Pilates Instructors

(Owner)Marion

My Vision is to help neurologically impacted individuals use brain-based strategies to get results.

My mission is to work 1 on 1 with clients, with neurological issues, focusing on their individual brain’s response to movement creating impactful and lasting strategies which create effective and painless movement and builds strength and flexibility.  The strategies learned during sessions will be used in daily life to improve symptoms and achieve personal goals.

I have always felt that Pilates is for everyBODY and everyONE.  With that approach in mind, it’s important to consider the individual, their body, their goals and their needs.  It’s necessary to meet each individual where they’re at and build from there.  That’s where I am different from other teachers.  I believe there’s not just one right way of moving and working.  I also believe each client responds differently and needs to explore, experience the different options available to them to improve their movement.

Heather Szymanski

Heather’s first love is music. She is a professional flutist and flute teacher of 25 yrs. She has played with Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra and plays with her flute trio, Trio Dolce. In addition to Heather’s love of playing music she is also a flute teacher who has taught throughout Fairfield and Litchfield County.

Heather has always been a workout enthusiast. In 2012 she tried a Mat Pilates class. She instantly connected to the practice and began to explore Classical and Contemporary Pilates. She loved the way she felt when practicing Pilates. Her strength and flexibility improved and she loved the mind and body connection. Pilates was unlike any exercise or workout she had ever done.

In 2018 she discovered Mind-Body Connection Pilates where she began to experience the Pilates Apparatus – Reformer, Chair, Cadillac and more. Working on the Pilates Apparatus expanded Heather’s knowledge and love of Pilates. Marion, her pilates teacher, suggested Heather explore the opportunity to become a Pilates instructor. She felt Heather’s passion for pilates and her teaching experience would make her a natural. Heather did just that. Using her time wisely during the pandemic, enrolling in classes virtually to begin the journey of becoming a Pilates Instructor.

Her Pilates journey includes over 800 hours of coursework, workshops, observations and hands-on teaching and a mentorship at Mind-Body Connection Pilates. In 2024 Heather became a Comprehensive Certified Balance Body Instructor on ALL Apparatus.
Here are a few of the Pilates courses she’s completed:
Movement Principles workshop
Pilates Mat workshop 1, 2, and 3
Pilates Reformer workshop 1, 2, and 3
Pilates Chair workshop
Pilates Barrel workshop
Cadillac and Trapeze Table workshop
Anatomy in 3D

Beside her Mentorship at Mind-Body Connection, Heather worked under the close guidance and supervision of Laura Pennock and Nancy Sanchez both Master Balanced Body Instructors.

As a teacher, Heather is always learning from her students and follows other pilates instructors. Here are a few she loves; Maria Leone, Courtney Miller, Amanda Blauer, Pilates Anytime and the Neuro Studio.

Heather has been teaching Mat Pilates at the Phys Ed Gym in New Milford and Rumsey Hall School in Washington. Additionally she has taught Reformer, Chair and Cadillac at Mind-Body Connection since 2021.

If you’re interested in working with Heather email her at: [email protected] or 860.428.3852

On a personal note, Heather is happily married to Paul and mother to Jackson, her son who loves Baseball. Last summer they added to their family, Ella, a beautiful German Shepherd puppy.

About The Studio

The Mind-Body Connection is located in a 100+ year old textile mill called The Bleachery.  The building was renovated and divided into many rentable spaces in the 1990s.  The aged brick building sits alongside the Housatonic River.  From the moment you enter Mind-Body Connection you know you’re about to experience something very special and unique.

The space is filled with natural features from the light shining through the 12 ft tall windows, the aged red brick walls, the textured bamboo floors.  Throughout the space you’ll see remnants from the original mill: ironwork features, old freight elevator doors, and more.  The energy of the space is welcoming and a wonderful place to disconnect from the current world and connect with your body and mind.