Pilates Classes at Ironworks
Pilates classes are coming to Berkeley Irownworks. Taught by Elena Cochran, the classes will be Mondays at 10 am and Thursdays at 4 pm.
The Pilates Method is a comprehensive exercise and rehabilitation program designed early in the 20th Century by German-born Joseph Pilates. The main focus of this class is to investigate ways of strengthening the body as one fluid unit, a system that is constantly
moving, even when in stillness. Working with functional skeletal-alignment and combining principles such as breathing, concentration, control, centering, precision, as well as relaxation, we will use the core-integrating movements of the Pilates Mat Work to strengthen your body from the inside out. You will learn to move with more ease and prevent injury, and learn efficient movement principles to take with you into your other activities (running, climbing, swimming, dancing, cycling, gardening, etc.). With the body-awareness cultivated from this practice you will begin to understand where your own imbalances are that are keeping you from reaching your physical goals while working with your present body to create balance.
Elena Cochran has a never ending fascination with movement that began in her first ballet class at the age of five. As a scrawny, shy youth Elena never bored of physically challenging activities; opportunities to push herself past what was thought to be possible. Elena now holds a Certificate of Dance from The Ailey School in New York City. While in NYC she studied Kinesiology with Irene Dowd and became Certified in Yamuna Body Rolling through Yamuna Zake. She completed her Pilates Certification with Nora St. John and Naomi Leiserson in the Bay Area through Balanced Body University in 2008. Elena discovered rock climbing around that time and immediately joined the Oakland-based dance-climb fusion group Ascendance Project. Since then she has been most influenced and inspired by her exploration of the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, The Axis Syllabus, Aerial Dance and her many teachers and colleagues through whom she has learned to stop pushing so hard, and instead work to cultivate balance in her body and in her life. As a teacher Elena continues to use the Pilates method as a structure, and combine her other training and influences to design classes and lessons that help to build balance in each one of her students. She is available for private lessons, utilizing the mat as well as all the Pilates Apparatus. You can contact her at ec.pilates@gmail.com
Stop by Ironworks and check out this amazing new class with Elena.
Labels: Ascendance, Elena Cochran, Pilates