Senso Studio Keeping Composure through Pilates Part 1

When I entered Carolyne Ergin's pilates studio Senso on Tuesday night, a group of outrageously happy-looking people approached me. Not only did they beam with relaxation, balance and contentment, they all seemed to have impeccable posture too!

What's going on? I thought pilates was hard work! While I am still pondering on this matter, Carolyne Ergin welcomes me just as beamingly with the kind of openness that'll allure anyone. She shows me around quickly and shows me everything from the original pilates mats in the first room, equipped with two wooden handles and two foot loops, to typical pilates sports equipment in the next, available for solo training sessions or in groups of two and three.

The following room is laid out for massages and sessions of shiatsu, cupping, spinal regeneration therapy by A. Holzschuh, the Dorn method or foot reflexology. Through June 6th, Winnie Rode, former bodyguard to the Dalai Lama and one of his personal disciples, offered his annual singing bowl sessions aiming to harmonise body and soul.

The most interesting part however, was Carolyne Engin telling me her story: how she started out as an architect partnering up with a colleague to form their own practice, soon counting numerous employees. Besides work, fitness has always been of great importance to her.

After a deep personal crisis, she reached a turning point in her life. During orthopaedic training, she realized she could reconnect the body's 'architecture' to the human being surrounding it, resulting in positive outcome for body and soul.

She discovered pilates to be the most adequate way to keep the back, stomach, pelves and buttocks in shape while also optimizing your body posture, breathing and blood flow. She has developed her own training method she's come to name “BodyArc School of Composure” - a method that combines physical with mental well-being.

A team of experienced trainers, each with a different main training area, offers customized sessions to clients according to their needs. To get this right, however, the ability to empathize is required – which, from an hour-long interview with Carolyne Ergin, seems unmissable to me.

The body is the mirror of the soul, they say. But a healthy body can also condition a healthy soul in reverse. The convincing concept had me book an immediate trial session – coming up this Friday!

Throughout the year, you'll also find a series of extra-curricular events such as 'Pilates in the Park', trips to Mallorca or, recently, 'Face and Magic – Rejuvenation through Facial Muscle Training'. It may sound odd, but a friendly doctor told me it should actually work. Incredible!

Find an experience report on Senso here >>>