Owning Wisdom with guest faculty Tom McCook
Movements for Life: Move Well, Age Well
Mar 31 - Apr 5, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA Led by: Tom McCook, Lee Johnson
Financial aid is available. Apply Here.
If You Want to Live a Long, Happy, and Vibrant Life, You Need to Learn How to Use Your Body Better
Your body is a brilliant self-generating mechanism that is designed to heal itself. But it needs your love and attention to remain in good operating condition – especially as you age.
Decades of improper movement and posture can cause wear and tear on your joints, bones, and muscles that can lead to chronic pain and disease that negatively impacts your quality of life.
The good news is, it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to learn how to move your body in a way that keeps you healthy, strong, and flexible for years to come.
You don’t need to go to the gym and exhaust yourself with brutal workouts that leave your muscles aching and sore for days.
You simply need to learn how to move more mindfully and efficiently and your body will take care of the rest. And the positive impact on your mindset, energy levels, self-esteem, and all areas of your life will be huge!
In this Owning Wisdom workshop co-facilitated with longtime Pilates instructor and Center of Balance founder Tom McCook, you will learn simple but effective exercises that help you move better and feel better in your mind, body, and spirit so you can enjoy a vibrant, active, pain-free life.
What You’ll Gain
Through a combination of our MEA Owning Wisdom curriculum and Tom’s movement exercises based on Pilates, Feldenkrais, the Franklin Method, and other proven modalities, you will:
By the end of your five days with Tom and the MEA faculty, you will feel stronger, more flexible and more deeply attuned to your body’s needs and the impact your physical health plays in determining your mental and spiritual health and performance in all areas of your life.
You will be energized and inspired to continue your daily movement practice and give your body the love, attention, and support it needs to remain healthy and vibrant as you age.
Meet Your Faculty
Tom McCook
Founder and Director of Center of Balance
Balanced Body Educator and Mentor | Franklin Method Level 3 Educator | Certified Somatic Coach | ACE | NCPT
Tom McCook, is an internationally-recognized Pilates Educator and movement specialist. He has spent 40 years designing health and life performance programs for a range of clients, from Silicon Valley executives and Olympic athletes, to active seniors and people looking for solutions to their imbalances and injuries.
Tom’s mission is to improve people’s lives through movement. He teaches a practical and accessible way to understand your own body and then apply it to your movement practice. These skills go beyond exercise to cultivate health, body wisdom, and being responsive and resilient in life.
His unique teaching approach synthesizes over 35 years of fitness training, Pilates, body therapy, Somatic Coaching, the Franklin Method, Anatomy in Motion and meditation. His fascination with movement began at an early age playing sports and growing up in a large athletic family with 11 siblings. His long and successful history working with athletes include the Stanford women's swim team and four Olympic Gold medal swimmers.
Tom has been leading teacher trainings in the Pilates Method since 2001. He is on the faculty of Balanced Body for Pilates, CoreAlign and the Bodhi Suspension System. Tom is also a sought-after international presenter and mentor.
What Tom’s workshop participants have to say...
“I've been working with Tom since 2004 and truly believe that his unique style of teaching and exercises helped me earn my 12 medals in the Athens, Beijing and London Olympics.”
Natalie Coughlin
Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer
“Tom's Pilates and Yoga program played a significant role in my success. He helped me move more efficiently in the water, avoid injuries, and improve my functional strength.”
Misty Hyman
Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer
“The Center of Balance and its teachers helped change my life. Not only am I 20 lbs lighter with better tone and strength in my muscles, but I have learned more about the human body and how it works than I ever did in any science class.”
Monica S.
“I've gained a greater understanding of Pilates including the core, breathing, and engaging of muscles. I leave class feeling stretched and as if I've worked, but also energized and aligned. I love it!”
Holly H.
“Tom Mccook is one of the BEST teachers/instructors I have ever had. He explained the movements clearly and in detail and demonstrated them with precision. In addition, his studio has a warm, inviting environment, conducive to learning. I am grateful to have been a student of his.”
“Tom McCook walks the talk. He presents from an authentic and compassionate place. He is great with all levels. Tom has a keen eye and makes subtle and important adjustments. It's such a treat to be in his studio!”
“Tom McCook is extremely knowledgeable on the body and teaches with patience, thoughtfulness and detail while emphasizing accuracy and safeness of movement execution… I appreciate the multitude of resources McCook pulls from in his practice including Franklin Method to deepen students' learning.”
“This course exceeded all of my expectations. Tom's instruction was superb, and his demonstrations, cues and energy were inspiring.”
“Tom was an excellent master instructor, incredibly knowledgeable and a fabulous teacher, I feel privileged to have learnt from him and grateful for the many insights he shared during the training.”
“Tom is superb! He is one of the finest instructors I have ever had training from. His communication skills are exceptional. His mastery of the material is top-notch and he is brilliant in simplifying challenging and complicated information. I would without hesitation, highly recommend anyone to have training with Tom. I very much look forward to having the opportunity to again study with Tom.”
This workshop is for you if...
Wanting to make sure your body remains healthy and strong as you age
Worried about the impact that decades of stress and sitting in an office chair has had on your body and wellbeing
Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and looking for a simple movement practice that can help you feel better
Wanting to improve your balance and ease common conditions such as tense muscles and joint pain
Eager to learn a new approach to wellness through movement, learning and activating the body's wisdom
Curious in learning more about Pilates and other movement and wellness practices, such as Feldenkrais or the Franklin Method
Ready to give your body the love and attention it deserves and listen to what it’s trying to tell you
Excited to unlock a new source of energy, vitality, confidence and wellbeing
Santa Fe, USA
Rising Circle Ranch
An upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and spanning nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, with ancient petroglyphs, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
Meet Your MEA Facilitators
In addition to the powerful sessions conducted by Tom McCook, you will be guided through the core MEA Owning Wisdom curriculum by our seasoned faculty members:
Lee Johnson
Land, Livestock, and Mindfulness
Lee likes to say that he’s as ordinary as dirt but as complex as soil. He’s resident “cowboy sage” at our campus in Santa Fe, where his love for the simple yet complex hum of nature has led him to work in holistic land management. As steward of our four-square mile regenerative ranch, Lee translates nature’s teachings into simple insights that encourage us to tune into the inner and outer landscape of the world around us.
You will appreciate the opportunity to be in his presence and slow down, listen to nature, and gather around the campfire of shared understanding.
You Don't Need to Do a Lot – You Just Need to Do a Little Bit Often.
And when you put in the effort on a consistent basis, you will feel much more connected in your body and experience less tension and pain and better posture and ease of movement. You will feel better, sleep better, and find it easier to remain present in the moment and make more thoughtful and considered decisions, leading to better results in all aspects of your life.
