Client Stories
San Diego Pilates, HM® Orthopedic Massage, and Gyrotonic®Odile Zelenak worked with me from many years on Reformer, Pilates and Gyrotonic® sessions as well as Orthopedic Massage. Being a 74 year old male who has experienced sports injuries, a motorcycle crash and being tossed off a horse at full gallop against a very rocky mountainside, I can say that Odile’s expertise in body work and injury healing is responsible for allowing me to be able continue to enjoy my life long sports of golf, big boat sailing and steelhead fishing, all which require strength, balance, stamina and flexibility.
After four years of searching, and three other practitioners who could not help me, I found Odile! I had been dealing with knee pain which I knew did not originate there. I went from regular docs who wanted to jump to X-rays and surgery conversations, and alternate healers and structural therapists who all could not find the source of why my knee pain. On my first meeting with Odile, she listened intently and then had me walk and stand so she could assess what was wrong. She then said, “I see it”. The answer was an imbalance in the musculature of my leg that needed retraining so that my knee stopped taking the brunt of compensations in other areas that were from a childhood issue. I felt so seen and understood and hopeful. We then worked weekly; Odile used movement exercises to retrain my walking pattern and orthopedic massage to unwind the patterned muscle tension. A few months in I could feel the difference in my knee, but the bonus was my core strength and an understanding of how to address these patterns so I could resume my yoga practice without causing the knee pain again. She is truly a healer! If you get the chance to work with Odile, it will change your life.
I felt an immediate sense of comfort from the first moment that I met Odile. Over the course of almost five years she has helped me to overcome a serious lower back problem. In working with her through private, one-on- one sessions and semi-private sessions, we were able to develop a Pilates program that incorporated fully body toning, while slowly building up my core strength. She has the expertise, passion, and patience as a trainer for anyone interested in working with their body. Odile always pays close attention to make sure that I have the correct alignment. She has a deep understanding of body mechanics and has helped me to develop and maintain a strong and functional body.
She is constantly keeping her class and private sessions interesting with new and innovative exercises.
She is gracious, caring, has a great sense of humor, and is a really fun, cool, easy person to spend time
with.
Make an appointment with Odile NOW! She has just recently moved to San Diego which is the only reason she has time available. That won’t last. Hurry!!! Taking one class or having a private will enable you to quickly understand the luck you have just tapped into. Odile has natural ability with the body and its energy sources. In addition, she continues to be curious about new modalities – the ones that work and the ones that don’t. Through a combination of exercise and massage, Odile fixes things that are ouch-y and strengthens things that aren’t. The upside to that is a more developed mind/body connection. When I twisted/wrenched/hurt myself, my mind said “we will see Odile soon” and my body immediately felt better. Earning trust, perhaps Odile’s best skill.
the use of my hips and legs without pain. I can access the muscles I need to maintain my
good posture and am free to ride like the wind again.
When I began private sessions with Odile, I was in pain and weak.
During our sessions Odile used a variety of Pilates, Gyrotonic and massage modalities to help me build flexibility and strength. After each session I felt hope and a growing confidence that I could be strong again.
Through Odile’s cueing, and progressive exercises, I developed and understanding of certain patterns that were causing pain. I asked for homework exercises, which helped me continue the work we did in privates.
After about a year I was ready to join the reformer classes, which are an excellent partner to privates. In our classes we work with a particular theme, while simultaneously opening the entire body. The classes are challenging and her cueing is specific and also encouraging. Every reformer class is a new exploration.
Odile is a superb teacher, communicating clearly and with empathy. She is highly intuitive, and sees the patterns of the human body and how these patterns help or resist wellness. On many occasions Odile would combine massage (opening the body) with pilates and gyro tonic modalities. This combination is so effective because as I better understood my body through her careful body work, I could then with her guidance move more fluidity in pilates and Gyrotonic®.