part 2 In the last article, we discussed ideas for how you might use generative AI in marketing. Now, let’s dig into how generative AI can increase efficiency, improve creativity and […]

Issue #423 – Wednesday, February 14, 2024 Boost Your Pilates Business with AI: Engage More Clients, Save Time, Get Creative Part 1 When ChatGPT was first released, I honestly had little interest aside from the occasional silly exploration with friends — “Describe to me a french cabernet wine in the style […]

Issue #421 Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Round Back Deluxe From the Short Box Series on the Ladder Barrel by Brett Miller Today I’m going to show a nice exercise on the ladder Barrel it’s a variation of the Short Box exercise Round Back.  Let’s give it a try shall we? You […]

Issue #419 – Wednesday, December 13, 2023 What are we IMPRINTING? Part 2 by Dr. Suzanne Martin In Part 1 of Imprinting, self-touch and rib impressions explored how curated pressures have a beneficial effect on both superficial and deep fascial connections. This edition will focus primarily on the imprinting of the […]

Issue #418 – Wednesday, December 06, 2023 How Pilates Extends Your Mind by Anne Bishop and Chantill Lopez We know that our individual Pilates practice and teaching experience are both incredibly valuable. Through practice and experience, we also know that Pilates is beneficial for core strength, pelvic floor strength, and […]