By Amanda Duckstein, founder of Shadowbox Pilates:

Back to Basics 

I had been teaching Pilates for about 14 years when I started Shadowbox. I really wanted to have my own studio where I could teach Pilates how I wanted to teach it instead of following other companies' branding and formats.

I'm more closely aligned with how Joseph Pilates intended the practice to be taught — with control, precision, concentration, and flow at a deeper level.

Pilates isn't just about doing a million reps.

I was tired of teaching classes where people would tell me they couldn't walk for two days afterward but couldn't say much about their core strength. That misses the whole point.

Core Philosophy 

The focus here is what Pilates was really intended to be — core strength and finding your center to improve your quality of life. That's what it was always about.

When designing the studio, I wanted specific equipment that would support this vision.

I chose wooden apparatus with towers on the end, which many studios don't have. Most Pilates studios only have reformers, but I really wanted the towers so I could teach tower mat classes.

Distinctive Equipment 

Our reformers have jump boards, which I use for my Shadow Air classes.

The jump board adds a cardio component to Pilates workouts while remaining low-impact.

You're essentially jumping on your back, which is great for lymphatic drainage and improving bone density when done consistently. Because we're using springs instead of slamming into the ground, it's gentle on people's joints while engaging the core in a completely different way than traditional exercises.

I also made sure to include towers for arm work, cross pulls, and unique stretching options that give us different movement patterns than standard reformer work. I didn't want to do the same thing everyone else was doing.

Contact

🌐 Shadowbox Pilates

About Amanda

After teaching Pilates for 15 years, Amanda created Shadowbox Pilates to return to Joseph Pilates' original vision of control, precision, and core-focused movement. 

Her Southampton studio features specialized wooden reformers with towers and jump boards, while her popular Shadowbox in the Wild series brings classes to iconic locations like Gurney's oceanfront deck and Wölffer Wine Stand.

Amanda Duckstein lives and enjoys life on the East End after many years in New York City. 

Lead-in Image

@shadowboxpilates / Instagram