A Pilates body has nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with awareness, strength and freedom in your own skin.

Nic sits down with Brooke Siler, author of The Pilates Body, to explore what the phrase “Pilates body” really means and why it has been so widely misunderstood.

Brooke discusses her early training with Romana Kryzanowska, the direct lineage back to Joseph Pilates, and the responsibility of carrying a method forward without losing its philosophy.

Brooke explains why breath is the missing piece in so much modern Pilates, the misunderstood concept of tension and release, and how true control builds empowerment in life.

They explore classical vs contemporary Pilates, the explosion of reformer Pilates, why mat work is still important, and what it means to stay rooted in the method while teaching in a modern world.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Brooke

02:05 What the Pilates body means

09:46 Discovering Pilates and training with Romana Kryzanowska

12:09 What Romana was really like

15:36 Becoming a teacher

20:12 Romana’s lessons and stories about Joseph Pilates

24:09 What is misinterpreted about breath and control

28:31 Understanding tension and release

30:36 Classical vs contemporary Pilates

32:37 Breath as the foundation of powerful movement

34:39 Staying true to the method during the modern Pilates boom

39:21 The story behind writing and revising the book

44:12 Why mat work is essential and more relevant than ever

47:27 Responsibility as a teacher and Pilates for life and sport

53:04 Quick fire reflections and how to work with Brooke

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a conversation. Share this episode with another Pilates teacher and leave a rating and review to help more people discover the show.

Connect with Nic:

• Beyond the Reformer Instagram
• Soul Pilates Instagram
• Soul Pilates Education
• Nic’s Instagram
• Join Soul at Home
• Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Brooke:

• Brooke Siler Pilates Website
• Brooke Siler Pilates Instagram
• Shop The Pilates Body Revised Edition

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.

Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Pilates as we know it today would not exist without Kristi Cooper and the bold decision she made in 2009 to put the method online before anyone believed it would work.

While in LA, Nic got the chance to visit Kristi Cooper in her gorgeous house in Santa Barbara to discuss the story behind Pilates Anytime and the evolution of online Pilates education.

In 2008, at a time when YouTube videos were limited to ten minutes and Pilates was still seen as exclusive and studio based, she was asked a simple question: why not put Pilates online?

They dive into Kristi’s early journey with Pilates at just 13 years old, her training with Rael Isacowitz, and her passion for preserving the lineage of the method through the Pilates Legacy Project.

The conversation explores classical versus contemporary Pilates, inclusivity across styles, the rise of athletic reformer trends, and the balance between staying true to the method while responding to modern data and member demand.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro to Kristi
01:03 The original idea behind putting Pilates online
05:04 Kristi’s introduction to Pilates at 13 and how it changed her life
07:00 Training with Rael Isacowitz and stepping into teacher training
09:52 Launching Pilates Anytime in 2009
12:50 The Pilates Legacy Project and preserving the history of the method
19:05 Inclusivity across classical and contemporary styles and managing industry competition
23:54 Responding to trends while protecting the integrity of Pilates
25:29 Building community through workshops, emails and connection
26:34 Creating new content while managing a vast online library
28:20 The depth of Pilates education and the challenges facing modern teachers
29:09 Observation, mentorship and what makes a great Pilates instructor
31:03 How teachers are selected for Pilates Anytime
36:23 The educational role of online platforms in an unregulated industry
40:38 The future of online Pilates
42:24 Quickfire questions

If you want to keep hearing conversations from amazing people within the industry, then please make sure to follow the podcast, rate it five stars and share it on Instagram.

Connect with Nic:

• Beyond the Reformer Instagram
• Soul Pilates Instagram
• Soul Pilates Education
• Nic’s Instagram
• Join Soul at Home
• Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Kristi:

• Pilates Anytime Website
• Pilates Anytime Instagram
• Kristi’s Instagram

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.

Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Pilates is EVERYWHERE right now, but not everything being labelled Pilates is safe or rooted in the original method.

Nic sits down with Victoria Batha Cuomo aka the Pilates Snob, for a thought-provoking conversation about the current state of the Pilates industry.

They explore how social media has both helped and harmed Pilates and why misinformation spreads so easily.

Victoria explains why a lack of regulation around education has created major issues for both teachers and clients, and why safety and understanding the system as a whole matters more than trends on Instagram.

They also discuss Victoria’s ‘WTF Wednesday’s’, the Pilates Transparency Project, and the original Pilates lawsuit.

Episode timestamps

00:00 Introducing Victoria aka The Pilates Snob

00:31 How social media is shaping the Pilates industry for better and worse

02:59 Victoria’s first experiences with Pilates and athletic training

05:27 Becoming a Pilates teacher

08:42 The realities and gaps in Pilates teacher training

21:06 WTF Wednesday and calling out unsafe industry trends

25:30 Common misconceptions about Pilates online

29:02 What the Pilates Transparency Project is really about

33:27 Breaking down the original Pilates lawsuit

38:06 Where Pilates education is falling short today

41:58 Pilates Snob University and mentorship for teachers

46:21 Quick fire questions

Thanks for tuning in to this weeks episodes! As always, if you enjoyed it, please share it with your network, rate the show 5 stars and subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Connect with Nic:

• Beyond the Reformer Instagram
• Soul Pilates Instagram
• Soul Pilates Education
• Nic’s Instagram
• Join Soul at Home
• Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Victoria:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.pilates.snob/
• Website: https://www.thepilatessnob.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pilatessnob

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.

Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Simply fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.