I've been taking classes from Michelle for years, starting back when she taught at Club Pilates. I…read moreenjoyed her classes so much that when she opened her own studio, I didn't hesitate to cancel my Club Pilates membership and follow her. Supporting a local business is important to me--especially when it's run by someone who truly cares about her clients. Unlike the franchise experience, where I felt the new ownership at Club Pilates was becoming increasingly profit-driven and less member-focused, Michelle puts her clients first. Every session with her is unique. She's incredibly creative with her exercises, so you never get bored. Despite having taken Pilates for years, I always learn something new in her classes! The small class sizes (max of 4 people) allow for plenty of personalized attention, which is crucial in Pilates. Plus, her studio is beautifully decorated--cozy, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed. I can't recommend Michelle enough if you're looking for a truly personalized and high-quality Pilates experience!

Are you looking for a small pilates studio with an exceptional certified and credentialed…read moreinstructor who has been teaching for many years and really listens to her clients? Michelle fits the bill. I have been attending her classes for many years and I am so happy she decided to open her own studio. Her classes are not rote....she makes a lesson plan and has many modifications during each session. Her studio has a soothing vibe in a very safe environment. I always feel challenged.

Coach Taylor has consistently developed interesting workouts that are exactly what I need as I…read moreprogress. I've been working with Taylor for about 7 weeks. We meet 2-3 times per week, and I don't do any workouts between our sessions. When I started, I had really poor activity tolerance and limited strength. Instead of running, I had this pitiful shuffle/jog that I could only sustain for about a minute before having to drop back to a walk because I was out of breath. I could hardly do a lunge without falling over, and sustaining a plank for 15 seconds seemed like a pipe dream. But Coach Taylor always presented me with a workout that I could finish and be proud of. Within 2 weeks (5 sessions), I had already made noticeable improvement in all aspects of my workout, and I felt really encouraged because I wasn't wiped out afterwards. And now??? I can't believe I'm working on sustaining a 2-mile run (yes, actually RUNNING), and I'm knocking out squats, lunges, and push-ups. And I'm not hating them!!! (Well, maybe the push-ups, a little.) My initial goals of feeling stronger and being able to run with my German shepherd are already being realized, and I feel GREAT!!! Coach Taylor has expertly factored in my physical limitations (spinal fusion and unstable patella) into my workout plans so that I can get stronger without injury, and I have developed strength and stability I didn't think was possible. I'm 51 years old, and have never been consistently physically active, so I didn't expect to ever look forward to exercising. But Taylor designs my workouts to take advantage of different parks and scenic neighborhoods close to where I live, so I am always happy to get up and head out to see what I can accomplish in an hour of warm up, work out, and cool down. I can't say enough to recommend Coach Taylor and Portland Outdoor Athletics for personal training. This was the best investment of time and money I have made in a long, long time.

Owned and run by veteran pro-ballerina, Lavinia Magliocco KNOWS the body. When an ankle surgery…read moreleft my whole body feeling extraordinarily tight, and PT was no longer challenging and lacked a holistic approach, I went to Equipoise for a whole body experience. We stretched and strengthened on the pilates reformer machines, did some yoga posing that I could work on at home, and used some fun massaging and strengthening props - it was so exciting I felt like a kid at summer camp. Lavinia makes healing feel within grasp. She is intuitive, smart as hell, supportive, and knows feet and ankles so thoroughly...which is really comforting after surgery. I can't recommend Lavinia enough - whether you're recovering from an injury or your body just needs some love, toning, strengthening, whatever...don't sleep on this chick, I'm telling you.

I have worked with Lavinia in Pilates and ballet class and she has helped and guided me so much…read moreboth emotionally, and physically. She has so much experience with Pilates, ballet, anatomy, yoga, physical motion and muscular structure and movement. She seems to have good advice for any problem and is extremely helpful. Many times she has given me invaluable exercises, stretches, massages, manipulations, and tools that I can use even outside of her studio. She is very intuitive and with a few simple touches and a look at my movement she can identify the source of a problem and figure out how to fix it. She has helped me to be more aware of my body, muscles, diet, nutrition, ways of moving, ways of thinking, and habits. With her advice I have grown into a much stronger and sensitive dancer. Each day when I warm up I use many exercises and stretches that I have learned from her. She is also very creative and many of her remedies she has just discovered on her own from playing around with stretches, exercises, and movement. I also really love that when she teaches me, she doesn't just dictate to me and tell me that I have to do something a certain way and no other way is right- she understands that every person is differently made and thinks differently and that there are many ways that work for different people- each person has to find what works best with their own physique. She has really helped me to find what works best for my body and makes me feel the best. She is so passionate about her work and her patients/students and it really shows. Each time I see her, she takes the time to compassionately ask me how I am and listen. I can tell that she really cares about the people she helps. She is a really good, kind-hearted person, who I love working with. I also really admire her for all that she has been through and accomplished. Becoming a good professional dancer is no easy task, especially when held back for some time with serious illness, and then having cancer too, surviving and look how strong and beautiful she still is!! She is so inspiring. When I take class with her I trust her instruction and advice because it has worked for me many times and I know that she really cares about me and how I feel too. She is one of the best Pilates, and conditioning/body teachers that I have worked with.

While I was looking for a Pilates studio in the area I happened to find Pearl Pilates and booked a…read morereformer class for a weekday evening . Well I was in for a treat that I along with one other person were the only two who attended and it was a very one on one kind of session . The space is huge , clean and very calm just what you would expect from a Pilates class and they have a separate space for mat classes as well as the reformer . The instructor was sweet but the only reason I ended up never going back and signing somewhere else was that the instructor felt like she was still learning and I felt very disconnected with her way of teaching . Her emphasis was on getting to convince both of us for private lessons rather than the actual class itself and perhaps that was part of the trial session but it was kind of off-putting for me personally .

I signed up for a group mat class via ClassPass a few weeks ago. My first time I've done pilates…read moreat a real studio and I definitely lucked out because I was the only one in the class, likely due to spring break. Micah was very helpful and supportive since this was my first time. I have 0 upper body strength nor can I do a sit up, so while I was laughing at myself, the instructor made sure I had good form and tailored a few of stretches to help me improve my running. I felt great afterwords and can definitely see the benefits of doing pilates regularly.

This place is amazing!. They do Stott Pilates for Rehab. If you have any body pain, they can…read moreprobably fix it. Following full reconstructive shoulder surgery, my shoulder was frozen and my former PT and doctor said I would need another surgery. Traditional PT was failing me. I saw Mel at Pacific NW Pilates and in 3 months I had full range of motion back and it was never painful. Also, the doctor told me that I would never play tennis again and that I would need a full shoulder replacement within five years. Well, it's been five years and my shoulder feels great and I play tennis! Thank you so much Mel!

This is the studio to visit to if you want to train where Pacific Northwest instructors go to get…read morecertified and learn new techniques. The resident instructors have an extremely deep knowledge and the classes are often small (approx 5) providing a lot of personal attention, unlike large gym club classes. I attend a weekly group class and take private sessions every two weeks from Leslie Braverman, one of the owners. Leslie has transformed me, no more back and knee pain and my flexibility has improved significantly. I wish I had started many years ago. For any guys reading this who think Pilates would be too easy for them, come along and give it a try. It is way tougher than you think and begun as a training technique for boxing (enough said). If you are just looking for a trendy place to be seen, this isn't it, Pacific Northwest Pilates is all about a high quality workout.

You get one body in life, don't you want to take care of it? I consider my weekly session at…read moreKatona Pilates injury prevention. Tracey and Ivy teach classic Romana Pilates. They are sticklers for form and celebrate success and and progression. I like to run but often would get injured training for half marathons, especially my knees. I just finished a half marathon and my sessions made a massive difference in my training, performance and recovery. Pilates has helped strengthen my core, improve my balance, flexibility and overall confidence. There are so many times I've walked into the studio grouchy and stiff and glided out with a big smile on my face!

Katona Pilates is the BEST pilates studio in Portland area. If you want to learn Pilates this is…read morethe only place to go. I've been going here for years and am still learning and improving. I always feel stronger and taller when I'm going regularly to KP. They are very experienced and knowledgeable.

What can I say, other than Beth makes Pilates fun and shakes up the routine every time. She is…read morekind, very knowledgeable and knows how to challenge her client while having a smile on her face. I never dread a workout with her and always feel better after finished. I highly recommend her and her studio peaceful and clean. I'm relatively new to Portland and feel so lucky to have found such a great Pilates instructor.

Beth is super kind and knowledgeable. Her reformer class was a great full-body workout, and the…read morelocation is spotless and beautiful. I will definitely be back for more classes!

When we first moved from New Orleans to LO four years ago, one of the things I missed the most was…read moremy yoga community. I'd seen a few local yoga studios in my new town but was unsure where to begin. Then one day, my daughter and I were having lunch at Chuck's Place (now closed). Through the window, I spied Imagine Yoga studio, so we went to take a look. At that time they were offering a new student special that was in my budget so I signed up. I'm so glad that I did! This place has become my new yoga home. I've participated in a retreat led by its owner, Kristina, which was a pivotal experience in my life. I've enjoyed several special events (Yoga in the Vineyard, Full Moon Circle) and had nothing but beautiful times with this lovely community. The studio was recently renovated, right before COVID closures, and I love the new airy space. Because the studio hosts a variety of teachers, you can tailor your yoga needs to what your SELF is needing each time. I particularly love Kristina's Flow class and the Calm yoga Nidra. During quarantine, I was relieved that they began offering online classes (still in effect) and now, not only can I do the classes from the comfort of my home, but the sessions are recorded and I have access to the class for the day... this is so helpful! Imagine is a small, woman-owned business, operated respectfully, inclusively and holistically. I 100% recommend practicing yoga here.

Imagine Yoga studio has built a community in its little corner of Lake Oswego; it just wasn't the…read morecommunity I was looking for. Yoga studios are pretty sparse in this area of town, and since I now work south of Portland proper and can't get downtown for class regularly at my preferred studio, I tried out the suburban offerings. I got a month-long unlimited new student pass for $40, which was nice. The studio has an okay variety of classes; due to my work schedule, I was only able to make it to the restorative and regular "flow" classes, so my experience was admittedly somewhat limited. Still, I ended the month feeling pretty underwhelmed by my experience, and don't see myself returning. The restorative classes were largely good, with some exceptions - I had one very odd experience that involved lots of standing around and little actual yoga, and one class where the instructor opened the door on a cold, wet December evening and I had to wrap the class blanket around me to keep from shaking. The regular "flow" classes are very slow and seem better suited for yoga beginners. None of the instructors I practiced with offered hands-on adjustments - in fact, most of them just stayed on their mats while leading class. The clientele skews older, which isn't surprising for this part of town. Folks seem to know one another, and the studio seems to have a nice little community going, but it wasn't a community I felt particularly drawn to or welcomed by. The studio space itself is nice, calm and clean; the free tea is a nice touch. The charge for mat use is not, although I overheard one instructor say it isn't really enforced. Given the choice, I'd rather drag myself to NW for a studio experience where the instructors are more engaged with their practitioners and the classes challenge me better.