What makes Kilkenny Pilates that bit, well, special? 

I'm probably not who you'd picture as someone who would open a Pilates studio.  At school I didn’t shine at sport (certainly never made the A team in any sport) and I don't have a background in dance (apart from some Irish dancing lessons and a few medals in the under 10s!).  At age five I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I’ve also had foot issues over the years and had two bunion surgeries relatively young.  

Then one day I saw a flyer for reformer Pilates classes at my local gym in Dublin 4.

I’d no idea what a reformer was. This was 2003, long before Instagram and TikTok appeared on the scene and nobody had heard of influencers (probably because they hadn't been born yet!)

I’d just had my second baby and my lower back was giving out from lifting a toddler and a baby and hauling a double buggy in and out of the car (they were big awkward things back then!). So I signed up for Wednesday evening reformer classes, not knowing that a career change lay ahead! 

For the first time in my life I really enjoyed exercising, because when I was moving on the reformer it didn’t feel like I was doing exercise, it felt like I was free, free as a bird gliding through the air and unbelievably light. 

At last I’d found my “thing”, a form of exercise that I could look forward to that would give me a post-exercise high! 

Then at 35, my life took a sharp turn.  I was unexpectedly widowed and took a lengthy career break to look after our kids who were still very small.  Platinum Pilates had just opened their first reformer studio in Stillorgan Dublin. Going there three mornings a week became my lifeline…out of grief, out of suddenly being a full time stay at home Mom after years of working in a fast-paced Corporate Finance environment and a way out of eating copious amounts of Ben and Jerry’s icecream to numb out. 

Pilates quickly became for me so much more than a workout: it was time just for me, a form of therapy (better than talk therapy) and a social outlet as I got to meet new people through our shared love of Pilates (expanding my circle beyond the school gate). 

When the kids were at a later stage in primary school and I’d more time to myself I enrolled in Pilates matwork training (in person) in The National Training Centre in Dublin. 

Fast forward some years and the opportunity to train with the very knowledgeable physiotherapists at MaxPhysio & Pilates in Cork came up and I didn’t have to think twice. I was in. I loved every minute of the training. By far the oldest person in the group, it didn’t matter, because when you’re flowing and stretching on the reformer you become ageless.

That same feeling that had captivated me 20 years earlier was still there. I melted into my reformer and felt at home :) like when the dance and the dancer become one. 

Before I’d even finished my training I knew exactly what kind of studio I wanted to open. I’d been to so many studios over the years, large ones, small ones, classical Pilates, contemporary Pilates, both at home and in the US and Dubai where I lived for a time with my kids.

I dreamed of creating something that would have the same warm and cosy vibe of your favourite coffee shop, the one you lose track of time in, just be-ing, sipping a vanilla latte or (in my case) a large hot chocolate made with 70% dark chocolate and coconut milk.

I wanted to provide a space where people would feel seen and supported, where movement would feel liberating and where the vibe would be inclusive of all ages, fitness levels  and body shapes. The fact that The Chocolate Garden Café, with the most decadent hot chocolate ever, is only a minute’s stroll away helped seal the deal on renting this space! 

To achieve this vibe, I knew I would have to keep class sizes small.

Very small. 

I’d to silence the accountant in me that insisted big class sizes (8+ reformers) were the way to go if I wanted to maximise profits (which is 100% true) and let the part of me that wanted to bring my vision to life win out. 

And so that’s how our little reformer studio came to be! I hope that when you step on a reformer here you’ll find that same sense of freedom in mind and body that I found all those years ago. 

I can’t wait to welcome you and support you on your wellness journey, wherever it may take you! 

xo Miriam