Building a Strong Family with Pilates by Lori Navarro

Working was a Surgical Intensive Care Nurse and all the stresses that it entailed, I needed a way to relieve the stresses from my job and Pilates was my outlet. I started practicing Pilates in 2003 and loved how it made me look and feel. I had more energy at work and felt stronger to do my duties as a nurse who required lifting patients and countless hours of standing. I wanted to learn more about the practice so I decided to pursue a BASI Comprehensive Teacher Training Certification in 2010. I had the privilege to work with Rael, my mentor along with Constance, Jeanne, Stella and all the wonderful staff at BASI. They inspired, encouraged, and supported me through this amazing journey. For the past 5 years, I have been running my private Pilates studio at home in Claremont, CA.

When I had to do my instructional hours for the BASI requirements, I used my family, especially my son Antonio and my daughter Elise. My son, Antonio fell into the spell of Pilates and while getting his undergraduate degree in Psychology at UCR, he decided to do the BASI Comprehensive Teacher Training with Rael in 2014. Antonio is a Pilate’s instructor at Pilates 909 in Rancho Cucamonga and at ATP Specific Training Studio in Pasadena. He is also a Physical Therapy Aide at ATP Specific Training and is applying to a Physical Therapy Program next year.

Elise graduated in 2015 from USF with a BS in Kinesiology. She is also a personal trainer who specializes in corrective exercises and saw the benefits of mat Pilates. She took her mat certification in 2015 and recently found out she passed her mat Pilates test. She is also applying to a graduate program to become a Physician Assistant.

Ever since, I finished my certification in 2010. I have been going to BASI headquarters in Costa Mesa once a week to continue my Pilates education and learn from my mentors. These past 2 years, Antonio and Elise have been coming with me to train with the lovely Jennifer Pearlstein and we all have shown great improvement in the way we execute the Pilates exercises as well as our cueing. It resonates when we teach our clients and how we can improve their movement quality and experience. My children have always said that I was their inspiration for continuing their education Pilates, but little do they known, they inspire me every day to day my best to pursue and achieve my goals. A family that works out together stays together. I want to thank my BASI Family for being there for all of us. Thank you for nurturing us to love what we do ad to dot it with and compassion.