Testimonials

From finding my video website:

Dear Rebecca--

I have recently been introduced to your wonderful and insightful videos via The Pilates Podcast.

It surprised me to hear someone asking these questions and taking a fresh look at things, as this isn't often done in the Work, at least not in my experience. I am not currently teaching, and haven't for almost two years--I moved with my husband to Charlotte, NC and have not been able to establish a teaching practice here, which hurts my heart, but at the same time has led me to question what I was teaching and when I resume, how I will teach. (For the record, I am PMA certifed--but I'm beginning to wonder if that means anything at all--I don't mean that as a slight, but as an honest question). Lifted flexion is essential.

Bless you for bringing this into greater consciousness. Yet where I begin to wonder about things is the work is primarily flexion driven. Mat or reformer. And looking at Mary Bond's book, THE NEW RULES OF POSTURE, and how periphery feeds core kinda blew my mind, along with the work of Serge Gracovetsky (whom I became aware of in Caryn McHose and Kevin Frank's book, HOW LIFE MOVES) which found that bipedal gait is dependent on healthy, supported spinal curvature--and when I look around at the human form as it typically ages--the glutes deteriorate, the lumbar curve collapses and the pelvis moves into a posterior tilt, thoracic curve implodes into kyphosis, the cranium protracts (Donald A Neumann has a great illustraion of the neck/cranium relationship on page 284 of his book KINESIOLOGY OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM)--basically the body returns to the fetal C-curve, albeit a collapsed one, and is forced to carry the cranium in protraction in order to see to walk, otherwise one is found looking at the floor. It seems to me the extensors need repeated awakening, brightening. It is wonderful to ask them to accompany the lifted flexion, but the exercise in form, in shape, is still flexion.

Most of my mentors take a hard-line view of Pilates, and the necessity of the order, which I feel I can no longer teach in good conscience. I don't mean to say that all flexion exercises need be abandoned--I've seriously been considering obtaining a personal trainer certification to have more freedom in my teaching. Many questions are living inside me.

As for my own practice--I adore the Hundred after lowering my legs till they hover just inches off the floor, as Joe does in RETURN TO LIFE. My hip flexors work very little compared to my hip extensors in that position--so incredibly different than bringing the legs up to the ceiling or down to forty-five degrees. Interestingly, the exercise is also explored in KUNDALINI YOGA, by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, page 46.

I hope I haven't offended you--I feel you are doing noble and great work. As for doing anything for me--such a generous offer--I ask that you continue in the work that you do, as it is a gift that ripples out into the space we live in, and makes this world a more beautiful and compassionate place to be in.

A thousand blessing to you on your way.

From reading the Pilates Style article in the Nov/Dec 2011 edition:

Dear Rebecca,

I'm thinking you must have received hundreds of emails after your recent article in the Pilates Style Nov/Dec issue. So here is one more.

I am an American who has lived in England for 13 years. I did my Pilates training here with Body Control and have taught matwork for 8 years. I get my Pilates Style magazine through my husband's work mail, so I didn't get the latest issue until last Sat. Dec. 3. I usually read magazines cover to cover but this time I was just flipping through, saw your article, read it, and had too many AHA moments to count. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

I was immensely frustrated after the last class I had taught seemed to be collapsing through their spines like rag dolls. It was really weighing on my mind. Nothing I said was having the intended response of lengthening that I was looking for. Now I am understanding the cueing I've been using such as chin to chest, tuck the tail under, and deepen the C curve is part of the problem.

After reading the article I went straight to your websites and have watched many of the videos. They are great. I hear you saying things I've been saying to myself for years such as "It's physics", and it's "problem solving". I am an engineer by degree, and one of the things that I love about Pilates is the logic of it. I've never heard anyone else say that before.

Thank you so much for your generosity with your knowledge you give in your videos and articles. I've been having right hip problems for several months and have done the wagon wheels along with people you are doing it with on the videos. Amazing, just amazing.

Finally, I usually tear the articles I find interesting out of the magazine. The roll up/down and shake sounded familiar when I saw it in your videos. I went back and found your Sept/0ct 2007 article in my collection. It was all underlined and highlighted. Weird karma going on here. You may be the Pilates Nun, but I'm thinking of you as a Pilates Angel.

Helen Heeren

Who knows how she found me . . .

Hello Rebecca,

I want to thank you for your passion and courage to stand for something that you know is right. It was by chance that I found you on the internet. I’ve tried to retrace my steps to figure out how I read about you, but it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that I found you without knowing I needed to.

When you hear the truth, it sets you free. That’s how I felt when I saw your on-line videos on Safe Forward Bending. Thank you!!!

I immediately applied your methodology to my work. I was teaching a mat class while getting my feet wet with different cues on the Roll Up, Rolling Like a Ball, Spine Stretch, eliminating “chin to chest,” and “drawing the ribs to the hips,” and I found that it was so natural for me and my audience to move safely.

I am very grateful for my earlier teachings as it stems from Eve Gentry, Michele Larsson and Virginia Nicholas. Problem solving was very much applied in our program along with all of our Pilates principles.

It wasn’t surprising to hear the positive reactions from my clients and group mat class participants. I had one person tell me, “This was my first Pilates class; you have changed my life.” She was a body builder and yogi from New York taking a Pilates mat class in Georgia. She embraced the Pilates method and hasn’t looked back. What I found interesting is that the clients, who have practiced Pilates for years, haven’t questioned the changes in my teaching; they just notice the difference and found it more challenging.

I feel better as a Pilates Teacher knowing that I am keeping my clients safer and stronger. After all, it takes a lot of strong girl muscles to peel up from the mat to Roll Up or to perform the Roll Back Series on the Cadillac safely!

Rebecca, I appreciate your generosity and the pouring of your knowledge and soul to a complete stranger like me. I am grateful, and I respect your work and dedication to Joseph Pilates, our Boss!

Thank you for the gift!

Sincerely,

After workshop in Pensacola, Florida December 9 - 11, 2011

Hi Rebecca,

I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am to have worked with you last weekend. It has been almost a year since I have done any education workshops and I was in desperate need of the inspiration. I always feel so blessed when I come across people who inspire me, especially in the world of movement education. This has been one of the best weeks I have had in my teaching in a very long time... People are doing and feeling things they have never done and felt before and it is very inspiring. Since I decided to sell my studio over the summer and focus on getting into physical therapy school I have been very bored and stagnant in my teaching and as much as I know what my clients needed to be doing, I was getting very lazy and didn't quite know how to get them to do it. So thank you thank you thank you for your honesty, integrity and commitment to the truth of Mr. Pilates' work. I have started watching your videos and cannot wait to work with you again, hopefully in 2012 but have to see what happens with school... It finally occurred to me that I was actually studying physics while at your workshop so I didn't feel as bad about not using that time to study. And what do you know, I aced my finals! Hope your holidays are filled with Light!

with love,

ps. my shoulders and upper back feel amazing:)

From video website:

As a Nia Black Belt, Pilates instructor, master teacher and movement educator, I am blown away with Rebecca's knowledge, wisdom and teaching ability. Her understanding of the body's mechanics and how the body is designed to move and function is extraordinary. She is able to translate this information to her clients and students allowing them to take their Pilates practice to an entirely different level where they build strength, heal injuries and improve the quality of their lives.

Rebecca's work should be required by anyone teaching Pilates who yearns to fully understand the how, what and why of Joseph Pilates in the safest, most knowledgeable way.

From November 2011 Pilates Style article & Developmental Private

I just wanted to share with you my journey I have taken since I received my Pilates Style Magazine Nov/Dec 2011 issue. On the front cover, I noticed the title: "The Biggest Pilates Safety Concern You Don't Know About", page 48.

The first thought that entered my mind was, "oh no - could I be doing something unsafe?" and "I bet it's something to do with backs". The Article: "The Hidden Dangers of Your Practice" by Rebecca Leone hit me in the gut. I too, have been hearing from the medical community about concerns of repeated front-loading and forward bending of the spine. I even took out some Pilates flexion exercises because I felt there was so much flexion in our everyday living activities. Right away I went to her free video website, www.vimeo.com/rebeccaleone to learn more and to "watch" what she was talking about. After watching her video, "Safe Spine Teaching Technique", I knew I had to meet her somehow! I read that she owns Seattle-based Pilates Powerhouse NW so I thought I'd email her and see when she would be in Seattle. Rebecca was in London at the time but responded very quickly to my email and said she would be in Seattle the day after Thanksgiving and would be glad to schedule a Private Pilates session with me. Oh my gosh! I was so excited and couldn't believe she or any Pilates Instructor would be willing to teach the day after Thanksgiving! My Private Pilates session, in which my son, Ken, came along and observed (he is a Pilates instructor with me at CS Pilates in Yakima, WA) was so informative and so valuable. Rebecca video taped the session, which you can watch at hervimeo.com/rebeccaleone website. Her focus was on teaching and educating me on safe spine techniques. We focused on lifted flexion in the Roll Up and the Teaser and so much more! I could have stayed there for hours! Not doing anymore Teasers, but learning this valuable information. Ken and I were so excited to share this information with our other instructors and with our clients. I watched as many of Rebecca's videos as I could before returning back to Yakima on Monday.