maria in a nutshell

Hometown: Victoria, BC
Website: http://www.mariafilipponeyoga.com/
Ambassador at: lululemon Johnson St
First memory of yoga: Watching my Grandma, when I was 9 years old, practice yoga postures with a Karen Zeebrof book.
First yoga class In my 20s, my brother Joe took me to a class at the Jewish Community Centre.
Bikram Yoga: hot or not? I thought it was absolutely nuts. It took me a full year to get back in the room and once I committed myself, the way I lived my life changed for the best.
Your favourite place to visit: After high school I worked for 3 years as a flight attendant. My top 3: Hawaiian Islands, Rome & Paris.

how pilates healed maria's back

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the body and alignment. My first teaching gig at age 15 was assisting in an aerobics class, offering hands-on adjustments, flipping the records and correcting people's form. With no former training, in a packed house with music bumping, I knew I had found my true passion.

the five principles

After many years of working with students on a one-to-one basis, I have boiled the brilliance of Pilates down to 5 powerful principles:

1) breath
2) neutral pelvis
3) scapular stabilization
4) ribcage placement
5) cervical alignment

I worked as a personal trainer (and aerobics instructor) for many years, and despite being in "good shape" I was dealing with low back pain. It was only then, when I began to study and practice Pilates regularly that my back pain disappeared. I was hooked.

practice with maria

I will continue to share these simple yet profound principles with all students willing to slow down, dive in and have a look at how easily one's optimal posture may be restored.
Take a class with Maria at Wanderlust Whistler on August 23-26, 2012, or find her in Victoria BC!

I am an athlete and I live for the endorphin high from a great sweat and workout. I'm also a food and wine ‘over-indulger’ (come on, isn’t that why we work and work out so hard?!). Here are the things I love:

Websites:

http://www.keepitchic.com
http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com/
http://www.goop.com
http://www.whowhatwear.com
http://rebeccapacheco.com/omgal/

Workout accessory: Garmin Forerunner 110. This magical watch tells me everything I need to know when working out.

Items to work out in:

- lululemon’s Flow Y Bra
- a Cool Racerback in a bright and fabulous colour
- Wunder Under or Run:Inspire Crop

Way to sweat: A spin class at Flywheel in NYC or Aerobarre at Aerospace in NYC (a workout that combines jumping rope, boxing, weights and some ballet).

Yoga move: Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani). I am constantly on the go and this helps me reset.

Place to run: My all time favourite place to run is along the coastline in Victoria, BC. This is where I really fell in love with running, and the thought of the fresh ocean air brings a smile to my face.

Current obsession: Shoes! I recently purchased the ‘Sissy Suede Sandal’ from Tory Burch and I also dream of the Swedish ‘Hasbeens’ high heel jodhpur: love, love, love!

Magazines: Vanity Fair, Vogue, Dwell, New York Magazine

Place: Fisher’s Loft in Port Rexton, NL, Canada. Breathtaking.

Restaurant: Neptune Oyster Bar in Boston, MA. Best lobster roll of all time.

Way to get motivated: When I look at the vision I have created for my life and think about what I am doing today to get there. I consider this my 'jump out of bed' factor.

Place to unroll yoga mat: On the fresh summer grass at Bryant Park with hundreds of other New Yorkers amongst the skyscrapers and craziness of all that life in New York brings.

A photo from the Barefoot in the Park event at Bryant Park

Way to celebrate: I want to say red wine and dark chocolate, but that means I celebrate most evenings. Aside from my every day celebration, I would say I celebrate by going to dinner at a great restaurant with great friends.

Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain. If you love dogs or have a dog, after reading you will remain in constant wonder about why your dog has come into your life and what lessons they are here to teach you.

Inspired by: Greatness. I love watching athletes cross the finish line of a marathon or ironman because of what is involved in getting to that point.