SOLACE RETREAT WITH SOMA GET FIT

by Janet Rifkin

If you had the chance to design and then enjoy a weekend retreat that was tailored to your own needs and preferences, what would it look like? Would you want to be in a beautiful place, eat wonderful healthy food, to get to know the natural environment of ocean and mountains? Would you want to meditate and have personalized restorative yoga sessions? Would you want to end your evening with the most amazing bodywork you will ever experience? Does that sound better than the usual spa experience where m

ost of your time will be spent inside and eating food that is cooked for multiple guests? Having been to many spas in different parts of the country, my recent weekend at Soma Get Fit was in a different league entirely and far surpasses all my other experiences. Here’s why: For starters, the staff spends considerable time before you arrive to develop a personalized itinerary and menu. They want to know what priorities you have, be it cardio/aerobic, yoga and meditation, hiking, biking, kayaking or other water sports. Once that is established, they develop a schedule that integrates the extraordinary natural environment of Santa Barbara into your entire exper

ience. I biked in town, stopped at a number of beautiful parks where Karen led me and my friend Marlo in Yoga sessions. Scott and Karen took is on an amazing hike into the hills of Romero Canyon where the views and flowers were terrific. We visited a soothing Buddhist temple, which allowed us to appreciate silence and some time for reflection and more. Karen guided us on our kayaking trip in the harbor and educated us about the marine biology of the area.

We went to the Farmer’s Market with our personal chef Lys Poet where we picked out the produce that she transformed into a 4 star meals. Each evening ended with Scott Crawford giving us each the most amazing 2 hours of bodywork. His talent must come from the Gods. His work is magical and you won’t want your session to end.

The activities, the setting, the food and the tone all contribute to this unique experience. But the essential quality of the Soma Get Fit stems from its people. They are invested in creating experiences for their guests that change body and mind. Their goal is to facilitate personal transformations that their guests have envisioned for themselves. They come to you without judgment, they don’t have preconceptions and they really want to “be there” for their guests. They are gentle but determined that the time you spend at Soma Get Fit will mean something, both while you are there and after you leave. The only drawback to this entire experience is that you have to leave. I for one will go back as soon as I can.

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on May 5, 2010 at 9:18 pm, filed under Bodywork, Experiences, Fitness, Hiking, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Los Angeles, Meditation, Pilates, Retreats, Santa Barbara, Yoga and tagged , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Yoga, Pilates, What’s the difference?

Do you know the difference between Yoga and Pilates?  If your answer is no, you aren’t alone.  Over the years as a Pilates Instructor I’ve been asked by friends “how’s yoga going.”   Today that question makes sense as I’m in the middle of a yoga certification.  However, for the past 7 years while I’ve only been teaching Pilates, the question would make me laugh.  Then I sometimes get “what’s the difference between the two”?  My go to answer for years was “think of yoga as mind/body and Pilates as body/mind.”  It seems a little simplistic to me today, but until recently I didn’t really know how to give a more in depth answer.  Now many years into teaching Pilates, practicing yoga, and being immersed in a yoga certification, I feel I can answer with more substance.   Happily I’ve also come to realize that the two compliment one another quite nicely.

While there might be a few similarities between Pilates and yoga, like the obvious increased strength and flexibility, at the core they are quite different.  Pilates has only been around for about 100 years, while yoga with much more spiritual and meditative aspects dates back at least 5,000 years.  Pilates uses apparatus with springs to give bodies the resistance they are unable to find on their own when doing the mat work.  Yoga is all done on a mat, with props and walls used when needed.  I’m so grateful to those walls as they’ve saved me with my inversions on a number of occasions.  Peter Fiasca wrote in his book, Discovering Pure Classical Pilates, “Although some of the postures of yoga may resemble those found in Pure Classical Pilates, it is in the emphasis and execution that one discovers their distinct differences.”  The classical approach to Pilates keeps bodies moving from one exercise to the next with breath being important and core always a constant focus.   Where as yoga poses might be held for many minutes at a time while perfecting the alignment and focusing on breath.  The breath is also linked to movement.  Many  yoga teachers like to have students set an intention in a yoga class and carry that through until the end of class.  Pilates is an all over workout, but the strength starts at the core.  While yoga touches on the core in some of its poses, it definitely isn’t the main focus.

When I started doing Pilates it was because I thought it was similar to yoga but better.  I tried yoga when I was in college and I have the distinct memory of laughing my way through the class with my friends.  It’s funny to think about that now as yoga has become just as important to me as Pilates is.  Honestly I can’t imagine not having either modality in my life.  Pilates might have helped me get to yoga, but I wouldn’t be able to practice yoga the way I do without my Pilates background.  Anyone with experience in Pilates knows the core is the primary focus, but this is not the case with yoga.  Although, recently I have had some yoga teachers do ab work in their classes.  It seems they are beginning to realize the importance of core strength.  I’m convinced that my inversions, which at times are still tricky, haven’t been as hard for me in my yoga training as they have been for my fellow trainees, because of my core strength and understanding.  This goes both ways though.  My mid-back and shoulders tend to get tight and standing over people all day teaching doesn’t help.  I look forward to that first moment in yoga when I get to extend and twist my spine.  I can’t say I love the deep shoulder stretches we do, but I can completely appreciate what they’re doing for me.  There is plenty of extension work in Pilates, but yoga just goes that much deeper.

So for all you yogi’s out there wanting to move your practice forward, why not try Pilates.  And for all you hard core Pilates fanatics, take a stab at yoga and see if you can increase your extension or twists.  If you haven’t tried either, I hope you now have a better understanding of the differences between the two and will pick at least one to add into your workout routine.   I’m a firm believer of cross-training as muscles can be like people and get bored.  Mix it up and have fun!  Take note that there are many styles of yoga and Pilates out there  (another topic for another time) and finding the right style for you is important.

Kristen Matthews teaches Pilates in Los Angeles, and is currently going through Yogaposer’s 200-hour yoga certification.  You can follow Kristen on twitter or become a fan on facebook.  To read more about where she teaches go to www.kristen4pilates.com.

This entry was written by kmatthews, posted on April 28, 2010 at 10:30 am, filed under Los Angeles, Meditation, Pilates, Santa Barbara, Yoga and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Pilates vs. Personal Training

By Kristen Matthews

I recently took a workshop on “The Science of Pilates.”  We discussed the parallels and differences between Personal training and Pilates, and how we (Pilates instructors) fit into the gym world.  Pilates has been around for many years, but it’s really only been the past few that it’s become more mainstream.  With that being said, it can sometimes be a challenge making gym members see the benefits of Pilates.  My goal is to help people realize that Pilates can be an important foundation to any type of physical activity. Both Pilates and PT take clients through workouts that are based on their level from beginner up to advanced.   And in both you work on hypertrophy (changing the muscle), muscular endurance, and muscular strength.  The goal in any type of exercise is to change your body and variety in your workouts will help to reach that goal.

Personal training focuses mostly on concentric motion, which occurs when a muscle shortens in length and develops tension.  An example of this is the upward movement in a bicep curl.   In a training session you typically tear muscle fibers, which creates muscle soreness, lactic acid build-up, and degrades flexibility.   On the other hand, Pilates focuses mostly on eccentric motion.  This is the development of tension while the muscle is being lengthened.  Picture the lowering of the arm in a bicep curl.   Pilates typically stretches muscle fibers because of the focus on eccentric motion and the goal is to find symmetry between strength and flexibility.   Pilates will restructure your body from the inside out, starting at your core.   It’s an all over workout, with many muscle groups working for each exercise.

When putting together your own workout schedule, think about how you can vary it.  As much as I love doing Pilates I’d get bored pretty fast if that was the only type of physical activity that I was doing.   I mix it up by going to yoga classes, hiking with friends, and working with my Personal trainer, Laura Hebert of Santa Monica Sweat.  In every one of those activities I am engaging my core. My yoga is stronger because of my Pilates practice.  The training I’m doing with Laura is helping me see weaknesses that I wasn’t noticing when doing Pilates.  And hiking is a way to get my cardio in and spend time with friends.  Who said working out should be boring!   Remember that the more you do something, the faster you will see results.  If you’re thinking of adding Personal training or Pilates to your routine, aim for doing each two times a week.  You can even start with doing Pilates two times a week and training one day a week or vice versa.  Your body will thank you and so will your health.

This entry was written by kmatthews, posted on March 9, 2010 at 12:54 pm, filed under Fitness, Los Angeles, Pilates and tagged , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Open your heart with Pilates

By Kristen Matthews

When I was 22 years old a massage therapist told me that if I didn’t do something about my posture I would be hunched over by the time I was 30.  Now at 34 people think I am two inches taller than I am and I owe it all to my Pilates practice.  It’s one of the reasons I chose to become an instructor. We live in a society where most of our days are spent in flexion.  Because of this so many people struggle with poor posture, neck pain, and back problems.  I’m sure everyone who sits at a desk all day knows exactly what I am talking about.  No one needs to look like the hunch back of Notre Dame, thanks to Pilates.

I spend my days using the phrase “open your heart” in order to counteract all the flexion in my clients lives.  Think of your body as a box with your hip next to your hip and your shoulder next to your shoulder.  From the side view you want your ear over your shoulder, your shoulder over your hip, and your hip over your ankle.  This applies whether you are standing, on your side, or lying down.  One of my jobs as an instructor is to help clients get their symmetry back.  What I love about Pilates is that there is no lack of extension exercises in the repertoire.  I get to teach them and have fun.  From pulling straps or chest expansion on the reformer, to swan or swimming on the mat, to teaser on the wunda chair, you are constantly working on opening your heart.

In extension exercises you need to work your shoulder blades towards one another while widening your collarbone and engaging your core.   Once you are able to put them all together effortlessly it’s such a freeing feeling.  Strengthening the muscles in the upper part of your back is an important step in standing taller, along with stretching the muscles in your chest.  Being able stand tall and look life in the face is a great accomplishment.  Pilates can be so much more than just a workout especially when you are able to enjoy life more because you’ve gotten rid of aches and pains.  So if you are ready open your heart and let Pilates in you can contact me at krismatthews@yahoo.com.  You can also go to my website at www.kristen4pilates.com to learn more about Pilates and how it may benefit you.

This entry was written by kmatthews, posted on February 6, 2010 at 8:21 am, filed under Fitness, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Los Angeles, Pilates, Santa Barbara and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

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