Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassy DaSilva.
Cassy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In my youth, I was very passionate about figure skating. I absolutely LOVED it. The grace, the elegance, the strength, the control and fluidity, All hooked me. I took lessons for years and was very serious about my sport. But a foot problem, stemming from a shallow hip socket with a misaligned femur, made it impossible to continue. I had a foot operation, but I just could not recover enough to return to skating. I tried running, weight lifting, swimming. It was all okay, but not the same. The foot/hip issue kept me out of martial arts. And running really aggravated my problem.
Then, a friend told me about Pilates. I had to get on a waiting list for a lesson as this was in the 90’s, and not many certified instructors back then. Finally, I started, and WOW, just like my love for skating, Pilates had the same aspects. Fluidity, grace, control, and strength. I was hooked. Except it did not do any damage to my foot/hip issue. So after over 4 years as a client, I wanted to perhaps “fix” my hip issue, which I did not understand at that time was also a back and spine issue as well. I went to NYC and studied Pilates under Romana Kryanowska, Joesph Pilates protege. I learned a lot about body strengthening especially stemming and starting from the core.
It was wonderful, and then I started teaching Pilates. My body got better but to a point. I still needed to get into my back and side that was short and weak. A few years later, I started the GYROTONIC method. It was fantastic, full or spirals and twisting and arching motions. Something really new to my body to open the constricted and tight areas. I then saw how this would be a wonderful method for a lot of my clients with similar imbalances. So, I then studied Gyrotonic in Boston. And began teaching both methods. As pilates boomed and a lot of group type exercises got more popular.
I began specializing in more difficult populations. Athletes, and very advanced clients where the group did not meet their levels. And also clients who had more body mechanic issues. Scoliosis, hip and/or knee replacement, disc issues, and just some with very weak structures that group could not address. After working with these populations, I started giving them some exercises to do on the days they did not come in for training to really address some big underlying weaknesses. And If you have underlying weaknesses, your body cannot be in balance. And CORE Methodology was born. A method pre-Pilates, pre-Gyrotonic, and pre-Yoga. (Last year I got Yoga certified as well).
All to get the body balanced, strong, stabile, elongated, supple, fluid, and best of all anatomically correct. If that is not your goal to work your body into anatomical correctness, what is the point? Everything else outside of that will eventually lead to a bigger imbalance and can lead to an injury. The body was designed to be anatomically correct, and thru time and bad habits, we have gotten away from it. Doing these methods, with proper instruction, can get us back to that anatomical correct form.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with anything, it wasn’t exactly a linear line. I had to uproot my life to study Pilates in NYC. Then next to Boston for Gyrotonic. Ultimately La Jolla, California to really organize CORE Methodology. That was a lot of trial and error. Designing exercises that was effective but not too difficult for the weak muscles to perform. If the exercises are too advanced or difficult, the body will not work the weak area you wish to strengthen, but recruit other body parts which is the basis for imbalances, to begin with.
So, lots of trials and client feedback was so important. And we could see how we went thru one weakness into another and their body began to become more aligned. And their structural pain began to diminish. It’s quite astounding to witness them becoming stronger and stable and being able to do things they had given up on.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The basis of our business model in One on one or Two to one, type instruction. We work on imbalances and/or weaknesses. We all have imbalances, even athletes and dancers. Uncovering them and working thru them to diminish and remove them is the key to strength, fluidity, control, balance, and anatomical alignment. That is the ultimate goal. The body works without friction or impingement when it works anatomically correct.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I don’t know about luck, but I do know about loyalty and supportive clients. I have and have had the pleasure to work with some of the most hardworking and loyal clients. They show up to their appointments and work very hard to be better. My clients are everything to me. We work together as a team to get them to be the best version of their structural self they can be. And I guess am lucky to have them.
Pricing:
- Private lesson for 55 minutes is $80.00
- Semi-private (two clients, one instructor) is $96.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 7660-B Fay Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037
- Website: www.Coreshape.com
- Phone: 858-736-1333
- Email: cassy@coreshape.com
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