In this episode of CoLab Conversations, we're joined by Cynthia Bahmani, a longtime movement educator, Balanced Body educator, and a new contributor on CoreAlign CoLab. Cynthia shares her journey into professional movement education, from her beginnings as a professional dancer to her discovery of the CoreAlign as a "missing link" in her training. This conversation explores how she uses the CoreAlign to help clients with a range of conditions, her unique approach to course development, and what it means to keep evolving as a teacher.
In this conversation, you’ll hear how Cynthia:
Discovered CoreAlign and felt it was the "missing link" for translating her dance training to the Pilates studio.
Works with diverse client populations, including those with scoliosis, osteoporosis, athletic goals, and neurological conditions.
Approaches movement as a "playground," exploring the space around the CoreAlign to create new and unique exercises for her clients.
Has developed workshops for specific populations to help other teachers use the CoreAlign more effectively.
Developed her ROTATE and RECIPROCATE™ course to improve gait patterning by incorporating upper body resistance.
We also talk about the powerful ways she's using the CoreAlign to support clients, including a person who uses a wheelchair and a woman who had a double mastectomy. Cynthia shares how she helps these clients find more confidence, range of motion, and a feeling of being "pulled together" through their work on the CoreAlign.
Resources Mentioned
CoreAlign for Dancers: https://www.cynthiabahmanipilates.com/corealign-for-dancers
GotStrongBones: https://www.gotstrongbones.com/
Explore all live and on-demand CoreAlign CoLab workshops here:https://www.colabmovement.com/corealign-education
Cynthia Bahmani’s website: cynthiabahmanipilates.com
CoreAlign Classes On Demand: CoLab Flex
Become a Flex Member: Join Free for 7 Days
Guest Bio:Cynthia Bahmani is the owner of Cynthia Bahmani Pilates in San Anselmo, CA, a Certified Pilates Instructor, Balanced Body Konnector® Educator, and CoreAlign® Specialist and Workshop Presenter. With a foundation in professional dance, she began her Pilates training at NYU under Kathleen Stanford Grant, one of Joseph Pilates’ original students.
Her specialties include:
Classical Pilates with a highly personalized approach for diverse physical conditions, including pre- and post-surgical care
Gait patterning and neuromuscular integration using the CoreAlign® and other apparatus
Sports-specific conditioning for dancers and performing artists
From 2000–2002, Cynthia served as a Dance Medicine Specialist at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, working with professional dancers and athletes on injury prevention and recovery. In 2015, she co-developed ROTATE and RECIPROCATE™: Gait Work and Beyond, a CoreAlign® workshop offering six CECs through the National Pilates Certification Program.
She has taught on two Cirque du Soleil productions, co-founded GotStrongBones, and leads Fitness for Bone Health Week at Rancho La Puerta Wellness Retreat. Guided by her motto “People first, Pilates second,” Cynthia helps clients move toward their best health through thoughtful, creative, and collaborative teaching.
Connect with Cynthia:📸 @bahmanipilates on Instagram
Follow CoreAlign CoLab:📸 @corealign.colab📸 @arwenbrooke_pilates▶️ @ArwenBrooke_CoreAlignCoLab on YouTube🌐 corealigncolab.com | colabmovement.com