Irene “Bean” Nelson (she/her)
- Balanced Body® Comprehensive Pilates Instructor
Licensed Massage Therapist (Illinois)
CAMTC Certified Massage Therapist
Graston Technique® Certified
- Certified Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist
I am passionate about helping people move through life with greater ease. Pilates helped me at a very early age on my own path to healing from plantar fasciitis and lower back pain. This formative experience, along with extensive training in rehabilitative and corrective exercise, makes me a careful and compassionate teacher for those recovering from injuries or chronic pain.
As a proud mom to two energetic girls, I’m so grateful for the ways in which creating, birthing, and caring for them has helped me grow as a teacher. After a dramatically more challenging second pregnancy, I dove deep into the world of postpartum corrective exercise to heal myself. In turn, I’ve been able to better help my students heal their own pregnancy related issues such as severe back pain, hip pain, and diastasis recti.
Dance was a major part of my youth. I studied and performed many forms (ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, etc.) from when I was a toddler all the way through college at UC Santa Cruz. Dancing taught me what it takes to unlock your body’s potential and helps me train athletes of all types for peak performance.
I guide people from all walks of life as they learn new movement patterns, build strength from the deepest layer out, and let go of habits that no longer serve them. My students have ranged in age from nine to one hundred!
Bodywork has always been an integral part of my teaching. After all, it’s much harder to hold good alignment when you have a contracted muscle pulling you out of place. My fascination with the human body and desire to work with it more effectively led me back to the classroom for certifications in massage therapy and Graston Technique®. Adding Bodywork to my Pilates practice reinforced my commitment to teaching students the DIY Massage techniques they can use on themselves to benefit from the amazing effects of frequent massage.
I’m committed to constantly studying and working through challenges with students. Life would be pretty boring if everyone were the same and everything were easy. My favorite part of teaching is finding the little changes that will have a big impact on a student’s day-to-day existence. I look forward to identifying these changes for you!
Learn more about my wellness philosophy and find out what to expect in a session.
Ready to move more freely?