Polestar Graduate Highlight: Vennesa Leopold

We sat down with Polestar graduate Vennesa Leopold to learn about her Pilates practice, teaching and what she does outside the studio! Polestar Pilates: What do you love about teaching? VL: I have a passion and heart for people. I love getting to know them and helping them get the most out of life. I love sharing my knowledge and restoring health. Pilates and movement in general is a way for me to help guide people. I feel like teaching is way of speaking with them without necessarily using words. I love when someone has an “ah-ha” moment, like they finally connected with a certain body part that hasn’t moved in a certain way in years! Polestar Pilates:  What is your current inspiration? VL: At the moment I am really inspired by my husband. He waterskis on a professional level and is currently training towards breaking the world record. To watch someone you love set their sights high and aim for the stars is incredibly inspiring. Polestar Pilates: What brought you to Pilates? VL: I took up Pilates 2 years ago during my pregnancy. I was very sick with nausea and vomiting for most of the pregnancy and every time I tried to exercise it got worse! Pilates was a way I could move without feeling sick. Also, I worked as a physiotherapist in Australia and saw the benefits of Pilates across all areas of health. Overall, I’m just so intrigued by the human body, the interaction between the anatomy, physiology and gravity… it’s just fascinating to me! Polestar Pilates: What do you hope to convey in your teaching? VL: For me when someone has that “ah-ha” moment and they look at you like, “Did you just see what I felt?” I get so excited. I hope to convey that movement is therapy, for the body and the mind. And that it’s never too late to start moving towards greater health. Polestar Pilates: Where would you love to vacation to? VL: I have always wanted to travel back to Santorini, Greece. It’s such a fun place to be- in the middle of the Mediterranean- amazing food, funny people, incredible sunsets and you can ride around on a donkey if you want. Polestar Pilates: What is your favorite quote? VL: I don’t really have a favorite quote as such, but I did hear something recently that really resonated with me. The pastor at our church said, “There is a reason why the rearview mirror is smaller than the front windshield. The past is small, distant and should not be your focus.  The future, however, is big, vast and right out there in front of you.” Polestar Pilates: Describe your movement style. VL: Athletically aware. Don’t even know if that makes sense but that’s the way I would describe it! Being an athlete on a pro level in a very technical sport you have to constantly be aware of where your body is in space. Small adjustments in body position make a huge difference to performance. Pilates is the same way. I like to move in a strong, intentional and athletic way on all pieces of equipment, just as I do on my waterski. Polestar Pilates: Do you have a favorite apparatus? VL: I actually really love the Chair. You can get a whole body workout and wake up feeling sore the next day! You don’t need weights, just yourself. Feeling sore is rewarding to me! Polestar Pilates: What are you reading? VL:  I like to look at books that have pictures in them, so I read a lot of children’s books to my 16 month-old daughter. You can learn a lot from Dr. Seuss! Like our Blog? Sign up for the newsletter – Polestar Life Weekly!