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Cicely Nelson Tong

@atwaterpilates

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pilates, yoga, thai yoga massage, somatic experiencing, CPT, RYT-200 hours
Atwater Village-Los Angeles/unceded Tongva land📍

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My clients are so great that I rarely get a cancellation, but of course you know what we all do when that happens!

I managed to talk an orthopedist into giving me an annual DEXA because of my mom‘s osteoporosis and I’ve just had my second one. Thankfully, they’re still in the normal zone BUT there’s definitely been decline in a year. Mostly this is a lesson that I really have to wean 😭😭😭 (tips welcome!!) but also finding time for more bone loading workouts is necessary!! a friend also told me recently that you have to be able to walk 80 pounds in kettle bells up 14 stories in 5 minutes in order to be an EMT so mama‘s got work to do lol😅 by @atwaterpilates

I’m so incredibly lucky to do what I do. Pilates can be truly revelatory and I’m so grateful that I’ve learned that myself over the past 20+ years and even more grateful that I get to share that with people. I don’t take that for granted for a second. Sure, I want to learn more, but I will always do Pilates and similar modalities and teach this to people because it’s one thing to help people out of trouble and to be there for them when they’re traumatized and sick and it’s another to be able to work on the prevention side of things. Both are wonderful and necessary ❤️ by @atwaterpilates

Thank you @jessicasf8 for the chance to remind myself I can still do candlestick - and you’re up next week!! by @atwaterpilates

Keep trying new things! What are you better at than 20 years ago? Rose has never inverted before and now can because she actually has better upper body strength at 58 than she ever has. That’s a win in my book! I suddenly realized that I now just swim the crawl, after preferring breast stroke my whole life (I pushed myself to work on my crawl recently because I find it harder). Don’t turn a blind eye to the so very many ways you can still get stronger, wiser, and more supple! by @atwaterpilates

Thank you so much, @thebody.losfeliz 🙌🏻 we loved our session with Mary Beck! Gyrotonic is such an incredible complement to…well, anything, but especially what my SIL and my regular routine of running and Pilates. We feel so much more space and grounding in our bodies. We will be back! 💙 by @atwaterpilates

Gettin’ my flow in 👌🏻✌🏻🙌🏻 thank you, preschool. Gotta keep being able to chase these babies ❤️ by @atwaterpilates

It is wild to see how far this guy has come! 🙌🏻 @flexy_sexy_pilates opening summer 2050! by @atwaterpilates

These hip mobility aren’t cute or elegant but they’re very valuable. I’ve been thrilled with the results of a knee routine I’ve come up with recently and I’m trying to find a hip routine that’s as effective as one of my hips is very grouchy after decades of laxity (and probably a mild labral tear). This is early days with these hip drills - so I’ll keep you posted! Will share my knee routine soon because it’s 🧑‍🍳 by @atwaterpilates

Got away for ten days and what a lovely spot this was to land at after a long flight. Highly recommend the @hotelkongarthur in Copenhagen. In the midst of a bustling city, to be able to plunge my feet into grass for an early morning flow made our arrival here even sweeter 🙏🏻❤️✨ by @atwaterpilates

Pogo jumps! No better place to figure them out than on the reformer. They do NOT come naturally if you come from a dance background (which is also what i can blame my decades of knee pain on). But they are part of a routine that is finally helping me get a handle on knee pain. Yeah yeah, the hackneyed advice about how knee pain is really a hip issue is PART of the cocktail, but recent research about the knee’s rotational capabilities and the role of the tibialis anterior have also been hugely helpful. There’s something super cool about FINALLY finding some answers after decades of trying 🥰 #byebyekneepain #strongkneesstronghips by @atwaterpilates

So much of Pilates is about truly seeing the body in front of me—honoring its patterns, gently unwinding tension, and supporting the shift from stiffness into fluidity. Every body that comes into the studio carries a story, and over time, it becomes clear how closely physical tension can be connected to mental and emotional load. While I don’t assume or define where that comes from, I approach it with deep respect.

Part of that respect means challenging the idea that aging is something to resist or diminish. There’s a strong cultural tendency to equate getting older with decline, but in practice, I see something very different. Strength, mobility, awareness, and resilience can continue to develop over time. Health and aging are not opposites—the body is always capable of learning, adapting, and becoming more at ease in itself.

What I find most meaningful about this work is witnessing change as it happens. With patience and practice, I see bodies soften, breathe more fully, and move with greater ease. There’s a moment when effort gives way to trust—and a reminder that growth doesn’t have to plateau with age; it can deepen. by @atwaterpilates

Had such a fantastic class at the @center_of_movement in Mountain View. I’ve really missed the #parasetter®!! 🔥 by @atwaterpilates