The Rommance between Pilates and I

Why Pilates?
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The choreography of Pilates strengthens your body in it's natural anatomical position.

By creating more flexibility and strength in your spine, you're actually adding more years to your life! When Joseph Pilates began training his internees in Germany, he had rigged the hospital bed-springs allowing the bedridden patients to exercise. Once influenza struck England in 1918 killing thousands of people, not a single one of Joseph's trainee's died. This, he claimed, testified the effectiveness of his exercise program; what we now consider Pilates.

The strength and flexibility created in Pilates allows you to participate in other sports and  exercise regimens you love with a lower risk of injury and a higher level of performance.  The breath and focus on the abdominal core (powerhouse) and shoulder girdle (secondary power house) will improve your posture and lean out your body. 

I personally have seen my waist shrink, back strengthen, and posture improve since I've started Pilates. AND I can easily hold a plank now for 2 minutes...I could hardly do 30 seconds when growing up!!!


If you'd like to do Classical Pilates at Home, Check out Pilatesology by clicking Here
You get a 10 day free trial, and then the classes are only $19 a month or $150 for the whole year and its SO worth it!!! I try to do their workout video at least twice a week!
I love this site so much and use it daily~ also I am a body in a few of the videos #famous: Jennifer Kries magic circle mat class, Lori Coleman Brown intermediate reformer, and Victora Torrie-Capman intermediate tower so check them out!


If you're in the Southern California Area and you'd like to train with me, Please comment below with your email address!

My Pilates BIO:


Jillene believes that people tend to excel in life when they’re living with a healthy mind, body, and spirit. The methodology of Pilates creates a vibrance in the mind and discipline in the body to empower and energize the human form in all areas of life.
Jillene recently relocated from NYC where she received her BA at The New School University for Dance and her Classical Pilates Certification at Core Pilates NYC. As a practitioner of dance, weightlifting and theatre she is constantly exploring new ways to rejuvenate and strengthen her body through exercise and clean eating. Due to her active lifestyle, Jillene craved a form of physical therapy to heal her body from the constant physical stress. Pilates became the vehicle for recovery and she became passionate about sharing, what Joseph Pilates originally called “Contrology”, with those around her.
Her clientele in NYC consisted of dancers and performers working on flexibility and strength, hardworking men and and women suffering from the back pain and imbalances of a desk job, as well as individuals interested in getting in overall better shape. Jillene is committed to maintaining her sense of wonder; for it is through curiosity that we discover our creativity, passion, and purpose.

The Bug Lady

Everyone has heard of "The Cat Lady". That sad single woman... who is opting out of a midlife crisis by buying a gaggle of kittens that somehow release crazy into the air as they increase in number.
Well I present to you..THE BUG LADY. Which is... just ya know... me.

Upon moving to LA I needed some couches. Luckily, mother dearest had an extra set that my friends had borrowed and were now storing in their garage. PERFECTO. Couches para mi for free. I gather my boys, round em all up and take two trucks to go pick up these beautious couches.

We get them out of the garage and an ENTIRE FAMILY of BLOODY COCKROACHES FLIP ON OUT OF THE COUCHES! khkjfbkskfjbskfbkfjbkf. THE most gross. Some scatter the floor where the men are able to squash them with their chunky metro sexual leather boots while others start climbing the sides of the house like friggin squirrels. I of course take the dainty stance of screaming and jumping up on very high things like tables and chairs.

Next, after killing all dem bugs, we drive the couches back to my house. Unload them.  And begin to drag them inside. I am a muscular woman yes. However, I find that picking up the many pillows would be more effective right now so I go gather those while the men are placing the couches in my living room. Guess who's with my pillows? Another F'ing cockroach friend. WHO FLYS?! WHAT THE WHAT?! Cockraoches fly? Is that a thing? It's not. There's no way that's a thing. It's a mutant cockroach. HAS TO BE, or else I'm leaving earth because we are just screwed.

Ok all the cockroaches dead, good. Now I've made new friends. Ants. Harmless litter guys but just annoying and EVERYWHERE. They crawl out of my labtop...which like-why are you in a hot piece of machinery? Why are you guys in there....that's not the kind of "bugs in my computer" I was edu-ma-cated on in Middle school? They appear in my clothes, my drawers and floors and at this point I have befriended them because it's just easier to make them my friends. #buglady
I KID YOU NOT ONE IS LITERALLY ON MY ARM RIGHT NOW? Like, how did u find my shoulder? you're an ant? and I JUST got out of the shower?!

Speaking of showers. Since I have what might quite possibly be THE tree of life in my backyard. What comes with fierce tree's? Spiders. But they decided they needed to upgrade their lives. They don't like my tree as much as my shower. Don't they know it's full of water? Haven't they heard that classic rhyme the itsy bitsy spider? Water wins EVERY TIME. Their lives are on a loop of climbing up a water spout, getting washed away, then doing it again and again and again.  Get out of my shower guys? Why? Just please. None of this. I want none of this. No bugs. No ants no spiders. No roaches. NONYA.
~Apparently mixing Eucalyptus oil and tee tree oil makes spiders leave? So I might try that. I've been doing the old chalk trick for my ants, did you know ants won't cross a line of chalk? I really don't want them as my friends also...but ya know...I don't like bugs. So the spiders are still just in my bathroom because I'm too scarred to kill them. Help? Please. Ghost-busters? Do you kill daddy long legs?

xoxo
Bug Lady.

Little Bird

First a poem:

Little bird with that awful lisp, how did it develop?
You sing, then stutter, then start over, we never get to hear the end of the song because you desire perfection.
But my little bird, you have a stutter, your little song  will sound different from others.
They only wish they had your perfect pitch, so continue your tune little bird.

I wrote this at a time when I was just beginning to realize my overly critical nature towards myself. I've known that I was very critical of others all my life but over time as I got older and matured I also became more understanding and forgiving, as we all do. However, the one thing in my life still black and white, right or wrong, fat or skinny, is myself.

Finding areas in life that are more grey than black and white allows for mystery, wonder and possibility. When the lines are rigid and an idea is already set of what should and shouldn't be happening, everything then becomes right or wrong...with no middle ground, no humility, no curiosity.

I desire to be free from my mind, to be more grateful and optimistic about each day. To be filled with joy hour by hour and inspire others daily. To be the kind of woman that gives life and fresh air with a simple conversation. To have a healing presence.

In four days I'm moving to LA, for a new chapter in my life. I have no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going but I know what I want. I want to be surrounded by amazing men and woman who inspire me and grow me deeper in my faith and creativity. I want people who challenge me and push me to be a redeeming person in the world. I want to have joy and peace in every moment, and not have a single day go by without laughter. I want to learn how my family can love each other better, treat each other better, and enjoy each other deeply. I don't wanna settle I want to be launched into greatness, using my gifts in ways I could never think of. I want to live in a beautiful home that feels like a zen palace that I look forward to coming home to. I want a healthy relationship that's full of friendship, clarity, passion, and inspiration. I want to understand I am loved, love in return, and have grounding self confidence that cannot be shaken while being full of humility. I want to save money, travel, and feel full of energy and from a healthy lifestyle.
 I want to accept my flaws as beauty and say kind things to myself. I'm tired of being a marshmallow, I'm ready to get some wings and fly.


Bye bye marshmallow!

This is who I hope to be in a year. How can I do this without judgement?

Fight the Flu Gangnam Style...

So after having a stomach bug these past 4 days, I think I am quite knowledgeable on how to fight this thing like a friggin G6. Meaning for the most part, I took care of myself~ and got a lil help from a friend. SO YOU CAN TOO! Get ready for some tips and what to expect when you're a grossy GO.

DAY 1. You WILL just be pooping and throwing up all day- stop resisting and wishing it would not happen each time you get that "feeling" and just except it. You're body is getting that bug out~ let it do it's thang yo!
So have a bucket (or mini trashcan), a towel, you're sassy hair up, and long sleeves on to wipe your mouth (i know gross but c'mon lez be real- your disgusting right now anyway).  Also have an icepack and warm blanket near by since u will be going back and forth between hot and cold all the live long day :) Cheers!
Once you've successfully thrown up everything in your lil girly tummy- you're probably gunna keep throwing up SORRY NOT SORRY it's just truth. To avoid dry heaving, have some lil sips of Zero Vitamin Water (I'm not down with pouring sugar in my body) or coconut water, or pedialite (though i think the ingredients in Pedialite are Bull Shit! But it's got electrolytes, your sick okay I get it.) Maybe even have sips of hot camomile tea or ginger tea that'll help calm your tummy a little bit.

After you've been settled down for at least five hours, start having some more generous sips of liquids to get hydrated. It's night time- if youre an independent woman like myself and all shriveled up- get online to some grocery delivery service and order some chicken(less) noodle soup, or organic chicken brother or vegetable broth some saltines and let that biz come to your door. 
-Now if you're ME you're too weak now to open all this stuff so you have to regretfully call a friend and ask for help because you can't open the caps or stand up long enough to make the soup. This is OK. You are still a fierce independent woman...you just also have friends who love you. Put down your pride and let them pick up the slack :) Have the tiniest lil bit of soup and saltines throughout the night, pretend you're 3 years old and that's all you can allow you're tiny belly at a time. 
Lastly for day 1, watch Breakfast at Tiffany's. While you're a sloppy sloopy mess, she'll remind you what class looks like. Givesmehope.com while I suffer...

DAY 2: IF you're not repeating Day 1 and have stopped throwing up. Wake up, have some more liquid and finish watching Breakfast and Tiffany's cause chances are you fell asleep since you were sick as a dog. A sickly dawg. But now, there's some Shit to do girl! I know you're weak, but werk it out. step by step, slow as u need to go...but you just got to do this. Make yourself some sweet tea: Earl Grey, soy milk, a lil honey or agave. Let the caffeine give u that lil kick of energy you need to get through this hour of stuff.  Now IMPORTANT. Strip Er'ryThang! Your bed, your clothes, towels, pillow cases,  just anything you've touched put it in your laundry bag. Clean out that gross bucket if you haven't already. Then clean the area. Pick up the room if it was messy before you got sick. Clean the floors, vacume, and get your place sterile. If you can get a friend to help- do because how lovely would that be? But if they're not around you know GET TO STEPPIN'. Lastly, i know you feel like there's no more energy left. BUT hop in the shower and clean yourself thoroughly. Put on clean jamies, have some more fluids and... now take a nap cause you did some hard work girl!
Wake up feeling like a princess...who's sickly and crippled looking and probably scrawny from a day of throwing up, BUT STILL A SHINY PRINCESS! Have some more water, have a lil soup and now you can actually enjoy a tv show. I say tv show because you will probably still wanna nap every 45 minutes or so and you don't need the stress of thinking about watching the whole film! 

Try to talk to people. On the phone, or have a friend stop by. Having to act like you're more well than you are will actually help you feel and get better.  Just don't overdo yourself. Oh yeah, and LAUGH! It helps! Watch Ellen, Chelsea lately, or Jimmy Fallon live- just something you know is guaranteed to make you chuckle at some point.  I like to end DAY2 with Bridesmaids because if you don't laugh during that film then you have a horrible sense of humor and I'm probably not your close friend KIDDING! but really...it's funny. so that's my rec. 

DAY 3: By now you should be somewhat a human being again and can stand to watch some full length movies. I started with Julie and Julia, then had some lunch. Then I went for a short walk outside to remember what daylight  looks like since I hadn't seen planet earth in 48 hours. Then went back home because that was about all the energy I had, put in To Rome With Love the Woody Allen film (super cute) and made dinner. Had a consultation with a client of mine about health and fitness and then ended the day with The Proposal.  By Sunday ~ Day 4 I was still a little weak, you may be too but I did normal things like went to the gym, went to church, hung with friends, and went to a spaghetti night with some wine and cheese And i did not die :). 

Well there, That's how you get through this sassy bug with class, grace and most importantly GanGnam Style!