Meet Amy Young | Pilates Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Not sure if this classifies as a habit, or more of characteristic or skill, but being adaptable has served me well in my career. Being able to move fast, think on my feet, change course swiftly and communicate well. with others has saved my butt more than one time. The one thing that you can count on in life is that it will not turn out as you planned it. In that way I’ve been able to bob and weave through some powerful blows.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I began studying the Pilates method in 1999 in Chicago while earning a BA in dance from Columbia College. Seeking rehabilitation for a chronic and painful back condition, I found incredible results with the method. It quickly became clear to me that I needed to learn more and from the best so I got certified to teach through Romana Kryzanowska’s program in New York City. Romana was Joseph Pilates own protogé, one of only 2 people he himself ever certified to teach his method and she was also the inheritor of Mr. Pilates studio in NYC when he died in 1967. The next thing that I learned in my career is that teaching Pilates is super hard! The Pilates method being a highly creative, extremely customizable workout with specialized apparatus, takes a long time to learn how to teach well. Period. End of story. So on I went to to teach hundreds of clients from Chicago, to Detroit, to Los Angeles and now to Denver, CO and steadily honed my skills. Over the course of the last 2 + decades I’ve fallen more and more in love with the simplicity and genius of this method. It’s boundaries of how deep this work can go are limitless. And at the end of the day my work is to help people harness the energy of their own healing potential and live more happily and successfully in their bodies. And that’s pretty freakin cool.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I met my bestie in the dance department at Western Michigan University, and she’s also a Pilates teacher, so we are kinda into all the same stuff. So this is easy. We will start off the week at Djeneba Sako’s African dance class in downtown Denver. Ms Sako is from Mali, as is her master drummer Abdoul, and the class is one of my favorite things about Denver. Next we’d have to check out MCA Denver, where I’m a member, and get our dose of art. Would have to cruise by Bardo for coffee, hit Red Rocks for a show, Dazzle for some jazz and hit multiple parts of the front range for hiking. To honor our midwestern roots we would indulge in some delicious pizza from Blue Pan.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest shoutout goes to my mentor and coach Kimberly Miguel Mullen. Hiring a business coach was the pivotal event that not only brought me success in my career but in all aspects of my life. I had no idea that building a business was going to majorly involve working on myself. And it’s not a comfortable or easy process! Without the driving force or accountability of Kimberly at my back, I’m not sure I would have gotten over the break, so to speak. I’m beyond grateful for her and the work we’ve done so far. I’m ecstatic over what I’ve been able to achieve so far and I’ve only just begun.

Website: https://amydoespilates.com/

Instagram: @amy_does_pilates

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amydoespilates/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiCuFbS1m6KYlmN765WzVGA

Image Credits
Blue Flame Studio Co.