About
How my method differs from other forms of Pilates:
I have been teaching Pilates for 33 years.
I learned Pilates from Ron Fletcher, who studied in New York under Joe Pilates. It was called Body Contrology, and Ron called it the Ron Fletcher School of body contrology in Beverly Hills. No one then has ever heard of Pilates. Aerobics and Jazzercise were the fads at that time. How do you burn off the fat? is what I heard all the time. Is this exercise?
I have incorporated all I know into a method that is best for each individual client:
Hands on stretching, and a lot of tender loving care
I love movement as opposed to exercise, and I have tried to show people how that is achieved. I incorporated body toning that was safe for the joints, and centering work
Creating a strong lower back and stomach.
It is the body’s foundation from which all movement flows. Now a days it is known as the core, (an overused and misunderstood word for everything). My image of the center is a very holistic and a century-old concept that ancient East have used for centuries.
We don’t use militaristic approach. Ours is more melodic and movement oriented. It’s like dancing without being a dancer. Challenging, yet gentle.
What is The Sheppard Method? Basically it is my way of doing Pilates. Is it the only way? No. is it the best way? Many people think so. Is it effective? Yes! as long as you are consistent and patient with yourself. There are no quick fixes. We do promise a healthier and better you whatever it takes and whatever you need
The Sheppard Method is an overall conditioning workout that encourages you to work with your body not against it to enable you to “Discover your own personal perfection”.
If you work hard to get your body in its best possible shape, that’s great. But if you see each workout as a torture session to be endured for the sake of physical gains, that’s not so good. In more than 30 years as a personal fitness trainer, I’ve found that drudgery is counterproductive; and that those who succeed in their training are those who tap into the natural joy of movement.
That’s what the Sheppard Method is all about. I developed this approach to training based on a profound reverence for the innate beauty and potential of the human body. Those who use my training become aware early that their body wants to move. My workouts consist entirely of free flowing, graceful movements that follow each other naturally. You begin to know your body, which means realizing that its capabilities are much more than you may have thought.
A key premise of the Sheppard Method is that your ideal body is already a part of you. Your task is not to “change” your body but to liberate it. By working from the inside out, you develop a working relationship with your physical being, forming a mindbody connection that can accomplish so much more than a typical “attack mode” weight session.
The results from the Sheppard Method are everything you want from a fitness program and much more. Along with increased strength and muscularity, is a highly developed sense of coordination and flexibility. That means the gains you make manifest themselves in all aspects of your life. Simple, everyday events, such as sitting at the dinner table, are done with more control and the kind of grace that others admire.
Just as important, since the Sheppard Method stresses the focusing and the mind body connection, you develop a mental physical fusion that translates into increased confidence and self esteem. You become an all around better person, because you’ve trained in an all around way.
The central theme of the Sheppard Method is based on the early century Pilates techniques, which stressed dance oriented, graceful movements as an avenue to ultimate mind body coordination. I became aware of those techniques as a young adult when I made the life changing discovery that I love to move. Everything that once had the troublesome label of “exercise” became satisfying and invigorating movements.
I refined those methods as an instructor at the Ron Fletcher School of Body Contrology in Beverly Hills. Working there with injured athletes and dancers, I became thoroughly convinced of the efficiency of using graceful, controlled movements to reshape muscles and improve overall fitness.
But, of course, most people are neither athletes nor dancers. What I’ve found is that the majority of folks want a trim, hard, and well shaped body that serves them as an ally in life rather than an obstacle. I have worked with literally thousands of people from all walks of life, and we are here to work with you to develop a program that works with your body, not against it.
Please give us a call or stop by and experience the The Sheppard Method for yourself.
