Amanda Duckstein, founder of ShadowBox Pilates, has been teaching fully inclusive Pilates for over 13 years in locations as diverse as Baltimore, Manhattan, Nashville, Westchester, and the Hamptons. She recently opened a studio in Watermill, so we caught up with her to learn more about her.
Can you tell us about your background in the fitness and wellness industry?
I grew up practicing different sports and athletics. Physical activity has always been a major part of my life and I knew that my purpose in this world was to help people in some way. I took my first Pilates class with him in 2006 and thought to myself, “This is a Pilates class. I’m going to teach Pilates and help them get stronger. I’m going to be the greatest Pilates instructor this world has ever seen. ” I have enrolled in multiple certification courses and have been teaching Pilates for 14 years now. It’s amazing to see the confident energy that my students develop each time they attend class.
You recently opened a studio in Watermill. Can you tell me about the space?
The Shadowbox Pilates site was a labor of love. We’re in a large space (with lots of natural light) along Montauk Highway next to the Water Mill Post Office. He has 10 modified towers with jump boards and small posts. There is an infrared sauna room and a retail room with a selection of branded products and wellness items such as drybrushes, hair oils and palo santo. We originally wanted this space to be a holistic haven, so we stock a lot of items. Greenery, salt lamps, and I light palo santo and copal every day to bring in all the high vibrations. So far they are working.
What do I need for a ShadowBox Pilates workout?
We offer four class formats, two of which include shadow boxing (sparring in space in a way that gives students a sense of strength and energy) at the end of the class. ShadowBox Pilates is a 60-minute signature class with 45 minutes of Athletic Reformer Pilates and 15 minutes of light weight shadowboxing. The ShadowAir class is a jumpboard circuit class that takes the endurance challenge of Pilates by bouncing off a jumpboard and adds a fun shadowboxing component at the end of the class. ShadowReformer is a 50-minute combination of Classical and Athletic Reformer Pilates, while ShadowTower is 50 minutes on an elevated mat using springs to challenge your strength and flexibility and improve your connection between body and mind. Masu. All classes except ShadowAir are prenatal friendly.
I added the concept of shadow boxing to these classes because it is a workout that makes me feel strong and powerful, and I want my students to feel the same way. My students have always told me that consistently taking my classes has helped them discover the confidence that was hidden deep within them, so I accepted and rushed with it. I’m running with Additionally, Joseph Pilates was a boxer before he invented Controlology. This is great.
ShadowBox What is the philosophy of Pilates?
ShadowBox Pilates’ philosophy is to practice movement in a way that empowers us to dig deep to become our most authentic selves and honor our own self-confidence. We learn that through movement and the mind-body connection, we are the greatest source of magic that transcends life. I want my students to be strong in their bodies, confident in their minds, and believe they can do anything. Over the years, many of my students have inspired me to be a better teacher, and I want to inspire them to be their best selves.
Through the Pilates Method Alliance and the National Pilates Certification Program, we specialize in prenatal and postnatal Pilates, neurological specialties, and osteoporosis. Can you tell me more about this?
I take continuing education courses because science is always learning more about the body and I want to continue to grow as both an instructor and a student. I am grateful to teach students with specific specialties in their bodies. This is because they are very interested in learning the details of their work and pay attention to how their body responds to movement to get the best sensation.
Teaching prenatal and postnatal Pilates is so much fun! These students will help you stay connected to your abdomen, maintain pelvic floor control, practice alignment, and breathe more efficiently while living your precious life within. I need Pilates to use it. I have worked with clients who have neurological contraindications that affect the way they move their bodies and the way their minds connect with movement. I have seen clients engage with the controlled aspects of Pilates and have had much success in improving their body control and coordination. Pilates is great for many types of osteoporosis (especially jumpboarding). Weight-bearing exercise is very important for improving bone health and density. Again, I don’t just want to provide a fitness experience, I want to enrich people’s lives through movement and help them feel like their best selves.
What are your goals for summer 2024?
Make at least one person’s day a little better every day by hitting the beach every day, witnessing every full moon rise, and materializing some of the events you’ve been planning in your studio.
