About Lara

Extreme, Chronic Pain

Due to pain from scoliosis since childhood, Lara Gillease has studied movement in various forms throughout her life. Diagnosed soon after birth, Lara’s condition was extremely painful and severely limited her ability to function normally. Her parents were desperate to help her and sought out the finest practitioners- including osteopaths, chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, acupuncturists and massage therapists- in an attempt to resolve her chronic pain. After visits with these practitioners, Lara would experience pain relief for anywhere from an hour to a couple of days; however she grew frustrated that none of these therapies produced permanent pain relief. By this time, Lara was enrolled in a Russian ballet school and was advised to quit because of the threat of injury from scoliosis. Determined to heal her condition, she committed herself to finding a lasting solution.

Anat Baniel Method + Feldenkrais + Pilates = Pain Free

Self-healing became Lara’s passion. Through her intense exploration, she discovered and began to study Pilates and the Feldenkrais and Anat Baniel Method. A light bulb switched on when she learned that habitual movement patterns would restart the pain cycle. Lara began to see that how she was moving actually created the pain. With this awareness, she began to re-educate her underlying faulty movement patterns replacing them with new, effective movement patterns. Subsequently, her entire musculo-skeletal system began to change. As these new patterns were integrated, Lara finally began to experience the ongoing pain relief that she had always dreamed of having.

Serving Others

This led Lara to her career in healing; she has had a full-time private practice working with children and adults for more than 15 years. Lara has four-year certifications in the Feldenkrais Method, Anat Baniel Method and the Anat Baniel Method for Children(sm) with special needs, as well as Craniosacral/Structural Balancing and Pilates. Lara is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Barbara Brennan School of Healing® and the Internal Family Systems under Dr. Richard Schwartz. She is a member of the Pilates Physicalmind Institute and Feldenkrais Guild of North America.

Doing What Lara Loves With Ease

Lara remains grateful that she was able to resolve her chronic condition and is passionate about helping others. Her story has a happy ending: As a result of the educational movement methods she now teaches, Lara was able to graduate from Boitsov Classical Ballet, an eight-year Russian-style classical ballet school, and pursue her love of dance. She has co-directed, danced and choreographed for Wings Dance Company, a lyrical modern dance troupe, as well as danced with Asheville Ballet. Through Lara’s private practice, she loves to help create profound change in the lives of those who struggle with pain or special needs, as well as many others who are looking to live and work with optimal health.