CLASSICAL PILATES the MATworkWe follow the original matwork sequence of 34 exercises as Joseph Pilates designed and taught them. Each movement builds on the prior with precision and purpose.
Classical matwork is a raw full-body battle against gravity and your own limits. Done right, it’s a two-way stretch in opposing directions—a deep awakening of dormant strength in your core and mind. The rhythm is hypnotic, the transitions are fluid. Every breath counts.
True matwork, performed with its original principles, is hard, sweaty work. No reformer springs, just you and the ground. Ultimate control. Utter focus.
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Return to Life:
Recovering from a burn out, break up and unexpected move across the Atlantic ocean, Pilates offered me a breath-based, interoceptive ritual that nudged me back to life.
When I found myself deciding between Classical and Contemporary methods for teacher training, I chose Classical for its more dynamic approach. The emphasis on full range aligned with stretch-strength principles and adaptations I’d come to understand through lifting weights. Above all, I was drawn to the repetition of the sequence itself, curious why Joe was so rigorous—even obsessive—about the order of exercises. I found Circle, a classical studio in midtown Toronto, run by Shareen Woodford, a 2nd-generation teacher who had studied directly with Pilates elder, Jay Grimes. Grimes was one of the few who had taught alongside Joe in his original New York studio.
It felt like I’d found a thread leading straight back to the source. Now at Flow, I hope to honour and share this lineage with you. Come discover for yourself the Classical difference, and fall in love with the whole-body intelligence, intensity, and allure of Contrology.
Background:
Classical Pilates: Mat, Barrels, & Small Apparatus (3rd generation, with direct lineage from Joseph Pilates) - Shareen Woodford, Circle Pilates
Two-Way Stretch (Workshop) - Sandy Shimoda, Vintage Pilates
Orbit: One Week PassTry a one-week intro to Flow.
Join the Classical Pilates world and experience matwork as Joe intended—challenging, invigorating, and transformative from head to toe.
$360 – 3 Sessions (privates)
Offer must be used within 10 days .
Studio 2contrologyis complete coordination of mind, body and spirit