The Health Connexion YOGA

As variety is the spice of life, yoga is the spice of exercise.

At Pilates Health Connexion we are proud to be able to offer a variety of exercises to give the body a balanced wholesome workout.

Yoga, a thousand year old exercise and meditation method has many benefits. It can improve flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina. In addition, many people who practice yoga say that it reduces anxiety and stress, improves mental clarity, and even helps them sleep better.

Although yoga includes physical exercise, it is also a lifestyle practice for which exercise is just one component. Training your mind, body, and breath, as well as connecting with your spirituality, are the main goals of the yoga lifestyle.

Sandee Versace offers the following classes:

Hatha Yoga Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:30pm-1:30pmHatha yoga focuses on asanas, or poses. A person who practices yoga goes through a series of specific poses while controlling his or her breathing. You will learn the sun-salutations, the warrior poses and balancing poses among others.

Gentle Yoga Tuesays and Thursday at 2:30pm-3:30pm
This is a good beginner yoga class. It also good for athletes who need to stretch. Slow with concentrating on breathing and holding poses this yoga hour leaves you relaxed and rejuvenated.

Vinyasa Yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30pm-6:30pm
This type of yoga will give you more of a vigorous workout that leaves you sweating. Combining the hatha poses with more advanced movements this class attracts the athlete.

Namaste

Foundations of Pilates

by Suzanne Diffine
What makes Pure Classical Pilates so distinctive? Joseph Pilates’ unique method of physical fitness is a whole body workout. Mastery of The Method will improve posture, mental acuity, proprioception, core strength, and coordination. It is designed to prepare the body for daily life.
The classical system is comprised of a specific sequence of exercises, providing a wide variety of modifications for a variety of physical issues. Exercises are sequenced for a reason. They are not just randomly selected. Renowned trainer Peter Fiasca notes that, “Each exercise – and each set of exercises – must build upon the proper placement, articulation, energy, flow, and shape of the preceding exercise or set of exercises” (Fiasca, Discovering Pure Classical Pilates). Certain muscles act as stabilizers, enabling other muscles to mobilize. As the body constantly moves through the repertoire, tremendous mental concentration is required to maintain proper alignment.
The repertoire and the complexity of The Method “is sufficiently complex to study for a lifetime…” (Fiasca, Discovering Pure Classical Pilates). Pilates “Elder” Jay Grimes agrees. Grimes studied directly under Joseph Pilates and has taught for forty years. He confesses that it takes at least 3-5 years to master Pilates. But don’t let that discourage you. You will feel and look better within a few sessons.

My Pilates Story from Anna

I started Pilates about 5 years ago. I had a major inflammation in BOTH elbows from doing websites (switched hands once I could not use the right anymore) and sitting on the computer for hours. After 3 cortison shots, 20 sessions with a chiropractor, 10 sessions of acupunture, numerous massages and days where I could not dress myself or wash my hair, my friend Arlene told me about Pilates. Never having heard of it and having tried everything else I took classes with Linda at Bally's on the allegro reformers. Linda kept telling me to try sessions on the Gratz cadillac.. what a difference. Now 5 years later I am pain free and own a Pilates studio :)

My Pilates Story from Elizabeth

I started doing Pilates at age 13 to supplement my ballet training. It had been recommended to me by a few of my other pre-professional ballet friends as a great way to cross-train without risking injury. Over the years, through two moves—from south Florida to New York City and then to Philadelphia (and also two summer studies in Seattle and Boston) I have always made sure to find a studio to keep up my Pilates exercises. This summer was the first one I have spent almost exclusively at home in four years, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find a great studio. So I am so happy to have found Pilates Health Connexion! As a young professional dancer, I find that Pilates greatly helps to strengthen all the muscles necessary to perform well, and most importantly: it never ceases to challenge me. I’m looking forward to going back to work this fall already back in shape and ready to dance!
Elizabeth Mateer

My Pilates Story from Linda

I recently returned to Pilates training at Pilates Health Connexion after about a 7 year absence from practicing Pilates. I was really enjoying it along with the spinning I do at another facility. About 5 weeks ago, I fe...ll on my stairs and fractured my left instep. OMG. What was I going to do to maintain my health and my figure?!! Since I was off from work for the summer, I started to take classes about 5 - 6 times per week at Pilates Connexion; always being nervous that my lack of cardio would adversely affect my figure. In fact, just the opposite happened! I'm in better shape than I was when I was spinning several times per week. I'm so happy that I've made this "Pilates Connection".
Linda Weiss Rose