Animo Pilates is a Romana’s Pilates International pilates studio. We work with clients of all abilities and guide the next generation of trainee’s through the Romana’s Pilates Teacher Training Program. Our hope is that you finish the workout refreshed, standing tall and breathing fully with a zest for life.
Overview
Perfect balance of Body and Mind, is that quality in civilized man, which not only gives him superiority over the savage and animal kingdom, but furnishes him with all the physical and mental powers that are indispensable for attaining the goal of Mankind - HEALTH and HAPPINESS.
— JOSEPH H. PILATES 1934
The Fishing on the Reformer
Philosophy
Animo (the Spanish word for support, encouragement, enthusiasm) names the spirit that drives a person’s actions—or, for our purposes, the consciousness behind the exercises. At Animo Pilates, we remember the enthusiasm, encouragement, hope, and intention that made working with Joseph H. Pilates inspirational. Romana Krysanowska was the teacher Mr. Pilates chose to create a curriculum to train Pilates instructors. She based it on the handwritten notes Mr. Pilates gave her and on her memories of what it felt and looked like to be in the room while Mr. and Mrs. Pilates taught in the late 1920s.
When Romana taught, she often reassured us with the instruction to “put some guts into it.” Some exercises were hard, but with these words and other encouraging phrases, our strength, flexibility, and control grew, as did our health. As Mr. Pilates said many years ago, the method “develops the body uniformly, corrects posture, restores vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.” At Animo Pilates, we aim to pass on this workout experience to deliver health and happiness.
One arm pull up on the Wunda Chair
The Spirit of the Method
Doing a Pilates workout can be exhilarating or dull. Understanding why Pilates movements are important makes the difference between Romana's Pilates—classically trained instructors—and other forms of exercise.
Instructors at Animo Pilates teach the method Joseph Pilates invented, focusing on each individual’s needs. Mr. Pilates used careful observation—much like scientists use the scientific method—to understand how muscles work and how leverage enables movement. Today we use his observational methods alongside modern science to confirm what he discovered: the body and mind can be trained to be strong, flexible, and controlled through simple, systematic movement. Romana’s Pilates instructors learn to recognize these qualities in themselves through consistent practice, teaching, observation, and recording. In turn, we pass that embodied knowledge on to you.
Location
Animo Pilates is located in downtown Austin between Interstate 35 and Loop 1 (Mopac). The studio offers customized Pilates lessons in an intimate setting. It is fully equipped with Gratz apparatus as designed by Joseph Pilates. Lessons use the studio’s apparatus to meet your needs and skill level, developing the body uniformly.