Month: August 2026

Overcoming Challenges: Carolyn’s Pilates Journey

by lebureauetc, posted in Uncategorized

Meet Carolyn Higgins, Le Bureau’s client spotlight of the month! I met Carolyn at SAC in 2013; where she would frequent my weekly Pilates mat class. Soon after I left SAC in 2017, Carolyn frequented my workouts in the park and after that she started coming to Le Bureau!   I am so glad she did!  She always enters with a smile, she takes her time, stays curious, and sometimes experiences a good sweat!  She has had some physical obstacles over the past 10 years, most recently a clavicle surgery, but she doesn’t let any of her ‘challenges’ get her down.  Instead, she stays positive, looks on the bright side, and moves on!

When Carolyn is not at Le Bureau, she spends her time as a freelance writer.  Some of her favorite things to do when not in the studio is make art quilts (designed to hang on the wall), learn Italian, cooking, snow sports, and visit art galleries.  Thank you Carolyn for inspiring me to be more positive, curious, and finding the ‘light’ in even the darkest times.

“I love the energy and body awareness my Pilates practice gives me. Building strength is exciting, and the relief I have from years of neck and upper back pain that I thought I’d always have to live with is truly a gift. I believe many years of practice made a big difference in how well I withstood multiple injuries from a car accident a couple of years ago. When my collarbone fracture failed to heal fully, it had to be reconstructed. Brooke tailored our sessions to open the chest and back muscles, rebuilding strength and range of motion. My care team was so impressed! Brooke is a patient and supportive coach who also makes our sessions fun.“

-Carolyn Higgins

Understanding Hip Hinge: Essential for Pilates and Beyond

by lebureauetc, posted in hip hinge, neutral pelvis, Pilates

Can you hinge at your hips?

What does that mean to hinge at your hips?

What should you feel?

What is the goal?

Why is it important to understand your hip hinge?

How about in a squat or lunge position…can you find your hip hinge?

I’ve learned over the years that understanding how to hinge at my hips can make all the difference in my practice! Its empowering to experience this understanding in your body!

Understanding and experiencing your hip hinge you will also learn how your pelvis needs to participate. This understanding will further help you understand how our thigh bones drive pelvic placement! Therefore your feet and your legs need to participate and integrate start to finish. You learn how much your feet work, your legs work and the importance of unlocking your knees to connect your feet, to your legs, to your knees, to your hips etc etc. Your body therefore understands more and more that the WHOLE body participates in your movements.

As my clients progress with their Pilates practice, my hope is that they can understand more and more how their practice translates over to their day to day movements. AND understanding HOW TO HINGE at their hips is KEY. It’s never just about belly button to spine and squeezing your gluteals all the time! Its full body integration start to finish:)

Check out my Pilates mat class on YOUtube where I demonstrate and go over some hip hinging in various positions so that you can integrate the hinge in your pilates workout to enhance your day to day.

 

Ladder Barrel encourages both spinal stability and spinal mobility

by lebureauetc, posted in Pilates, Uncategorized

I have worked very hard over the years to build strength and more stability as by nature I am hyper-mobile.  in my 47 years – I have broken my back, leg, arm, and neck…. I do not plan on any more broken bones and I feel very grateful to still be capable to move the way I do.  As you may have guessed, I love to move as it makes me feel so free.

Too much stability can cause stiffness and tightness..and yes too much mobility can overstretch our ligaments, muscles, and joints causing strain.  Both overdone could lead to compensation issues and imbalance.

In pilates method the goal is always to find balance.  how can we both strengthen and mobilize  our bodies to optimize our posture and feel our best day-to-day?

The ladder barrel is extra special in my opinion as it offers a firm, supportive curved surface that encourages spinal articulation in extension, flexion, and side bending to both strengthen and and create more space in all our sides – front/back/side body.

in this clip I am highlighting spinal articulating with some inversions.  The support of the ladder barrel allows me to shine bright like the sun as I feel strong from the support of the barrel that allows me to radiate out through my whole body.

check this ladder barrel workout on my Youtube

Neck Isometrics Routine for Better Posture

by lebureauetc, posted in Uncategorized

For years I wore my head forward of my heart center and even my heart center forward of my pelvic center. This lack of body awareness affected not only my physical body but also showed up in my choices and actions I took.

In 2017 I suffered a disk herniation that led to a disk replacement between C6/C7. It was a pain in the neck for sure!

Fortunately, this experience taught me the value of posture and the need for me to strengthen my neck!

So here is a simple routine I practice. It helps!

Before practicing neck isometrics it’s important to establish your center. Take time to align the center of your skull over the center of your heart/rib cage, over the center of your pelvic floor. Also, hold your heard up in its neutral position.

Wishing you all healthy necks and a string connection between your head and your heart.

Check out the practice in real time on my youtube –

Pilates leg stretches using the ladder barrel

by lebureauetc, posted in Pilates

Don’t be fooled! These are not just for your legs! These stretches are for your whole body!

In this short demo, I first demonstrate taking time to open up my back body, I transition to my side body, and end with opening my front body.

Like everything in the Pilates method, it is essential to ‘stand in your body’ already witnessing ALL your sides.

Take time to honor your own complexity and yes, asymmetry! We are not linear.

Also, for many of us, just standing can be enough of a stretch. It’s not always necessary to move much at all…listen to your body and breathe deeply in the places that feel stuck and stagnant. Also, be sure to ground yourself first, otherwise it will be very challenging to lift yourself up.:)

Please check out this video in real time on my YouTube channel