Naouel Lledo
Above all, I’d say someone who aspires to harmony in the sense of a perfect balance between a healthy mind and a healthy body…
Just like my parents, a mother who is a doctor but also passionate about the theatre and a father who is an artist and film-maker but also a great sportsman, who runs wherever life takes him. My mother taught me to respect this marvellous thing called the human body, our first and last home. My father passed on to me the need for this body to constantly nourish itself with healthy food, but also to nourish its imagination through the arts, reading, sensations…
When I was little, my favourite toys were my paintbrushes, or I’d be on my bike, roller skates or skateboard, in the little forest where I grew up. Then I took up dancing, swimming and the piano in my early childhood and adolescence. As an adult, alongside my scientific studies, I became a keen runner and a passionate fan of modern dance (Jazz, Street dance, Salsa) as a fabulous means of bodily expression. Then, while working as an executive in a large Monegasque company, I tried my hand at theatre and I loved this other form of physical expression of the imaginary.
I discovered this sport in 2009 following a knee problem and ankle injuries. I quickly realised that this was the sport for me. I quickly got rid of my knee brace for running, and I no longer needed physio sessions for my ankles. The Pilates method has had the effect of an inner mirror on me, enabling me to get to know myself better and understand my needs in order to improve my health and stay in the best possible shape. What’s more, I’ve rediscovered the arts in this practice: during lateral and thoracic breathing, the thorax becomes an accordion, making its own music, while the movements in the repertoire, like the basic steps, put end to end, form a dance choreography. This method is rooted in the imaginary world to evoke the sensations that its practice requires: for the duration of a movement, you become a swan diving or a saw, a seal, a crab, an elephant, a monkey, a corkscrew, a rolling ball…
I began training in the Pilates method in 2011, which lasted two years of training sessions, observation and practice at the training centre in Ramatuelle and in various studios in Nice.
I’m continuing my journey through this magnificent life experience, and today I aspire to pass on this passion to each of my students, trying to give as much meaning as possible to the road we have to travel together…
The Pilates method as I teach it
The Pilates method, as I was taught and as I teach it, is a continuation of the work proposed by Ron Fletcher, one of the “Ancients” or “Pilates Elders”, the name given to the first students of Joseph Pilates.
It is based on scientific research published in 1999 on the stabilisation of spinal segments, which demonstrates the value of the neutral position of the spine in the exercises used to rehabilitate patients suffering from back pain.
The 34 movements in Joseph Pilates’ original matwork repertoire have been modified in line with this research, to enable people just starting to learn to perform them safely, using the neutral position of the spine, which optimises the synergy of the deep muscles (in particular the Transverse Abdomen and the lumbar part of the Multifidus). This work, which focuses on stabilising the segments (pelvic and scapular stabilisation), allows you to work on mobilisation once you’ve acquired it, and guarantees safe progression to higher levels.
I favour a personalised approach that takes account of each individual’s posture. For this reason, I strongly recommend starting to learn the method with a few solo lessons (one to one). Once you’ve got the basics down, you can decide to extend this almost made-to-measure work, or to share the session in a friendly atmosphere in a duo, trio or foursome (maximum in a group class).
Finally, in addition to the machines originally designed by Joseph Pilates: the Reformer, the Cadillac (in their compact form: the Alegro Tower from BalancedBody), the Wunda Chair and the Spine Corrector (Pilates arch), I use a wide range of small equipment such as the BOSU, the Foam Roller, the Swiss Ball, the Pilates Circle…
My teaching team is made up of:
Michael King:
Michael King has been practicing Pilates for over 34 years, first as a dancer with the London School of Contemporary Dance company. He opened his own studio “Body Control” in London in 1982 and two years later accepted the position of director of the Pilates studio at the “Houston Ballet Company” (Texas), where he remained until 1990. During During this period, he traveled across the United States and continued his training in various studios. In New York with Carla Trèves and Romana Kryzanowska at the “Pilates Studio” originally created by Joseph Pilates. Michael is the founder and director of the “Pilates Institute” UK until 2008 and then created his own training school “Michael King Pilates”.
Nuala Coombs:
Nuala Coombs has been practicing Pilates since 1979. As a founding member of the Pilates Institute UK with Michael King, she is at the forefront of the teaching, development and innovation of the method. Over the past ten years, Nuala has trained numerous students around the world and regularly speaks at international “Mind and Body” conventions. His book “Pilates & Golf” published in 2005 was sold throughout Europe and the United States. Since leaving the “Pilates Institute” UK, Nuala has been based in France and works at the “le Loft” Pilates studio in Ramatuelle.
www.thepilatesconsultant.com
Eva Winskill:
Eva Winskill trained in Pilates in 1983 in London with Mickel King, then continued to practice Pilates for several years at "Body Control" as well as with Alan Herdman in London and with Romama Kryzanowska in New York. Eva has been responsible for the “Pilates Institute” France since 2001. She has been director of the “Fit Studio” and her own Pilates studio “le Loft” in Ramatuelle since 2004.
www.fitstudio.fr
I also had the honor of meeting Katy Corey and Alan Herdman in 2012, two world leaders in the world of Pilates, during training workshops.