It is our pleasure to introduce to you Maui Pilates Studio's December 2020 Member of the Month…. Bernie Freitas!
Who is Bernie? Bernie Freitas is a local Upcountry Maui girl. She’s a February baby and comes from a very large family. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, Kawika, and they have four children together. Bernie has worked in the hospitality and financial sector for many years, and most recently began working for the Hawaii State Department of Education at a school near her home.
Bernie has been practicing Pilates since 2015 and has been a Maui Pilates Studio Ohana Member for just about two years now. When we asked Bernie what motivated her to start Pilates she said she finally got to the point in her life where she realized that being healthy required some effort on her part and necessitated finding and starting a regular and sustainable workout routine.
We asked Bernie what her toughest obstacle she had to overcome with her Pilates practice. Her reply was inspirational! “For most of my life I stayed away from exercising because I thought that it was more of a chore than a positive experience. But doing Pilates makes me feel good - before, during, and after class. So, I think the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my attitude toward participating in a healthy workout regimen.” Besides making her feel good, Bernie also let us know that practicing Pilates has given her more physical strength and flexibility, more mental focus, more awareness of my mind-body connection, and more spiritual peace.
Bernie has a very unique way of maintaining being self-motivated, and at the same time keeping herself accountable by her social media friends. It is one of the most creative and inspirational methods we've come across, so we asked her to share it with us. “The way that I stay motivated and hold myself accountable to being healthy and doing my workouts is by keeping track of them by numbering each one, and then posting a picture on social media of myself during/afterwards with a positive caption. That way I can reward myself after reaching specific goals and can also hopefully inspire others to adopt their own healthy lifestyle as well.” Here is an example of Bernie’s social media posting

An entourage of Bernie's friends and family have been brought in by Bernie, introducing them to the Magic of Pilates, and we are very grateful for that. We were just so curious and had to ask Bernie what exactly she told them before coming to Pilates. Here's what she said: “I have recommended Pilates to many friends and family members, and I always say the same thing: Even after your first class, you will feel a difference. And you will keep coming back for more because Pilates helps you in so many ways - physically, mentally, and spiritually. Anyone can do it!”
On a more personal note, we asked Bernie to share something few people know about her. “I am a cancer survivor. Three years and counting!” Bernie, we are so proud of you. We know it wasn’t easy. You fought cancer and you won, and we are so happy to have you with us.
Bernie is such an inspiration to others. This prompted us to ask her our final question: Who has been the most inspiring person in her life? And her reply did not disappoint: “My mother. She was a hard-working single parent who always put me first, and taught me that kindness, honesty and respect will get you through life’s best and worst moments.”
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