"My mission is to help students become stronger, more confident, physically and mentally secure by providing them with the tools, exercises, and discipline to perform Pilates exercises, deepen their understanding of the Method, and gain greater mastery of their movements and their lives."
-Teri Lee Steele
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Teri uses her knowledge of anatomy, physics, exercise science, and the Pilates movement principles to create sessions which are client-specific in order to address and correct muscular and postural imbalances. Utilizing the Core Principal movements of Pilates as well as an understanding of the effects of gravity on the body in specific positions, she has created a vast repertoire of Pilates exercises which consistently challenge her clients and students. She is extremely attentive to the correct form while seeking to increase muscular strength, endurance, and range of motion.
STEELE PILATES truly focuses on the "how you are doing" versus the "what you are doing." There is a greater level of focus on the process rather than the product. This attention to detail enables every student to develop a positive relationship with their body - empowering them to make choices about their own movement quality and building the confidence and the desire to establish perfection. The classes are mentally and physically challenging.
WHAT IS STEELE PILATES?
What makes STEELE PILATES unique is Teri Steele's sequencing and variations. By incorporating the use of active rest phases into the hour session, the class moves seamlessly from one exercise into another, ultimately challenging endurance as well as muscular strength. Students leave feeling "worked from the inside out", their bodies and brains "buzzing with energy and new information."
To educate students so that they can re-educate their own bodies and minds is at the core of STEELE PILATES. Teri seeks to "supportively challenge" everyone she crosses paths with. She is happy when she sees people regain control of their bodies and movement choices.
MY POINT OF VIEW
The human body is a very interesting thing. As an instructor of movement and exercise where in most cases, we are using our own body weight and gravity as the resistance for each exercise, I have found myself most curious recently about how to train my students to understand and appreciate that they have many choices for how they move.
Rather than focus on the choreography of the exercises or even the proper form and techniques for accomplishing each exercise sequence, I find myself with the desire to be able to teach my students more globally. It is no longer enough for me to see that my students can do each exercise well or that they can “survive a class with Teri.” I want to see that they understand the core and movement principals of Pilates and how they are unique to approach not only the Pilates exercises but how they can and should be applied to any and all movements - from climbing subway stairs to recreational or professional sports activities of any kind.
I want them to understand how their bodies move - how the muscles work to create movement as well as how different types of muscular contractions can affect the quality or speed of movements. I want them to acknowledge how their body positions relative to gravity can make an exercise easier or more challenging and mostly I want them to commit to staying curious and investigative during their movements in order to develop a relationship with their bodies so they can become confident in their ability to make choices about how they move. Is that too much to ask??? I am not sure, but I'm giving it my best shot.
I am lucky to have found my passion very early in life and it seems that my paths have always taken me to right where I want to be. All of my education has sincerely supported my interest in the human body, health, disease prevention and quality of movement. It takes true commitment to obtain the depth of knowledge and understanding required to produce creative yet effective and safe programs. I am a true believer in multi-faceted training and love figuring out the specific needs of special populations; whether it be the extremely fit, the injured, or the aging. Each individual presents a puzzle that I most enjoy figuring out.
The principles of Pilates
Mindful, present activity that coordinates breath and movement and focuses on the quality of each movement – are highly effective for the committed client.
The principles of Personal Training
Creating appropriate protocols for endurance, strength or power; utilizing the principles of specificity and overload and following through with proper progression are vital to the success of each client’s program.
The power of combining these two modalities for my clientele cannot be understated. Many Pilates clients are unaware of the potential training effects of creating new exercise orders and/or altering the number of sets or repetitions of each exercise performed. Conversely, many personal training clients feel that just being physically present at the gym or the session and “doing” the program is enough to yield results. When progression and mindfulness are combined, there seems to be nothing that the steadfast client cannot accomplish. Many of the roadblocks previously experienced seem to either vanish or the causes become evident.