Bodywork

Manual treatment and massage can complement your work at Balance Within, particularly if you are recovering from injury or illness. It is also a major factor for persons dealing with chronic situations in the body such as misalignment, instability, repetitive uses and stress. Often there are structural or soft tissue situations that must be cleared up to correctly access the muscles used for Pilates. Since correct patterning is a crucial piece of Pilates work, bodywork can be an important key in facilitating Pilates progress.

At Balance Within we work with the entire body and person, and have also the goal of better function in daily life. To achieve this, we work closely with the medical support community and a number of our teachers are also massage therapists. We work closely with like-minded practitioners in the bodywork

Richard is a long-time health care practitioner of bodywork, specializing in massage, and movement awareness. His practical philosophy has always tied in well with that of Balance Within, and there has been a long history of association between Richard and Balance Within in terms of shared patient and client care. Both are dedicated to looking at the whole body from a functional and integrated approach and are committed to working together for the client/patient well being.

• Licensed in 1979, Richard worked at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel for more than 20 years
• Tai Chi Instructor at Community Colleges for over 20 years

Richard has studied many systems of bodywork and brings a broad knowledge base to his treatment. He integrates Swedish massage, Zentherapy (deep structural work), Somatics, Neuromuscular Therapy, myofascial release, and Integrative Acupressure into his treatment. He has completed the Silver Series with Dr. Loren Rex of the URSA Foundation.

Also available by appointment:

Gail holds a BA in Education and has drawn on her education, movement and bodywork background to create Balance Within Pilates Studio. She founded and directed Body Evolution in Minneapolis, MN, providing instruction in aerobics and conditioning as early as 1981. She began her work in Pilates in the early nineties under the mentorship of Elizabeth Larkam of St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. She studied a more traditional Pilates with Cary Regan and formalized her certification through The Pilates Center of Boulder, CO. Balance Within was founded in 1995 and in-house teacher training and certification began in 1997. The training now draws in serious Pilates students from across the state. Gail continues to study and absorb the work of all the master Pilates teachers and prominent figures in movement she can find, and pursues ongoing studies in bodywork to bring as much knowledge as she can to her clients and students. Gail is a licensed massage practitioner and studies at the URSA Foundation, where she completed the highly respected Silver Series. She is a Gold Certified member of the Pilates Method Alliance and the more she practices and teaches, the more she sees the essential connection between intelligent bodywork and functional Pilates. She firmly believes Pilates work is not an event, but a process – a lifelong process.

Katie, a long-time equestrienne, started as a client at Balance Within to polish her riding skills and was inspired to learn more about Pilates and share that knowledge with others. She joined the Balance Within studio training for teachers and has flourished as a teacher ever since. A few years after completing her certification she graduated from massage school, which has enriched what she can bring to clients as a teacher. Katie is the senior teacher at Balance Within and assists in the training program and mentors new trainees. She is also available for bodywork sessions and continues her training in that field with the URSA Foundation and the Upledger Institute.

Malia began practicing Pilates in 1993 to rehabilitate an injury sustained while dancing ballet. After five years of Pilates practice, Malia attended the prestigious Brain Utting School of Massage in Seattle, WA. Since beginning her massage practice in 2000 at Balance Within Movement Studio, Malia has gained a reputation as a highly intuitive and knowledgeable treatment practitioner. She focuses on a whole body approach integrating a wide variety of manual techniques specific to the needs of each client. Her in-depth knowledge of movement and treatment assists each client in getting the most out of their bodywork and Pilates sessions.