Last year at this time, if you had told Toronto-located freelance editor Karin Stephens that she would be soon living in Creemore, she would have thought you’d gone mad.
Yet, less than one year later, that is just what she did.
Karen moved to Creemore with her six-year-old son, Christopher, last September after visiting her friend and Hummingbird Montessori owner, Sherri Jackson.
Now, in addition to editing, she also works as an assistant at Hummingbird Montessori and teaches Pilates classes as Station on the Green.
How did you come to Creemore?
I came here just last summer. We came up at the height of summer when there was a blue sky, markets going and fields of sunflowers blooming. It was just so gorgeous.
It was a gut thing. We went for a pint. Creemore is away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet there is still so much going on. Because I am freelance, I have the ability to move around. That was it. We suddenly moved up here in September. It was so quick.
How do you like living here?
It has been a fantastic change. We have been lucky to make friends and meet lovely people.
Everyone has been inviting and friendly. When we go to the café, we know five people. It makes us feel we made the right decision. Everyone has been so helpful that you feel very supported even though it hasn’t been very long.
Christopher loves it, too. He is able to explore the river and the hills and all around. We love going to the library and visiting Sunny the cat.
And there have been events like the Christmas tree-lighting. If I was downtown in the city, I don’t think we’d be doing this, and I think it’s so great for the children. It’s a kind of freedom you don’t get in the city; here you can let go and be who you are.
That’s the beauty of following change and making it happen. I’m a big believer in the forces of the universe; how many people can guide you and help you. It makes you feel grateful and want to give back. That is what Cremore is all about, I think; a mutual togetherness.
How did you start Pilates?
I had recurring lower back issues, which started in my 20s. It’s probably because I was carrying big, vinyl records on my back when I went to the University of Toronto (I worked at the radio station).
After having terrible muscle spasms, I had an X-ray and the radiologist asked if I had ridden horses as a child, which I had. You can have an injury as a child that comes back on when you’re older.
I wanted to get fit so I went to Pilates classes in Richmond Hill, where I met my mentor, Evelyn Charters, who was the inspiration. I would feel amazing after this class. At the time, she was training and she asked me to be her “guinea pig.”
How did you become a teacher?
When I was in London [Stephens is originally from Bedfordshire near Cambrudge, in the U.K.], I realized that I wanted to come back to Toronto and teach Pilates. I wrote to Evelyn and together we brought the Body Control method of Pilates – which was popular in Europe, but not in Canada – to Toronto.
It is really only through Pilates that I have addressed my back issues. I understand my posture and how I move my body. I wanted to teach it so I could help other people.
What is the Body Control method?
Body Control is different than Classical Pilates. It is Pilates for the everyday person involving functional, movement education, rather than classical poses.
Pilates can really vary in how you approach it. I believe in Pilates where there is a functional understanding of how you use your body. It is a more holistic way of conditioning your body… but more functional than just getting a flat tummy!
I like to use props (such as rollers, weighted balls and Therabands), and do standing and sitting work, so it’s not just lying on the ground the whole time. We connect the mind and body through breath and use mindful movement like yoga.
How can Pilates benefit health?
People don’t realize that sometimes they forget to breathe. We need to get everything aligned in the skeleton to what it should be. Pilates is about trying to use the right muscles for the right movement.
There is only so much one hour of Pilates can do but it’s also about education. We hold a lot of tension inside our bodies – it’s about letting go of that tension and strengthening the body.
If people have issues with their feet or legs and want to get to the root of it or prevent it from happening, then Pilates is for you. If you understand how your body works and how you can keep it maintained, there is so much you can do for yourself.
We weren’t made to sit at a computer desk all day. We are trying to bring everyone back to a state of being a moving species.