 Jonathan Urla, MFA,LWMC, CPT, has been a leader and innovator in the world of fitness and dance for over 20 years. His athletic training began with gymnastics, diving and skiing and later progressed to classical and modern dance. After spending ten years as a professional dancer and choreographer, Jonathan returned to sports training competing in triathlons and becoming a certified personal trainer in 1988.
By 1995, his strong commitment to intelligent exercise led Mr. Urla to the teachings of Joe and Clara Pilates and to an in-depth study of hatha yoga. Becoming fully certified in Pilates, studying both at Power Pilates and The Pilates Studio in New York, Jonathan is now recognized for his refined approach to Pilates technique. As a veteran practitioner of yoga, Jonathan began to notice a symmetry between the two techniques, both in their mental and physical discipline. His desire for a unified methodology led him to create Yogilates in 1997 as an ideal pathway to optimal fitness and health. The popularity and effectiveness of his work has been noted in newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Shape, YogaJournal, FitYoga, Elle, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Village Voice, Newsweek, Self, Fitness, Allure, as well as international publications. He has given interviews to ABC News, CBS, CNN, and both Lifetime Live and Discovery Health have produced segments about Yogilates. His book on Yogilates titled, Yogilates - Integrating Yoga and Pilates for Complete Fitness, Strength, and Flexibility, was published by Harper Collins in 2002. Since then, it has been translated into German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. He has also produced and starred in eight yoga and Pilates workout videos.(see store)
Jonathan recently became certified as a Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant through the American Council on Exercise, and has created a new lifestyle and fitness TV show called "Sexy Body Lifestyle" now looking for network distribution. He is also finishing a training and diet log that will include advice on lifestyle, fitness, and nutrition. He still considers himself a student, attending advanced teacher training workshops and seminars in yoga and Pilates around the country. He teaches regularly for Sports Club/LA and Reebok Sports Club in New York, where he also instructs on Pilates apparatus in the private studio setting. He is an avid presenter, teaching workshops and seminars all over the world, and is on staff at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and Kripalu Center for Yoga. Jonathan trains clients privately, including celebrities and busy New York professionals, and is used regularly by the media as an expert on fitness and health. His philosophy is that everyone has an ideal body and can attain balanced health and happiness. His approach is to teach others how to discover their inherent potential and empower them to create lasting lifestyle habits for healthier and happier living. He may be contacted for appointments, interviews and articles through his email info@yogilates.com.
Yogilates® was created in 1997 by certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer Jonathan Urla, who became originally inspired to blend his training from Pilates with his practice of hatha yoga after taking a yoga class right after a Pilates session. He found his practice got much easier and he felt better aligned and able to accomplish the poses with more effectiveness because his spine was already warmed up properly and he was connected to his center from the Pilates workout. He saw a need for more effective core strengthening in the discipline of yoga and believed that the Pilates method offered a refined technique that could be integrated into the practice of yoga for this reason. He also believed that yoga had a lot to offer all exercise enthusiasts, including Pilates devotees, because of its’ emphasis on the breath for support and relaxation, and its’ mental focus. He wanted to integrate the two in a fun, accessible, and effective training regimen that would be a complete training system with all the benefits of both Pilates and yoga. Over the years, Jonathan has used his knowledge of exercise science, proper
alignment, and sound bio-mechanics, to develop a detailed practice with over 300 exercises from beginner to advanced. His book and videos establish a progressive system of learning the functional skills of Yogilates which allows people of all abilities to use the technique to achieve better posture and improved performance in all activities, as well as achieve reduced stress and reduced the risk of injury. Today, Yogilates® is practiced by thousands who have purchased his videos/DVDs or his book, and he has certified other instructors who teach Yogilates group classes all over the country. Jonathan has taken his workshops around the country and his work is credited with helping to influence the evolution of yoga all over the world.
|
