Movement science, wellness and cultural travel, and real tips and stories behind both.

I write about what 40 years of teaching bodies and one decade of leading international retreats have actually taught me, and I skip the fluff.

Whether you're here because your back hurts, because Morocco is calling, or because someone in class told you to check this out — welcome.
Small shifts, consistently practiced, change your life.

Samira Shuruk Samira Shuruk

Imprinting vs. Neutral Spine: What We’re Actually Doing in Class (And Why)

Every week, someone in class asks me some version of this question: “Should my lower back be flat on the mat or not?”

It’s a great question — and the answer isn’t as simple as most Pilates instructors make it sound. Because the real answer is: it depends on what we’re trying to accomplish and where you are in your practice.

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Samira Shuruk Samira Shuruk

Why Your Back Hurts (And Why Crunches Won't Fix It)

Fifteen years into my dance career, I was sitting in an orthopedic surgeon’s office listening to him tell me—with the casual certainty doctors sometimes have—that he’d see me back for surgery after I tried physical therapy. My back injury had stopped me cold, and according to him, the knife was pretty much inevitable.

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