CSM Pilates

With Viktor Uygan – I'm on a streak! I've been a top fan for 6 months in a row. 🎉

This week, I watched an extraordinary group of students earn their wings. Many completed their Comprehensive Pilates Certificate after a year and a half of showing up every Tuesday and Thursday in class, practicing in studios, at home, completing online work, and stepping bravely into three practical teaching exams. Their commitment, growth, and heart brought us to graduation day.

This was also the first semester I taught Konnector at College of San Mateo. A brand-new course is always a challenge, but this group embraced our “liquid syllabus,” collaborating with me to build the structure and grading criteria. Together, we created a learning space rooted in respect, creativity, and shared responsibility. They supported one another, and they supported me, in ways that reminded me why this work matters.

Many years ago, when I dreamed of making Pilates education more accessible, it felt impossible. I did not have the financial means to pursue training until my parents stepped in. Later, when I joined CSM, I planted the seed for a community-college Pilates Instructor Program. At first it did not seem feasible, but in a moment of economic upheaval and renewed investment in career education, the dream took root. With the support of unique serendipitous events, the CSM Pilates Program was born.

Teaching and cultivating teachers is a labor of love. Success for me has never been about dollars, but yes, they are necessary. It is about planting something meaningful and watching it grow beyond me. This semester, my students reminded me that this dream has taken shape in ways I once only imagined.

I received many beautiful expressions of gratitude, but one gift, a book and a handwritten note, felt especially profound. It reflected back the purpose behind all these years of work: helping others discover their voice, their confidence, and their ability to change lives. To the student who wrote it: I see you, I believe in you, and I know you will carry this work forward with strength and compassion.

I will miss seeing this group each week, but I look forward to watching where their wings take them. What a privilege it is to teach, to learn, and to witness transformation.

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Spring 2026 is the perfect time to begin your Pilates journey at the College of San Mateo!

✨ FITN 335 Pilates (.5 Units) – a great fitness class and excellent mixed-level course for anyone curious about Pilates.
🧘 KINE 125 Pilates Mat Instructor Training (3 Units) – for aspiring instructors ready to start a teaching career.
🔬 KINE 300 Anatomy of Motion (3 Units) – a hybrid anatomy course exploring muscles and motion with purpose and precision.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your own practice or start teaching, you’ll learn in a supportive environment led by Balanced Body® Educator Sarah Artha Negara, NCPT.

📍 Courses begin Spring 2026 – enroll early to grab a spot!
👉 Visit www.collegeofsanmateo.edu/pilates for details.

Kicking off Fall 2025 Pilates Apparatus Teacher Training with this brilliant crew 💪🏽🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏾‍♂️🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏿‍♂️.
Every exercise, every discussion, every “aha!” moment is taking them closer to Comprehensive Instructor status. I love watching the puzzle pieces click into place.

🎉 Exciting news! Starting next Fall 2025, we are thrilled to offer KINE 680MA: Konnect® Method Pilates Training (2 Units) at College of San Mateo! This advanced continuing education course is designed for certified Reformer Pilates instructors who want to deepen their teaching expertise while learning to maximize the Konnections Band and Konnector® Reformer Rope System. Let’s uplevel your skills and keep innovating in the studio! 💪🌀

Course Description

Advancement of Pilates instruction through the utilization of innovative equipment and techniques. Emphasis on utilizing the Konnector Reformer and Konnections Band to enhance the Pilates repertoire and diversify teachers' skill sets. The Konnector Reformer's patented pulley system allows for independent limb movement, facilitating unilateral, bilateral, and contralateral exercises. Learn how this design increases core activation and promotes neuromuscular and myofascial balance. In addition, explore how the Konnector provides intensified proprioceptive feedback, fostering increased body awareness and expedited motor learning.

Thank You Viktor Uygan & Balanced Body, Inc. !