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Nicole Briggs — Strong Body Pilates, Toluca Lake, CA

Dec 09, 2019

Nicole Briggs: Studio Owner, Instructor, Eternal Student

When the Vintage Pilates studio was in full swing, there was a lively synergy between the clients, THE WORK™ students, workshop attendees and staff. We saw the studio as more than a place where people came to take lessons. It was a laboratory where everyone — including (perhaps especially) the staff instructors — were constantly learning and sharpening their skills. Nicole Briggs epitomized this philosophy to the hilt. She was among the first ever workshop attendees at Vintage Pilates. Soon she was coming for regular private and group lessons, then she got into THE WORK™ and when she completed that program, she became a staff instructor. Through it all, she reliably took several lessons a week, and attended many workshops and seasonal camps. She was always curious, always studying, always observing and thinking. You could practically see the wheels in her mind turn whenever she was in the studio.

Nicole Briggs is also co-owner of Strong Body Pilates in Toluca Lake — a popular studio she founded in 2011, which will host Vintage Pilates’ Weekend with Jay events in 2020 and beyond!

We were dying to ask her what she learned from her time teaching at Vintage Pilates. Here is her answer, below:

What did I learn from working at the Vintage Pilates studio? It was a journey. An experience like no other. The big thing that struck me was the feeling of community. My colleagues and classmates were encouraging, not competitive. We were taught to be free-thinking, not to regurgitate or blindly follow rules. Everyone was inspiring and helpful.
 
When I was in THE WORK™, of course I furthered my understanding of Jay’s two-way stretch. But it was more than just a technical education. It was a philosophical education. I realized that the method is vast, yet simple.
 
As a staff instructor, I was constantly given learning opportunities: lessons, classes, chances to attend or assist in workshops. We collaborated with other studios to explore and expand our understanding of Pilates. International students came to the studio all the time, which sharpened my capacity to communicate and teach across language and cultural barriers. (Jay often reminded us to teach without talking too much!).
 
Through it all, I got to observe so many different bodies. I watched how Jay and the other staff instructors taught their clients. This bolstered my problem solving skills and helped me see more in my own students so I could better serve them. It was a journey. And at the end of it, to put it simply, I learned to be a better Pilates practitioner and teacher.

About Strong Body Pilates

Strong Body Pilates is a boutique studio specializing in traditional Pilates. The studio is fully equipped with top-of-the-line apparatus from Gratz™ industries — the gold standard in classical Pilates equipment. Strong Body Pilates welcomes those from all walks of life, whether you’re looking to prevent injury, improve athletic performance or simply move through life without pain. The studio is led by highly respected teachers within the Pilates community. It is also an education center for aspiring instructors and certified teachers looking to fine-tune their skills through continuing education.

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