Ice Storms & Icy Feelings (An Honest Reflection)

Today’s ice storm feels oddly symbolic.

The roads are slick. The sidewalks are uncertain. Everything looks beautiful on the surface - sparkling, frozen, still - but underneath? It’s unstable. Slippery. A little dangerous.

And if I’m being honest, that’s a bit how I’ve been feeling about the Pilates industry lately.

Over the last few years, the internet exploded with the “Pilates Princess” trend. If you somehow missed it, it was the aesthetic version of Pilates - slick buns, matching sets, green juices, reformers in pastel studios and the idea that Pilates equals a certain body type and a certain lifestyle.

It was cute. It was marketable. It was Instagrammable.

But it wasn’t the whole truth.

And now? I think we’re already seeing that trend soften. The algorithm is shifting. People are craving substance again. Depth. Results. Real education.

That gives me hope.

At the same time, the industry is booming.

Demand is high. New instructors are needed. Studios are opening everywhere.

And not all of them are created equal...

Reformer-only studios hopping on a trend.

Weekend-course certifications or no training at all!

Instructors with minimal training teaching complex movement.

Programming that’s choreography-based instead of system-based.

Pilates is not just a reformer workout.

Pilates is a system.

Joseph Pilates created mat, reformer, tower, chair, barrels - all designed to work together. The mat informs the reformer. The reformer informs the tower. The system builds intelligently. Progressions matter. Order matters. Precision matters.

That’s why every instructor here is either:

Fully trained and certified, or...

actively working through a comprehensive training program.

That’s why continuing education is not optional here.

That’s why self-practice is non-negotiable.

You cannot teach what you do not embody.

I won’t pretend it doesn’t get to me.

When you’ve spent years training.
When you’ve invested tens of thousands into education and equipment.
When you pour your heart into building something authentic.

And then a trendy studio opens down the street with loud music, flashy branding and instructors who barely understand pelvic placement…

It can feel discouraging.

It can feel unfair.

It can feel icy. 

But then I walk into the studio...

And I teach you.

And everything shifts.

You get it.

You understand that Pilates doesn’t get easier - you get stronger.

You trust the process.
You stay with the repetition.
You allow your body to self-correct.
You feel the subtle changes.
You feel your posture shift.
You feel your breath deepen.
You feel yourself becoming more capable.

You get better at Pilates.

But more importantly, you get better at life.

Stronger.
More aware.
More resilient.

And that reminds me why we do this.

Maybe those trendy studios aren’t the enemy.

Maybe they’re the gateway.

Maybe they introduce people to the idea of Pilates.
And when those people want more - when they want depth, intelligence, and real results - they find studios like ours.

Maybe our job isn’t to compete with noise.

Maybe our job is to stay steady.

To stay educated.
To stay precise.
To stay rooted in the system.
To keep refining our craft.

The ice will melt.
Trends will pass.
The algorithm will shift again.

But good teaching?
Real Pilates?

That endures.

There’s no grand conclusion to this ice storm reflection.

Just this:

Thank you.

Thank you for trusting us.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for valuing quality.
Thank you for keeping me and this team going.

On icy days (literally and metaphorically), that means everything.

With gratitude always,
Melissa