Pilates Week | Conni Ramsey

Not only can you experience the magic of an added emphasis on Pilates this week, but you¹ll also connect with the extraordinary energy and skill of one of our favorite Specialty Week guest presenters: Conni Ramsey. As a master teacher, Conni has a deep interest and commitment to Pilates. Imagine an exercise program that you look forward to, that fully engages your body-mind-spirit, and that leaves you refreshed and alert with a feeling of physical and mental well-being, she says. Pilates is that program: building lean, flexible muscles through a full body exercise (enhanced with small equipment such as Pilates circles and balls) that educates, realigns and balances your body. Connie coordinates every exercise with breathing, and by the end of each class, you will improve your posture and feel more peaceful and relaxed.

Conni will teach the Intermediate Level class all week. She currently owns her own Pilates studio in Bend, Oregon, after training with Marie Jose Blom in Los Angeles and with Cathie Murakami in Encinitas. For 9 consecutive years she worked as a full-time fitness instructor at Rancho La Puerta, and was an integral part of the evolving Pilates program at the Ranch during the 1990s. Connie loves her work and her contact with all the people she has been privileged to work with over the years, and whether you¹re an old friend or new, you¹ll never forget this week of fun, intensity, learning, and new strength.

Walking the War Zones of Pakistan, One Woman's Journey into the Shadow of the Taliban | Ruth Anne Kocour

Walking the War Zones of Pakistan, One Woman's Journey into the Shadow of the Taliban: Ruth Anne Kocour takes us on her journeys to K2 and Pakistan’s tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, Kashmir, Tajikistan, and China, which are the subject of her new book, “Walking the War Zones of Pakistan.” During this PowerPoint slide presentation, you’ll see topography that has led to isolation--physical and cultural--of people who for centuries have been kept in the dark by natural barriers, lack of infrastructure, lack of communication, and illiteracy. This simple tale of travel and adversity lends a face to news we hear every day and a glimpse into what we all have in common—our humanity.

Ruth Anne Kocour--Author, Speaker, Photographer, Adventurer

She took us through disaster to the summit of Alaska's Mount McKinley in her book, “Facing the Extreme.” In her newest book, “Walking the War Zones of Pakistan,” Ruth Anne Kocour takes us to K2 and Pakistan’s tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, Kashmir, and China. Kocour's adventures have been featured on CNN’s International Hour and the Discovery Channel. Her photos and stories have appeared in People, Harper’s Bazaar, Health, Sunset, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle. Ruth Anne has summited the highest peaks on four continents. She has climbed and trekked throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Her background in art, science, and photography enables Kocour to bring to life battlegrounds of nature and cultures for her readers and speaking audiences.

Facing the Extreme: The subject of her book by the same title, this PowerPoint slide presentation details triumph and tragedy on Alaska’s Mt. McKinley (Denali). Hit unexpectedly by the so called Storm of the Century, her team was pinned down on an ice shelf for ten days in 110 mph winds, minus 47 degree air temperatures, and wind chills that exceeded 150 degrees below zero. While avalanches crashed down and other climbers died, her team went on to be the first group summit McKinley after surviving a storm that took 11 lives in as many days.