Evolve Blog

Pilates Teacher Training

Thinking about Pilates Teacher Training, but still unsure?

Check out these wonderful testimonials from students who have been through the program!

Every time I complete a module with Melissa Kakavas at Evolve, I know I have chosen the right Pilates school and the right instructor trainer. Melissa does a phenomenal job breaking down the exercises so we can not only learn them, but understand their true intent. Melissa has a gift for bringing out the best in each of her students, no matter what their physical ability is or where they are at on their journey to learn to be a Pilates instructor.

The Pilates Teacher Training program at Evolve Movement far surpassed my expectations. The Program’s director, Melissa Kakavas, has an incredible understanding of the history and practice of Pilates, and of the Balanced Body training methods. She weaves personal experience, practicality and an enviable knowledge of the human body into her teaching. Melissa also has a unique ability to meet each student where they are, enabling us to grow as individuals, and as part of the broader Pilates community.


The BBU teaching materials are very thorough and easy to use as a reference. Melissa Kakavas is an excellent Teacher Trainer. She accomodated the various levels of trainees and respected all questions asked. I have been to many trainings/workshops and this was one of the best by far. Thanks Melissa and BBU!

My instructor, Melissa Kakavas, ROCKS! Melissa’s presentation style is fun, upbeat, informative, and thorough. She clearly knows her material and is eager to share her knowledge with all of her students, emphasizing equipment and client safety throughout the course. I particularly enjoyed the time spent on postural analysis and discussion about how to recognize tightness/weakness in a body and how to determine appropriate exercises for each individual. Examples throughout the class were helpful to emphasize this. Each exercise in the module was discussed in detail and guidance/tips on how to easily teach each exercise was provided. After taking Mat I and Reformer I, I definitely feel my knowledge/confidence growing as an apprentice. As a local student, I am grateful that Melissa continues the teaching process beyond the teacher training sessions. It is extremely helpful for her to emphasize principles and clarify learned material in our personal sessions. Looking forward to apparatus I.

 

I want to be sure that the folks at BBU know what a gem they have in Melissa Kakavas! Having been a PT for many years, I have been to a lot of courses. Melissa is phenomenal, explaining difficult material clearly with analagies and patience. She also has the gift of delivering constuctive criticism in such a positive way which creates a great learning environment. I am amazed at her knowledge of the body, for example, postural analysis. She has boundless energy and answered all of our questions and e-mails very professionally. It is clear to any student that Melissa wants you to be a safe and effective teacher.

 

Sign up for NEW Teacher Training dates in the 
Spring, Summer, and Fall!
 
EVOLVE Movement – Cameron Village 
 NEW Mat 1: May 4-6
Friday 4pm-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
$399 + $50 manual fee=$449

 

NEW Mat 2: May 18-20
Friday 5pm-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
$399 + $50 manual fee=$449

 

Reformer 1: June 8-10
Friday, 4pm-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
$499 + $50 manual fee=$549

 

Reformer 2: August 18-19
Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm
$449+$50 manual fee=$499

 

Reformer 3: September 15-16
Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm
$449+$50 manual fee=$499

 

Trapeze Table/Cadillac: October 12-14
Friday 4pm-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm
$449+$50 manual fee= $499
Chair and Barrels: November 9-11
Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm (Chair)
Sunday 10am-5pm (Barrels)
Chair $399+$50 manual=$449
Barrels $299+$50 manual=$349

  

Learn more and register online or call 919-828-4525. 

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About BB!

 

Betsy (BB) Vohwinkel shares 10 things you may not know about her… 

1)   I’m a native of North Carolina~born in Fayetteville and raised in Charlotte.

 2)   I met my husband in high school and have been with him for 30 years.

 3)   I love to dance.

 4)   I’m the eldest daughter, the eldest granddaughter and the eldest grandchild on my father’s side.

 5)   I’m mesmerized by marching bands and riding lawn mowers.

 6)   I’m a cat person, but not crazy….yet ;)

 7)   I swore I would never have children. Now I have two awesome daughters who are grown and (WOOHOO!!) not in therapy

 8)  Several years ago I spent a month in Australia and snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef

 9) I’m mildly obsessed with Airstream campers circa ’50’s and ’60’s

10)   I once drove from Biloxi, Mississippi. to Omaha, Nebraska in a ‘67 Plymouth Valiant, pulling a u-haul trailer and trying to keep a cat calm. The car could either go 55mph or I could run the air conditioner….but not both.

Betsy “bb” Vohwinkel teaches yoga at our Cameron Village studio:

Hatha Flow Yoga- All Levels: Mondays, 6-7:15

Power Flow Yoga- All Levels: Fridays, 9:30-10:45

More about BB:

BB found yoga as a young, stay-at-home mom. In looking for a way to stay healthy and fit on a shoestring budget, she came across a VHS tape of Patricia Walden’s “Yoga for Beginners”. “At first I laughed and snorted and rolled my eyes at her instructions and demonstrations. But the savasana hooked me. I was a calmer person, a more patient mom and a happier human being after each practice.” Her training has been dedicated to the Ashtanga Primary Series and the Baptiste Power Flow. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training with Lori Burgwyn and Cherrie Foreman at Franklin Street Yoga Center.

Betsy believes that many people come to yoga because they want to improve their physical body. Most of them stay with yoga because it draws power from within each of us to improve the emotional and spiritual body. Her teaching, and practice, is about helping to find the connection between the mind and body. She values seeing a class move as one, sharing the power of their breath and effort with each other. “It’s wonderful to see a particular cue connect with them and transform the asana they are doing. I love the om and how it resonates in a room full of people. And I love the smiles when I remind them to relax their faces.”

Betsy has two favorite quotes: “Yoga is not about being non-judgmental. It is about becoming more adept at making judgments” ~Anonymous and “There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” ~Leonard Cohen

 

Prana Flow® at EVOLVE with Conni Sithes!

Fall in love with Prana Flow at EVOLVE Movement.

Embrace the flow and allow the prana to guide you.

Prana: “life-force of creation”
Flow: the state of unified consciousness

Prana Flow is an energetic, creative, full-spectrum approach to embodying the flow of yoga cultivated by Shiva Rea and the Global Vinyasa Collective of Teachers. Students of all levels are empowered to experience prana – the universal source of breath, life-energy and conscious intelligence – as the navigating source of yoga practice and vital living. Practitioners learn classical and innovative approaches to vinyasa yoga and the state of flow drawn from Krishnamacharya’s teachings, Tantra, Ayurveda, Bhakti, Somatics and Shiva’s teaching experience from the last fifteen years.

 

NEW Weekly Prana Flow® Drop-in Classes with Conni Sithes, RYT 500
Prana Flow- LEVEL 2

EVERY Tuesday 7:15-8:45pm beginning Tuesday, February 21
Limited space, pre-registration strongly recommended.
Learn more & register online or by phone 919.828.4525

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Prana Flow®: Energetic Vinyasa Intensives
For Yoga Teachers and Dedicated Students with Conni Sithes, RYT 500
 Through the embodiment of ancient Ayurvedic principals in our Prana Flow Sadhana, we will align our energetic bodies, the microcosm, with greater Vinyasas of nature, the macrocosm, to awaken a stronger sense of balance and awareness within our life.

In February we will allow the slow grounding quality of the earth to sustain our energy as we leave the darkest part of the year and kindle the fire that will align us into spring. You will learn the foundational principles of Ayurveda incorporating the elements and the Doshas into your yoga sadhana.

In March we will embody the water and fire elements within a juicy sadhana inspiring transformation. Diving deeper into our understanding of Ayurveda, we will learn to integrate and apply the tools from Dinacharya, Ayuervedic lifestyle, that support holistic living in a way that is accessible to your life rhythm. Part of the session will include a demo on Abhyanga, self oil massage, a towel and old shorts are recommended.

In April we will connect to the fire of transformation with a fire and earth based practice inspired to create positive change. Continuing the discussion of Ayuerveda we will learn about Agni, the fire of digestion, and food guidelines for each Dosha according to the time seasons, time of day and quality of our food.

In May we will expand with an air based practice that opens, unwinds and leaves a sense of refreshed and renewed energy. Discover how we can begin the cleansing process not only within our diet but within our being. Ayurvedic principles that we can integrate into our life to help us restore and harmonize for maintaining full spectrum health will be discussed.

February 26, March 18, April 15 & May 20, 2012, Sundays 1-4pm
3 / 12 CEUs, $30/intensive
Limited space, pre-registration required.
Learn more & register online  or by phone (919.828.4525)
 

 

Prana Flow cultivates:

•Inner and outer strength and fluidity

•Skill and intuition

•Vital energy and relaxed being

•Activation and receptivity through balanced and creative fluid sequences (vinyasas)

•A catalyst for transforming old patterns and paradigms of the body, self and the world to discover the potency and creativity within

•A way of liberating the natural flow of spontaneous intelligence

•A cultivation of the art of yoga including: movement, music, sound, visual arts and poetry to deepen the flow

• A way to ride the waves of breath, change and life rhythms

• Living, loving, serving life in all forms

 

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Jen!

Jen Bluestone, the Yoga Director and Retail Buyer at EVOLVE Movement, shares 10 things that you may not know about her!

 

1.  I grew up in a small rural town called Ebensburg, nestled in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania.

2. In high school I had big hair, or as we called it in the 80′s, mall chick hair.  Whatever you are envisioning now..go bigger..then some more, add some aqua net and you got it!

3.  I’m pretty sure I was a dog in a past life.  I am so drawn to them and they are drawn to me as well…hopefully not because they think I smell like them.

4.  If you ever begin to talk to me about financial stuff..stocks, mortgages, words like escrow, dividends..you catch my drift…my brain switches to static.  I will smile at you and I might even say a word or two, but I am not hearing anything you say. 

5.  I remember the lyrics to songs from the past to a fault.  I use this talent to serenade my husband to Dan Fogleberg and Lionel Richie songs.  He is not a fan of those singers or my voice, so…..

6.  I won $1000 playing a slot machine in Tahoe and left with all $1000.  Schwing!

7.  My kids are my gurus…I learn so much from them..all of the hugs, little problems, arguments, and laughter teach me more than anything else in my life ever could!8.  I do not like spicy food or eggs.  I have a relentless sweet tooth.

9.  A family friend from PA tried to set me up with my husband when I moved to Raleigh. I said no, and 6 months later met him and fell in love.  We grew up 20 minutes away from one another! Fate.

10.  I hate running…hate it. But I ran the Pittsburgh marathon and finished it. I can’t run 2 blocks now.  The Pisces in me will swim all day.

Jennifer Bluestone grew up in continuous motion…swim-team, ballet, basketball; anything to keep moving. Jen was always exploring new fitness programs: step aerobics, kick boxing, etc. And then, Jen found yoga. A regular yoga student at her local gym, Jen’s interest grew. She began to practice Ashtanga and follow videos at home. When Jen’s mother became sick with cancer in 2003, yoga became her stress management. “I went from the physical practice and crossed over to rolling out my mat because it taught me to be present, find peace and calm. I was hooked.” Jen found the amazing, inspiring Carson Efird at a sweet little studio called Yogasana South in 2007 (now Evolve Movement) and was amazed by how much further her practice developed. During this time, Jen had two little girls and began to explore ways for them to reap the benefits of yoga as well. To this end, Jen enrolled in a kid’s yoga training and began children’s yoga program at Evolve Yoga. Jen recently completed her RYT-200 with Carson Efird(2010) and is a CYKF (Certified YogaKids Facilitator) as well completing Karma Kids Training and Mini Yogis Training.

Jen completely enjoys her new career path. “Nothing I have done professionally can touch how much I love what I do now! I forget where I am when I teach. And I mean that in the best way possible! It as if the world outside stops and everyone in the room is completely connected for that time period…through breath, through asana, through laughter. And the feeling is the same whether I teach children or adults…I walk out feeling so fortunate that I am able to spark the excitement of yoga in someone else, pass along the intrigue, share in the moment.”

“The kids give me so much energy and joy. We play and have lots of fun, but we spend time learning too. The best part is how much I learn from them. We might be doing a particular animal pose and one of them shouts out a fact about that animal that I never know. I am astounded every class by how much they know and how creative they are. The namaste and hugs at the end of the class are just the icing on the cake!” Jen’s favorite quote: “Be yourself, everyone else is taken” Oscar Wilde

Jen teaches Vinyasa Flow Yoga – LEVEL 2 at our North Raleigh and Cameron Village locations:

Click the links below to reserve your spot!

Tuesdays, 9:30-10:45am: Vinyasa Flow LEVEL 2 at EVOLVE- Cameron Village

Wednesdays, 9:30-11am: Vinyasa Flow LEVEL 2 at EVOLVE- North Raleigh

Wednesdays, 5:45-7:15pm: Vinyasa Flow LEVEL 2 at EVOLVE- Cameron Village

Thursdays, 9:30-10:55am: Vinyasa Flow LEVEL 2 at EVOLVE- Cameron Village

Saturdays, 8:30-10am: Vinyasa Flow LEVEL 2 at EVOLVE- Cameron VIllage

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Welcoming Wonderment

 

By Lila Rasa Brown, Anusara Certified, E-RYT 500

While chatting with a friend the other night, I was reminded, once again, of how much freedom we really do have as humans — we have the world, and life, at our fingertips! We also have the ability to view our lives in whatever ways, from whatever lens, we choose. Yet how often do we forget this when we move into the monotony of the daily grind? Life has so much to offer us — from the beautiful shades and textures of nature, to the amazing sounds of music (okay, some music), to the heart-expanding feeling of looking into a child’s sincere and smiling face. Each aspect of life that we experience through our senses is also a gateway through which we can experience the power and richness of our own Hearts, and Life itself. Yet when we forget our own capacity to expand our perspective on a regular basis, we may forget about the beauty and awesomeness that surrounds us on a daily basis.

The idea of seeing life through a lens of freshness is not a new one. In fact, it’s something that spiritual practitioners have been working with for hundreds of years! The concept of “beginner’s mind”, or shoshin, is a Zen Buddhist one that refers to greeting a particular topic with eagerness, openness, and curiosity. It reminds me of one of my favorite Sanskrit words adbhuta, meaning “wonderment” or “awe”. I love the idea that we can choose to experience life itself through a lens of wonderment, inviting the experiences in our daily lives to be filled with fascination or marvel. Rather than greeting a person who we see everyday in the same way we always do (here’s so-and-so again, she’s going to talk my ear off as usual!) or a situation that reminds us of what happened just last week (I’ll bet I have to wait in line again for 20 minutes!), we can choose to get spacious in our awareness, and welcome in a feeling of wonderment as we approach the situation. We are in turn reminded that life can delightfully surprise us in ways that we may have never realized were we not open to the moment! Children are really good at this. Rather than having preconceived notions about most people or events, they greet each with a sense of awe that allows them to truly experience what life offers without attaching feelings or thoughts to what comes their way. It’s this magical sense of presence that reminds us what is possible in each moment if we only open ourselves to receiving life, staying open to the possibilities that come our way. We learn to greet each day, and eventually each second, with open minds and open hearts, leaving us room to feel awe-inspired. This view of life gives us as adults the capacity to fall in love with it again, or to at least be blown away, fascinated, or pleasantly surprised by any given situation, or by ourselves in a situation. And when we put this view into practice more and more often, it becomes the norm, and we get used to allowing life to delight us rather than vex us.

Stepping onto the yoga mat to practice has a similar effect. The moment we fold our hands in front of our hearts to create a clear space for the practice, we connect with our own innate ability to greet each moment with an inner smile. Attuning our awareness to the breath, to each pose, and to the actions and alignment therein allows us to fully embrace the interesting-ness that life provides without anticipating what’s going to happen next. We are welcomed to the threshold of possibility where anything is possible, and we step more fully into our gifts and into the magic that lives inherently in every second. Before we know it, we’re doing things we never thought we were capable of before, and it’s because we didn’t tell ourselves we couldn’t or shouldn’t try. And even if those voices come up, we learn to acknowledge them, then move on, once again greeting life without agenda, but with intention and spaciousness. And this is the way we ingrain within ourselves the remembrance that life is a gift to be welcomed in with a fresh perspective, with a beginner’s mind. Before we know it, we’re looking at life through new eyes, with a feeling of wonderment and awe, and the magic begins to unfold from within us and all around us, simply because we’ve made this “little” choice.

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Lila Rasa Brown is a certified Aunsara Teacher, ERYT500, at EVOLVE Movement.

Learn more about Lila here.

Interested in attending one of her classes at EVOLVE- Cameron Village? Sign up here!

Classes listed below:

Tuesday, 11am-1pm: Anusara Advanced Practice

Wednesday, 4-5:30: Anusara Yoga- Mixed Level

Wednesday, 7:30-9pm: Anusara Yoga 2

Thursday, 12:15-1:30pm: Anusara All Levels Practice

Thursday, 5:45-7:15: Anusara Yoga: Level 1 & 2

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Trust in Yourself…

By Michelle Corey

Trusting in your self is a simple, beautiful concept.  It is a concept, which can have, many connotations.  To trust oneself fully, in ones abilities, ones knowledge and perhaps most importantly ones unspoken intentions behind your actions is a life-long practice.  To fully trust ones self requires for most of us, practice, for me a lot of practice.  I was reminded of the practice of Trust, recently when subbing a yoga class.  I ran into an old student of mine.  When I asked the students if they had any insights or revelations to share after we played with handstand, this dear student said, Trust.  She then elaborated and said, “that is one of the lessons I took from you when we were discussing when it’s appropriate to explore the ‘edge’ of a pose.”  My advice at the time for this student was to trust in her abilities, trust in her adhikara or studentship that she had practiced enough that it was appropriate for her to be exploring this ‘edge’ right now.  Her studentship was such that she was able to intuit herself whether or not she should go further.  I smiled and thought.  “That’s good advice.  I should listen to my own ‘Self’ more often.“  We then moved on and finished a lovely class.

The next day I received news that I am now officially, Anusara-Inspired.  This is wonderful news!  It means that I have achieved a certain level of training and experience and that I can now promote myself, and my classes as Anusara-Inspired.  The hope of course is that with this certification, my professional persona as a yoga teacher and practitioner will be enhanced both spiritually and monetarily.

So back to Trust in yourself, and my student/the Universe reminding me to do just that…Trust in myself!  I found in my classes the next day, that with this ‘outside stamp of approval’ my classes had already begun to transform.  I could feel myself teaching with more clarity, confidence and ease.  It felt so good!  I actually paused during class, and said a prayer of thanks to the You-niverse, for reminding me via my student to Trust.  To Trust with a capital T.  We, all of us, know more than we think we do.  I know I tend to sometimes be hesitant and question my abilities and myself.  I’d like to put it out there, for myself and all of you.  That you’re pretty fantastic and you truly do know more than you think you do.  So, Trust, I promise…  It will be there for you!

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Congrats to Michelle for becoming Anusara-Inspired!

Michelle teaches Anusara-Inspired Yoga: Level 1 & 2 Mondays at Cameron Village- 4:15-5:45

Sign up for her class HERE.

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