Practice for Pilates and Craniosacral Therapy

My approach to health and well-being combines my knowledge of Pilates, Osteopathy and Craniosacral Therapy with my experience as a former professional performing artist.

Read more about the therapeutic benefits here.

Who can I help?

My practice for Pilates and Craniosacral Therapy is located within the practice of Dr. Med Hummelsberger, a specialist in holistic traditional Chinese medicine. At the historic rooms of the Radspieler House in Munich you will immediately feel a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, conducive to concentrated, active training and proper treatments.

Here, I offer both Pilates-based movement therapy on originally designed Pilates equipment and modern small equipment such as therabands, balls, the OOV which challenge your coordination and balance as well as treatments in Craniosacral Osteopathy.

Pilates Theory

Joseph Pilates was a fighter. As a sickly child, suffering from asthma, rachitis and rheumatism, he changed his life’s disposition through his strong will and an openness to learning various physical and mental training ideologies. Reaching 87 years vastly as a healthy and inspiring man, he lived his vision that physical and spiritual fulfillment are the foundations of a happy life.

 

He was a Pioneer. As early as 1914, whilst developing his training method, he introduced the concept of core stability, showing that this was the key to improving posture and energy-efficient movement patterns.
He also revolutionised the current rehabilitative practice of keeping the injured immobilised after surgery. At this time he worked as a nurse in a detention center for the prisoners of war. Innovatively building dynamic training equipment out of hospital beds and their springs, (origins of the Pilates Reformer and Trapeze Table) he enabled the injured to promptly begin exercise routines non-or only partially weight bearing. This brought about an immense improvement in the patients´ metabolism, blood circulation and psycho-emotional positivism, thus hastening their recovery.

 

Today, his concept is the standard practice in rehabilitation measures. Specially high performance athletes and dancers draw huge benefit through this. It facilitates their re-integration into their regular training routines and performances or competitions.Pilates is also highly effective in Injury and Ill-Health prevention programs. Muscular imbalances due to structural limitations, unfavourable posture, faulty movement patterns or one-sided repetitive movements at work or in daily life which cause pain or degeneration can be corrected.

 

Pilates optimizes body awareness, coordination and balance. By conscious breathing and concentration while practicing Pilates is also ideal for stress management.

CSO Theory

The Craniosacral Osteopathy

The Craniosacral Therapy is a holistic system of treatment, a gentle but intense Manual Therapy, which trusts in the human body’s inherent wisdom and capacities to find balance. It stems from Dr. Andrew Taylor Stills´ (1828-1917) system of osteopathic medicine.

 

Dr. William Garner Sutherland (1873- 1954) extended Dr. Still´s system naming his own as Cranial Osteopathy. He was against the current belief within the medical community that the 22 bones of the skull were fused together from adolescence and where henceforth incapable of movement. Experimenting on himself, he concluded that the cranial and sacral bones moved in correlation to each other by way of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that connected them. Dr. John Upledger (1932-2012), doctor of Osteopathy and professor of biomechanics further developed research into the Craniosacral System. In research work done for the Michigan State University from 1975-1983, he confirmed Dr. Sutherlands´ findings. Moreover he described a rhythmical, tide-like movement between these bony structures through the cerebrospinal fluid. He confirms the presence of what Dr. Sutherland calls “the Breath of Life” (Primary respiratory System), a pulsating force paramount to the respiratory system as the driving force of human potency. He concluded that disorders in the central nervous system could be treated by correcting restrictions in this craniosacral system. His techniques focussed on the connective tissues, the fluid and energy, which resonated with quantum physics. Finally, he understood that negative emotions can be stored in cellular tissue memory and cause ill-health. Though gentle and using minimum touch to no manipulation, this somato-emotional technique can effectively release negative blockages to allow for renewed flow of energy.

I can highly recommend Ms. Villadolid´s body therapy ( Pilates and Craniosacral Osteopathy). The treatments have helped me a lot to relax and achieve physical and mental balance. The therapy sessions have shown positive effects on my health and well-being. Her expertise and compassionate care are impressive. I am very satisfied and grateful for the positive results I get from her treatments.

Sarah Keller

Anna Villadolid combines her in-depth knowledge of the body with most precise and targeted work in training sessions that combine Pilates and Osteopathy. With her keen sense and empathy for one’s individual needs, she offers customised strengthening, stretching, and stabilising Pilates Mat and Reformer Work as well as manual therapeutic techniques that effectively address structural blockages and facilitate a new awareness for one’s body and movement patterns.

Barbara Burgdorf
Konzertmeisterin, Bayerische Staatsoper, München

The combination of dance experience at the highest level with outstanding skills in the field of Pilates and osteopathy, makes Anna a unique trainer. Her extensive understanding of anatomy makes it possible to detect small inconsistencies in the body and correct them in a targeted manner. The impact of this specific training on my everyday life, as a dancer with the Bavarian State Ballet, is enormous. For this reason, I have been working with Anna for many years and consider the training with her as equivalent to my daily exercise.

Florian Ulrich Sollfrank
Member of the Bavarian State Ballet

Anna is a wonderful therapist and a very pleasant person to be with. She supports my healing processes and works at improving my coordination. I can recommend her wholeheartedly.

Birgit Hennig

Anna Villadolid is possessed of a unique amalgam of talents and instincts. As a former ballerina, she understands the stresses, strains, strengths and weaknesses of the human body: what it can achieve, when it is in danger and why. Rigorously trained and continuously studying, her talents as a Pilates trainer, osteopath and therapist are combined with her extraordinary hands and her instinctive talent for healing.

Sir Peter Jonas († April 2020)
CBE, General and Artistic Director AD of the Bavarian State Opera, Munich and the English National Opera, London

After only a few months working with Anna, I have experienced a profound change. I am much stronger and can access muscles and muscle groups I previously had no knowledge of. I have a greater understanding of my body and how it moves, as well as how to judge and address my weaknesses. Anna's work with me on my turnout and stability through the principles of spiral dynamics in particular has really helped me with my work. I feel like a completely different dancer, and I feel much safer in the studio knowing that I now have greater control over my body. Not only has her Pilates instruction helped me, but also her osteopathic treatment. She is able to alleviate physical and mental stress very effectively, which has truly propelled me towards a healthier physical condition and better mental health. Anna is professional, kind and generous with her work. Her wealth of knowledge - particularly in applying Pilates and osteopathy to the specific needs of dancers - is incredible and unmatched. I would fully recommend her for anyone seeking Pilates instruction or osteopathy, but particularly for dancers. The only bad thing I could say about Anna is that she currently works in Munich (and I work in Helsinki) so I am unable to train with her anymore.

Henry Grey
First soloist, Finnish National Ballet

I have been taking Pilates with Anna Villadolid since mid-November 2019. Upon my first appointment, she immediately began addressing my slight scoliosis that causes alignment issues I knew I had but did not know how to fix on my own. Each session, we work on different muscle groups, my weaknesses, and movements to address how Pilates can be transferred into class and rehearsals. She has helped me greatly in finding better alignment, strengthening my weaker areas, and using my breath to engage, hold and control movements. Even in the last two months, I have felt a significant improvement in the muscular and skeletal connections throughout my body. Because Anna is a former ballet dancer, she has a very keen knowledge of the body, especially pertaining to ballet and she is very intuitive to each persons’ needs. The combination of Pilates and craniosacral osteopathy allows a full range to be done in each session, because she can allocate time to both active and passive work. I have benefitted extensively from having Pilates with Anna; moreover, I am thoroughly excited to continue working with her to further the understanding of my own body.

Margaret Whyte
Member of the Bavarian State Ballet

Working with Anna Villadolid has completely transformed my understanding of my body. Even after only a few months of her coaching through Pilates and craniosacral osteopathy, I already feel a much deeper connection between my mind and body. The combination of these two techniques to address weaknesses or pain has helped me realize the influence of my mental states on my body and my movements, and moreover to unlock the full potential of my body through my mind. As a ballet dancer there is constant high pressure and stress which can have negative physical impacts, and Anna provides techniques for counteracting and resetting the body with craniosacral osteopathy. A former principal dancer herself, Anna possesses a deep knowledge of ballet and helps dancers to harness these principles in ballet technique. She has a special talent for transferring her knowledge to clients in a way that is easily understood and applied, and takes the time to treat each individual with a personalized approach.

Emma Knowlsen
Member Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Pilates and Osteopathy with Anna are the best things you can treat your body and soul to. Pilates got me back on my feet after my spinal disc surgery. And now, when I’m struggling with pain on my shoulders and neck, one or two treatments with Anna really work wonders. Apart from this, Anna is a balsam for the soul.

Anja Wilde