
Hi there! I’m Latonia
As a child and well into my young adult life, I was extremely physically active and then life happened. Adulthood kicked in and I became laser focused on advancing my professional career in the bustling media industry. As I developed, grew and moved up the corporate ladder, I found myself leading an extremely sedentary lifestyle which eventually caught up with me.
I suffered from severe & chronic (sciatica) back pain. My coping mechanism via the pain management approach was multiple spinal injections (as often as permitted) in addition to consistently taking various forms of muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory medication & pain killers…whatever I could do to simply get by. I was told that I would eventually NEED to get back surgery in order to find some sense of normalcy. But refusing to accept that prognosis, my journey towards “Whole Body Health” began! I tried nearly every course of action known to man, but eventually I found Pilates and a Myofascial Release therapist. Within months, I experienced more relief with Pilates (and therapy) than I had encountered with all of the other practices combined. I discovered a sense of renewal and full body restoration; But more importantly, I found a passion & love for exercise and movement (again).
This is how the story of LatJohns Pilates came to be…My personal transformation is testimony to the “effectiveness” of the Pilates Method in restoring and healing the body. With so many of us suffering from injuries, it became important for me to make Pilates more accessible to people who could really benefit from a regular practice. So much so, that I decided to become a Certified Practitioner. I trained on all five Pilates apparatuses via Polestar Pilates Comprehensive Course in Miami Florida (Fall 2018): And officially became a Polestar Graduate January 2021!
My Goal
My goal and purpose in this studio venture, is to meet each and every individual wherever they are, regardless of their capabilities or constraints. I want to provide everyone with the utmost positive movement experience and give back to others what Pilates has given to me…the gift of movement. As well as the ability to carry out every day functional activities with “unconscious competence” …which means implementing your daily tasks naturally with spontaneous vigor & zest!
