pilates, eldoa & movement in Berlin

about

rebecca rainey

Rebecca Rainey is a passionate movement enthusiast providing meaningful and effective tools for increased body awareness, improved strength and mobility and a feeling of more freedom in the body. Her creative approach to movement features a mix of contemporary mat Pilates, breath work, somatic explorations, myofascial stretching and ELDOA (a technique that helps keep joints juicy and normalizes tension in the body). She provides a fun and relaxed atmosphere and meets each client where they are in their individual movement journey.

While in NYC, Rebecca completed a BFA in dance at Marymount Manhattan College in 2007 and a 200+ hour contemporary Pilates mat certification through Erika Bloom Pilates in New York City in 2009. She became an ELDOA trainer in October 2024 and has also completed the Myofascial Stretching and Global Postural Stretching courses. Rebecca is currently purusing her certification in personal training.

Rebecca launched Pilates Inspired Practice in October 2017. PiP offers online classes that are intended to help amplify and support wellness routines around the world.

She hopes that through her work, clients become more aware of how they move, feel better in their bodies, and of course, enjoy and have fun moving! She is known to combine a fun and relaxed atmosphere filled with challenging exercises.

Rebecca opened a studio in Berlin in May 2022, Haven with business partner Jaina Hirai of Hirai Healing and co-founded the Only Always Bodywork and Movement Collective in 2019.

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what is pilates?

Pilates is a body conditioning system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. The main goals are to improve strength, flexibility, posture and tone. Inherent in the practice is a strong mind-body connection as the mind guides muscles to make specific movements bringing awareness to the body. There is a strong focus on the core, or in Joe’s words the ‘powerhouse’. Pilates is known for being a very effective low-impact fitness method. Pre-and postnatal women are often encouraged to take Pilates during their pregnancy and after.

Sessions and classes are rooted in the contemporary Pilates tradition and infused with fundamental movement exercises, practices adapted from Rebecca's dance training, breath work, self-massage, myofascial release and inspiration from yoga.

We begin in standing with a variety of small movements designed to bring awareness into the body, deepen the breath and prepare the body for strengthening and stretching. Throughout the session we will change positions from lying down on the back, to the stomach, to standing, to the side and to hands & knees. There is a slight focus on one particular area of the body and how it relates to the rest of the system. Clients are asked to pay attention to what is moving, what is working, how it feels, and to name any effects.

Expect both a physical and mental workout that will leave you feeling powerful, longer, and stronger!

what is ELDOA?

ELDOA is a revolutionary myofascial stretching and strengthening technique created by renowned osteopath Guy Voyer, DO. The name is a French acronym that translates to ‘longitudinal osteo-articular decoaptation stretches’.

In practice this means that positions are designed to increase space at a specific location. We target one joint by fixing the point below and moving the point above. I personally love the way it improves our awareness - the inner map of the the body - and find that it has positively influenced the way I approach Pilates and movement with a deeper sense of control and a new understanding of creating inner tension. As positions are held for 60 seconds, it makes for quite an intense experience!

Some of the many other benefits include: a decrease in pressure of the discs between the vertebra in the spine, a normalizing of myofascial tension, an increase in muscle tone, improved joint range of motion, improved circulation, and improved posture. While a decrease in back pain is the most common result, because we are also making more space for the nerves that innervate the spine, this can lead to a number of additional benefits from gut function to period pain for example.

testimonials

"I think of Rebecca's Pilates sessions as 'mindful Pilates'. Engaging your mind to assist your exercise is one of her many strengths. The other is a great ability to demonstrate and explain individual exercises. I would highly recommend personal sessions in addition to group classes with the aim of experiencing and further developing particular and new exercises. Rebecca has a great diagnostic ability pointing to particular muscular tensions and helping resolve them. In addition to her exceptional professional skills as a trainer, she is a wonderful person: positive, energetic, giving each student in a group and in private sessions her full attention. I recommend Rebecca's classes in highest possible terms." - Manja

“Pilates with Rebecca helps me combat the damage I do to my body by sitting too long at computers!” - Jane

“I enormously enjoy regular Pilates sessions with Rebecca. Each class is a welcome change from the routine sitting position while working, and the repeated way I use my body and mind while sitting at a desk. The Pilates training – to move, stretch, breath and relax the whole body is so refreshing and pleasurable. When going back to work after a class, I am much more awake, relaxed and concentrated. Great!” - Martin

“I loved Rebecca's Pilates classes: somehow she invents workouts that flow smoothly from one exercise to another, while incorporating a physical rigour and level of difficulty that suits the abilities of everyone in the room. I always looked forward to her classes, enjoyed them, and felt refreshed and relaxed afterwards. And now that I am no longer in Berlin, I am missing them horribly.” - Olivia

Friends

Jaina of Hirai Healing offers traditional deep tissue as well as Thai, Shiatsu and Reflexology. Her techniques range from feather-light flow to intensely deep acupressure and trigger point, based upon the client's preference and tolerance.