pilates

Client Corner: 100 Days of 100 Complete!

Sue doing the 100!

Sue has been taking Pilates in Glastonbury for over 6 years. While some people groan when it’s time for planks, Sue’s personal nemesis is the roll up. Her goal is to one day do it without using a flex band.

With that in mind, when her instructor Maggie mentioned an abdominal challenge in class, Sue was interested to see if it could help her build core strength for the roll up. She thought to herself “this is probably a challenge I should take on.”

The challenge was 100 days of the 100, where participants were asked to do the Pilates exercise the 100, one hundred days in a row. The 100 is an exercise that you’ll find in almost any Pilates class. It consists of lying with your back on the mat, upper body curled up, legs in the air (usually) and completing 100 arm beats while holding the position. It typically comes early in class and gets the entire body warmed up by getting you in tune with your breath and your blood pumping. To read more about why we do this challenge check out […]

Client Corner: 100 Days of 100 Complete!Maggie Downie2017-12-29T20:59:00-05:00

Why We Do the 100

Last Saturday was day 50 of 100 days of the 100. That means that we’ve come up with over 50 ways to do the 100….and we now have just under 50 more to go (so don’t forget to share your photos and videos!) Maggie doing the 100 at an historic site in Wethersfield.

The 100 is an exercise that you will find in almost any Pilates class. It involves lying with your back on the mat, body curled up, holding the position and completing 100 arm beats. It typically comes early in class and gets the entire body warmed up by getting your breath going and your blood moving. The exercise engages all of your major abdominal muscles, helping you to build strength that will not only assist you in class, but that you will be able to take into everyday life.

In order to hold your body up for an extended period of time, as you do in the 100, you must have endurance, specifically abdominal endurance. The only way to get endurance is to build it, which the […]

Why We Do the 100Maggie Downie2017-12-29T21:21:21-05:00

Client Corner: The Sow’s Ear

In our new segment highlighting great businesses, goals and adventures of Personal Euphoria clients, this week we visit Glastonbury.

Sarah and Monica in their shop!

Looking for a unique gift? Look no further than The Sow’s Ear in Glastonbury.

When you first walk into the store you’re met with a cozy, rustic vibe making you feel more as if you’re visiting a close friend than walking into a boutique. Surrounded by a collection of new, antique and repurposed items, my eyes don’t know where to look first. Whether you are looking for the perfect hostess gift, a present for the wedding you’re headed to, or home decorations all for yourself, there is truly something for everyone here. The store carries handmade and sustainable items and works with many small vendors that also have a purpose or story, such as giving a portion of the proceeds back to Reforestation in Thailand.

The owners, Monica McCafferty and Sarah Lavalette, have a great story as well. Both flea market junkies, it’s almost as if the two were destined to meet. Monica went to high school with Sarah’s husband […]

Client Corner: The Sow’s EarMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:28:47-05:00

Learning to Feel

Cami and me exploring sensation through our feet!

We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking. –Mark Twain

It is a rare day, indeed, that I disagree with my idol Mark Twain. And while I know he is referring to feeling in a different context than what we perceive and sense in the world around us, I’m not sure we stop and feel enough. And it may just be our ability to feel that keeps us thinking.

It may surprise you to learn that one of my favorite birthday presents this year was a box of rocks. My partner-in-movement, Cate Vallone, from Evolution Pilates and her daughter painted a bunch of small rocks for me. They painted bees, strawberries, little hearts, random colors It was utterly unexpected which made it grand.

The goal is to stand, walk across and just exist in different positions on the rocks to enhance proprioception—the art of feeling. Cate knows I’m not a great feeler. It’s been a running joke between us. I’ll happily foam roll or run half marathons. She thinks those activities are painful […]

Learning to FeelMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:39:14-05:00

Client Corner: Pilates Powering Irish Step

Katie in her Feis dress.

When Katie Dudley was five years old, her mother encouraged her to take Irish dance lessons, just as she and Katie’s grandmother had done. Initially, Katie was against the idea, until she began classes and fell in love.

When asked what finally drew her in, Katie mentioned, “There is so much I love about Irish step. First of all, the counting can really help you with music and math. It also improves your posture, stamina, and flexibility. When you do Irish step dancing, your teacher can also introduce you to other styles of dance like tap, jazz, and ballet which also improve your technique. You are also introduced to many new people and can make friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Katie’s passion for Irish Step also led her to Pilates. During a summer dance camp, which she’s attended for the past five years, Katie did Pilates for an hour each day. Recently, she began taking private lessons with Personal Euphoria in Wethersfield to continue to enhance her Irish Step.

Pilates focuses on lengthening the muscle while it is engaged and under load (eccentric contractions), which […]

Client Corner: Pilates Powering Irish StepMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:36:53-05:00