Polestar
Life Blog

Moving the World for 30 Years

Pilates

Educator Highlight : Karyn Staples PhD

I was a gymnast as a child and the movement made sense to me. In June 2002 I began the doctoral program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (Provo, UT) with the focus area of Orthopedics and Sports Science. The program provided access to wonderful teachers, mentors, and classmates from all over the USA. Through all of my doctoral work, I had continued my personal Pilates practice and decided to pursue a comprehensive teacher training program (the completion of the program counted towards my required practicuum). I was drawn to Polestar Pilates for the rehabilitation background and how the program would enhance my physical therapy practice. I completed the program in May 2005 and completed the Advanced Teacher Training coursework in January 2011.Read More

Pilates Beyond Muscles & Bones: The Autonomic Nervous System in Motion

Many people turn to Pilates to help them recover from injury, overcome chronic pain and physical limitations, and improve posture. With those goals at the forefront it can be easy for Pilates practitioners to focus in on muscle tissue health, biomechanics, and, of course, movement quality. That is what Pilates teachers know a lot about and tend to utilize in helping their clients improve and in reaching their goals.Read More

Educator Highlight: Heather Brummett

From my first class, I knew I wanted to do something with Pilates. While dancing I suffered a significant ankle injury and had to see a PT. This, coupled with anatomy and physiology classes at a community college in LA, sparked my interest in PT. Just after graduating from PT school in 2001, I took a course from Brent Anderson, teaching Pilates in rehabilitation. I then signed up for the Polestar Pilates Comprehensive Course and continued to take more and more courses from the awesome teachers in the Polestar family.Read More

Educator Highlight : Katrina Hawley

“Pilates is so varied that there is a challenge for any body, and as I continue to practice I love that I can continue to challenge my own body by simply progressing the method…it makes the possibilities infinite.”Read More

Meet Kristin Loeer: Polestar Pilates Mentor

For some time now I’ve worked with a focus on the nervous system in movement. I have undergone further training in applied neuroscience and NLP coaching. Currently I am undergoing long term training in Somatic Experiencing, which is a method of trauma resolution through the felt sense and the autonomic nervous system (the part that deals with fight or flight and restoration and learning). Read More

Educator Highlight : Angela Crowley

As a former gymnast and dancer, I always expected to have control over my body. A serious car accident took that control away. I lost fine motor use in my right hand and if I sat for an hour my right leg fell asleep. Traditional approaches including hospitalization in traction and intensive physical therapy didn’t lead to much progress or hope. I was told to learn to write with the other hand and that I would not be able to dance or do things like running or skiing again. I didn’t believe it. A pivotal moment was when I met a Naturopathic doctor Mark Manton who changed my life and is one of my mentors to this day. He applied and educated me in a holistic approach which included diet, acupuncture, neuromuscular therapy, osteopathy, meditation and movement re-education through Feldenkrais then Pilates. I became a massage and movement therapist integrating Pilates. Read More