The Pilates & Yoga Center | Featured Studio Series

Pilates & Yoga Center

June 2019 | St. Louis, Missouri

"I’m blessed to have fallen into the proper training for Classical Pilates long before there was a Google… along with my education came the opportunity to feel the difference of a few different brands of Pilates apparatus in the studios. Gratz won me over HANDS DOWN! After all my studio and I started with pieces that survived the test of time."

- Mary Peacock - Owner & Instructor
Pilates & Yoga Center and Evolve Pilates 365

STUDIO

Mary Peacock has two entities to her Brick & Mortar business known as “The Pilates and Yoga Center of Lake St Louis” and her traveling instructor piece known as “Evolve Pilates 365”. The B&M offers a picturesque view of Lake St. Louis with top of the line equipment manufactured by Gratz Industries. When Mary was planning the opening of her first studio in 2002, she wanted it to be the first Classical Pilates Studio to her area. When she used a Gratz equipment for the first time, she knew the avenue to take.

EQUIPMENT

A few years ago, Gratz reintroduced the Archive reformer and Mary immediately noticed the difference compared to her other apparatus! Here she was sitting with not only the best equipment in the industry, but also honoring the original model set by Joseph Pilates.

At Mary Peacock's studio, we cherish the history of Classical Pilates. In addition, our clients know they are on original pieces and can tell the difference between old and new (we have of course added a few new pieces over the years). 17 years, 6 moves, 8 apprentices, 8 instructors, and 2 completed Bridge instructors later, the studios journey continues to evolve. Mary's studio now resides in her dream location offering the best in Pilates instruction in the St. Charles/St Louis County area.

To schedule an appointment send request to pycclasses@gmail.com

About Mary Peacock

2nd Generation Classical Pilates Instructor Owner of Pilates & Yoga Center of Lake St. Louis and Evolve Pilates 365

After years of weight training and pursuing the traditional fitness path, Mary found that she was not doing her body justice. In 1999, she began dabbling in Pilates and was immediately hooked. A year later she was studying in studios across the U.S. with trainers from all over the world. In 2001, she was accepted into the New York Studios training program and by 2002 she had completed more than 700 apprentice hours. For more than a decade, she was privileged to study with Romana Kryzanowska, the original heir to Joseph H. Pilates’ lifelong work, as well as Romana’s daughter Sari, Sari’s granddaughter and other Master Teachers and Teachers that Romana had carefully selected. In 2009, Mary began studying with Jay Grimes, who had also worked with Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara in the New York Studio.

Having training with industry legends, Mary takes pride in preserving the Original Teachings of Joseph Pilates as it has been passed on to her from many teachers. And with an insatiable hunger for learning, she readily jumps on opportunities to advance her practice. In 2014, she was chosen for a prestigious, year-long Professional Advanced Teacher Training program with Kathyrn (Kathi) Ross Nash, a world-renowned Pilates professional, which she successfully completed in July 2015. In 2017, she obtained her PMAⓇ-CPT. This year she attended Authentic RTL training at Jacob's Pillow with Sean Gallagher and is looking forward to continuing to learn more as she evolves in this work. In addition to studying Pilates for two decades, she has obtained certifications with Yoga Alliance 200RYT, BeyondBarre and Zumba.

Mary believes strongly that Pilates is key to keeping herself healthy, strong and active. An avid walker and hiker, she also enjoys practicing other forms of fitness. She takes great pride in training all her students and teachers to focus on the Corrective movement of the body during Exercise as a way of life. Mary has trained women and men from across the fitness spectrum, from the most delicate clients to the most accomplished athletes.

About our Independent Contractors

Diane

Diane earned her BA in Dance from Ball State University in 2002. After her career of performing and choreographing throughout the Chicago area, she discovered Pilates in 2006. She first studied under Dolly Kelepecz through the University of Nevada Las Vegas. It really fit with her passion for movement! After moving to St. Louis in 2008, Diane decided to set her dancing aside to share her love for Pilates through teaching. She believes in continuing her education to bring the best to her students. In fact she met Mary Peacock at a continuing education conference in 2009. She is currently enrolled and working her way through Professional Advance Teacher Training with Kathi Ross-Nash. She continues to study with instructors who are following the Classical Pilates Method. She enjoys the strength, wellness, and balance Pilates brings to her life and enjoys sharing that with the students at the Pilates & Yoga Center of Lake St. Louis!

Jill

Jill’s background in teaching (since 1988) adds a creative twist to teaching fitness. She began her Pilates practice with Mary in 2007. In 2012, she attended BeyondBarre training at PYC and has enjoyed the fusion of barre and Pilates. She has completed the training program at PYC to become a Pilates instructor and looks forward to combining her two favorite things, teaching and fitness. Jill is such a devotee of her own work as part of her continuing education that she continues to take 2 to 3 lessons weekly. Jill wants to teach people how to exercise correctly and most efficiently and feels Pilates is the way to go.

Peggy

Peggy has been in the fitness field for over 25 years. Early in her career she took a Pilates lesson and knew she needed to learn this method! After years of teaching bootcamps and personal training, she knew she needed more for herself and her clients. In 2012, she completed her Romana’s Pilates Certification at the Dulak PIlates Center in Champaign IL. When ever given the opportunity she sees Janice for lessons or attends continuing education in Illinois. Since then she has been combining her fitness experience with her Pilates knowledge. Being able to teach people to work fully through their bodies, as opposed to simply performing an exercise, is how Pilates has changed her life.

MaryAnn

MaryAnn is a retired occupational therapist. In her quest to be her healthiest self, she started her Pilates practice with Mary in 2009. After spending many hours in-studio, she approached Mary about joining the teacher training program. Her previous experience runs parallel with the movement in Pilates. MaryAnn looks forward to teaching Pilates and its many benefits to others.

Rita

Rita’s passion for fitness began in 1998 teaching group fitness for the local YMCA. In 2009, she began her Pilates practice with Mary Peacock (Mary). In 2012, she attended BeyondBarre training at PYC and in 2014 she became an apprentice at PYC in the instructor training program. She feels learning the entire system of Pilates, with an emphasis on core strengthening, coincides with the value of her teaching style.

Casey

Casey was introduced to Pilates in 2005. She has stayed an active participant in Pilates, yoga, and strength training and believes in the Joseph Pilates philosophy—physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. After 6 years of practicing classical Pilates, Casey decided to pursue a way to share this valuable method. She is ready to give you a challenging and refreshing workout that will improve your strength and flexibility. Casey travels all over the US continuing her education obtaining PMA credits.

Amber

Amber earned her BFA in Theater Arts at Stephens College. Amber completed her classical Pilates training at re:AB Pilates in New York City. Amber’s east coast adventures dovetailed naturally to Pilates from her extensive experience as a musical theatre artist. She first studied under Brooke Siler (who was taught by first generation instructor Romana Kryzanowska) in New York City. Amber joined the team at PYC in January 2015 and has continued her education by attending workshops given by respected instructors such as Kathi Ross-Nash, Jay Grimes, and many others.

Stephanie

Stephanie began her Pilates journey in 2007. She has a strong desire to meld her background in education with her passion for Pilates. She approached Mary several times with the idea of becoming an instructor. Though her very demanding work schedule requires that she spend much of her time traveling, Stephanie has persevered in her quest to become and instructor. In 2018 Stephanie completed comprehensive training seminars and is now working diligently to obtain her required apprentice hours. In addition, she enjoys following the Market Place in search of used Gratz equipment to complete her home studio where she practices daily.