hiya, friend. i want to help you connect deeply to your amazing body.

i’m Stephanie, or syj, or say yes joyfully. i have had the pleasure of teaching movement to all kinds of bodies throughout my nearly 20 year career, including at my own studio, Sayezz Pilates & Beyond in Altadena, CA for 6 of those beloved years. 

i'm an intuitive movement educator who seeks to redefine what it is to be FIT by designing movement experiences that create an expansive, holistic and connected landscape for all bodies.

Sayezz has been my BRAND - Bountiful Real Authentic Nuanced Dharma - and its purpose has become to blend the physical and intuitive through embodied movement classes and experiences. i provide a space for YOU to connect to YOUR body as
​your HOME: Heart Open. Moving Energy. free from judgement. shifting into a space of ease, joy and FUN.

it’s through this holistic lens of physio-energetic embodiment that I approach all virtual classes, one-on-one sessions, intuitive body readings, and intuitive movement courses and intensities. in this synthesis, you learn to live free in movement, from pain, and to breathe deeply and remain calm under everyday stresses. together, let's unlock YOUR LUMINOUS being, you rockstar! 

the PILATES method is my first love.

helping Sylvia find her alignment during footwork on the PILATES reformer

​ i found it in 2001 as a college dancer, and my own creative path led me to a contemporary approach i now share with you. each session is designed to find the ever elusive and quite fluid "neutral" pelvis, reach the deepest breathing possible, and create a connection unique to you and your body for optimal posture, core strength, flow and harmony. Just like Joe Pilates himself led a creative path of discovery to the magic circle (he took the ring off a beer barrel) and the cadillac (he strapped springs to a bed frame), we too are on a journey to deepen our self-awareness - together. 

class offerings

THE PILATES METHOD

the practice and its benefits

​PELVIC STABILITY & DEEP ABS – to understand, “Hey! I am a 3-dimensional being, and that allows for deep core connection 3-dimensionally! Core connection, strength, and awareness at its best and most efficient.

RIB STABILITY – to understand, “Hey – my arms are connected to my shoulders, which are connected to my ribs, which are connected to my diaphragm, which is connected to my breath!” Breath with movement; breath to move; breath is movement.

LEG EXTENSION – to become aware that everything in Pilates – even reaching fully through our legs and hips – emanates from core connection, support, and stability.

SPINAL MOBILITY – to pretend we are a cat, or a cow, or a swan, or a frog! Yup. though our spine is structured differently than those animals, using their images - and imagery in general - helps us to find space, strength, and, above all, mobility in our human spine.

MOVING PLANES – to learn that there are a seemingly infinite number of ways to move within the defined human movement planes, and to move fully and move big in them all at all times - even in the small movements, to go deep.
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FINISHINGS – to finish with connection and an energized awareness. to deeply inhale and exhale, sighing out satisfaction for taking time to move in ways that bring joy and understanding to the glorious body in which you live!

i found the GYROTONIC® method as a professional dancer.

giving hand's on to Carmen

on the GYROTONIC® tower.

​i've always loved how machines can help us find places and spaces in our body deeper than we may be able to find on our own, and this is exactly what the method does. the circles and spirals and big ranges of motion that gyrotonic exercise allows is just so yummy! "gyro" - spirals, "tonic" - healing is fantastic both physically and neurologically, helping us to stand tall, find our center, and yawn into length in our joints and muscles. it's a great complement to pilates work, and my understanding of each method continues to be informed by their differences and overlappings. 

GYROKinesis Workshop

THE GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM®

the practice and its benefits
www.gyrotonic.com

ARCH & CURL – to realize, “Hey – I have a pelvis and it connects to my spine. Wait – I have a neck and it also connects to my spine. And I can move them all at the same time with balance and suppleness!”
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HAMSTRINGS – to understand 1) that the world in which is more sedentary than is optimal for our body, 2) that this method helps to support the back chain to decompress all of our joints, and 3) there is nothing like feet in the straps to find the suppleness in our hips, knees, and ankles.

UPPER BODY SERIES – to remember that, “Oh yes. My arms connect into my torso, and wait – you’re telling me I can move my arms from my torso and pelvis??” yes, indeed. we are a connected chain of tensegrity - reaching in all directions simultaneously - so spread those wings and fly!

LEG WORK SERIES – to practice moving the hips joints and legs from the “seed center”. that no movement is practiced in a vacuum, and that because our hips joints are ball-and-socket joints, even seemingly “linear” movement arrives there in circles and spirals.

ABDOMINALS – digging deep into the seed center as a focal point for movement initiation. allow full ranges of motion in the torso up and down and all around the bench. finding deep core connection from its edges, and learning that through moving we can discover core support and stability.

UPPER BODY OPENINGS – to open up our breath by finding motion in the shoulder joints support by the bench. also, you never knew how good it felt to “pop” your sternum until you circled your arms overhead and felt it release as a swell of refreshing blood rushed to your brain. 

UNWINDING – balance, balance, balance. let’s bring ourselves back to it.

GYROTONIC® and GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® are registered trademarks of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and are used with their permission.

Yoga Trapeze® continues to help me find my wings.

assisting Francesca in a floating down dog on the rig.

​the Yoga Trapeze® is a natural addition to the Sayezz family, and honestly, i’m not sure why it was added earlier. i began my movement life as a gymnast, flying through the air, flipping my body in all ways and directions. while that is not the intention at all of the yoga trapeze, it still serves to help us find that effortless ease, especially in inversions. it’s a beautifully supportive tool to help us find ourselves safely in the upside-down space that is so beneficial for flow and decompression, and the addition of the handles - unique to the YT - allows us to bring back that grip strength that is mostly lost in our technologically dominant world. plus, like PILATES & GYROTONIC®, Yoga Trapeze® is damn F-U-N!

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THE YOGA TRAPEZE®

the practice and its benefits

PULL MOTION/POSTERIOR CHAIN – probably the most unique aspect of the YT are the 3 different handles. they allow us to get back to our roots when climbing trees and hanging were essential parts of our life. building grip strength into our daily practice helps our entire body.

CORE – core on the YT can be done standing, on the ground, or even inverted! which one will your body love the most?

TRACTION – this is why most of us come to the YT - to hang upside-down and gain all the benefits of that reverse flow and spinal decompression in a safe, stable and feel-good way.

DYNAMIC – this is where you’ll find a lot of the familiar yoga poses and flows - all the warriors, lunges, and even backbends - with the added element of instability ‘cause the YT hangs from the ceiling and asks us to find even more grounding among the wobbles.
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BACKBENDS – the YT allows us to achieve a more subtle and stable way into all kinds of backbends - standing (dancer pose), chest opening (titanic jack), and hanging (ferris wheel). the float allows for a whole new kind of support extension.

HIP OPENERS – nothing is static in the YT, and hip openers are no exception. the sling allows us to find a new way into deep release.

TWISTS & FOLDS – spiraling especially helps us to unlock deeper ranges of motion in all movements, so it’s a great way to unwind after a vigorous, restorative YT class. are you ready to fly?