Laurie Leiber, Certified Pilates Instructor

The notion of Pilates intimidated me. It was the stuff of celebrities and such. Besides, the thought of working with a one on one trainer, where she could scrutinize my every wrong move, didn’t sound so appealing. At the same time I’d heard so much about the benefits of Pilates I kept being intrigued. So when the place that I worked at had a raffle for a free session to do Pilates with Laurie, I decided to try for it, and got it!
I have been going to Laurie now for a total of two years and love every single minute of it. She begins each session by asking how you’re doing, and she really is listening and taking mental notes. From there she’ll make a quick assessment on what you will work on or if you’re ailing somewhere, what to avoid for the session.
There have been times, when I’m about to leave work and I think «Gosh, I’m so tired, I just can’t muster the energy to go to my session.» but I do and each time I don’t regret it. In fact, I feel reinvigorated after my workout, and each time I feel so much happier and better about myself. What you should know about me is that I’m lazy. I really am. But when I have my session with Laurie it doesn’t feel like a workout. It’s challenging, but I never feel like I’m actually working out.
What’s so wonderful about having Laurie as my Pilates trainer is that I never feel judged, not for my short comings, for my inabilities, or when I just plain slack off. What I do feel is that she someone who truly enjoys and has a passion for sharing her Pilates knowledge and cares for your well being. I joke around with her sometimes and tell her that she’s way more effective than a therapist and costs a lot less. We chuckle at it, but I’m not sure she really understands how much I mean it. I would recommend Laurie in a heartbeat. She has helped me become stronger, more sure footed (literally), and feel better about myself.

Laurie is a great instructor, patient, nonjudgmental, sensible, not the least bit «woowoo». She got me into shape, improved my posture, and helped eliminate my knee problems in just a few months. No better way to start the day.

Laurie is a wonderful teacher. She is really knowledgeable about the body and is very in tune with it. I love having sessions with her! The space she works in is very pleasant as well.

Laurie is wonderful! Because I have neck and shoulder issues, we work hard on core strengthening. My neck and shoulders are greatly improved. Laurie customizes every workout to make sure that I don’t do anything that would hurt my neck. There’s no «one size fits all» with Laurie.
Truly I wish that I could go more often. Every time I’m with her, I get a great (and safe) workout. On top of that, Laurie is smart and funny. The hour flies by!

I did not want to take pilates but constant back pain made me willing to try it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that pilates doesn’t hurt! In fact Laurie told me that if I felt pain we needed to stop.
I learned how to strengthen my core which helped my back. But the real JEWEL was learning that my posture was causing my back pain. In a matter of 3 days I determined that correct posture could actually make me PAIN FREE!
If you have pain, give pilates and Laurie a try!

I’m new to Pilates and was anxious about my ability to do the exercises. Laurie possesses the right balance of instruction with accessibility. Very skilled!

I signed up for a benefit workshop that Laurie gave a while back and I was VERY impressed with her presentation to a bunch of us newbies!
Okay, maybe I was the only fool who had never experienced Pilates…
but I think a good teacher is someone who can «break it down» into bite-​sized chunks and «read» the students to know when they get lost and need more coaching.
I think Laurie has both the expertise, passion, and patience to be a GREAT coach and instructor for anyone interested in working on/​with their body in this discipline.

I am a fat woman with multiple difficulties from old injuries. I am wary of «fitness people» because in the past they’ve gotten me hurt a lot more often than they’ve helped me be healthy. If it wasn’t an actual injury, it was insensitivity about my size — either one will make fitness a major challenge.
I originally went to Laurie because she’s an old friend who was launching her own business. I was skeptical about Pilates, skeptical about its suitability for me, and cautious about the whole thing. That was a little over a month ago.
I’m now a regular, signed up for a ten lesson package, because (1) I enjoyed the first visit and (2) this stuff is good for me. I could feel the benefit in the first visit, but it was striking after the second visit. The exercises and the «homework» are manageable and make me feel better rather than feel worse. I can walk farther without problems, I can stand longer without problems, and it is already translating into a more active life for me.
Laurie is good humored, articulate, gentle, and non-​judgmental. She knows the names of the little muscles I am finding that I never used before. Her equipment looks like it was made for torture, but really it is exactly the opposite. She has been both knowledgeable and graceful in modifying exercises as necessary for a person of my size and build.
I did not list the address because the studio is a small building in the backyard of her home. Imagine going to exercise class, walking through a wooden gate, crunching across fallen leaves, and walking into a room full of light and calm!
So, if you are fearful, skeptical, and increasingly immobile, but desirous of reversing the trend into something happier, consider Laurie. She is a good and gentle teacher.