From VHS Tapes to Tybee Mat Pilates: Coming This Fall!

Laurie teaching a yoga and pilates class on the beach Tybee Island, Ga

If you had told me back in the 1990s that one day I would become a certified Mat Pilates instructor, I probably would have believed you. :)

Because I have loved Pilates for a very, very long time.

I can still remember doing Mari Winsor Pilates VHS tapes at my house on 12th Street here on Tybee Island in the late 90’s. A couple of girlfriends would come over, we'd roll out our mats in the living room, pop in the VHS tape and do Pilates together.

And then?

We'd watch Sex and the City on HBO and drink Cosmopolitans and then head to Cafe Loco to finish off our wild Sunday night! (those were the days)😂

But while the VHS tapes, Cosmos and Carrie Bradshaw may belong to another era, Pilates stuck with me.

I've continued practicing Mat Pilates through the years alongside yoga, dance and all the different ways I've learned to move and understand my body. And now, after decades of being a Pilates student and practitioner, I'm excited to share that I'm almost officially Mat Pilates certified!

And if you're already a Pilates student AND you've taken my yoga classes over the years, this announcement might not completely surprise you.

You may have noticed that I occasionally sneak a little Pilates inspired movement into my yoga classes, especially when we're working the core!

Pilates has been part of my own movement vocabulary for so long that some of those principles naturally influence the way I teach. My background in dance, decades of yoga and years of practicing Pilates have all shaped how I think about strength, alignment, stability and intentional movement.

Of course, yoga is yoga and Pilates is Pilates, and I think it's important to honor the history and traditions of each. But I also love how beautifully the physical practices can complement one another.

And now I'm excited to have a space where we can practice Mat Pilates as Mat Pilates, too.

And Yes… Bachelorette Beach Pilates Is Coming Too!

I'm also really excited to add Mat Beach Pilates as a new private bachelorette and group experience on Tybee Island! I've been offering private beach yoga for bachelorette weekends and celebrations for years, and Pilates gives groups another fun way to move together while they're here. Think a beautiful Tybee beach morning, an energizing Mat Pilates class with plenty of core work, ocean views, and those little Pilates moves that look innocent until everyone starts laughing because they're suddenly very energized 😂 Like our private beach yoga experiences, these classes will be customized for your group and designed to be welcoming even if some of your friends have never tried Pilates before. So if yoga isn't quite your bride's thing, or she's a Pilates girl through and through, you'll now be able to choose Private Beach Yoga OR Mat Beach Pilates for your Tybee Island bachelorette weekend.

So… What's the Difference Between Yoga and Pilates?

This is something I get asked a lot, especially because the two practices can look pretty similar from the outside.

Both can be practiced on a mat. Both build strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and body awareness. Both ask us to pay attention to our breath and move intentionally.

But they aren't the same practice.

Yoga is an ancient practice with roots in India that goes far beyond physical movement. The postures we practice are one part of a much larger tradition that can include breathwork, meditation, philosophy, ethics and self-inquiry. In my classes, yoga has always been about more than getting a workout. It's an opportunity to connect body, breath and mind.

Pilates is a modern movement system developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. Mat Pilates places a strong emphasis on controlled movement, core strength, spinal stability, alignment, concentration and precision.

And let me tell you those tiny, controlled Pilates movements can be HUMBLING.

You don't necessarily need heavy weights, machines or complicated equipment to discover muscles you apparently haven't spoken to in years.

That's part of what I love about it.

Why Add Pilates to Tybee Yoga & Healing Arts?

Because I don't think we have to choose between yoga and Pilates.

I certainly haven't.

Yoga gives me something Pilates doesn't, and Pilates gives me something yoga doesn't. My background in dance adds another layer altogether.

Pilates has been especially valuable to me for core strength, stability, control and body awareness, and those are qualities that can support us in yoga and in everyday movement, too.

After practicing Pilates since those Mari Winsor VHS days, becoming certified feels less like I'm suddenly starting something new and more like I'm finally putting a credential behind a practice I've loved for decades.

And I'm really excited to start sharing more of it with you and practicing more myself!

Weekly Mat Pilates Is Coming to Tybee!

Beginning in October, I'll be adding a weekly Saturday Mat Pilates class to the Tybee Yoga & Healing Arts schedule!

This will be a welcoming and accessible Mat Pilates class focused on core strength, stability, mobility, posture and intentional movement.

You don't need to be a Pilates expert. You don't need fancy equipment. And you definitely don't need to own a VHS player. 😉

Whether you're already one of my yoga students, you've practiced Pilates before, or you're simply curious about adding something new to your movement routine, I'd love to have you join me.

I'll be announcing our first October Saturday class and all the details soon.

And I have to admit, going from Mari Winsor VHS tapes with my girlfriends in my grandparents beach house on 12th Street to becoming a Mat Pilates instructor on Tybee all these years later feels pretty full circle.

Although maybe someday we need a throwback Pilates class followed by Sex and the City and Cosmopolitans. (i’ll drink cranberry and soda with a lime in a martini glass ;))

For historical accuracy, obviously. 😂

See you on the mat!

Laurie
ERYT-500 | YACEP | Mat Pilates Instructor-in-Training
Tybee Yoga & Healing Arts
Serving Tybee Island & Savannah’s Wellness Scene since 2013