Hello everyone, I  want to thank you for taking the time to listen to S5 and a very special thank you to my subscribers, Buttercup Sally, Li-Ma, Rachel and Pat. Please consider supporting this podcast as I hope  you agree with my subscriber's sentiments, “Darien, you consistently produce quality shows that are filled with information and inspiration.” A very special thank you to my audio engineer, Fabian and my music composer, AKA Johnny. I'm also looking for a show assistant, please contact...

As we close Season 5, it's only fitting that we end with the student who studied with Joe Pilates the longest, Anna Shaffer. As Anna says, proper posture or “proper body alignment” as Joe reminded her throughout her studies, gives you confidence and elegance both physically and psychologically.  Anna shares more memories of her time with Joe Pilates. About Darien Gold ~  https://www.dariengold.com Music credits ~ Instagram: @theotherjohnmayer Email: [email protected] To...

This is a beautiful account of how Joe’s work has helped to heal the body, mind and soul. Today’s episode is a touching one. It involves the church, the prison system and a woman who took her own suffering and discovered how the power of Pilates could save her and others. My guest is Paula M, a new Pilates teacher who offers classes for church members and at a women’s local detention center. Paula refers to these classes as her Pilates ministry and her goal is to bring out the beauty in the...

Have you heard of a Method called ELDOA? This modality was created by world-renowned osteopath, Guy Voyer who designed it to help bring the body into balance and to heal the spine. Our guest today, Sarah King is a Pilates teacher who teaches Guy Voyer's work  to classical Pilates teachers in Berlin, Germany. Sarah has a manual therapy background so it’s no wonder she was drawn to another type of modality that has hints of yoga but also offers it within an osteopathic framework.  About Darien...

Teacher’s - Have you ever had a disruptive student? If so, how did you handle this situation? And if you’re a student, have you ever had a teacher you wanted to divorce? Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams is our guest today and I’ve asked her to talk about how to navigate uncomfortable conversations in our studios. Jennifer is a communications expert, keynote speaker, facilitator and author. About Darien Gold ~  https://www.dariengold.com Music credits ~ Instagram:...

Every Monday morning while having my coffee in bed, I log on to my Youtube account and listen and watch Gil Hedley and his Monday morning anatomy offering. Two human forms he respectfully refers to as Anna and Zee, help him share his vast anatomy knowledge. So whether it’s a joint in the body, the heart and lung relationship or the nervous system, Gil’s compassion, wisdom and humor fills my morning. In case you haven’t heard of my guest, Gil Hedley - he is the creator of Integral Anatomy, an...

Jen Murphy, our guest today writes for the Wall Street Journal and has two columns: What's Your Workout and Anatomy of a Workout. Recently, Jen wrote the WSJ article, Men Suddenly Feel the Pull of Pilates, helping to further promote the reality that the Pilates Method is for every Body. Jen has interviewed public figures from Sarah Palin and the Rev. Al Sharpton to Drew Brees and Lester Holt on their fitness habits. I wanted you, my listeners, to hear Jen’s thoughts on why she thinks it’s...

As America continues to grapple with its cultural and racial challenges, our very own Pilates community is still experiencing these divisive issues. In this episode, we hear from Rayannah Salahuddin and Rachel Gray, co-owners of Pilates School San Francisco. Classically trained and eternally curious, Rayannah and Rachael have created a unique business model designed to welcome students who otherwise couldn’t afford Pilates classes and more specifically, those in the black, brown and LGBTQ...

There has been a flurry of published Pilates manuals coming out of Germany, and more specifically, authored by a Pilates instructor named Reiner Grootenhuis. As a Pilates studio owner, Reiner recognized a need to document Joe’s method in all of its heritage. Reiner has published a number of books, including the well received biography on Carola Trier, one of Joe’s most talented students. About Darien Gold ~  https://www.dariengold.com Music credits ~ Instagram: @theotherjohnmayer Email:...

In this episode, Sonje Mayo, a Pilates educator and physical therapist talks about how she’s combines her experiences as a Joe Pilates student with her physical therapy background. In 2018 when All Things Pilates was a live radio show, Sonje was a guest and I and my listeners learned a bit about her. For instance, we learned about Sonje moving from her South African home to dance in England and then to NewYork City to continue her dance career. She also told us about studying dance at the...

Our guest today is Marcela Zia, a former professional ballet dancer, who now represents Empower Pilates, a classical Pilates apparatus company in Brazil. Based on Joe Pilates original designs, but also responsive to the teachers who use the equipment, this company is the latest in the growing need for quality classical apparatus. When I refer to Joe’s apparatus as “classical” for those who don’t know, it implies that Joe’s designs are carefully preserved with minimal changes, if any. I...

Now part of the Penguin Random House Author club, Gwen Miller is all smiles and is here to share what it’s like to be a new published author. Last season, Gwen helped us understand about various spinal pathologies and how she was preparing for the publication of her upcoming book, Safe Movement for All Spines. Today, I thought we’d like to hear from Gwen again, about how it felt to see her book in print, what the response has been and what she hopes to accomplish with her book.  About Darien...

In this episode, we’re going to hear from two very influential Pilates educators, Pat Guyton and Kevin Bowen. You may recall from last season listening to the wonderful Pat Guyton and if you’ve been following me for a few years, you might have heard my radio interview with Kevin Bowen on KPCA-Petaluma. Pat and Kevin have known and worked with each other ever since Kevin founded the Pilates Method Alliance in 2000. And both of my guests have gone on to teach and mentor Pilates teachers around...

Healing is a word that’s tossed around a lot, even in the Pilates community. But what constitutes healing and how do we know if healing is taking place? There are many paths to healing, and the melodic sound and vibrational quality of crystal bowls is such a path. Here to explain about this growing field is Carrie Miller, a Pilates teacher who teaches Pilates in Scottsdale, Arizona and has added sound healing into her teaching. About Darien Gold ~  https://www.dariengold.com Music credits ~...

Our hands. How often do you think about your hands and all they do for you each and everyday? We put them to work the moment we get out of bed until we turn the lights off at night. Our hands grab, wave, lift, hold, caress..and in addition, our wrists and arms allow us to practice for example, the Long Stretch series on the Reformer, or the Pull Up on the Wunda chair. Did you know that the forearm alone has over twenty muscles? Though crucial to everyday activities, our hands don’t get all...

As you may recall, in 2000 the Pilates community experienced a collective sigh as the Pilates trademark was litigated in a court of law. However, this lawsuit resulted in the Pilates name not deemed proprietary. Now, in 2023, there is yet, another Pilates lawsuit pending, and my guest today Mary Kelly is right smack in the middle of it. Boston born, Mary, after discovering Pilates in 2008, went on to certify through Romana’s Pilates in 2016. I’ve asked Mary to share her perhaps cautionary...

Hello Pilates Lovers..Just 2 weeks away until All Things Pilates Season Five launches! And as usual, there are varied topics such as details of a Pilates lawsuit, an author’s new book about the spine, insights into cadavers and a healing modality using crystal bowls for the Pilates student. So mark your calendars for June 6th and be prepared for the provocative, the inspirational and lots and lots of opinions! See you very soon and as always, thank you so much for supporting All Things Pilates!

During Season Four, you learned about some of our Pilates history, how best to heal from a hip replacement, the emergence of new authors and even advice and tips on how to run a successful studio. As 2022 comes to a close, I’d like to acknowledge all of my podcast guests and to say thank you very much for sharing a little about yourself… Today’s podcast appearance: Jonathan Grubb Alison Jones Roberta Gratz Jennifer DeLuca Nancy Chin John Vignola Anna Shaffer Mary Bowen Christina Gadar Pat...

The Pilates Method Alliance had its beginnings in 2001.  Kevin Bowen and Colleen Glenn, both Pilates teachers, shared a mutual interest in preserving Joe’s Method. So they invited Pilates teachers, including the First Generation - Ron Fletcher, Mary Bowen, Kathy Grant, Lolita San Miguel and even Romana Kryzanowska, though she didn’t attend. Also, equipment company owners, Ken Endelman and Moria Stott. They all met in Miami, Florida to form an organization and they set out to create a...

My guest today is Roberta Gratz, co-owner of Gratz Industries and wife of the late Donald Gratz, whose father Frank along with a business partner opened a custom metal fabrication business Treitel/Gratz in New York City in the 1920’s. When Mr. Tretial moved on, Frank renamed the business Gratz Industries, Inc. and continued to fabricate sculptures, metal furniture and produce industrial design prototypes for many of the worlds top designers. Donald, Frank’s younger son joined his father after...

Second Generation Pilates instructors, like myself are referred to as such because we’ve had the privilege of learning the Method from one of Joseph Pilates’ disciples. But there are a handful of us who have had the opportunity to work with more than one disciple and and one of those instructor’s is my guest today. Her name is Pat Guyton. Though Pat wouldn’t begin her Pilates journey until 1984, she actually met Bruce King 1976, the first of 3 Joe Pilates disciples that she would eventually,...

This podcast has featured First Generation Pilates teachers, Second Generation teachers, authors, photographers, equipment owners and even a Pilates historian, but I’ve yet to feature just a regular guy who has taken a liking to the Pilates method. I thought it might be interesting for us to hear from a Pilates civilian, if you will, who also happens to be my BIL - brother-in-law, John Vignola or JV, as everyone calls him. When I was healing from Covid, my sister and JV were so gracious in...

Jonathan Grubb, Pilates historian appeared on my show for the first time a couple of years ago. He talked about his history based Facebook page, called, “Joseph’s Legacy - Pilates 100 + which at the time had already attracted five thousand followers.  Jonathan has lived almost his entire life on the Isle of Man which is a small island in the Irish Sea off the coast of Great Britain. He was introduced to the Pilates Method in 2013, but he had no idea at the time how his life would intersect...