About
The Belly Studio
About Us
The Belly Studio is a private Pilates & Myofascial Fitness Studio in operation since 2006. Arlene Corcoran has worked to help client eliminate and manage their chronic pains in order to achieve their fitness & lifestyle goals. Although Arlene had staff for 7 years, she is again working as a sole practitioner. She assesses, strategizes, and discovers the correct approach to get you on your way to lifelong fitness through informed, intelligent movement practices. She teaches an original hybridized, eclectic program that combines the work of Joseph Pilates with Arlene’s experience and investigation of the myofascial matrix for over 20 years.
Arlene calls it ‘Body Renovation.’ This means changing the underlying Fascial structure according to the principles of how fascia works to rebuild strengths in alignment. This reduces pain and have proven to alter or eliminate many conditions: Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), Scoliosis; Fibromyalgia, Joint Replacements, Surgery preparation, Post-Rehab Fitness, Pre & Post Natal work and much more. We work with our clients, wherever they are in their ‘body journey,’ toward pain-free living, fitness and strength. Freedom from Pain is possible!
The Belly Studio’s Private Sessions are highly individualized due to our unique movement assessment techniques. Each session is an exploration of the deep patterns that inform daily functional movement. Through a consistent focus on Release, Realignment, and Rebuilding, habitual pain patterns and minor movement problems dissipate to form lasting strength. In essence, we reverse-engineer how your body acquired what is misaligned or dysfunctional and the result is sustainable fitness that can last a lifetime.You can take Pilates classes almost anywhere, but Pilates at The Belly Studio is designed specifically for you. Want to know what we can do for you? Contact Arlene today.
Introduction to Body Flossing®
Over 15 years ago, Body Flossing® began as a supplement in Arlene’s quest for fitness and relief from her chronic pain. With the knowledge gained while undergoing her training to become a Pilates Instructor, the at-home practice she’d been using to relieve her pain had a framework and she started to understand how it could enhance her fitness. Over the years Arlene has helped clients with a wide variety of symptoms and ailments using these simple techniques she developed.
Now she teaches Body Flossing® in her Pilates Studio practice. Body Flossing falls within the emerging field of Fascia Research that has been increasing exponentially for the last 20 years, at least. Body Flossing® is the way Arlene and her clients keep their dysfunctional fascia patterns at bay so they can live more comfortably and exercise more productively.
The aim is simple: Reduce compressive patterns, regain lost ranges of motion, eliminate pain caused by soft tissue misalignments, and train the newly release tissues (muscle, fascia, ligaments, etc.) in a better dynamic alignment to create fluid, comfortable movement potential. Arlene has done this herself and benefited from 20 pain free years in the process.
Body Flossing® helps prepare you for any kind of physical training. Using various implements–both simple and complex–clients are able to penetrate deep patterns to get to the source of chronic pain and misalignment. This release of chronic tightness allows clients to find healthier movement patterns that lead to lasting fitness.
Why call it “Body Flossing”? Use of the term “flossing” implies a frequent, if not daily, practice. We think of it as an antidote for modern restrictions to our inherent need and desire for movement.
About Myofascia
What is Myofascia?
The Myofascia is the connective tissue. It’s the architectural, fluid, moving structure that allows us to move dynamically. If we were to simply move from our muscles and bones, we’d move more like robots. And in fact, moving like a machine, living like a machine, is unhealthy and creates dis-ease in our bodies. Fascia, by its nature and properties, is designed to adapt to change
Why haven’t I heard of this before?
The fascia has been an subject of discussion and research within the movement industry for more than 20 years, however it’s only in the last 5-10 years starting to become part of the broader discussion of fitness. As research improves, we continue to deepen our understanding of fascia and practical applications to address it. We used to ‘roll out the feet’ with tennis balls and do simple roller work in the 90’s. These techniques have grown into a burgeoning industry for myofascial release both to professional and consumer audiences.
What are Fascial Patterns?
We are born with basic, anatomy-specific fascial patterns. Individual patterns are also created and defined by how we use our bodies. In other words, our patterns will adapt to meet the demands we place on our bodies. And they change with our demands, our traumas, our habits. As fascial patterns tighten, they create a sense of weight at the site, the tissue tightens, becomes more dense, recoils, knots, buckles, in extreme tightness it can even feel pleated. Few can move like a ballet dancer, but we’re all basically born with the same equipment and capacity for movement. There are genetic factors, but recent science even suggest that even our DNA can be changed. So, we’re a movable feast of fluid, physical potential.
What does this have to do with me?
Do you sit all the time? Do you lean on one side? Had any athletic experience? Repetitive Tasks in your life? Your Fascia changes depending on how you have inhabited your body and the accumulated experiences you’ve had. Injuries, surgeries, repetitive motion of any kind, sedentary living habits–all these will create an evolved, complex, accumulated pattern in the your fascial matrix which can often lead to chronic aches and pains as well as inhibition to exercise.