PILATES & NEUROMUSCULAR EDUCATION
Wisdombody Movement Resources
Maiya Greaves | Melissa Bierstock | Sarah Nelson Weiss | Kelli Colson
Wisdombody Movement Resources serves clients who are highly motivated to have an embodied and pain-free movement life. Working with the intelligence of the neuromyofascial web, you can use movement to heal what is injured and embody your true spirit.
Neuromuscular Education is a process of uncovering the imbalances that are at the root of persistent muscle and joint problems. This process uses imagery and well targeted exercises to profoundly change the movement habits that cause or perpetuate those problems.
Pilates was originated by Joseph Pilates during the first half of the 20th century. Believing that mental and physical health are inter-related, he developed a system of exercises which were intended to strengthen the human mind and body. This system involves harmonizing breath with movement; moving with awareness and precision; and developing a strong center or core. The methodology and principles of Pilates are applicable in the full spectrum of physical training, from rehabilitation to the enhancement of high level athletic performance.
Wisdombody Pilates is a contemporary approach to the Pilates Method that involves in-depth instruction in how to feel and engage each of the muscles of the abdominal wall, and how to consciously and skillfully use them as a group in dynamic movement. This awareness and ability then form the foundation for properly and safely executed Pilates. Each student receives a highly individualized movement program that addresses their particular needs and goals.
The Pilates Method employs carefully engineered exercise apparatus originally designed by Joseph Pilates. Springs, pulleys and a sliding carriage provide both assistance and resistance, facilitating a dynamic balance of stretching and strengthening in the body.
Stone Ridge Healing Arts Pilates practitioners are:
Maiya Greaves, Melissa Bierstock, Sarah Nelson Weiss and
Kelli Colson
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Maiya Greaves has taught Pilates since 1997, specializing in Neuromuscular Education and Movement Problem-Solving. She has helped countless clients overcome injuries and re-educate their bodies towards healthy, injury-free movement patterns.
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Her approach is based on the premise that each body has its own wisdom: ways of moving, standing and relating to gravity that are efficient, effortless and pleasurable. She takes great joy in helping people connect with this birthright, guiding them to safely question and move beyond physical limitations.
As a teenager Maiya had the opportunity to learn from Kathy Grant, one of the first generation of Pilates teachers, who was trained by Joseph Pilates himself. Kathy’s masterful instruction led to the healing of the knee injuries with which Maiya had been struggling. It also planted a seed of inspiration: the consciousness that bodies heal, and that conscious movement is a path out of pain.
Maiya received her B.A. in Dance from Bennington College; studied shiatsu at the Ohashi Institute and practiced from 1992 to 2007; and was trained in the Pilates Method by Christine Becker. Maiya's advanced studies with Irene Dowd from 1997 to 2001 included Kinesthetic Anatomy & the Physiology of Motion; Movement Problem Solving: Visual Assessment; Creating Individualized Movement Programs; and Communication Through Touch: Manual Assessment Skills.
A former professional modern dancer, she is director of Wisdombody Movement Resources.
"Maiya has a wonderful knowledge of anatomy, and her ability to help you visualize your functional anatomy is impressive. She is also a master at problem-solving ways to engage your anatomy, through movement, to improve the therapeutic value of an exercise. I cherish knowing and working with Maiya, and I recommend her highly." — Ari Rosen, D.O.
"Originally, I came to Maiya with lower back pain that had made movement difficult, even frightening. Through her insight, patterns began to shift that decades of other people working on my body had not changed. The difference came from Maiya's sensitive awareness of what is happening within another's world as it manifests physically. She is able to transmit that awareness through suggestions for movement as well as training the mind to be aware of how this movement is happening. Her metaphors allow for complex movement to happen in a simple way. She has also held an image of health and recovery that supported me through times when I felt it was all a distant dream. It is this support and the subtle education of body and mind that allows deeper change to happen; freedom of movement can return and be sustained in a new way." — Michele Martin, Translator
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Melissa Bierstock has been teaching Pilates and classical ballet for over 20 years. She became certified in the Stott Pilates Method in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario, where she founded From the Center Pilates Studio. Melissa has worked extensively with students of all ages and ranges of physical activity. |
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She has been the personal Pilates instructor to numerous members of the National Ballet of Canada, as well as actors, singers and professional athletes, and is frequently referred to by physical therapists for post rehabilitative exercise therapies.
Melissa co-hosted Pilates and Art retreats in Tuscany, Italy, from 2012-2014. She currently teaches classical ballet at the Anne Hebard School of Ballet in Kingston, NY, and serves as the assistant director of the Catskill Ballet Theatre Co.
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Sarah Nelson Weiss was trained in the Pilates Method and functional anatomy by Christine Becker at The Moving Body, where she taught from 1999-2006. She studied Kinesthetic Anatomy with Irene Dowd, and has cultivated movement problem-solving skills over several years of mentoring with Maiya Greaves. |
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Sarah has also taught yoga since 1998 and holds teaching certificates in the Sivananda and Krishnamacharya/Desikachar traditions. She maintains a consistent daily practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation. She continues her study with a focus on the Yoga Sutras, Vedic chant, and integration of yoga philosophy and practice.
Whether teaching Pilates or Yoga, her interest is in working with each student’s particular needs and on integrating a healthy physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual experience.
Sarah graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1992 with a concentration in music/women’s studies, and earned a Master’s of Science in Education from Rochester University (summa cum laude) in 1995.
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Kelli Colson is certified in the Pilates Method through Body Arts & Science International (BASI). Her advanced study has included courses focusing on Pilates for the Aging Population, Pilates for Injuries and Rehabilitation, Neurokinetic Therapy, and Anatomy and Kinesiology of Dance. |
She established a thriving Pilates practice in the San Francisco Bay Area, before recently returning to her native Hudson Valley.
Kelli enjoys tailoring the Pilates repertoire to each client's needs and goals, guiding people to a deepened awareness of alignment within their bodies that can be integrated into their everyday lives, for better health and vitality. Kelli loves learning, and continues to take advanced education courses that deepen her knowledge as an instructor.
Kelli began her movement career in the world of competitive gymnastics. She fell in love with modern dance at Tulane University, and holds a B.F.A in Dance from the University of Utah. She is very excited to be a part of the team at Wisdombody Movement Resources.
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