Monterey Bay Contrology

Monterey Bay Contrology Monterey Bay Contrology is a fully equipped classical Pilates studio in Monterey, California offerin

"The body is a sacred garment: it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honour, and with joy and with fear as well. But always, though, with blessing." – Martha Graham

Exercise is often a paradox. Despite knowing it is vital to our health, we struggle to make it a priority. We join gyms, make new years resolutions, and recommit time and again only

to feel disappointed when we do not follow through. While studying dance during my final year in college I discovered Pilates, an exercise system I successfully adopted as a lifestyle. Within 6 months of regular Pilates training people started asking me if I had been dancing my whole life, merely by the changes in my posture and flexibility. What is known today as “Pilates,” was called “Contrology” by its founder Joseph Pilates. In his book Return to Life, Pilates described Contrology as “the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.” By uniformly developing our muscles, Contrology “corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.”

In 1995, I began training with Romana Kryzanowska in New York City. Romana met “Uncle Joe” in 1941 when she was a young dancer with an ankle injury and continued to work with him for the remainder of his life. When Joseph Pilates’ wife Clara died, Romana took over the studio. As a student of Romana’s and certified by her, I am considered a “second generation” Pilates instructor, a label I take seriously. My mission with Monterey Bay Contrology is to provide a fully equipped, classical studio where students practice Joseph Pilates’ original method of Contrology. I hope to recreate the community atmosphere I experienced at Drago’s Gymnasium where Romana taught her students exercise as a way of life. Monterey Bay Contrology does not promise weight loss or a new body. By performing the exercises regularly, we promise, in Joe’s words, “suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work.”

Monterey Bay Contrology welcomes individuals of all fitness levels, ages, and abilities. Bring us your aches and pains as well as your goals and let us tailor your workout to allow freedom of movement through the discipline of exercise.

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” - Joseph Pilates.
07/23/2025

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” - Joseph Pilates.

07/23/2025

Ready to Become a Pilates Trainer? Start with the Complete Mat Program!
Do you love Pilates and want to turn that passion into a profession? The Complete Mat Teacher Training by The Pilates Standard is your gateway into the world of classical Pilates—rooted in the original method by Joseph Pilates and structured through the teachings of Bob Liekens.

What You'll Learn:
21 essential Mat exercises (Intro level)
8 new exercises to progress to Ideal level
12 advanced Challenge-level variations
Anatomy & Orthopedic principles to teach with confidence
Classical cueing, transitions, and real teaching tools

Why This Training Is Different:
Based on the full classical method, not a shortcut
Structured over 4 weekends for deep learning (56 hrs)
Taught by expert educators from The Pilates Standard
Recognized internationally for quality and tradition

Perfect starting point if you're new—or a great foundation before going comprehensive

🔗 Register Now: https://thepilatesstandard.com/events/246-complete-mat

Become the teacher who truly understands the method—from breath to powerhouse, from beginner to advanced. Your Pilates teaching journey starts here.

07/22/2025
07/22/2025

System Over Segments: The Power of Integration

Pilates is a system for a reason. Each piece supports the next. The Reformer teaches strength and flow, but the Mat reveals control. The Chair challenges balance, the Cadillac provides length and stability. Together, they create a complete movement vocabulary.

Today, Julia Hilleary of Eagle True Pilates Arts visited Monterey Bay Contrology, and we loved meeting her. Certified by...
07/19/2025

Today, Julia Hilleary of Eagle True Pilates Arts visited Monterey Bay Contrology, and we loved meeting her. Certified by Romana Kryzanowska in 1994, it was a delight to share stories and hear all about her history and life teaching Pilates. Next time you are on the peninsula Julia, please visit us again!


07/17/2025

Ready to Teach Pilates the Classical Way?
Join the most complete Comprehensive Teacher Training by The Pilates Standard—based on the original method of Joseph Pilates and the legacy of Bob Liekens.

What you’ll learn:
Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chairs, Barrels & more
Progress through all classical levels (Intro to Challenge)
Anatomy + teaching skills for real clients
6 training weekends + 450–600 apprentice hours

Graduate with confidence to teach the entire system—not just one piece of equipment.

🔗 Register now: https://thepilatesstandard.com/classical-pilates-comprehensive-teacher-trainer-program

Become the teacher you wish you had.

“Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and ...
07/14/2025

“Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.” - Joseph Pilates

Check out this Upper Crossed Syndrome workshop in Stockholm, Sweden!
07/10/2025

Check out this Upper Crossed Syndrome workshop in Stockholm, Sweden!

Stand Taller: Master Upper Crossed Syndrome with Pilates + Naprapathy
Join us for a transformative workshop exploring Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS)—a common postural imbalance in today’s digital world.

What You'll Learn:
Why UCS happens: Understand the anatomy behind forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and tense neck/shoulder muscles

Pilates + Naprapathy approach: Discover simple yet powerful Pilates exercises combined with manual therapy to release overactive muscles and strengthen weakened ones—even suitable for clinic or home use

Concrete exercise strategies: Build programs featuring targeted movement and safe regressions to correct postural imbalance .

Why This Workshop Matters:
Combat “tech neck”: Modern lifestyles increase UCS prevalence among desk-workers and recreational screen users

Prevent pain at the source: UCS can lead to headaches, neck pain, limited mobility, and chest tightness—addressing the muscle imbalance solves it at the root
pilatesfitness.org

Enhance teaching depth: Equip your clients and students with the tools to transform posture and wellbeing holistically.

This Workshop is For You If:
You teach or want to help clients with neck‑shoulder tension, poor posture, or breath restrictions.

You want to deepen your knowledge of classical Pilates applications in rehabilitative contexts.

You’re looking to integrate Naprapathy-based manual insights into your teaching.

📅 August 22, 2025
Location: Stockholm

🔗 Register now — spots are limited! https://thepilatesstandard.com/events/268-upper-crossed-syndrome-pilatesmetoden-naprapati

Empower your clients—and yourself—to stand taller, breathe easier, and move better.
Will you join us?

In March of 2026 it will be 30 years since I received my Pilates certification from Romana Kryzanowska and The Pilates S...
07/07/2025

In March of 2026 it will be 30 years since I received my Pilates certification from Romana Kryzanowska and The Pilates Studio of New York. The most important thing I have come to understand over these past three decades as a Pilates teacher is first and foremost, always be a student. My mentors have been many. I can look back at my teaching and feel the difference between the periods in my life when I had a teacher/mentor as well as a strong teaching community, and the periods that I didn’t.

Gratefully, today I am a member of The Pilates Standard teacher training community and to have colleagues I can always call upon with questions and for support. I am very appreciative of the weekly sessions I take with Petra Karlsson and to have her as a mentor today. Recently, while at The Pilates Standard’s Bob Liekens Conference in Helsingborg, Sweden, I had the opportunity to have a session with Jeff Elsass, and it reconfirmed the importance for me to always strive to balance teaching with being taught.

To all the mentors who have guided me in the past and shaped and molded who I am as a teacher today, thank you. Especially Romana Kryzanowska, Bob Liekens and Allison Gonzalez, I do what I do today because of you.

For the past few years I have been running my own studio and the task of managing a small business can feel overwhelming at times. Luckily, I have been able to take my confusion to experts like Katie Santos and more recently Leslie Logan and Profitable Pilates. Through organizations like theirs, the unmanageable has become manageable.

Thank you to all my guides, near and far. Together, great things can happen!


karlsson








logan







10/12/2024

Thank you Sandra for sharing about THE PILATES STANDARD. Such a special community to belong to. ❤️

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Carmel, CA

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Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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"The body is a sacred garment: it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honour, and with joy and with fear as well. But always, though, with blessing." – Martha Graham Exercise is often a paradox. Despite knowing it is vital to our health, we struggle to make it a priority. We join gyms, make new years resolutions, and recommit time and again only to feel disappointed when we do not follow through. While studying dance during my final year in college I discovered Pilates, an exercise system I successfully adopted as a lifestyle. Within 6 months of regular Pilates training people started asking me if I had been dancing my whole life, merely by the changes in my posture and flexibility. What is known today as “Pilates,” was called “Contrology” by its founder Joseph Pilates. In his book Return to Life, Pilates described Contrology as “the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.” By uniformly developing our muscles, Contrology “corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.” In 1995, I began training with Romana Kryzanowska in New York City. Romana met “Uncle Joe” in 1941 when she was a young dancer with an ankle injury and continued to work with him for the remainder of his life. When Joseph Pilates’ wife Clara died, Romana took over the studio. As a student of Romana’s and certified by her, I am considered a “second generation” Pilates instructor, a label I take seriously. My mission with Monterey Bay Contrology is to provide a fully equipped, classical studio where students practice Joseph Pilates’ original method of Contrology. I hope to recreate the community atmosphere I experienced at Drago’s Gymnasium where Romana taught her students exercise as a way of life. Monterey Bay Contrology does not promise weight loss or a new body. By performing the exercises regularly, we promise, in Joe’s words, “suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work.” Monterey Bay Contrology welcomes individuals of all fitness levels, ages, and abilities. Bring us your aches and pains as well as your goals and let us tailor your workout to allow freedom of movement through the discipline of exercise.