What We Do
OUR MISSION
We are in the business of empowerment! We strive to share our love of movement and cultivate community. Our goal is to teach clients how to exercise intelligently through mindful and controlled exercise via our carefully crafted Pilates sessions.
WHY WE’RE CLASSICAL
At Empowered Body, we practice the foundational work created by Mr. Joseph Pilates and carried down by protege Romana Kryzanowska. We believe the method he left us is the cornerstone to optimal wellness and greater movement goals. Our Pilates gym in Los Altos is fully equipped with GRATZ and Pilates Designs by Basil, the original manufacturers of Mr. Pilates’s equipment.
6 principles of pilates
The measurement of a successful Pilates practice is based on the ability to balance and move with the following six principles through an entire workout.
Control
Conscious and deliberate movement and thought. No component of the body is left to its own devices.
Breathing
“Breath is our first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.”—Joseph Pilates
Flow
Continuous movement. Seamless dynamic transitions.
Centering
Physically and mentally bringing focus to the center of the body. The beginning of movement from a stable source.
Concentration
Bringing full attention and commitment to the exercise.
Precision
Wwe teach that every action has an intended alignment and trajectory.
PILATES HISTORY
Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany, in 1883. A frail child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, Pilates was dedicated to studying bodybuilding, yoga, martial arts, and gymnastics with the goal of improving his own wellness.
During the First World War, Mr. Pilates was interned with other German nationals in England, where he taught wrestling and self-defense. Mr. Pilates took advantage of his circumstance training his fellow internees and refining the method that would later become known as ‘Contrology.’ During the latter part of the War, he served as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man. It is said he attached bed springs to the hospital beds to help support the patients' limbs and build strength, the first version of what the industry knows today as the ‘Cadillac.’ Pilates emigrated to the United States in 1925. On his journey, he met his wife, Clara. Together they continued to develop and teach his method in their “gym.”
Word spread quickly of the holistic conditioning method. Many legendary dancers and celebrities came to work with Joe, including Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, and Martha Graham.
In 1932, Pilates published a booklet called Your Health, followed by a second called Return to Life Through Contrology in 1945. Through these writings and his students, Mr. Pilates’ method continued on after his death in 1967 at the age of 83. Our Pilates gym in Los Altos teaches Classical Pilates because of the amazing physical and spiritual results.
Today, “Pilates” has many different faces and forms in our fitness industry. Empowered Body strives to maintain the work as pure as it has been handed down to us in each of our Pilates lessons in Los Altos. As third-generation teachers, we are proud of our lineage and honored to uphold the method. Mr. Pilates’s systematic movement system will build stamina and facilitate stability in the body through stretch and strength building. Classical Pilates is great for people from all walks of life. Our studio offers group and private Pilates training in Los Altos. Call us today to learn more!
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“I have tried numerous Pilates studios in the Bay Area and beyond and can say without a doubt that Empowered Body is hands down one of the very best! The passion, expertise, and dedication that Nicole puts into her teaching is truly inspirational. She finds a way to challenge you to be your best, no matter what your level, and makes it fun along the way.”