The Essentials: Name: Eeda Charbonneau Place of Birth: Riga, Latvia Raised: Arrived in the United States at 14 years old Birthdate: January 15 Education: Trained in Russia in classical dance and ballet Cal-Arts studied music & dance. Pilates Life Before becoming a Pilates Teacher I was a professional violinist for 25 years. My Pilates certification came from a renowned instructor, Marie Jose Bloom- Lawrence at Long Beach Dance Conditioning sixteen years ago. I continued

Long Stretch-Front on the Reformer Set up: Footbar is up and locked. Springs are on 2Red, 1Red1Blue, 1 Red1Yellow, 1 Red or 1 Blue Starting Position: Your feet are either; heels against the shoulder blocks (as pictured) or legs together with balls of the feet on the headrest. Hands are on the footbar, shoulder width apart. Your knees are lifted, starting in a plank position with your shoulders above or just past the footbar. Keep your naval drawn in towards your spine through

Ever since my mom was diagnosed with dementia, 4 years ago I have been not only been caring for her but looking for ways to prevent the same thing from happening to me and Simon. If you type in How to Prevent Dementia into your browser you will surely see the Ginkgo Biloba in any number of articles that popup. In my search this morning, 7 out of the 10 mentioned taking this "natural" supplement to reduce the risk of developing dementia, and/or to improve memory. According to

The Original Pilates Gangster "OPG" Series: The original Pilates teachers, otherwise known as The Elders, were taught by Joseph Pilates himself. Each of these teachers took his work and had their own individual interpretation depending on what era of his work they were with him, and what their background and physical issues were. Many times they invented their own original moves out of Joe's teachings. For example, the jump-board work we do in level 2 classes was NOT actually

This heat has really been something this summer! Make sure you are taking actions to keep yourself cool, in addition to hiding out IN the coolness of your air-conditioned home. When the temperature runs hot, so does our nerves and tempers. We tend to burn out quickly and our adrenal glands can get taxed leading to unusual fatigue. For some tips on staying cool check this month's post, Ancient Wisdom to Cool Down in a Modern World. We also have 2 Featured Teachers this month-

Join us in the courtyard of Robertson Plaza on Saturday August 18th for a morning of Pilates! Take a breath and exhale as you flow through a classical mat Pilates series, targeting each muscle group while you tighten and tone your core. Class starts at 10am. Cost is FREE for active clients of JK Zen Fitness. DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR MAT! To RSVP: email us at schedule@jkzenfitness.com

3.3 billion years is how long it takes to create one diamond, and exactly .25 seconds to lose one. That is what I discovered yesterday. I was standing in my bathroom, almost nude, a salt bath filling in the tub behind me, a glass of Chardonnay sitting on the counter to my right, and Metta sitting on a bath mat to my left (he doesn’t like the cold marble floor on his little bum). It’s been five long, tumultuous weeks since my mother fell, resulting in a 5" laceration on her le