I had been practicing Pilates at a local studio and taking mat classes at my gym for years and had fallen in love with the method. In college I had noticed that physical activity, the release of endorphins, getting outside with nature, working up a sweat, meeting physical challenges, etc. helped me balance my emotions and sense of well-being.  Throughout my adult life I would sometimes skip my self-designed exercise therapy and whenever I didn't make exercise a priority for a period of time, I had a tendency to get the blues which would inevitably lead to deeper issues with food and body image. I realized that what I really wanted to do was what I had always wanted to do, which was help people heal themselves and their relationship with their body--to find peace of mind. Of all the activities I practiced, nothing had ever fed my soul or shaped my body or felt as intrinsically and intuitively 'right' as Pilates. I spent about a year researching and preparing to make this shift in my life.  I found PTC and it seemed like the most rigorous and thorough, well thought-out and classical approach in California.  From the first day of training I knew that I had found the best certification program and now mid-way through I couldn't be happier with the decision I made. I've simultaneously taken anatomy classes at SMC and am completing certification as a personal trainer.  I love the variety of clients with whom I work as an apprentice teacher now and have found that my past study in massage, nutrition, philosophy and psychology are contributing to what I have to offer as a teacher.