Amy Garner, return to life through Pilates
/Meet our guest teacher & international presenter of Magic Circles & Arm Weights Masterclass, and previously Return to Life: Archival Mat Pilates workshop at The Pilates Studio Dublin, Amy Garner.
Author, Amy Garner
Amy started Pilates when her fiancé, John, convinced her to go to a class with him. “You’ll love it,” he promised. She learned very quickly that she had a lot of areas to strengthen, was imbalanced, and hyper-flexible. Even though the class was hard, she did love it. Amy and John began taking duets together with the teacher, Romana’s Pilates Level III instructor Pam Pardi. Amy left every session drenched in sweat, energetic, and proud of having accomplished things she couldn’t have done only weeks earlier.
Amy, who grew up in Wyoming, spent her childhood dancing, skiing, hiking, and pursuing arts. Frequently side-lined by joint injuries and surgeries, she shifted her focus to art and acting. When she was 18, she moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where she met John. After graduating, Amy worked in the hotel industry in downtown Manhattan, which funded her newly-found hobby of Pilates.
While studying Pilates with Pam, Amy noticed that her joints were getting strong and more stable. Her wobbly knees had more muscle helping hold them in place. Fascinated by the method, she wanted to learn everything about it. Pam suggested she should enroll in the Romana’s Pilates certification through True Pilates New York.
Amy started the rigorous certification program in 2009, where she learned to fully appreciate the true genius of the Pilates method. She learned to look at the body of the client in front of her, to see what that individual needed and was capable of doing. She learned that even if someone had injuries, there is almost always something safe for that person in the method.
She learned this lesson for herself when, after having ischemic strokes caused by arterial dissections, she was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder. Suddenly all of the joint dislocations and failed surgeries made more sense. Pam, who had always been such a good teacher and mentor, told her, “Pilates will always be there for you,” and she was right. Learning to take care of her own body while continuing to progress and learn helped Amy connect more deeply to the method and to find empowerment in getting stronger.
Amy and John, now married, opened Pilates Haven, a studio located in the heart of New Haven, Connecticut. Amy works with a range of clients, from athletes, to dancers, to people with physical limitations (including connective tissue disorders). She is dedicated to learning, taking extensive workshops both about Pilates and about anatomy, fascia, pre and post-natal care, and working with injuries. She continues to study and learn from some of the best Pilates teachers, including Sari Mejia-Santo, Pam Pardi, Cynthia Shipley, Jamie Trout, Jerome Weinberg, Javier Velasquez, and more.
Amy is proud to be bringing her knowledge, compassion, and detailed focus to clients around the world.
Amy, already presented a highly successful Return to Life: Archival Mat Workshop at The Pilates Studio Dublin at the start of the year. Amy Garner together with John McCarthy are returning to present a Magic Circle™ & Arm Weights Masterclass on Tuesday 5th September, 2017. If you would like to learn more about the original form of Pilates or grow your own Pilates practice, then make sure to reserve your spot. the Learn more about the workshop here.
