When I first met Sarah 2 years ago, she was starting to play around with the idea of opening her own space. Fast forward to winter 2026 and she’s just opened her own studio in the heart of Manhattan, where she offers her signature mat class, No Springs Attached. We talk daily practices, painting the floors of her studio, what Praxis is and how she’s so goddamn strong.

Maëlle: Hi Sarah!

Sarah : Hi!

M: Sarah, what is your teaching style in three words?

S: Focused, measured, thoughtful.

M: What was a turning point in your teaching?

S: When you and I met towards the end of 2024, I was at a really low point in my teaching, in my career, where I just felt like the work that I was doing was so empty. I really just felt so sad by the state of pilates in NYC, and it wasn't what I wanted to be doing. I figured that I couldn't be happy unless I had my own place. I think I have the physical abilities, the attention span and the interest to do things that are so much greater than what is really being offered out there.
I was thinking that if I want to embark on this path of doing bigger and better things, I need to have my own place, and I need to welcome people into the space who want those things too.

M: So happy for you! Can’t wait to swing by. How do you feel your teaching has changed since running your own space?

S: I’ve been feeling so much more comfortable with stepping away from a script and I'm finding so many moments of inspiration where I'm able to improvise and feed people little nuggets of knowledge to chew on. I've always enjoyed teaching, but for the first time, I think there's an ease and effortlessness to the way that I teach that wasn't apparent in the past. I'm really able to nurture the work a lot more, and I think that's bringing me a lot of joy.

M: What was the vision for the space? I feel like the space has such a clear visual identity that is so not millennial beige. It feels very homey. I guess the best way I could put it is like it feels like the space smells good?

S: I always have a candle. Right now I have a pine candle burning.

M: See, I could just feel it through the screen.

S: I guess the space is very me. It's all of my favorite things. I love textures, I love rich colors, I love depth, I love dim lighting but also sunlight. I wanted it to be equally soothing but energizing. I really enjoy playing with finding a balance between those two things. Stimulating but also…

M: Grounding?

S: Yeah, grounding. Putting the place together was such hard work, being on my hands and knees and painting the floors, every nook and cranny. But it was so cathartic, to be that hands on with it. In my head the mood board was sort of 70s conversation pit. Like carpeting all over, oriental rugs… I think a lot of studios have a very sterile feel to them, and I want my space to feel broken-in, like people have enjoyed it.

M: As I was listening to you, you were talking about depth and texture, and that is very much in line with how I see your practice, which is not necessarily complicated but always complex, which I think are two different things. I feel like you make that distinction very well, and are very much in tune with sensations and nuance. That totally makes sense with how you were conceptualizing your space.
Why did Praxis, your philosophy, need to live in that type of space?

S: In a nutshell, Praxis is the relationship between theory, action and reflection ; in that order, over and over and over again. It's the cyclical nature of refinement and it's why I always preach having a practice that you come back to on a daily basis.
I wanted to create a space that was inviting for people to come to every single day. If the space feels like home then the practice doesn't feel like work, you know? By making the environment pleasant, everything else kind of falls into place.

M: On another note, being strong is one thing but your strength feels so balanced. You have so much ease. How and why are you so strong?

S: Oh my god, thank you. I’m so flattered by this question. I don't know how to answer it. I’m lucky that I am equipped with the body that I have, I don't take it for granted. I honestly think half of it is just luck, but I think the other half of it is being obsessed. I'm a big believer that doing hard things is good for you. Struggle is good, and intensity is good.
On a daily basis, I'm going through more or less the original 34 exercises on the mat but the way that I do them every day will vary. I love training to extremes, but I also like exploring the opposite end of that with more mindful, meditative practices. I think it all generally just comes from an obsessive need to want to consistently improve and grow and refine, which, again, is praxis.

M: It all comes back to that.

S: It all comes back to that.

You can experience Sarah’s brilliant teaching at her new studio, Praxis, at 55 West 28th Street, NYC. You can also find her on Instagram @praxispilatesnyc & @sarahpopkowski.