Change happens through movement and movement heals.”

- Joseph H. Pilates

What is Pilates?

In short Pilates is corrective exercise. Invented by Joseph Hubertus Pilates at the turn of the 20th century to turn the sickly physical child he began life as into the prodigy of good health, ideal posture and human preservation now known the world over as Pilates. Joseph dedicated his entire lifetime to the wellbeing of others in the hope that one day the human race would be truly balanced in body and mind. These are a few of many wise words from Joseph Pilates:

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.” -Joseph Pilates

scoliopilates-bookcover

Scolio-Pilates

Scolio-Pilates® was developed by Karena Thek to use multiple components that have been shown to be effective with the complications that come with scoliosis. The 5 different components of Scolio-Pilates® include:

  • • Elongation
  • • Breathing techniques
  • • Aligning the spine towards neutral
  • • Strengthening within neutral
  • • Connective tissue stabilization

These 5 components give the best opportunity to not only improve the position of the spine but to then have the strength and stability to hold the spine in its improved position. Scolio-Pilates® has now been recognized and implemented for the benefit of both children and parents at The Dayton Children's Hospital in Ohio.

About me

Julie Selwood studied at The Royal Ballet School, London where intensive Pilates training was part of her everyday life. This enabled her to remain in a strong body throughout the physically challenging years ahead. Her professional dancing career spanned more than a decade. She danced with the Scottish Ballet, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Zurich Ballet and Goteborg Operan. In 1997 she met Brady Wedman, an early graduate of the Pilates Center in Colorado. She completed her comprehensive teachers certification with Brady in 2001, with Michael Miller in 2003 and more recently in 2016 became one of the first certified Scolio-Pilates instructors worldwide. She founded Jules Pure Pilates, Zurich in 2005 and has run teacher training courses and a selection of Pilates workshops in Europe ever since.

"After many years in the profession as a teacher trainer, private teacher, coach, dance teacher and scoliosis specialist, Pilates remains for me a way of life, a way of self preservation and a way to spontaneous zest and pleasure!"

Thank you to my colleagues Karena Thek, Janine Rensch and Karen Dahn for making this onward discovery intriguing and unsurpassable!

Our pilates approach

The Focus Points of Equilibrium through Pilates

Breath
B
To breathe is to live. Breathing correctly is to cleanse the lungs, clarify the mind and allow for complete concentration.

Exhale the past to inhale the future. Exhale to dissolve, inhale to re-form.
Centering
C
The centre of the human structure is the pelvis- point of stability and similar to the pivotal point on a spinning top when tipped just a little throws the entire structure off balance. To stabilize and strengthen the centre is to protect and preserve our entire being.
Concentration
C
Ones concentration level will be challenged to awaken consciousness for life. Each movement combined with breath becomes a conscious action in a precise manner to perform all tasks directly and with ease.
Control
C
Pilates focuses on control of body, mind and spirit. Control of everyday actions, control of language through complete consciousness, control of breath and control of ones life.
Fluidity
F
Continuite, elegant, seamless movements flow in and out of each other with feline agility reaching maximum length and strength whilst creating a long lean form.
Precision
P
Correction is precise and precision is the full awareness of how your individual being functions, reflects, pays attention to detail and how this effects the community around you. When all the fundamental principals combine together progress is possible + visible but most importantly positive change takes place.
“
Julie Selwood is everything one would hope for in a Pilates instructor: deeply knowledgeable about Pilates and the science of the human body; highly professional yet warm and compassionate; and excellent at adapting her instructions to the individual. I have worked with Julie since 2002 and can wholeheartedly recommend her. You’ll love it!

- Patricia Horgen, Zürich

Julie embodies the spirit of Pilates. Through her inspired teaching I discovered my physical and mental strength. A life changing experience. Joe lives on! Thank you Julie

- Janine Rensch founder JRProPilates

We thank Julie so much for sharing her exceptional deep knowledge of movement in the workshop on the scoliotic body. We were all so inspired by her high quality work! Julie is my ideal master trainer!

- Akiyo Fujita, Pilates Creation in Berlin

Julie is the most competent, experienced, gifted and delightful trainer you could wish for!

- C.Stalder-Asfour, Naturheilpraktikerin mit eidgenössischem Diplom TCM, Zürich