I first discovered Pilates in college where I enrolled in a mat class that I thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn’t until I began practicing Pilates at Pilates at the Plaza that I gained an understanding of what Pilates is really about. Through my private training sessions of therapeutic movement therapy, I began to heal from the wounds caused by my own life’s emotional and physical trauma. This healing experience is what truly sparked my love for Pilates. Pilates not only brought awareness to my body and mind in ways I never thought possible, it also brought awareness of the endless factors that can affect one’s body.
I studied Pilates at Turing Point Studios and am a certified instructor through Balanced Body University. I also have my certification for Z-Health R-Phase for restoration, rehabilitation and remobilization. With the skills and knowledge I have gained from the R-Phase training, I am able to guide my students with a new understanding of the nervous system and the tools to help correct problematic movement patterns. My most recent certification acquired is for pre-natal and post-natal Pilates. The study of pre-natal and post-natal health and fitness has sparked a new interest in the pelvic floor and it’s importance for overall health in women and men. I find these new areas of interest especially intriguing at this time in my life because my husband and I are expecting our first child, a baby girl this June.
I teach with compassion, patience and attention to detail. My approach is meant to make my students feel safe and comfortable. As I continue exploring the path to health and wellness through movement, I look forward to sharing my new knowledge with you and inviting you to accompany me on my enlightening journey.
Movement has been a part of my life ever since my parents enrolled me in dance classes at the Linkletter/Totten School of Dance in La Habra, California at age 5. I studied tap, ballet, jazz and character dance. Dance training turned into a love of moving and expression. I played sports and danced through high school making dances to Earth, Wind and Fire, Joni Mitchell and many others. In college I fell in love with musical theater, modern dance and performance art working with Hangers, Rudy Perez and Sara Elgart and Dancers. My life in Southern California was full of learning possibilities but I decided to move to Northern California in 1984.
I have my BA in Theater from CSU Fullerton and MA in Dance Choreography from UCLA. I formed Mary Reid/Smaller Than Life in 1985 after moving to San Francisco. Smaller Than Life worked together until 2001 performing in theaters and festivals around San Francisco, Los Angeles and the East Bay.
In 1989, I began studying Pilates-based rehabilitative movement with Patrice Whiteside and Elizabeth Larkham at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco. I received my certification in 1990. Other influences include Ideokinesis, Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals. I have studied with Andre Bernard, Mercy Sidbury, Marie-Jose Blom, Betsy Kagan and more. For the past several years, I have been training in Z-Health and have taken Essentials, R-Phase, I-Phase and S-Phase. In addition to teaching at Pilates at the Plaza, I remain on staff at St. Francis Memorial Hospital’s Center for Sports Medicine satellite clinic in Walnut Creek for over 19 years.