We’re Going Old School
Let Michelle Rae Sobi guide you through a complete Classical Pilates teacher training, delivered through personalized private sessions.
Classical Pilates High Mat
EDGE YOGA SCHOOL. SOBI ART SCHOOL. CLARAS PILATES. Together, they make SOBIS EDGE.
This Pilates teacher training is built around private sessions and one-on-one mentoring with Michelle Rae Sobi in our downtown Wheaton studio. No apps. No on-demand lessons. No prerecorded classes. No AI taking notes or recording you. Just you and your mentor in the studio, learning a timeless craft shaped by Joseph and Clara Pilates.
Michelle has been training teachers for nearly 20 years. She began within her first year of teaching and has carried that mentorship into every stage of her career.
This is a year-long experience, with weekly meetings and very limited space. Your previous Pilates classes and training experience come with you.
Michelle has watched instructors navigate a crowded landscape of associations, requirements, and dues. After paying membership fees and meeting requirements, many find that what remains of their stipends goes toward continuing education. Some proprietary programs ask experienced teachers to start again in a group setting alongside people who are new to the field, without taking decades of practice and teaching into account.
This training is for the seasoned teacher who is ready to bring that experience together, refine their practice through mentorship, and earn a CLARAS PILATES certificate with Michelle Rae Sobi.
SOBIS EDGE brings several paths of learning together. EDGE YOGA SCHOOL offers Yoga Alliance trainings for people beginning their teaching journey and for those who want to make their classes more organized and thoughtful. Fitness professionals, personal trainers, and people preparing for a group exercise exam may come to add something new to their practice or explore movement that meets them where they are.
SOBIS EDGE entered a new phase in 2020, when Michelle brought visual storytelling into the work of teaching. She studied online with UC Berkeley, fulfilling a lifelong dream, and began helping teachers use photography and video to share their work. That creative support helped graduates develop retreats, workshops, and special events. Some went on to open studios or lead teacher trainings of their own.
Over time, Michelle found another kind of meditation in the arts. She set down her camera, picked up a paintbrush, and felt the brush move across the paper.
Across yoga, Pilates, and barre, Michelle has seen practices rise and fall in popularity. They may look like fitness trends from the outside, but movement offers different ways to keep students engaged and meet their needs as life changes. Some days, getting down on the floor may not feel comfortable; standing movement may be a better fit. Classical Pilates includes standing exercises, some of which may look familiar to yoga practitioners. Barre also offers a way to explore strength and movement while standing.
Michelle also saw that many wellness professionals needed practical support with sharing their work. Some did not want to be on social media, were unsure what to post, or were spending much of their tuition income promoting their services online. For years, Michelle supported EDGE alumni with this as part of advanced teacher training.
Now, as she sets down her electronics more often and returns to her pen, paper, and paintbrush, Michelle is bringing together a group of professionals through an organized project management office. The goal is simple: each expert can return to the work they love and count on experienced support for the work around it.
A note from Michelle:
You don’t need to be everything. You only need to put everything into you.
Come see me. EDGE YOGA SCHOOL, SOBI ART SCHOOL, and CLARAS PILATES welcome you to SOBIS EDGE.
Send me a text at 630-246-2456 to chat with Michelle. Be cool, no spam.
