Debbie Simon

cyt, pilates guru & kid's activities coordinator

• Tell us, when did mind-body first bend you to it's will?  I started as a gym rat.  In high school and college I could be found working out twice per day.  I started teaching fitness...aerobics, kickbox, step you name it. Over time I found something missing in traditional fitness.  In 1999 I discovered Pilates.  No one really knew what it was back then, but I was so interested in what the practice claimed to offer that I wanted to know more.  I started to practice Pilates and fell in love with it!    Fast forward a few years and I discovered  yoga and wondered where it had been all my life!  I now feel like I have the best of both worlds in Pilates and yoga.  I've kissed traditional fitness goodbye!
  
• Besides your obvious coolness, what makes you qualified to teach?
  First, I'm not so sure how obvious my coolness is ... (ed. if you're with us, then safe to say you're cool)
  - Registered Yoga Teacher 500 hour trainee
  - Physical Mind Certified Pilates instructor
  - Fundamentals Yoga I
  - Level I Radiant Child Program
  - People with Arthritis Can Exercise instructor
  - American Council on Exercise certified
  - And, I hope to specialize in yoga for bigger bodies as my RYT project.   It is my passion to work with  those who don't fit the body norm of society...because I don't! 
• What other things are you qualified to do (besides train dolphins ... we're all qualified to do that)?  I have a Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communications...so I'm qualified to massively communicate!  Just ask my husband (ed. or, anyone else ... haha, we're just kidding).
• What can we expect to see, hear and do in your classes?  I want folks to feel successful in class.  I want them to feel like something good and refreshing happened to their bodies in class.  I am a big believer in how the mind and body operate together to help make positive changes in life outside the mat.   We were created to have a lifestyle of movement. You won't hear me say "no pain, no gain!"  Expect to hear all types of music in my class.  I LOVE music...from country to jazz to hip hop to world to inspirational.  If you have some favorite tunes you'd like to share in class, let me know.  I believe we can know so much about  a person by the music they listen to.
  
• What pose/move do you dig the most and why?  I love the leg series in Pilates, it really works!  My favorite yoga pose is the pigeon because it loosens my forever tight hips and it's meditative! (ed. and it reminds her of Bert on Sesame Street)
• If you could push a button and remove a pose/move from history, which one and why?  The wheel pose.  'nuff said.
• Like, what's your sign man?  Well, I'm not really into signs in the traditional sense.  I'll go with the peace sign.  (ed. we would have accepted stop sign and sign language too)
  
• What are 3 things that make you smile real big and cheesy?  (ed. no fart jokes)  1) My fantastic husband, 2) mMy energetic kids, 3) books, books, books (ok, that's six but who's really counting!)  (ed. Um ... technically that's 5, but we'll let you pass)
• What is your favorite quote when you're in need of a little inspiration?  I have MANY but since I tend to be a little scattered, I'll go with this one: "A thread becomes a string, becomes a rope, becomes a noose!"
• If you could do anything to change the world, what would it be?  1) Have us all see each other as God does.    
  2)  Everyone would be a vegan or at least a vegetarian!  (ed. cows rock)
• Any other interesting information you would like to share with the nice people reading this here Bio?  I am so looking forward to meeting as many nice people as possible!  I expect that we will learn all kinds of great things from each other.  We all have experiences and stories to share.  This studio is going to be a wonderful community!