Photo: Samantha Chagollan
Karen Ellis knows a lot about Pilates, but she pushes to keep learning more. In fact, she loves it so much you could call her a Pilates nerd.
Karen has owned Prana Pilates on East 17th Street for almost 18 years. But her infatuation with Pilates started long before, when she was a dancer captivated by the strength and stability the practice brought her.
“The first time I did Pilates, I really fell in love with it,” Karen says. “It was like, ‘where have you been all my life?’” Karen has a musical laugh, and a warm smile that instantly puts you at ease.
We’ve just done a private lesson together, and while I’ve done a few sessions on a Pilates reformer before, I’ve never, EVER had a workout like this.
It’s not that we did big sweeping movements, or that she asked me to bend into a pretzel shape, or to do a million crunches. Our session together was more like a deep conversation with a good friend—one that had me sweating hard, and pushing myself even harder.
When I’m not writing for I Heart Costa Mesa, I’m a yoga teacher. So this approach to exercise and fitness isn’t totally foreign, but Karen’s teaching method seemed to open a whole new portal within me. It was a modernized version of the classic Pilates style, more in-depth and enlightening than any other type of workout I’ve had.
As she explains, “You only know what you know, until someone introduces another level of understanding to movement and stability.”
We started with the toe gizmo, an unassuming little tool that stretches and strengthens my feet. Who knew my feet needed so much focus and attention? But wow, I can really feel a difference in my stance, even after just a few minutes.
Karen gives me spacers to wear between my toes for the rest of the workout, which sound weird but actually feel like heaven. Then we move over to the Cadillac—a huge table with multiple functions. We transition from one station to another, as Karen gives me simple instructions and tons of encouragement with each exercise.
Karen Ellis, owner of Eastside’s Prana Pilates + the Pilates Nerd blog.
Photos: Samantha Chagollan
Her classes seem to be part therapy, part fitness. Or is it just me?!
No, says Karen. She does this for everyone. “I really do love to teach,” she says with a grin. And man, is she good at it.
Which is probably why students of all types have been coming to her for years.
“It’s like a puzzle, figuring out what’s holding them back, and what their strongest assets are—not just in their physicality, but in their mental strength too.”
Karen believes that Pilates can do more than just make you more fit—it can help you improve in many areas of your life. Her clientele includes athletes, dancers, and everyday people rehabilitating their bodies.
When she works with a client, Karen is along for the journey to figure out what benefits them most. “It’s like physical therapy,” she explains. “Let’s get you a little stronger in your body so you can do the things you want to do. Let’s start where we are, because whatever it is that you do, Pilates will amplify your ability to do it better.”
Bright + Inspirational: Pilates Nerd Gear at Prana Pilates in Costa Mesa.
Photos: Samantha Chagollan
Karen first studied Pilates privately, as a professional dancer in Boston. (She has since received three Pilates certifications, and earned her graduate degree in dance.) She went on to teach private clients, before she decided to open her own studio.
Karen explains that in those early days, she really just wanted to share her love of Pilates with anyone and everyone who would listen. She began teaching part of the Pilates certification program at Orange Coast College, and in Cerritos and Long Beach too.
While she was nerding out on all this Pilates knowledge, she decided to start a blog and invite other Pilates professionals to contribute. The more knowledge, the better for all! The Pilates Nerd blog tackles all kinds of topics, from techniques and principles, to articles on the importance of sleep and a guide to the best classes in New York City.
One day, she made a t-shirt featuring the Pilates Nerd logo. She got so many compliments, she made few more, and offered them for sale on the blog. They sold out immediately, and Karen knew she had a hit.
Today, Pilates Nerd clothing has an impressive following, with more than 36,000 followers on Instagram and apparel sold, worldwide.
It’s for the love of Pilates. Even the name of her studio, Prana Pilates, alludes to a deeper meaning. Prana, in yoga, is the word for lifeforce. She works to help draw out that lifeforce in all of her clients, investing in their health and sharing her depth of knowledge.
Her sessions are more like meditation than anything else. “I’m here to cheer you on through your obstacles,” she says. “I’m going to help you figure out what is in your reach, and then push you a little bit.”
After a session, one client said, “I’m so glad you’re on the planet. I feel like I’m a kid again. I feel like I’m alive!”
That same sense of enthrallment is how Karen feels about Costa Mesa too. A resident since 2004, she gushes about the small businesses in the community she loves to support. She’s a frequent shopper of Mother’s Market, loves to shop at No Rest For Bridget, Fleur De Lys and Where’s The Party, and is always a sucker for a meal at Eat Chow.
“We need to support our local businesses,” she says. I couldn’t agree more. ♥
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You can find Pilates Nerd clothing, and classes, at Prana Pilates, 188 East 17th Street, Suite 216. Class schedules, and more info, can be found on their website. Follow Karen on Instagram @pranapilates and @pilatesnerd. Find the blog at pilatesnerd.com.
