Meet Patrice.
Professional Fitness Coach Extraordinaire. Certified Inspirer. Walking Wealth of Wisdom.
Whatever you call Patrice Abood, one thing’s for sure—you’ll end up calling her friend. Come ready to have some serious fun, to get some generous helpings of kick-your-asana power flow sequences, and to leave class feeling awesome!
A Note from the Coach
Hello! I’m so glad you’re here!
My name is Patrice Abood, and I’m proud to be a certified instructor of the Safe Spine Technique. I specialize in giving you research-based, scientific education on the spine and pelvis—right here in beautiful Grass Valley, California.
I’m also proud to say that I’ve learned from the best! Working with celebrated practitioner Rebecca Leone, I’ve completed the Gap Filler and Portfolio Pilates program along with numerous follow-up trainings and certifications. Rebecca consults with highly respected spine bio-mechanic specialist, Dr. Stuart McGill, who has written several books and over 200 scientific journal articles addressing spine safety and stability. This amazing journey of knowledge has recharged my batteries. It will do the same for you!
Confession: I haven’t always felt this great
I began teaching aerobics in the late 1970s at the age of 17, right when the craze hit the streets. But by my mid-20s, my lower back hurt—bad.
Though I became knowledgeable in both yoga and Pilates, the daily back pain continued. That is, until 2014 when I discovered the science of the spine. Today, my pain is gone simply because I removed loaded flexion from my routines. Loaded flexion means you are reversing the natural curves of the spine under either body weight load or additional load (i.e. weights or springs such as in Pilates).
Venturing outside the “yoga and Pilates box”
My studies in Safe Spine Technique from amazing practitioners like Dr. Stuart McGill and Rebecca Leone have taken me on an adventure outside the paradigms of traditional Pilates and yoga training. Unfortunately, the schools don’t teach this stuff (yet). But I have high hopes that they will very soon. (Be sure to check out the Specialized Courses page and the Resources page to learn more about the method and the brilliant practitioners I’ve learned from!)
Following the science, not the tradition
You, like me, want to live pain-free. Because you want to be able to do what you love, every day. So I invite you to learn (like I have) to move the right way by following science rather than relying on tradition. That’s where your journey begins.
I welcome you to visit my private and beautiful studio in Grass Valley where we can start your journey to a pain-free life, together!
-Your Friend, Patrice
Patrice’s Background & Credentials
Yoga Training
Patrice has practiced yoga since the early 1990s and is a trained and certified Ashtanga and Sadhana Yoga Chi Instructor. As a Sadhana Yoga Chi teacher, Patrice “aims to create a holistic balance between strength and softness; between the internal practice and the external results.” Safe Spine Techniques are fundamental to all of Patrice’s yoga instruction.
Pilates Training
Patrice is classically trained and certified in traditional Pilates (all apparatus including mat). She studied under master teacher Rael Isacowitz, founder of Body Arts and Science International (BASI), as well as many other master teachers, including Madeline Black and Astrid DeWild. Patrice incorporates Safe Spine techniques in her Pilates instruction to not only avoid straining the back but to strengthen and heal it!
Now it’s your turn to become the expert!
