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 reflections on the Pilates journey, upcoming workshop details, Welcome Springtime sound healing event, Mat Class updates, and online video library offerings.

Do you suffer from low back pain and tightness. In my own experience as well as working with clients who come to me with lower back pain it comes down to a few things: a weak core, an unstable pelvis, tight hamstrings, tight hip flexors, could also be from conditions like scoliosis, arthritis or spinal stenosis. What tends to happen is that they end up doing everything with their lower back. For example, NOT bending their knees when picking something up or twisting just the wrong way that sends them into pain. These actions along with other actions that they do on repeat can be the reason. When they do this, they end up putting a lot of pressure on their back rather than distributing throughout their body with their core, legs and back. There is more of downward pressure to pick the thing up or in other actions, rather than an up and in connection to support the back with the help of the core and legs. In other conditions like scoliosis, the spine is fixed in a rotated state that created an imbalance of muscles. With something like Arthritis, the muscles are so tight that without the help of stretching the muscles it will cause a lot of pain. In the end after evaluating how a client moves and what and if they have any conditions, I can then see what muscles over do the work, which muscles are tight and we can go from there to get the correct muscles to do more of the heavy work. After retraining the muscles to activate there is a more balance in their lower back that there is a wonderful release of pain.

First and foremost, I want to THANK YOU for showing up on the hard the days, committing to yourself to learning Pilates, to embodying it, and for trusting me to teach you the movement we all love Pilates. I know how easily it can be disappointed in our bodies, it’s not the shape we want, it’s not as flexible as we’d like, not as toned we think we should be and maybe you think it’s failing you…but none of that is helpful to ourselves when we want to embody Pilates. This body of ours belongs to us; we are entrusted to take care of it, to honor it, to thank it for caring us through, and most importantly loving it. I remember a turning point for myself when I had to doing a complete 180 on how I viewed and appreciated my body, it was after my hip surgery. I really had no idea how bad my hip was other than it was failing me 1000% at just 35 years old, I couldn’t even go from sitting to standing without excruciating pain, I couldn’t walk in a smooth gait, anytime I worked on it, it was be burning and on fire and forget about sleep. Looking back after the surgery day, I have no idea why they sent me home. Coming out of the fog of anesthesia I came to realization that it was a lot more serious than I ever thought and my zen doctor put it in the nicest way but knew a lot more than I knew and I’m thankful that he was sensitive to my ignorance. There was bone spurs removed, a cyst on top of my femur bone removed, and my frayed labrum was tied down. Finally, after 3 months I was able to put some weight on it and start rehabbing it on my own. It was at that time I became THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL that my healed hip was moving again, supporting me, standing me up, and being it, all can be for me in the moment in time. I was also extremely thankful and grateful for my Pilates knowledge. From that time on, I honor what it can do for me every day. 12 years later and it’s still moving me, supporting me and standing me up. Sure, there are still times, I get down on my body, but I don’t stay there long. I return my focus on the important parts: I live in this body till the day I die, how can I support, love and honor it. I challenge you to do the same to your body and say Thank You! Have a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, good food and good company. Heidi

Thoughts on the holiday season, insights from a Pilates retreat in Santa Barbara, studio schedule updates, and November's focus on Thera-Band work in mat classes.

The 100 is a breathing exercise? Along with strengthening the abdominals, hip flexors, neck flexors, and lats, yes, it’s a breathing exercise. The rhythm of the breath: inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 5 counts correctly by itself is challenging. Actively, inhaling through the nose, to widen the lungs to “push” the diaphragm down and actively exhaling strongly through open lips, to “pull” the diaphragm up this action help with the contraction of the deep abdominal muscles. This can for sure can bring in a lightheadedness that a lot of people experience on the regular when starting out. Now, just to clarify, your diaphragm does this on its own it’s just that we are putting a great emphasis on getting them to move on purpose. This breath work engages the transverse abdominals, obliques, and pelvic floor. So, add in bringing your head and legs off the floor, along with actively pumping the arms and all of sudden it becomes challenging to keep that breath in rhythm. BUT! When you get the breath correctly, a sense of warmth runs deep through the body, and everything pulls to your center and bam you are you are in your breathing rhythm that gets you going. Could be the very reason, Joe Pilates has this exercise first on the list.

You teach yoga, right? Aaa rrrr nope- never have, Hi, I’m Heidi Garcia, and I’ve been a Pilates instructor since 2003 so, yea very much Pilates very NOT Yoga. Typically, I let this oversight run off my back, but there are times when I’m like, how long have you known me? Slip of the tongue, I guess... Well, anywho, the next thing that runs with that is what’s the difference? Let's run through some of the differences. The breath is different, the focus is different, the movements are different and Pilates has equipment, yoga has small props, but Pilates has solid equipment that tones the body to do the Mat work ...among a lot of other things. Pilates has also entered into the rehabilitation world, so it’s quite versatile in that way. So, working with bodies for just a good workout that focuses on the technique of the exercises or working with bodies coming out of injuries, the method will deliver exactly what you want out of it. Overall, Pilates is all about core connection, core meaning all the core muscles not just the “six pack”, stability, flexibility, and precision. I LOVE how Romana used these three words to describe the Pilates exercises: “you can define Pilates exercises in three words: Strength, Stretch and Control". In EVERY Pilates exercise you can find those three words. Yoga is more about flexibility, balance, breath and meditation. You won’t find anyone sleeping during a Pilates Mat Class, well maybe after. Xo Heidi

I don’t know about you or maybe you’ve experienced a month that felt like a rollercoaster, but my September was just that. I won’t get into a long winded read but I will just break it down. 3 Weddings in 3 weeks, yes, you read that right, out of 4 weeks that was had in Sept ember the first three were weddings. They were fun, beautiful, each unique and special in their own way. We were honored to be witnesses for these couples, but there were major lows that I experienced in-between. Leading up to the first wedding, I had bruised my tailbone. I didn’t think much of it and it kinda bugged but sitting in the airplane seats really made it stand out. Coming back and leading into the 2nd wedding I noticed that I wasn’t feeling well, but just brushed it off of the travel but morning of the wedding it was evident that I really wasn’t well. By 11pm that night I had to go to the emergency room to get some antibiotics for a UTI. I hadn’t one in years but this knocked me out. Moving into the third wedding, I had the repercussion of being on the antibiotics and my tailbone really needed to be addressed. So now I’m sitting on a doughnut and icing. The good thing, I’m on the mend. I opened an email the other day and read the most encouraging sentence: Honor Your Capacity. I needed that. Owning, operating and trying to keep up with a business is a lot, add in driving my daughter around for her work and her extracurricular activities and just keeping up with the daily chores can just feel straight up overwhelming. All this to say.. GOODBYE SEPTEMBER! LOL. No, but really, reading that then thinking about it reassured me that I can honor when I’m sick to take the day off, to honor that my family will always be first and my business is well operated and what I can do is what I can do, and lastly if the chores are ignored the chores are not getting their feeling hurt. So, You too, honor your capacity, honor what and who are number 1 then put the rest behind it. Here’s to leaves turning, crisp air and death of what isn’t serving us. Xo Heidi

NEWS FLASH! School started! If you are asking how can that be, I am standing there coffee in hand asking the same question. Thankfully, Summer has been full, fun, busy, growth, sunshine, lessons, peace and trials… you know life, just in hot weather. Hands down in the studio the multi-level Mat Class was so great. Coming together and doing Joe Pilates’ workout allows you to experience what he wanted us to experience doing his work. The spine moving in all planes, the core working at all times, breath guiding your movements and your extremities moving with intention. I am so honored that you choose to learn and grow in your Pilates practice with me. Here's to ending the summer season with you,  ​Heid i