Cascadia Pilates & CoreAlign

I love this studio and all the instructors. I am currently in the second phase of the CoreAlign progression program and notice positive changes in my core strength, posture, body awareness, and (improved) pain levels. The receptionists (Savannah & J) have been so helpful working around my schedule, as has Tari, the owner. I have worked with most of the instructors and think they all are very friendly, competent and safe (Jo, Mary, Colleen, & Jamie). Everyone has been very patient when I’m struggling with the challenges of being a CoreAlign beginner and my body or my head refuses to learn a new movement. Mary also offers Melt classes & private sessions which I am very excited to take more of.

Core Aline is a wonderful thing; Pilates on your feet. I like it better than Pilates and benefit from the weight bearing aspect. After only a few weeks of twice weekly classes, my body is feeling stronger. I feel more capable of sustaining a pain-​free experience as I age. The emphasis is on safety and I feel safer doing these exercises than I do attending a Yoga class. Everyone on the staff has been super friendly and attentive to me whenever I am there. I highly recommend these classes for baby boomers!

Yoga bores me — I come from a bodybuilding past — so I was only mildly curious about pilates. Fortunately for me and my preconceptions, I won a gift certificate for the basic series and fell in love. Using a wall-​mounted ladder and a pair of sliding platforms, you twist your body into bizarre contortions. Sounds strange, doesn’t feel like much of a workout (especially at first) but wow… changes happen! My core was already strong, but the CoreAlign classes got my pelvic girdle organized better (hey, both my feet point the right direction now!) and made my knee ache go away. I bought the second series… and the third series… and now I’m taking the advanced classes, which get even wackier. And faster.
Note: I am not finding the classes challenging enough in terms of cardio or resistance training, so I still have to spend two days a week at my regular gym, but I am SO happy with the CoreAlign that I am continuing once a week. Plus, the staff is super friendly and will bend over backwards to accommodate you.
PS — after my first series I tried another local pilates studio out of curiousity. The instructor at that place clearly had no anatomy training (couldn’t answer questions or modify a move) and was useless in terms of coaching. She just told me where to put my hands. The instructors at Carpe Diem pay attention to your form and give you lots of cues like «relax the hip flexors… drop the left knee… «etc until you feel like a member of Cirque du Soleil. Good stuff. I send my patients there, so you know that’s a serious vote of confidence!

Great process for teaching an old dog new tricks when it comes to posture and movement. Wonderful instructors. Classes are safe, challenging and affordable.