ABOUT | cathleenmurakami

Cathleen Murakami

I've been curious about life for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I found myself asking big questions about who we are, why we're here, and what shapes our experiences. That curiosity became the foundation for a lifelong journey of learning, teaching, and personal growth.

My path has been anything but traditional. From teaching dance exercise in the early 1980s, I was led to opportunities around the world—living and teaching in Italy, working aboard a cruise ship, apprenticing in Pilates in London, and helping create a Pilates resort program in Baja California.

In 1996, I opened a Pilates studio with a single reformer in a small apartment. Over the next two decades, it grew into a thriving wellness center offering Pilates instructor certifications, group and private sessions, and holistic services. Along the way, I taught throughout Europe and Asia, presented at international conferences, and became a longtime instructor for PilatesAnytime.

My passion for wellness has always extended beyond movement. Over the years, I have practiced yoga, pranayama, meditation, Chinese herbal traditions, and a variety of personal growth practices. After selling my studio in 2015, I was recruited by Rancho La Puerta resort, where I spent nine years directing the Pilates department, developed the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® program, and collaborated with many of the world's leading movement educators.

Today, my work brings together Breath, Movement, and Sound. Through Pilates, the GYROTONIC® EXPANSION SYSTEM®, meditation, sound journeys, and excursion retreats in Italy, I guide individuals in reconnecting with themselves, cultivate vitality, and experience greater ease, joy , balance, and zest for life.

I believe we are all lifelong students. It is both my passion and privilege to share what I've learned while continuing to learn alongside those I teach.

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