Kati Pylkkänen

Kati began practicing Pilates in Sydney in 2004 and immediately recognized it as her professional calling. She wanted to study in the United States for her comprehensive training program. Studies began in New York in 2006 and continued through 2010, during which time she traveled regularly between continents. She began teaching Pilates alongside her studies in 2006. In 2010, Kati founded her first Pilates studio in Rovaniemi, marking her transition into full-time entrepreneurship. Very soon the studio was among the first fully equipped Classical Pilates studios in Finland featuring original Gratz equipment. Her commitment to ongoing learning and a deep understanding of the Pilates method has been a defining aspect of her professional path. In 2012, Kati met Jay Grimes at Vintage Pilates in Los Angeles and identified him as her primary mentor. In 2015, she became the first—and remains the only— from Finland to graduate from Jay Grimes’ rigorous The Work program. She continued to train regularly under his guidance until 2023. At Jay Grimes’ encouragement, Kati further expanded her expertise in Classical Pilates through continued study with MeJo Wiggin, Cary Regan and Phoebe Higgins who studied extensively with Romana Kryzanowska. At present, Kati’s fully equipped studio is located in eastern Finland, where she offers training programs for Pilates instructors and teaches the method to practitioners.