I have had the privilege of working with Kara for the past 5 yrs. In that time I have come to realize what a gem she truly is. She is professional, knowledgeable and has excellent instructional skills. She has the ability to read her students and then meet their individual needs. She helps me challenge myself when I am well and need the challenge and heal myself when I am not. There is no pretense with Kara. She is very down to earth, a real pleasure. -Holly Nolan retired educator
Kara’s playful but challenging approach to a hard workout has kept me coming to her for years. Her in-depth understanding of body mechanics allows her to work within the constraints of my scoliosis, helping me use the core muscles that keep me as straight as possible. Her strong belief that, “yes, I can do it,” means we are always working towards something that feels impossible in the moment, but empowering when I build the strength and coordination to perfect the exercise. –Tina Lavender
I am feeling and seeing so much from just one month of yoga and Pilates. I am feeling a renewal in my body. Mentally and physically they have both given me better health and well being in a stressful time… With my chronic illness and arthritis, I have not had pain in my legs, my knee feels so much better and my hands feel better. It shows how much these two methods help the body as well as the soul. Thanks so much! -Karen Pass, educator; Louisville
When I moved to Louisville nine years ago, a new friend took me as a guest to Kara’s group Pilates mat class at Yoga East. I’m not necessarily a group exercise person, but I’ve been attending twice weekly ever since. Even though it means facing rush-hour traffic from downtown to the east end, it doesn’t matter. Kara is the kind of instructor that earns your dedication, commitment and respect. And it’s because whether it’s your first class or your hundredth, Kara will make it worth your time, every single time. She never phones it in; she keeps her students engaged and interested in the work; she challenges and inspires them to improve and master technique; and perhaps most impressive, she teaches them to love doing Pilates.
Because Kara is such a model instructor and her classes so worthwhile, I recently began to take private lessons with her. It’s been revelatory to learn how a mat class is actually an adaptation of the equipment exercises, such that the mat work and the equipment work become integrated activities. Kara is able to break down and translate the Reformer work to the mat class in a way that maintains both its integrity and difficulty. Most important, after just a few private sessions with Kara, you will find that your strength has increased and your technique has improved. When working one-on-one with clients, Kara notices everything. Her attentiveness and attention to detail is invaluable in helping students become the best Pilates practitioners they can be. -Susan Jarosi Vice President, AAUP at UofL
Kara is like a member of our family and a constant in our lives. I took a Pilates class from Kara 8 years ago and since that time, I have taken both yoga and Pilates classes (private and group) several times a week with Kara. As a “recovering runner”, Kara has not only helped me perform at my highest level, she has nurtured and coached my body back from numerous injuries, several of them serious. She is the first one I return to after an injury and her knowledge of my body and its abilities and her unwavering patience has been a guiding and VERY bright light in my life. Perhaps the most indelible thing Kara has done for me is give me an acute awareness of my body, guiding me to trust my strength and encouraging me to embrace my challenges. I cannot imagine how I would feel (physically and emotionally) without spending time in Kara’s presence each and every week! -Dee Dee McLeod
Just wanted to say that Monday, in my estimation, was the best Pilates session to date, after the first one. Therefore: thanks. I find it wonderful to be learning something completely, and utterly new and simultaneously beneficial. -Mike Gillette