4168 Juniata Street
In August 2017, Freeman Pilates LLC was established by Emily Freeman. The former carpeted office space above the Crispy Edge restaurant transformed into a private, loft Pilates studio. Opening a Pilates studio in the City of Saint Louis, particularly near Tower Grove Park, was a must for Emily as she felt equipment Pilates options were limited in the City at that time. This studio location gave the feel of a New York studio, but in the heart of one of Saint Louis City's oldest neighborhoods - resulting in a warm, welcoming, supportive atmosphere.
Starting with one piece of equipment, Emily began with private sessions, but soon expanded to classes of 4 students.
This studio space is where Emily began to combine her trainings and observations that built her current practice and approach she uses today.
This continued until the fall of 2019 when Emily expanded her teaching team and brought on several new instructors to the studio. This expansion in teaching styles and a growing schedule was so positive, it encouraged Emily to pursue the idea of a larger space.
3172 Morgan Ford Road
The "Pause" Studio
When looking to expand the studio, Emily wanted to stay close and within the neighborhood. The opportunity to build out a space in the new Morgan Ford building one block away became available. Build out started in early 2020, just before the pandemic. Build out continued, slowly but surely throughout, and the doors opened for group classes in September 2020. This new, larger space includes both a Private Studio space and the Group Studio Space.
Why "Pause"
The key observation Emily made in her years of teaching and training was that taking the time to stop, pause, focus on the body, and create awareness and intention resulted in the most successful and lasting change for clients.
Emily noticed the focus on mental "autopilot" is discussed frequently, but her observation of the physical body's ability to go into the same routines is not widely discussed. Working with clients to pause during a session or exercise to notice what is actually happening and what they are feeling has been vital to successful sessions.
The "Pause" studio and concept was built to support Emily's 3 main points she feels leads to success for any client:
BREATHE:
Learning the anatomy of breathing and techniques based on how our body was meant to breathe, rather than trying to "teach" the body how to breathe a certain way. When a client is able to integrate breathwork into their body in the capacity and space their body is able - everything changes.
MOVE:
Taking the new body connections, awareness, and breathwork intention into classes using the Pilates equipment results in a strength and stability Emily believes is unparalleled. The way the equipment creates connections is unique to the Pilates method and enhances anything and everything outside of the studio.
CHANGE:
The consistent result Emily finds in any individual taking the time to pause, reconnect with where their body is now, and learn to support and move with it - is lasting change and an entire new outlook on what it means to be strong. Individuals begin to feel better, take care of their bodies in a way where they actually listen to what might be best (rest, movement, stress management, etc.). It is never too late for anyone to create this concept shift in what it truly means to be healthy and move well.