Natasha’s pilates sessions have helped me to manage my ongoing sciatica and the back pain that I’ve been dealing with for the past eight years.
Natasha’s in depth knowledge about the body has helped me to increase my core strength, improve my balance and posture. Being a dancer, I find her approach refreshing and her experiences invaluable. Thanks to Natasha, I’m able to continue dancing and moving!
Sarah L. 30. architect. breakdancer.
| I have been working with Natasha for 9 years, taking pilates classes once or twice a week. Pilates for me is a grounding and restorative practice. I am committed to the mat work. I enjoy the gentle movements and emphasis on performing a movement carefully and mindfully rather than as fast as possible and as often as possible: “process, not product” has become a bit of a mantra for me. There are obvious benefits in developing a stronger core, particularly the lower abdomen, for preventing or eliminating lower back pain and tight hip flexers among us desk-bound workers. Co-workers have commented on my confident posture which is due to a lengthened and relaxed spine through the course of a pilates class. The focused breathwork has also calmed me and increased my lung capacity. Pilates has given me an advantage in yoga classes these last three years, having taught me the value of deliberate roll ups and gradual spinal articulations, and paying attention to rebalancing each side of the body.
Cheryl S. 46. government employee. wordsmith. |
I am a senior who was experiencing physical limitations especially when trying to get up from a kneeling or crouching position. After two years of participating in Natasha’s Breath & Stretch Pilates Class, I have noticed considerable improvement in my flexibility, especially in my spine. I am also more conscious of maintaining better posture and am feeling more energized.
Ruth H. 70. retired. animal lover.
In 2002 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I worked with my doctor on a regimen for controlling the pain. After gaining more than 20 lbs in 4 months and generally not feeling ANY better I went off the meds and tried everything under the sun. I already had a great chiropractor and massage therapist but decided to include Reiki, Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Cranial Sacral Therapy which all gave me some form of relief but not the kind I was looking for. I was still missing something very important – EXERCISE! I believed that I would hurt more if I exercised…
My sister and brother-in-law, both clients at Natasha Royka Movement Studio, convinced me to pick up the phone and call Natasha. We set up my first private lesson. Before we even started; she took the time to listen to my story. She shared with me her belief in keeping the body moving and I have not looked back. It has been 3 years, I am now in a class of 3 and the changes I have noticed are remarkable. The most important change is the way I feel! I have more energy to get through the day, my flexibility has improved and I can say that I actually have some physical strength! Some days I even wonder if I truly have fibro and yet on the days when the pain is so bad I think I won’t be able to make it to class, I do and am rewarded for it – the pain is lessened and the flexibility returns.
Nicole N. 50. government employee. music lover.
I would like to thank you for all the help and fun you and the classes have given me this year. I am once again able to enjoy dance with such joy and lightness with you and everyone in class. It makes a big difference in my daily life. I would like to thank you because your studio makes a huge difference in each of our lives.
Adele B-F. 22. student. dancer.
Thank you for continuing to inspire me to dance and not let go, for continuing to make me believe that I can move for many years to come, for helping me with my presence, my breathing and the aura I portray. Thank you for providing me a vocabulary to explain dance to my husband who had no interest because he did not understand it. He now understands line. We now share an appreciation in watching dancers and can talk about the pieces.
Christine S. 33. government employee. dancing mom.
Creating dance to the soundtrack of a single word – rather the idea behind the word – immediately demanded that I bypass rational thought and move from intuition and creative instinct. There was no opportunity to get the excercise “right” or “wrong”, in the safe quiet environment of the studio, I simply had to create from whatever the moment offered.
It felt good to have the container of a certain space/length of phrase to work within, and the complete freedom of interpretation within that. It helped me to realize that I really do have a surprisingly extensive movement vocabulary (from pedestrian to balletic and anything/everything in between) that I can call on and use to communicate an idea. Using yet another part of the mind to translate the movement into words/images, then taking that concept to the broader picture of life and letting it speak to living/dancing in general in a journal format, was like a wonderful mind/body tune up. So many different levels of thinking/creativity/energy/focus! It shook me out of my familiar patterns of working solely in onemedium and left me feeling refreshed and inspired.
Thank you for offering the Movement and Journaling Workshop!
Kristen D. 28. journal keeper. mover through space/dancer.