Cassandra Palo, owner of NICE Pilates in the Richmond, describes her job as part instructor, part therapist, front desk clerk, bookkeeper, marketer, and janitor – the many hats worn by a small business owner. That investment in time and effort, however, is repaid many times over by the gratitude expressed by happy clients. "I'm rich in affirmation," says Cassandra.
NICE stands for Nourishing, Integrated, Classical, and Experience. These are the four levels of classes taught at the studio, which are based on pace, not ability. "Pilates will meet you where you are." notes Cassandra, "but you can't go faster than the practice you've built up because your body and mind need to work together, and that requires personalizing a routine and getting it down."
And once you do, the payoff in physical and mental fitness can be transformational. Cassandra relates how recently a 70-year-old client said, with tears in her eyes, "'Thank you for giving me my husband back.'" NICE Pilates had helped him rejuvenate his agility and revitalize his confidence – he was bicycling more, kayaking better, and enjoying his life and relationships anew.
PIlates is practiced by different people for a variety of reasons: Corrective exercises to overcome injury; A rediscovery of their journey with movement, especially if they've been sedentary for a while but don't like the idea of going to a hard-core gym or trendy fitness club; And ongoing strength and balance training as part of a healthy lifestyle. As Cassandra points out, "You can make the exercises easy or hard as you want, learning where your body wants to go and looking for nuance."
Another nice thing about Pilates is the infinite variety of exercises. Cassandra says she's "never taught the same class twice." And with a wide variety of movements and machines to choose from, she "teaches to the body in front of me," tailoring the session to the individual.
As a special bonus for the Gaetani community, through February you can use code NEIGHBOR20 for 20% off a single drop-in class credit. 1st time customers only, limit one usage per customer. Visit https://nicepilates.studio/ to sign up or get more information.
Office: 4444 Geary @ 9th Ave.
4444 Geary Blvd #100,
San Francisco, CA 94118
Tel: 415-668-1202
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CalDRE: 01986860