CityView Magazine

criticizing it without commenting on it … in stillness and joy.” Yoga is for anyone, Franzblau said, for those who are healthy or those who may be dealing with arthritis or back pain or illness. At Om, the classes are taught in a long room with wooden floors. Students face a beautiful, intricate painting on one wall. There are no mirrors. The lights are dimmed. Students remove their shoes before entering the room. There is a respect for place and for people. I have taken several yoga classes at Om, and I am anxious to try the Saturday morning meditation, a guided meditation led by Franzblau. I am a seeker. But I’ve yet to give Pilates a try. I did stop by to get a feel for it, though. The atmosphere at Pilates of Fayetteville was quite lively, with some animated give and take between the six students and their instructor, Chris Cardona, during a recent advanced class. Cardona walked around the class, straightening someone’s posture here or feeling for tight tummy muscles there. I watched for just a few minutes before I decided that I definitely belonged in a beginner’s class. At one point, the ladies in the class balanced atop a half-moon shaped device called a barrel. They held their bodies in a V-shape, with legs straight up and out. It was not for the faint of heart — or for those with untrained abs. Malinda Craven and Cardona opened Pilates of Fayetteville in January in a 900-square-foot space off Fort Bragg Road. The two met in a Pilates studio at a local gym. After a couple discussions over lunch, they decided to put their talents together and launch the business. It has grown so quickly that they had to find a new location after only seven months. Their new space off Ferncreek Drive more than doubles their instruction space. As many as 35 or 40 students will visit the studio each day for private or group Pilates instruction. The studio offers both mat classes and machine classes. Newcomers receive individual instruction to make sure they understand how to do the exercises properly. Pilates is a type of exercise, developed and promoted by a German-born man named Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s, which focuses on bringing the mind and body together to improve strength, flexibility and posture without stressing joints or adding bulk to the muscles. Its popularity has skyrocketed in the last decade. Cardona, who moved to Fayetteville from Tampa, Fla., a little over a year ago, said Pilates studios are everywhere there. Craven is an entrepreneur who owned a travel agency and a real estate business in Fayetteville before getting into the fitness business. But she has always loved exercise. After her first Pilates class, she was hooked. She said it gave her a good workout without stressing her body like some other forms of exercise. That, she added with a wink, has become more important as she approaches 50. She has also found that the new business has satisfied her longing to provide meaningful help to others. Since the studio opened, Craven has become certified to teach Pilates, too. One of Craven’s clients, Jo Ann Bishop, comes in for a private session twice a week. She is 75. Bishop said she has always been active. She walks. She line dances. She does aerobics. She thought Pilates sounded like something she would like to try. It has helped with her coordination, posture and balance, Bishop said, and has strengthened her arms. It has also made her more conscious of her breathing, both in class and out. Pilates takes concentration, Craven said. It forces students to focus on different muscles, different parts of the body and one’s breathing — all at the same time. In Pilates, you have to leave your distractions outside, Craven said, and truly turn inward to reap all of its benefits. Bishop swears by it. But it isn’t always easy. She has a special name for her instructor. “I call her ‘Killer,’” Bishop said. Craven doesn’t mind. “At the end of every session, Jo Ann says ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ ” Craven said. But she keeps on coming back.CV For more information about studio hours and locations visit our Web site.                   Financial Planning, Inc. “Fayetteville’s Financial Planning Firm” David M. Pound, MBA MTIM Matthew J. Runkle 1315 Ft. Bragg, Rd. • Fayetteville, NC 28305 www.EricNobles.com Securities and Advisory Services Offered through Geneos Wealth Management, Inc. Member FINRA, SiPC 910-323-9195 CityViewNC.com | 39 NOBLES Eric Nobles, CFP

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