Happy Spring!

April 25, 2023

Happy Spring! I’m so happy it’s becoming warm and sunny!! 

a group of people are standing on yoga mats in a room .

First thing first: We have two more Pilates with a Glass on the calendar. I haven’t gotten Summer dates yet and they may not been on the Weekend, so once I get that information , I’ll pass it along. April 29th at 11am will be our next one. This is also the kids the Apple Blossom Parade so be mindful in the direction you are coming. You can sign up today to get your spot here on the Vagaro App. In May the event will take place on May 27th at 11 am. Hope to see you at either of them. 


Second: I decided to give myself another job  I’ve been putting this off for about 20 years but things are all coming into alignment and the time is NOW! So, with that said, I will be launching my Video platform in the coming months. More details on that later, but this will change my schedule just a bit. I have to make a permeant time in my schedule to record the videos. Looking at my schedule Monday and Wednesday are my freest days and my freest times are usually in the afternoon. I will use whichever day isn’t filled to block out times. You can still book on those two days, I will work around those who schedule a session. Thank you for your support!


Lastly, since the start of the new year, I went back to a six weeks teaching layout, I did many moons ago. It helps us both in many ways. It helps me to better support your physical goals and it helps you to see and feel progress. The layout is this: The first objective is: What needs to be worked on: this is where I write down your goals and or requests. The 2nd objective is: Body’s needs: this is where I write down what I see YOUR body needs. From there I have each piece of equipment on the layout and I write out the exercises for each piece. My end goal is that 1) your goals and body’s needs are met. 2) You learn the Pilates exercises better 3) you learn the set up for each exercise, not necessarily spring settings but rather, the exercises and how they relate to each other and 4) that you are able to complete beginning, intermediate, advanced Pilates exercises. Remember, there is also a relationship from the equipment to the Mat work. I was able to see this play out this past month and it was pretty exciting! 


My amazing client comes to me in a lot of pain and with limitations but that doesn’t stop either of us. Yes, I have to work within her limits but that’s what is so awesome about the equipment, it does just that!! So, we’ve been at it and it finally came time to see where she was and where I needed to zone in for the beginning exercise routine. WOW it was all of them except 3 exercises!!!! So, that put me in check that I need to go over those three exercises within her 6 week program, I’ll re-give her the routine to her on the equipment that she needs to do them on, add those three in and then we can move into the next level!!! Here’s an important part of her story though- she dealt with her issues, there were times we were only doing minimal work because that’s all her body could take. She would then go to her doctor get what she needed from them, come back and we were back at it. I love seeing everyone’s results, how your body … and MIND is changing within the 6 weeks. 


Heidi

We Take Pilates Seriously, But It's Also Seriously Fun

By Heidi • July 30, 2026
Hey Friend-  YOU made this celebration everything it was. The response was so overwhelming. Thank you, past and present clients, for your accolades. I know each one of your stories, they are knitted in me and how each of you have inspired me to continue teach the method we all love, Pilates. I loved how each person was sharing each other’s stories and in turn was inspiring each other. We all know that not all Pilates sessions need to end in a Teaser. Becoming a Pilates teacher wasn’t a dream of mine.. no, no, somebody else is living that- but it has become my purpose and that goes far beyond a dream. There are times I will think back to a time I had with a client and just start laughing- We may take Pilates seriously, but it’s also seriously fun, do you have a time in mind? Email me back and tell me, we can laugh together. Overall, I think the best compliment I received was: “so heartwarming hearing all of the positive comments from your clients. They truly love you for the help you provide. Keep up the good work putting a smile on their faces.” From after injury or surgery, improving performance in a sport and completely reshaping a body, I can’t wait to keep going! I’ll see you in the studio. Thank you again, for your trust, your commitment, and your belief in me Heidi
Patriotic striped and star-spangled cups with sparklers on a festive table

Happy 4th of July!

By Heidi • July 3, 2026
Happy 4th of July! May you be around friends and loved ones to celebrate this amazing day that makes our Country incredibly special! Something happened in the month of June.. I have to admit; I was in the middle of life when all of sudden it hit me. When I realized I gasped! Then I had to stop, reflect, then realize that I kind of dropped the ball on this one… but don’t worry I’ll be making it up. Do you know what it was? Well, no need to wet the pallet and ponder I’ll tell you- You guys, we’ve been in the new studio for 6 MONTHS!!! Say what!? When I came into an awareness about it, these were the things that came to mind. Firstly, YOU! My heart is full of gratitude towards you. I am so honored that you trust me with your body to build it into a body that makes you feel strong, confident and keeps you doing what you love to do. Doesn’t it feel great to be able to move with such ease in life and our activities? Secondly, our new space is a dream. Some years ago, I was out on a walk along the river one very cold day, and I was thinking about what my business coach and I were talking about. She told me to go dream.. What would I want my studio to look like? I did just that, believing it in my heart that it could come true? I can’t say, but I can say I just threw it out there. I wanted my studio to be in a brick building near the river so I could see the water. Every day, when I walk up into the studio, it’s a dream.. A dream that came true. I am seriously filled with joy. I want to thank you for your understanding of all that I have had to personally go through. The floor may not be perfectly cleaned every week, I may have missed the date on making a new plan for you . Thanks for figuring out where the extra rolls of toilet paper are and referring people to me. I may have been a little elsewhere at times, but I promise I am giving you my best step forward. I feel loved and supported by you. Thank you. I love seeing all of you have a sense of pride walking into the studio. Thank you for showing up, being excited to come to your Pilates session, and creating a camaraderie among each other. Heidi Come join the fun to celebrate our 6-month Studio Anniversary! Tuesday July 14, 6pm, If you are planning on coming please sign up so I can plan accordingly. Thanks.
Woman performing suspended Pilates exercise on a reformer machine, wearing blue leggings in a studio.

Curiosity in Motion

By Heidi Garcia • May 27, 2026
The countdown is on until the first day of summer and I am here for it. My California soul will be fed and my sun dresses are dusted off. But I digress… Something that is happening across the board at the studio is the curiosity of the Morris Hardware building across the way. Majority of you ask the same thing, “what’s in that building?” Finally, a client who knows the owner got our answer, it’s nice when a new person asks I have the answer. It seems majority of you have a strong opinion about the new painting that is happening across the way as well. This is equal to the curiosity of what is in the building. Both of the things got my thinking… could we have curiosity about certain things around our Pilates exercises … I do know for a fact that everyone has a strong opinion about their least favorite or favorite exercise so that is taken care of. But back to the curiosity, I would hope that at some point in your practice you start being curious about the movement itself or your body in relation to the exercise. What I’ve noticed with my 25 years of personal practice and for sure during my 23 years of teaching is that when I started becoming curious of body and movement, change happened and I see that with my clients. The clients who stop during their session and ask questions, notice something about their body are the ones whose movement becomes quality. It’s no longer just zipping through the exercises to just check it off. My teacher’s story of curiosity was when she couldn’t do Rolling Like a Ball, her teacher asked her, “do you want to explore why this exercise isn’t happening?” Mine was Curl and Reach; I had to get curious as to why I couldn’t keep my pelvis stable when doing this exercise. I know exactly where I was (in my Costa Mesa apartment) when I stopped and got curious for the reasons and teaching myself to find the control within the movement. It was at that point that I really understood how Pilates is at its finest, a corrective exercise system. In the book, “Contrology Handbook, A Guide to Joe Pilates’ Method” by Sandy Shimoda it states, “Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.” I challenge you to start becoming more curious within your own practice and ask questions, that is how growth and change happens. Heidi

Spring 2026

By Heidi • April 24, 2026
Hello Pilates Enthusiast! Spring is in the air so it’s only appropriate to say “God Bless you!” “Gesundheit!” “¡Salud!”, there covered them all. There are some great workshops coming in May check them out below, sign up and share with a friend! It has been noted that my schedule is filling up. The best course of action is to sign up ahead of time; the other best action is to put yourself on the waitlist. When I see that you are on the waitlist, if any time opens on that day, I will reach out to you to see if you want what has become available otherwise; if the time that you waitlisted for becomes available, it will be yours. Please remember the 12-hour cancelation policy. All the details are below. See you on the Mat! Heidi

Spring Awakening & Studio Updates

By Heidi • March 24, 2026
Spring reflections on the Pilates journey, upcoming workshop details, Welcome Springtime sound healing event, Mat Class updates, and online video library offerings.
Woman in blue leggings and pink top doing a side stretch, smiling.

What Else Do I Do Besides Pilates? A Lifetime of Movement.

January 26, 2026
I get this question a lot.. When it comes exercising what else do I do? Over the years I have had my fair share of different types of movement. WAYYY back in the day (like high school) I was so into aerobics, remember Step..LOVED IT and ran until I was told to stop because it was developing the wrong muscles for dance. While in College was when I was introduced to Pilates so I added that. After College I did weight training and cardio kick boxing, it was hilarious because I gained so much muscle weight that I couldn’t fit into my favorite jeans, so I told my trainer that I no longer wanted to train, he was devastated but I just didn’t want that body type.. and I got sick of eating plan tuna with bean sprouts. I had to completely stop training for about 3 months to lose that muscles… and I got back into my favorite jeans. It was then that I also was dancing professionally in the Bay Area. I did yoga and ran like 2-3 a week because no one could tell me I couldn’t. After my hip surgery back in 2013, which consisted of removing three bone spurs in the back of hip, taking a cyst off of the head of the femur bone, and repairing my frayed labrum, I was told that it was best not to do anymore high intensity training. Since I didn’t want my hip to deteriorate anymore, I do what the doctor told me. I gave up running, really high jumps, and externally rotated squats (those will put me out for like a week). Today, my exercise looks like this, of course Pilates 2-3 times a week, walking when I can, yoga irregularly, weight training 1-2 times a week, biking on my Pelton and dance. The main thing I do is take care of my hip, do all the things that support that joint through movement. I love movement, my body craves it, even it’s the laziest of movement, I will do it because I know I will always feel better.