Center of Balance founder Tom McCook presents...
Vitality in Motion:
Strength, Mobility & Energy for Life
Mar 31 - Apr 5, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA
Led by: Tom McCook, Mary Hofstedt, Daniel 'DL' Landes, Lee Johnson
Financial aid is available. Apply Here.
Move it or lose it – the movement method that reverses midlife decline.
Those creaky joints and stubborn aches aren't just "part of getting older" – they're sophisticated signals from a body that's lost connection with its natural movement patterns. What if those midlife discomforts aren't your inevitable future, but evidence that your body craves the intentional movement it was designed for?
The body wisdom expert
Tom McCook breaks the fitness training mold. For over 35 years, he's designed movement programs for elite athletes and total beginners alike. He's a Pilates master, Franklin Method educator, somatic coach, and the mind behind Natalie Coughlin's 12 Olympic medals. His revolutionary approach unlocks physical freedom and mental clarity for all bodies, regardless of your starting point or experience.
Every day is an opportunity to preserve your body's potential.
Tom's approach isn't about exhausting workouts – it's accessible daily mindful movement that rewards you with energy, mental clarity, and calm. You'll leave with a personalized movement prescription that transforms you midlife story from decline to vibrant ascent.
Your body is ready – are you?
Join movement genius Tom McCook and the MEA team for five immersive days that will change how you live in your body. Discover movements and methods that erase pain, reawaken joy, and bring back that physical confidence you've been missing.
What you’ll gain
Through a combination of our MEA 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 of working with athletes include sthe 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.
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, you will be guided through the core MEA curriculum by our faculty members:
Mary Hofstedt
Content Facilitator
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Mary Hofstedt is an experienced non profit leader and educator who strives to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world. Her passion for youth and community development led her to work with Challenge Success, spearhead a coalition of youth and adult partners to develop a community arts center, and serve for over a decade within Stanford University’s John W. Gardner Center. She recently wrapped up a mid-career break to reflect on purpose, study Spanish, travel, and volunteer with whale shark research and conservation. She serves as a Senior Associate with Heartwise Learning and is thrilled to be based back in Santa Fe after a 22 year stint in the Bay Area!
Daniel 'DL' Landes
Experience Facilitator
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Before joining MEA, Daniel “DL” Landes spent decades as a restauranteur, author, and publisher. As the owner of multiple restaurants in Denver, CO – and then a hostel in Mexico – he dedicated himself to creating environments where people could work out their humanity while eating and drinking (which is why he fits in so well at MEA).
Now relocated to Santa Fe, DL says that “living in the Galisteo Basin impresses a unique and humbling perspective. Under the expansive, enchanted New Mexican sky I can feel so small and so big. I made a career of kicking up dust; living in the storm until the storm lived in me. When the dust settled two guideposts appeared: Spend more nights under the stars; provide a service.”
You will appreciate his dedication to creating memorable experiences during your time in Santa Fe.
Lee Johnson
Head of Land, Livestock, and Mindfulness in Santa Fe
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Lee likes to say that he’s as ordinary as dirt but as complex as soil.
A former Course Director for the Colorado Outward Bound School and Certified Holistic Management Teacher, he has managed ranches in Nebraska and Tennessee as well as several ranches here in New Mexico. As steward of our four-square mile regenerative ranch, Lee translates nature’s teachings into insights that encourage us to tune into our inner landscapes as much as the outer landscape. His holistic approach to life and spirituality creates a warm invitation for you to step into a deeper relationship with yourself, nature, and each other.
You will appreciate his laidback presence and the opportunity to slow down, listen to nature, and participate in the ancient ritual of gathering around the campfire.
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.
