Virtual Lessons

I happened to be in Nashville in January 2020, and booked a private with Erin. From that lesson forward, my journey with scoliosis has literally been changed forever. I reside in Florida, so I couldn’t meet with Erin in-person to continue our private lessons. When Erin suggested we continue working together virtually, I was skeptical, but let me ease any fears or uncertainties you might have. Erin’s virtual lessons are as if you are with her in person. I often think Erin has x-ray vision, as she can see the tiniest spots that are off in my body, and this is all via a virtual platform. On more than one occasion, I’ve been completely awestruck after our weekly lesson, as pain I’ve been struggling with simply melted away. I literally thank God for Erin, as she has truly changed my life. Seriously, there is no challenge too small or too immense for Erin. Virtual lessons work and you can thrive too! The words ‘thank you’ will never be enough to express my gratitude to Erin and her studio.

My daughter Olivia is 11 and was diagnosed with scoli right before her 10th birthday. I have been a Gyrotonic and yoga instructor for over 15 years and before that a professional dancer; even with my extensive knowledge, I was in deperate need of support and a team in helping my daughter. When I got a meeting with Erin and she set us up with Jennifer Stark it was a game changer for us. Jennifer has a special way of bonding with Olivia and helps her not only with her body but with her mind and spirit. She has been instrumental in Olivia’s development and confidence and has been a great support for me as well. Our relationship with her has been so important and changed having scoli from something to “fight against” to a motivation to live more in tune with one’s body.

What a wonderful experience virtual Pilates has turned out to be! My teacher took care of all the technological issues; all I needed was my iPad and a carpeted space. She began each session by asking me what was going on with my neck, and then we worked for an hour on gentle exercises that left me feeling unlocked and relaxed. If I was unable to understand what she was asking me to do, she demonstrated the exercise which I was able to watch on my iPad. She also developed a series of easy daily exercises for me to do on my own; she provided photos and written instructions; then she watched me perform these exercises during one of our sessions to ensure I was doing them properly. Working remotely has been every bit as productive as being in the studio!

I contacted Erin after listening to a Pilates podcast she was interviewed on, and I was in awe of all the research and dedication she has given to her work on scoliosis. She is without a doubt the Queen of Pilates for scoliosis, and has completely changed the course of my daughters Pilates journey.  I work with my daughter closely each day as she has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which is very complex and Erin is there to take us a step further each time we are ready. My daughter instantly had confidence in her teaching and trusted Erin, which can be difficult as EDS is not well understood. Erin is very approachable and loved by my daughter for her boundless energy and positivity. She works safely and methodically and we are very grateful to have Erin on board our path to moving freely and pain free. I have complete confidence and feel incredibly inspired by her work. As a Pilates teacher myself, it’s a double bonus watching and learning from her teaching!

Previously I would have said, “I don’t do virtual lessons!” based on several not-so-good experiences. Then I took a few lessons from Jennifer. She was very attentive to my posture needs - especially my knee/hip, where I have damage. Jennifer is fun, chatty, and very clever in addressing my body's needs. I would say “I can’t or won’t bridge,” because the exercise previously caused me nerve pain and then find myself bridging with Jennifer without pain!!! Who knew?!?! Living in Minnesota, trying virtual work with this talented Pilates teacher was my only choice. It was and is great! I have had several sessions with her, and she still corrects my form, is brilliant about getting me to do things that are challenging, and motivates me to be a stronger person. I would highly recommend doing virtual lessons and working with Jennifer.

Thank you for the virtual Pilates lessons during this new season! It was blessing to keep something familiar on my schedule even though it was a new format. I found the additional benefit of exercises that I could easily do at home. As someone with fused scoli, I have learned that I must move everyday so these new options are wonderful! Thank you again, and I will continue virtual lessons on occasion to keep my home workout up to par!

Erin is a scoli wizard. Taking class regularly with Erin has educated and empowered me to care for my scoli. Because I live in Washington, D.C. and travel often, Spiral Spine's virtual private lesson option has allowed me to take class with Erin each week wherever I am in the world - whether I am at home with my reformer or in a hotel room with only a yoga mat. Erin is creative, warm, and brilliant, and you won't regret signing up for a class!

When I was diagnosed with scoliosis, my mom began to look at any available non-surgical options. After a bad bracing experience, she luckily found Spiral Spine. Jennifer Stark became my greatest asset in my scoliosis journey. I cannot thank Jennifer and the team at Spiral Spine for their guidance and support through this very challenging and scary time in my life. Today, I am over two years post-ASC (Anterior Scoliosis Correction surgery) and enjoying a life without limitations. I have to moved to South Carolina, but I continue to have my bi-weekly sessions with Jennifer over zoom. She continues to help me strengthen and stretch my body so I can continue to do what I love. If it wasn’t for Jennifer, I really do not know where I would be today or the condition my back would be in.

I highly recommend virtual Pilates with Spiral Spine! I was hesitant to take virtual classes, but my instructor quickly changed that. She worked with me every step of the way, addressing all my needs. I do not feel like I lost any part of my work-out during the transition from studio to virtual lessons. Never thought it would be possible to break a sweat in my little apartment living room, but it is! Do not hesitate, book a virtual Pilates lesson.

My daughter and I had our first virtual Pilates lesson with Jennifer. Using Zoom to connect with her was easy to do. We covered a lot of ground (haha!) during our time, as we did Mat exercises with some props we had at home. It was a fun change of pace, and we still got the same level of instruction as we regularly receive in the studio. We both felt better after the lesson and plan to take another lesson virtually soon!