Janet: What brings you to Seattle?
Kayleigh: I’m on a sabbatical, technically, from the job I’ve held these last few years in San Antonio, TX, which was in a symphony orchestra. I was in the finals both times for the symphony job here in Seattle, and I’ve wanted to be able to focus on teaching pilates and yoga, and not just perform in a symphony.
J: How long have you been teaching movement?
K: I started off as a yoga practitioner in 2007, then did my first teacher training in 2011, and along the way realized that I enjoyed teaching movement more than just yoga asana. That led me to take trainings in Yoga Tune Up with Jill Miller, Trina Altman, and Sarah Court, which helped to broaden my understanding of yoga and movement, as well as interest me in other practices. Trina teaches both yoga and pilates, and her style of teaching led me to try pilates again. I had done mat based pilates a long time ago, but it hadn’t grabbed me initially. On a second try, I loved pilates! I just needed to experience the full depth of the work, not just the mat work. I went on to do my comprehensive training in Texas through Balanced Body, with instructor Karen Sanzo in Dallas.
J: Do you prefer teaching pilates over yoga?
K: There are different challenges to the two disciplines. I love the large group dynamic sometimes- yoga classes can be 10-20 people, which is a really fun experience. I took private music lessons for twenty years, so I feel like I really understand and appreciate the private pilates experience, and the magic of having a one on one connection with an instructor. I love the closed kinetic chains of the pilates apparatus, and then yoga gives students a chance to just explore movement with bodyweight, with much less assistance. I do love a yoga savasana though! It’s essentially a “yoga power nap” at the end of the class, in which students rest. I think students of all movement disciplines could take a yoga power nap at the end of their workout, to allow their bodies and nervous system to downregulate.
J: What are you most excited about exploring in Seattle?
K: I love being so close to nature! Everything is so green and tree-filled, which is an extremely different environment than the states I’ve previously lived in. I’m also excited to be around so many great pilates teachers, and have the opportunity to deepen my own practice and teaching.
J: Thanks for sharing~ we are so excited to have you joining the studio!
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.