Pilates Intel Online Newsletter for the Pilates Teaching Community

Issue #486 Wednesday, April 22, 2026 Teaching Pilates in the Big Reformer Room by Matthew Ryan Carney As large-group reformer classes continue to grow in popularity, Pilates instructors need a better framework for how to teach them well. The format has already reached popular culture and is living large in the […]

Issue #485 Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Large-Group Reformer The End of Pilates as We Know It — or a New Beginning? by Matthew Ryan Carney Due to my side hustle as a reformer repairman, and teaching part-time at multiple studios, I have been fortunate to meet many Pilates professionals here in […]

Issue #484 Wednesday, April 1, 2026 Backbend on the Reformer Part 4 FULL GLORY by Brett Miller In my opinion, Pilates – especially contemporary – is taught a bit too carefully.  The athletic spirit that I think is part of the work has been bleached out.  It is a bit sad […]

Issue #482 Wednesday, March 10, 2026 The Depth You Teach Is the Depth You’ve Gone Part 1 by Clare Dunphy Hemani Have you noticed it creeping in? When you suddenly realize that you are teaching on autopilot, your cues sound lifeless, and you’re going through the motions? Perhaps you hear yourself […]

Issue #480 Wednesday, February 18, 2026 Backbend on the Reformer Part 2 A More Advanced Preparation by Brett Miller As I let you know in Part 1, I think that bending backward is a great contributor to keeping the spine young, which in turn keeps YOU young and healthy. This is […]

Issue #478 Wednesday, February 4, 2026 The Space Between the Exercises:  Rethinking Transitions in Pilates by Tabatha Russell In Pilates, much attention is given to what we teach, the exercises, the order, the apparatus, the cues. Far less attention is given to how we move between those exercises. And yet, it […]

Issue #478 Wednesday, January 28, 2026 Backbend on the Reformer Part 1 The Prep by Brett Miller Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love affair with backbends. I truly believe they are among the most vital movements you can practice. I find that Joseph Pilates was very wise […]

Issue #476 – Wednesday, December 3, 2025 Taking a Look at the Boomerang by Tricia Whitlock One of the reasons I enjoy writing for Pilates Intel is because it gives me a reason to look ever closer at the Pilates method – its logic, its depth, and the way each exercise reveals […]

Issue #474 – Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Savoring the Scooter by Dr. Suzanne Martin One of the best things about Pilates is how each exercise is a concept. I recently had the privilege to contribute to the volumetric Pilates Applications for Health Conditions edited by two of my favorite friends […]

Issue #473 – Wednesday, February 26, 2025 What Veteran Teachers Reveal About Embodied Pedagogy: The Real Solution to ‘Online Training Dilutes the Craft’ by Anne Bishop Over the past month, I gathered responses from 29 master teachers across six countries—including New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Canada—with […]

Issue #472 Wednesday, October 15, 2025 CoreAlign® Bliss by Eme Cole Eight years ago, I began training a 60-year-old client whose 85-year-old father had just gifted him a CoreAlign. A longtime believer in the machine’s benefits, his father was determined to equip his son with the tools necessary to age well. […]

Issue #470 Wednesday, September 27, 2025 Pilates Is More Than Just the Reformer—It’s a Whole System by Tabatha Russell by Tabatha Russell If you’ve ever peeked into a Pilates studio, or searched for a class online, you’ve probably seen a lot of Reformer classes. That long, sliding machine with springs and […]

Issue #469 Wednesday, September 17, 2025 9 Reasons Why You Should Offer a Teacher Training Program at Your Pilates Studio by Mara Sievers I know you’re running a busy Pilates studio, and you’re probably juggling a million things at once. But what if I told you there’s one move you can […]

Issue #468 Wednesday, September 10, 2025 An “Internal Shower” on the Ladder Barrel by Brett Miller Today, I want to share a fantastic exercise on the ladder barrel that will give you what Joe Pilates called an “internal shower.” It’s a challenging variation of the side bend that deeply twists and tones your […]

Issue #467 Wednesday, August 27, 2025 Pilates and the Art of Spinal Movement :: Why We Should Twist and Turn by Amy Havens Movement is medicine and I feel certain that every reader here will agree. Aren’t we so fortunate that we have a relationship with the Pilates Method and know how […]

Issue #466 Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Teasers for Tatas 2025 by Melissa Miles October– Breast Cancer Awareness Month– is just around the corner. Our all-volunteer team at Teasers for Tatas (TFT) has been working for months to help the Pilates industry support the breast cancer community in our tenth year. TFT is a […]

Issue #464 Wednesday, June 25, 2025 The Foot Corrector! by Gail Giovanniello Hello instructors and movement specialists!  My favorite season in Summer! (If it ever gets to NY this year ;).    In my studio this month, we are “feet focused”.  For one, Life is better in flip flops – with arch […]

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 16, 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 […]