TAOS PILATES - Key Persons

Jennifer Birch has been practicing yoga since her early teens. At the age of twelve, she got pulled aside after PE class during a yearly check for girls to diagnose scoliosis. The nurses agreed her spine wasn't quite right, but didn't need further examination. Almost twenty years later, a chiropractor asked her how long she had known she had scoliosis. She began exploring Pilates when her chiropractor recommended it during pregnancy with her second child in 2002. She received her 450 hour teaching certificate in 2003 from Personal Best Pilates Instructor Academy in Kansas City, and was named Kansas City's Best Pilates instructor in 2004 by Pitch magazine. Jennifer's teaching style has been primarily influenced by her practice of Iyengar Yoga, intensive training in anatomy and physiology, and her belief in the body's innate ability to heal. Being diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disorder (systemic mastocytosis) in her early thirties changed her life. Basic postures and exercises in both pilates and yoga can be contraindicated for those at risk of or diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis. It was time to relearn these practices with a deeper understanding of their risks and benefits. All of our injuries and illnesses provide us with an opportunity to learn and grow. As Pema Chodron says ‘ you can either get stronger or you can suffer, it is the same amount of work'. Suffering is real, but an educated and informed physical practice can help us to become stronger and suffer less. Jennifer is committed to helping you find an inner sense of alignment and strength, allowing you to move through your life in a more centered and graceful way. Attention to detail, precision alignment, and a deeper connection with your own inner teacher are benefits you will receive from private online sessions with Jennifer's careful guidance and attention.