Sheldrake Pilates & Movement

I am an extremely active 64 year old with a history of skiing, running, water skiing, yoga, and CrossFit. After an injury last year i found all of my favorite forms of exercise took me at least 48 hours to recover from. My Massage Therapist suggested Sheldrake Pilates for me and although i was skeptical at first it has made a world of difference. I walk in limping and walk out skiing. its subtle and Nicole never lets it get in anyway boring. The classes are over way too soon. I highly recommend Nicole for anyone who need some expert guidance to get themselves back in to top form regardless of age or injury.

I have Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Essential Tremor and Fibromyalgia, so exercise is NOT easy. Many people living with these problems are told that PT and exercise are essential for their quality of life, but ironically, it is very hard to find professionals who have a thorough understanding of Hypermobility, chronic pain, and the associated problems that come with them. I have been to many physiotherapists and trainers in the past who do not understand the nuances of managing these complex conditions, and as such, I have been very disappointed in my results. By contrast, working with Nicole has been a breath of fresh air. She creates a supportive environment, is a good listener, and evaluates your needs on an individual basis. It is clear that she has both knowledge that comes from formal training and (possibly more importantly) knowledge from actual lived experience. With her support I have been able to slowly but consistently increase my joint stability and muscle strength and acquired the knowledge to be able to bounce back faster from illnesses and injuries. I have also learned some techniques for calming the nervous system, and still incorporating movement into my life on low energy days. If you’re hypermobile and have been disappointed by rehabilitation programs in the past, I would highly recommend working with Nicole!

Nicole is a wonderful Pilates instructor. I have been taking private lessons at her studio in Kirkland since last summer. I am a first timer. She is really fun, caring, and knowledgeable. Very meticulous. She always paid attention to each movement and gave me feedback when needed. I felt really great after each session. I loved working out out with her. I am so sad she is moving. I will truly miss her. If you are looking for a well rounded pilates instructor, this is your person.

After two years of physical therapy for a rib injury brought on by my joint hypermobility, I was still in constant pain with an altered range of motion, and a new “normal” for gauging pain. As many chronic pain sufferers may relate, I was at my wit’s end having tried different things for treatment with no significant progress. My aquatic therapist recommended Pilates. Save for home exercise videos here and there, I knew nothing about it... thankfully, I discovered that Pilates fairies lived on Yelp! I now realize how amazing and essential Pilates truly is. I have been doing Pilates with Nicole since November of 2017, and it has made ALL the difference! I went from constant/chronic pain management with temporary relief, to a significant decrease in pain, continued progress through overall strengthening, better mobility, and more pain-free days than not. Nicole is an amazing instructor-- incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about what she does, great attention to detail, and an awesome sense of humor! Her beautiful energy and warmth alone are therapeutic. Pilates with her has become an integral part of my self-care regimen and overall well-being. She is a godsend, and I am so very grateful to have found her :-)

I tried Pilates for the first time with Nicole and she always made me feel comfortable every step of the way. I could tell that she really cares about the health and well being of her clients and strives to make their experience as positive as possible. The great thing about Nicole is that she uses vivid (and sometimes funny) visual descriptions that help me understand the moves better. After only a few sessions I can feel the improvement in my core.

December 10, 2014, is a day I will never forget. It was the day of my first serious wreck and the day my body changed forever! I played sports growing up and was extremely active in my day to day life so I thought my body would bounce right back after the wreck – oh, how wrong was I? I spent 10+ months in physical therapy and over a year later, I still deal with my hip being out of alignment and severe neck/back pain. I finally got cleared to start easing back into workouts so I began doing yoga again. I heard that Pilates was great for posture, alignment, and overall strength but I was too scared to go to a studio and take lessons with other people watching. That’s when I saw Nicole offering private Pilates lessons and I knew I had to give it a try!January 12, 2016, I fell in love…with Pilates! I was greeted by Nicole with a huge, comforting smile which made me instantly feel comfortable. She explained what Pilates was, how the session would work, and took some measurements. I did not mention to her about my hip being alignment/my wreck – I wanted to see how good she really was (and didn’t want her to say I couldn’t do Pilates) – and she spotted it right away! I knew she was going to be fantastic!I did my first session and was rather impressed with myself but totally blown away by Nicole! She was so patient while she explained the moves (over and over again) and so encouraging when I would doubt my ability to do a move. When the session was over, I was thrilled she was willing to schedule another. YAY! I didn’t scare her off with my seriously beginner moves! I have continued to see Nicole each week for a Pilates session and have improved my skills, my confidence, my posture, and the pain in my back/hip has gotten so much better!Nicole is a fabulous Pilates teacher. She is patient, encouraging, knowledgeable, and has such a charismatic personality that leaves you feeling stronger and happier! If you talk to anyone I know, they will say that I look forward to my Pilates session every week and am no longer afraid to try new things – even an intermediate move.