- Marilee

6/06

"I am so grateful to have Essence Pilates in my neighborhood and in my life. At first I thought I would just do a few sessions, but by the third session I was hooked. I've been doing weekly duets with my life partner for about 9 months. I love Pilates--both the immediate experience of it as well as the cumulative effects on my body and my mind.

"As a body mind therapist, I have received various kinds of bodywork and have practiced meditation and yoga for many years. I considered myself to be grounded in my body, centered, connected, mindful, and aware. "After a Pilates session I feel more grounded than I thought possible. I feel effortlessly balanced over my feet, through my legs, and supported by my pelvis. I feel a vitality, a fluidity, a power, and an exhilarating youthfulness and sexiness. I bring a deeper somatic awareness to all my activities. I am experiencing some resolution of a chronic body imbalance and weakness that so far regular bodywork hasn't addressed. Marilee's practiced eye amazes me with her gentle yet dead-on accuracy to guide me to an ever deeper connection with my body and mind. I feel more connected with my partner as well through this joint activity." - Susan

I have been taking duets with my partner for 9 months. The work has been transformative both in body and mind. I came to Pilates with what I thought was a fairly good sense of body awareness. I have practiced yoga over the past decade. And prior to yoga I was a martial artist, a 2nd degree black belt in Aikido for almost 15 years. Yet it is only through Pilates and the skillful coaching Marilee provides that I have discovered and begun utilizing my core muscles. What a surprise to find how effortless moving my body is when I use these muscles instead of relying on and over-working my arms, legs and back muscles!"

- Beth

7/07

"Prior to incorporating Pilates into my exercise routine, I struggled to find any joy in a fitness routine. Once I stumbled upon this method, I am hooked for life as it has drastically conformed my body into being lean and feeling strong. As I continue, I've noticed that with miraculously less effort than working out in a gym, I am able to maintain a fitness level that, for me, was impossible before. "Although taking private sessions can sometimes be considered unaffordable, I have now prioritized the importance of working out properly.   I don't feel as if though I have wasted any money like I have in the past paying for a gym where the personal benefits are not nearly as great. The one-on-one instruction is worth every dime when making a smart life choice that keeps your body flexible and fit.  Marilee possesses an acute awareness and understanding for properly aligning the body, making sure that every movement made during the course of the hour is focused as she teaches me to be more aware of how to control my posture as I perform any daily activity from playing my violin to riding my bike, or even simply walking around the city.

"Marilee's experience as a personal instructor allows her to smoothly flow from one exercise to the next as the time enjoyably flies by. The customer service at Essence Pilates has also been very warm and inviting as Kristen has always promptly returned calls and made scheduling easy. I am grateful to Marilee for being so thoughtful in helping me gain more control of my own health!"                                                       - Marie

10/08

I am a survivor! One year and going strong! With thanks to modern medicine, my family and Essence Pilates! I was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer, immediately followed by a mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and two additional surgeries.  Throughout it all, the one advantage in my favor was my work with Marilee at Essence Pilates.  I already had the benefit of working with Marilee for a year prior to diagnosis, and I was very proud of the results.  My overall body was getting toned and my core was strong. What soon became evident after my mastectomy is that it was the pilates work that eased my recovery significantly!  My core strength made such a difference! Even the doctors and nurses commented on my strength.  Once I recovered from the mastectomy, I was told to do Physical Therapy to regain mobility and strength in the area affected.  I did conventional PT, which has only specific targets. I also returned to Essence Pilates.  What I found was that the PT did very little for my body and nothing for my mental recovery.  I consulted my surgeon and immediately quit PT and continued exclusively with Marilee at Essence Pilates. 

Major surgery is an assault on your entire body, not just the area they cut into.  Essence Pilates allowed me to regain full muscle mobility and strength throughout my body, with what seemed like little effort, working at the pace my body dictated. I was also offered much needed diet and nutrition advice.  I am a survivor! Healthier and wiser, forever grateful to Marilee and Essence Pilates!

- Peggy P.