The Pilates Life of Jess

Hi, I’m Jess 💖

Born in Lytham St Annes, raised between England and Arizona, and somehow ended up becoming a self-proclaimed Pilates snob living in the desert 🌵

I moved to Phoenix when I was 9 and did most of my education here in the States — from Phoenix to California to Philadelphia — all the way through my Master’s degree.

I’ve always loved movement, creativity, and textiles… but Pilates has always been the thing that truly changed my life.

After breaking my back in a snowboarding accident, Pilates helped put me back together physically and mentally. Since then, life has continued to keep me on my toes 😂

I’ve had surgery on both shoulders thanks to another snowboarding accident and a car accident, battled severe asthma all of my life, and spent years on medications and long-term steroids that came with their own challenges.

But Pilates has always met me exactly where I needed it to.

It taught me strength without punishment.
Control without chaos.
And how to trust my body again.

I was lucky enough to learn from incredible teachers, and completely fell in love with the Classical method from day one.

I still remember being asked during my first day of teacher training:
“What’s your dream?”

My answer was simple:
“To open my own Classical Pilates studio.”

At the time there weren’t any true Classical studios near me in England… so eventually I opened one myself 🤍

Now I’m back in Arizona continuing to teach, learn, obsess over alignment, cue 24/7, and spread the word about what I personally believe is true Pilates.

Yes… I’m absolutely a Pilates snob.
And yes… I believe the Classical method is the only way ✨

If you’re new here, welcome to my little Pilates corner of the internet.

xo Jess

Unpopular opinion:

Pilates became trendy before people understood what it actually was.

The basics became “boring” …
and that’s where the method got lost.

Somewhere along the way, Pilates became more about aesthetic flows, fast transitions, and “feeling the burn”
than mastering the foundations.

Pilates became more performative than intentional.

Joseph Pilates created Pilates around control, breath, alignment, precision, and long-term strength …
not punishment, burnout, or proving how hard you worked.

Modern Pilates isn’t the problem.

But when movement becomes performance instead of practice, the purpose gets lost.

Pilates is supposed to connect you back to your body …
not disconnect you from it.

Harder isn’t always better.
More exhausted doesn’t mean more effective.

📍Phoenix, AZ

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In a world full of fast paced, trend driven workouts, Pilates stands apart.

Created by Joseph Pilates, this method was never about hype. It was about control, strength, and true mind body connection. Originally called Contrology, Pilates was designed to help people move better, feel stronger, and live with intention.

Today, Pilates is everywhere, especially on the reformer. While it is exciting to see the method grow, it is also easy to lose sight of what truly makes Pilates what it is.

It is not about how fast you move.
It is not about how trendy the class looks.
It is about precision, breath, alignment, and building strength that supports your life.

That is why Pilates Day is so relevant right now. It is a reminder to return to the roots and move with purpose.

At .tempe , we honor Joseph’s roots by bringing the focus back to intentional movement, proper form, and the true essence of the method.

Ready to experience Pilates the way it was meant to be?

DM me to find out what exclusive offers we have for Pilates Day.

The Pilates Teacher Association has published a statement calling for clearer distinctions between Comprehensive Pilates and Reformer Fitness….and I couldn’t support it more.

The rapid growth of our industry is exciting, but it comes with a cost. When training programmes produce teachers who can deliver a “flow” but can’t read and respond to an individual body, we are falling short of what Pilates was always meant to be.

Consumers deserve clarity. Clients deserve safety. And the profession deserves protection.

The growth of “Pilates – Pilates Teacher Association The global Pilates & yoga studios market size is projected to grow from USD 161.98 billion in 2024 to USD 430.87 billion by 2034, at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10.47% (reduced from 11.5% anticipated), according to a new report by Polaris Market Research.

The Mat holds a special place in the Pilates method. It’s the heart of the method.

Without the feedback of springs or the support of equipment, you learn to organize your body through strength, control, and breath alone. It asks for focus, honesty, and presence ….and that’s where true understanding begins.

The apparatus then becomes a way to deepen the work, helping you refine what you’ve learned and bring greater awareness back to the Mat. When practiced as a system, every piece connects and supports the same goal: efficient, balanced movement.

Throughout March, I’ll be dedicating time to the classical matwork and the original sequence.

✨ Join me every Tuesday in March at 3pm in Studio 2 as we explore and honor the classical Mat together .tempe

And for those practicing in the studio, you’ll experience how the Reformer and other equipment build on the same principles, connecting everything back to the Mat.

The Pilates mat is the purest expression of Joseph Pilates’ method.

Without springs, straps, or machines, the body must create its own strength, control, and support. The mat asks for honesty ... revealing imbalance, challenging endurance, and demanding true connection between breath, center, and movement. It is often the most humbling place to practice.

The classical mat sequence, as presented in Joe's Return to Life Through Contrology, is a complete system where each exercise prepares the body for the next, building strength, mobility, and awareness through intentional progression.

The apparatus --- the Reformer, Wunda Chair, Cadillac, etc --- were created not to replace the mat, but to deepen our understanding of it. They guide, assist, and challenge us so we can return to the mat with greater clarity, integrity, and control.

March MATness is simply an appreciation of the matwork: honoring the order, the method, and the lifelong practice of moving with control.
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Follow along in my stories beginning March 1 as we appreciate each exercise of the classical matwork, one movement at a time.
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I will also be hosting a complimentary Classical Mat Workshop for all Life Time members every Tuesday in March at 3:00 PM in Studio 2 at Life Time Tempe.
Spaces are limited to 12 participants ... please book through the Life Time app to secure your spot.
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