I am Sharon Cannava, owner of Living Breathing Pilates, and I am passionate about the art and science of Classical Pilates.  As a teacher and a student, I am inspired by movement education that is intelligent, down-to-earth, and alive.  The Pilates Method embraces the spectrum between PT-style rehabilitation exercise and an advanced energizing workout guaranteed to challenge even the fittest among us.  Pilates is adaptable and can be effectively modified to address your imbalances and weaknesses.  Bottom line?  Pilates works.  Oh, and it’s fun, dynamic, and feels great too!  This was the genius of Joseph Pilates. 

I am a New Englander living with her husband, son, and dog in the beautiful Hudson Valley.  I am a Modern dancer, having trained at the Ailey School in NYC and graduating with a degree in Dance Education from New York University, where I studied dance as a form of creative expression and learned the true craft of teaching.  I received formal training in Classical Pilates from Joseph Pilates’ protegé Romana Kryzanowska and found the precision and flow of Pilates to be a natural fit.  After teaching and learning for several years, I received a second Pilates certification from the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) and also began to pursue a career in Yoga, a movement practice and philosophy that had increasingly become a source of inspiration.  I became a certified Vinyasa Yoga instructor at Bamboomoves in Englewood, NJ.  A perpetual student, I balance my personal Pilates and Yoga practices with workshops and literature to sharpen my skills as a teacher.  I have a voracious appetite for the study of anatomy and injury prevention and have continued my education in Jason Ray Brown’s 108-hour intensive course, Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers.

I have happily devoted my professional life to movement education and love helping others to stop judging themselves and start developing smart and effective exercise habits.  Start with the basics.  Hone your body awareness and explore your alignment.  Find power, strength, ease, precision.  Breathe.  Access your core, initiate your movements from your center.  Be patient and keep a sense of humor.  

Whether through private Pilates or group instruction, I can guide you through a movement experience that feels authentic, fulfilling, and gets you the results you are looking for.  Let’s get started.