2011 dates for Pilates Instructor Training are posted!

We've posted the 2010/2011 Balanced Body(TM) Pilates Instructor Training schedule with new options for weekday or weekend modules.

***We have some great discounts too if you choose to sign up for more than one training: $25 off if you sign up for 2 courses at the same time, $50 off for 3, and $100 off the total if you sign up for the full comprehensive training. ***

As an official host site for Balanced Body(TM) (BB) we offer high quality Pilates Instructor training programs and continuing education opportunities from top instructors in the US and around the world. BBI shares BB's philosophy of welcoming instructors from many different backgrounds to learn the Pilates method and to make it more available for people from all walks of life.

The curriculum includes the traditional Pilates Mat, Reformer, Trapeze Table, Chair and Barrels repertoire as well as modifications and additional exercises designed to make teaching Pilate safe, effective and fun. The curriculum is straightforward and consistent with the current Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) guidelines.


Here are the dates for the rest of 2010 and all of 2011:

Reformer 1 | Nov 18-20, 2010
Anatomy | Jan 14-15, 2011
Mat 1 | Jan 24-27, 2011
Mat 1 | Jan 28-30, 2011
Mat 2 | Feb 21-24, 2011
Mat 2 | Feb 25-27, 2011
Reformer 1 | Mar 18-20, 2011
Reformer 1 | Mar 28-31, 2011
Reformer 2 | Apr 1-3, 2011
Reformer 2 | Apr 18-21, 2011
Reformer 3 | May 13-14, 2011
Reformer 3 | May 23-26
Trapeze Table | Jun 6-10, 2011
Trapeze, Chair & Barrel 1 | Jul 8-9, 2011
Trapeze, Chair & Barrel 2 | Aug 12-13, 2011
Trapeze, Chair & Barrel 3 | Sep 9-10, 2011
EXO Chair 1 | Oct 3-6, 2011
Barrels | Oct 22, 2011
Barrels | Nov 2, 2011

EXO Chair 2 | Dec 2-3, 2011

Read up on the Balanced BodyTM on their website or call 1-800-PILATES for more information. Registration is handled through the BB website www.pilates.com and please feel free to call with your questions.

Stress Reduction & Movement Workshop ~ A Beginner Gyrokinesis Progression

Feel like you are being pulled in too many directions to stay on track? Learn how to manage your mind-body movement, lower your blood pressure, expand your breath and challenge your mind. Free your spine through spirals, circles and waves! Learn to connect your breath and movement. Taught on both the stool and mat, you'll learn the foundation of Gyrokenesis from the ground up in this fun and informative four-part series.

Stress Reduction & Movement Workshop ~ a Beginner Gyrokinesis Progression

with Vicki Sullivan, Phd, RD, LD

Mondays from 4-5pm

Oct 25, Nov 1, Nov 8, Nov 15

$50 for the whole series

Reservations are necessary for this series, please call 223-4079

or email bodybi@gmail.com to reserve your space.

About Vicki Sullivan, Phd, RD, LD | Vicki is certified in Pilates through Physical Mind Institute and has over 28 years of fitness experience. Vicki joined the Balanced Body University staff in 2009 as a Master Pilates Trainer. She is additionally certified in GYROTONIC® and GYROKENESIS®. Vicki is a Registered Dietitian and holds a PhD in Nutrition Science & Molecular Biology and a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology, both from the University of Florida. She has conducted over 500 CEU workshops on various health, fitness, and nutrition topics for health professionals across the country. Vicki has published numerous papers and educational materials in nutrition and fitness and has been an adjunct professor at the University of North Florida since 1997.

The Elements of Hatha Yoga with Jonas Trinidad, RYT

Find the right ingredients to build, nourish and sustain your yoga practice! On four consecutive Sundays beginning October 31st, Jonas Trinidad, RYT, will guide four distinctive classes exploring yoga through the elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Spirit. Classes meet at 9am and are a full 90 minutes in length.

The Elements of Hatha Yoga with Jonas Trinidad, RYT

Sundays from 9-10:30am

Oct 31, Nov 7, Nov 14 & Nov 21

$15 drop in or $48 for the whole series

. . . true yoga comes from your HEART, not your body . . .

Oct 31 | EARTH * Asana | Find your roots, foundation, bandhas (pelvic floor and deep core), alignment, slow flow, basics, get grounded for life!

Nov 7 | WATER * Vinyasa | Connect breath with movement, introduce drishti (focused gaze), intermediate poses, increased pace & rhythm, go with the flow!

Nov 14 | FIRE * Tapas | Combine foundation and flow, move a little faster and add more challenge, can you handle the heat?

Nov 21 | SPIRIT * Meditation | Explore concentration, the subtle practice, get into the spirit of yoga!

Call us 223-4079 or email bodybi@gmail.com to reserve your spot!

About Jonas Trinidad, RYT

In a class with Jonas you'll find genuine enthusiasm for yoga as a tool for finding freedom. He teaches a flowing style of practice that emphasizes moving from the core with awareness. Melodious chants are usually included, inspired by the wisdom of vedic chanting. All of this is held together by the three "ingredients" which can transform any practice into a meditation; pranayama, bandha and dristhi.

Jonas completed the Two Suns Rising Yoga Teacher Training with Didier and Anne Razon which focused on the psychological and spiritual benefits of Yoga as well as the philosophy. He has continued his studies with Christopher Baxter on the principles of TRUE core engagement and alignment, including work with mula bandha. Jonas continues to study the teachings of the Vedas independently and also through one of his teachers Brahmacharini Arpita, who runs the Chinmaya Vedanta mission in Elkton.

Currently Jonas practices Ashtanga and Ashtanga's "grandchild" the Vinyasa flow style. Both styles are focused on utilizing breath control (pranayama), practicing focus and concentration by controlling the gaze (dristhi) and of course the poses (asana),noting that asana means seat, so not just "doing" the pose,but residing or having a "seat" within it, truly being in it and applying the bandhas or "locks." Each and every asana or movement into an asana is linked to the breath. This defines Vinyasa.

In a class with Jonas you will find all of the above included; the enthusiasm for yoga as a tool for becoming free as taught by Two Sun's rising, which is inspired by the Siddha Yoga tradition. A flowing style of practice; emphasis is always brought back to the core and moving mindfully with awareness. Melodious chants are usually included, inspired by the wisdom of vedic chanting. All of this is held together by the three "ingredients" which can transform any practice into a meditation; pranayama, bandha and dristhi.

Fresh ideas for your home practice!

Roll through the rest of 2010 refreshed! Join Instructor Lisa Long to learn Foam Roller techniques that will help keep you focused and trim around the middle this holiday season. This workshop features new Roller sequences & concepts to deepen and expand your practice. The roller offers tremendous potential to help alleviate pain, teach integration, and activate core stability muscles. Participants will receive a printed home practice. Class size limited. Space reserved when payment received. First come, first served. Participants must be able to get up and down from the floor.

Roller Refresher

with Lisa Long

Sunday, Nov 14 from 3-4:15pm

Body Balance Institute

4776 Hodges Blvd, Suite 204

in the downstairs Group Studio (Fitness by Fronk)

$20 if you bring your own foam roller

or $50 if you purchase one at the workshop

jaxpilates.com | longlisa.com

Anusara-Inspired Instructor Lisa Long is an E-RYT 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, 500 hours) as well as a Pilates Equipment teacher. She has the added distinction of being Jacksonville's first Body Balance Yoga Therapy Certified Teacher. She has been teaching fitness enthusiasts for 20 years. Lisa's workshops usually fill, so please register early.

Please feel welcome to bring your own mat & water. To attend, each participant must have their own 3' x 6" Foam Roller. We have 12 premium blue EVA foam rollers available at discounted workshop pricing. Typically, these quality rollers retail for $45.

To register, mail in the registration form or call 904.223.4079.

Pilates helps this enthusiast claim FIRST in a SUPing race!

We are thrilled to spotlight Erica Neyburski as our latest Featured Client. For those of you lucky enough to meet her around the studio you'll remember her beautiful smile and sunny personality. We've been fortunate to have her in our classes and workshops since we opened.

Erica has practiced Mat and Equipment based Pilates with BBI instructors Julie Baskin and Jenny Landells, and regularly attends yoga classes with Lisa Long. Her interest in Pilates inspired her to attend several Pilates + Props workshops so she could dive a little deeper into the work.

Recently, Erica was able to apply the strength, coordination, stability and flexibility she's developed in her regular practice of Pilates and yoga to a new sport - Stand-Up Paddleboarding - where she picked up First Place in her event! This was her first event in this sport, EVER!

Here's Erica's story in her own words:

This past spring I embarked on a new found passion: stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). A SUP is a board that is larger and thicker than a traditional surfboard making it more buoyant, allowing me to stand up on top of the board even in motionless water. I use a long paddle to propel myself on the water.

SUPing is a lot of fun but challenging because it requires tremendous balance, core strength and stability. Years of practicing Pilates and yoga has helped me pick up this sport with a real advantage over other newcomers as I incorporate the principles and techniques of proper alignment, standing well, using my breath, and paddling from my core when I'm out on the water.

On a whim and with the support and encouragement of my husband and a friend, I signed up for a paddle race just days before the event was to take place. Still new to SUPing and with minimal distance training I decided to go for it anyway.

Up to race day my paddling was limited to pleasure cruises in calm waters - but this day I battled chest high waves and rough seas. To add to the challenge, the race was extended from the 2.4 miles I'd signed up for - to 5.3! Regardless, I kept my focus and did what I went out there to do. Not only did I finish, but I managed to take home the 1st Place trophy in the women's division!

I know that the physical strength and confidence I have in myself now can be directly attributed to my Pilates training. A challenge like competitive SUPing would have been unquestionably more difficult without this background. I am looking forward to entering more SUP races next season!

Thank you Erica for being such a great client ~ your dedication to Pilates is inspiring to us all!

We would love to highlight YOU in our client of the week section! If you are interested in sharing your story with Pilates, Gyrotonic, or any of the other services we offer here at Body Balance Institute, we'd like to include you. Send us an email or give us a call if you are interested.