For open sessions, TEXT or CALL to SCHEDULE 415.309.3357
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“I have tried yoga over the years, but it never resonated with me. After working with Laura I’ve seen a huge difference. My back pain is gone and I feel stronger all over. I really like Laura's style, she comes at Pilates from an athlete's perspective with a strong healing component.”
— Cara Ucci, Retail Owner and Designer
Injury Recovery for back, hip, neck and shoulder pain
For open sessions, TEXT or CALL to SCHEDULE 415.309.3357
We help people with herniated discs and bulging discs, scoliosis, sciatica, spondylolisthesis and many kinds of unresolved spinal issues, back pain and hip hip and shoulder issues.
We do a careful assessment to discover the underlying roots of your injury or pain
We teach you how and why the body is responding with pain, and how to listen to the signals in your own body
We offer private, one-on-one instruction with movement exercises and basic bodywork to restore movement and functionality
We ensure success by working with you on posture and ergonomics
We can also design a home program for you
“After 20 years of back pain, I have finally felt an incredible shift as a direct result of the careful and experienced instruction from Laura. I learned pretty fast Laura is more than a Pilates teacher. She understands the complexities and subtleties of my body. Laura knew even just by looking at my posture for the first time what I needed, and she was right. Her tailored program combined with a recommendation to work with a local Osteopath has, in a matter of months, set me well on the way to being back to full health and capability. This treatment is truly created for a long term healing results.”
— Christian Douglas, Owner, Backyard Farm Co.
Private Pilates Sessions
For open sessions, TEXT or CALL to SCHEDULE 415.309.3357
Our Pilates and movement private sessions are focused on injury recovery and therapeutic Pilates. We give you the personal attention you need to reach your health goals.
We will give you an in-depth assessment at your first session. teach you alignment, how to move from your core, and how to release and stretch tight muscles. We educate you on how posture affects your body, and different methods for relaxing the body and how to breathe. We help you with a personalized home program and inspire you to move more every single day.
Benefits of Pilates and movement at Joyful Movement:
Decreased pain in back, neck, hip, shoulder and other joints
Increased core and back strength
Increased range of motion and flexibility
Improved posture and postural muscles
Increased body awareness
“Shortly after the birth of my second child, I began Pilates with Laura. This may sound like a cliche -- but it has literally changed my life. Laura and I worked together for about 10 sessions, and she gave me a very simple home routine, that I started doing every morning. Sometimes I would only do 10 minutes, but I did it every morning. I have not had a single back problem since! ... The Pilates that Laura exposed me to has literally changed my life!”
— Mary Sackett, Attorney
Pre & Post Natal Pilates
“I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier.”
- JOSEPH PILATES at age 86
Pilates Reformer Group Classes
For open sessions, TEXT or CALL to SCHEDULE 415.309.3357
Group Pilates Reformer class times
Monday 5pm / Tuesday 5pm / Thursday 4:30pm / Wednesday 10:30am
Maximum class size is 6 people. We add new classes frequently, so please contact us about the most current group class times.
Our personalized small group classes are unlike other group classes. We limit our class size so we can focus on the unique needs of each individual. Participants receive special attention on alignment, form, strengthening, range of motion, stretching, and breathwork. We teach basic anatomy and get people back in touch with their bodies. Small classes promote a community of wellness and support. We also suggest home program ideas and review health information in class. For group classes, you must pre-register via text, email or phone to reserve a spot.
Classes are $40 per person.
*For Pilates Reformer classes, we require the Initial Private Session before attending a group class.
“Laura Marquit has helped me with back pain, and also has been my main health consultant for years. I rely on her for information from a common cold to very complex health situations. She has referred me to different specialists - including acupuncturists, osteopaths and bodyworkers in my area and explained how alternative care can work for me.”
— Lauren Dennis-Perelmuter, The Art Box Academy
About Our Instructors
FOUNDER, Laura Marquit
In my experience, people find their way to healing most quickly through a combination of methods and therapies. In my Pilates and movement classes, I weave in Pilates, Feldenkrais, and Yoga. In my private sessions, I use some basic bodywork, different movement therapies, and other integrative healing methods. In all my work, I take a common sense approach. I focus on the unique needs of each individual and use my deep listening skills from my certified coaching background. Each person is different and constantly evolving, and so are their injuries and health issues. Everyone has a different learning style, so I learn to speak the language of each client so they can grasp health information quickly and easily.
About me: As a Master Level Certified Pilates Instructor and Certified Coach CPCC, I have devoted the last 22 years to helping people heal from pain and injury. I have studied Pilates, Yoga, Feldenkrais, and other forms of movement for 30 years, while also studying the deeper roots of pain, illness, and injury and how people can heal. I work with a large referral network of practitioners and thought leaders in the field of health and healing so that my client base can use the most innovative and effective methods for recovering and rehabilitating from back pain, spinal injuries, neck and shoulder issues, knee pain and foot and ankle problems. The field of health and healing is rapidly changing and advancing at all times, and I am constantly researching, reviewing, and adapting my techniques and knowledge base. I use unique and personalized teaching methods to help people understand complex injuries and health issues in a simple, easy-to-understand format. Using a client-centered approach, my focus is to give clients the tools and information they need to be successful, heal from injury and illness, and transform their bodies and minds.
To become more familiar with my work, please watch my YouTube instructional videos, including my “Wake Up Warm Up”, which has helped hundreds of people heal from back pain. I received my initial Pilates Certification and training with Madeleine Black and Jean Sullivan at A Body of Work and did follow-up training with Margaret Tappan, Ashley Beldon, Jean Claude West, Cara Reeser, and Kathy Grant. I received my Coaching Certification, CPCC, from Coaches Training Institute. I graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Social Sciences. I have studied Physiology and Anatomy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda. I am a fan of “Whatever Works”, as each body, and each individual, is so different and responds to different healing methods and treatments. I spent 13 years in start-up technology companies, back when tech was fun and educational.
Bodywork
For open sessions, TEXT or CALL to SCHEDULE 415.302.1602
Kelley O’Brien
I am a true believer in the health benefits of hands-on touch. We have the amazing ability to relieve pain in ourselves and others through massage and body work. I am particularly drawn to AMR (Advanced Muscle Reconditioning) because it has been so effective in treating my own pain in a lasting way. By targeting areas that are causing pain, AMR seeks to iron out "knots" or spasms in muscle and soft tissue, releasing sometimes long-held patterns of tightness and pain. AMR requires continual communication between client and practitioner in order to be as effective as possible and make the most of each session.
I am continually inspired by AMR, both by how effective it is for pain and by how accessible it is for my clients. Clients can learn some basic AMR strokes to self treat or teach a partner or friend to work on them. Learning how to do some basic AMR to self-soothe areas of pain or to bridge the gap between visits to your practitioner is really empowering. It reconnects us with our own bodies and allows us to participate in the process of healing ourselves.
I grew up in Marin County and have lived in Fairfax for 23 years. My husband and I have raised 3 sons here and continue to find new things to love about our community every day. When I'm not in the studio ironing out "knots", I am often out hiking the hills with my hound dog "Birdie".