My work is a constantly evolving blend of whole body movement conditioning techniques that I have used to have heal my own body and those of my clients. I integrate elements of Yoga, Pilates method floor work, Gyrotonic, functional strength training, and my own interpretation of movement-conditioning styles such as dance, martial arts, and Feldenkrais.

I don’t believe in cookie cutter sessions, workouts using too much man made fitness equipment, or over training. I think isolation exercises are appropriate for specific therapies, but overall I think it severs the body in pieces affecting the attunement, coordination, and peace of the person. You are what you train to be, and disharmony breeds disharmony. Integrative Movement Conditioning uses existing elements: gravity, opposition, three-dimensional movement, expansion and contraction and most importantly breath.

Look at some photos of Ari in action with a client.

Yoga

I do a great deal of Yoga, but prefer to teach and study flexibility and postures outside of the proverbial rectangular mat and without the religious imagery and motifs that are often abused. From the relaxing, to the vigorous, to the restorative, I teach postures in a progressive form attempting to adhere to tradition by encouraging a natural progression to higher levels of conditioning. I like to present yoga as a moving art, often repeating a pose while moving across the studio floor, increasing it's possibilities and playfulness.

I believe that all yoga and exercise for that matter is but a preparation for the most important yoga posture of all... final relaxation. This conscious relaxation is how we finish each session, invigorating and refreshing both body and mind.

Pilates

Principles of Yoga, Martial Arts and Gymnastics combine to form this unique system of conditioning. Designed during the First World War by Joseph H. Pilates, the method emphasizes mental attentiveness and control, sometimes known as contrology.

I teach Pilates mat work using the body's resistance against gravity with increasingly challenging sequences to help align posture, stabilize the spine and enhance the body's core strength. For advanced clients I vary resistance to the designed movement sequences using giant thera-bands, Swiss balls and other exercise 'toys'.
www.pilatesmethodalliance.org

Gyrotonic

Whereas Pilates tends to be core oriented and linear, Gyrotonic, a discipline designed by gymnast/yogi/dancer Julio Horvath, expands the possibilities of human movement. Gyrotonic is designed to move as we do and increase the range of human movement while simultaneously adding resistance for strength.

Every session I therapeutically use three dimensional Gyrotonic movement sequences to warm up the internal body, stimulate the energy points, increase flexibility while at the same time increasing strength.
www.gyrotonic.com

Functional Strength Training

For years I was obsessed with the desire to develop my physique. I achieved my physical fitness goals from admiring well-developed physiques in magazines, to adapting their formulas and becoming one of those whose photos were taken to be in those magazines. Along the way I studied and trained with many bodybuilders and sport specific athletes. However, my body structure, chemistry, and heredity could not keep up with this style of training and I suffered many injuries.

The knowledge I learned through my rehabilitations was the most valuable professional information I have ever received. My injuries taught me how to strength train the body without the excessive damage, over training, and isolated movements. I use weights with clients who need more strength and for those that desire a more toned aesthetic, but I do it in a way that is functional, demands the awareness and dynamic action of the whole body, and is pain and injury-free.

Aside from free weights I use: medicine balls, giant resistance bands, physio-balls, balance boards, and more.

Call (917) 576 6683 or email Ari for an appointment.

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