I'm Anikó Lakos. Pilates teacher, founder of Animus Pilates Studio in Budapest, and Polestar Pilates Mentor.
I've been teaching movement for over twenty years, with Pilates at the heart of my professional work since 2007.
I teach private, duo and small-group studio sessions in English and Hungarian in central Budapest.
Teaching is something I'm deeply passionate about. I've always been fascinated by how the human body works,
how we learn to move, and how we can support that process through attention, curiosity and meaningful challenges.
Movement Has Always Been Part of My Life
Dance and movement have been part of my life since early childhood. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to explore many different disciplines, including figure skating, gymnastics, aerobics, ballroom dancing, jazz ballet, hip-hop and Cuban salsa, followed later by kettlebell training, weightlifting and CrossFit.
Argentine tango became my first true profession. I discovered it in 1998 and taught it actively from 2001 to 2010.
Dance gave me so much. It taught me to appreciate the subtleties of movement, rhythm, balance, connection and the many different ways we can experience the very same movement.
I first discovered Pilates in London in 2003. As a dancer, I quickly experienced how much it could contribute to my own movement and recognised the possibilities the method had to offer.
I began my formal Pilates studies in 2007, and I've never stopped learning.
My Professional Journey
Throughout my studies, I've explored three internationally recognised Pilates education systems in depth: STOTT Pilates, MK Pilates and Polestar Pilates.
MK Pilates became particularly close to my heart. After several years of teaching experience, I went on to support the education of other Pilates teachers as a Master Trainer.
In 2020, I completed the Polestar Pilates Comprehensive Studio programme in London, an extensive education covering the full range of Pilates studio apparatus.
The Polestar approach has become especially meaningful to me. Movement learning, functional anatomy, critical thinking and collaboration with the client are all central to how I teach today.
I now also support the professional development of Pilates teachers as a Polestar Pilates Mentor. It's particularly rewarding to see Polestar Comprehensive Studio education taking place in Hungary, with my own studio serving as one of its training venues.
Alongside my Pilates education, I hold a degree in Recreation and Health Promotion from Széchenyi István University in Győr, Hungary.
My learning journey is far from over. The relationship between the human body, the nervous system, movement and sensory awareness continues to fascinate me.
How I Teach
For me, Pilates is first and foremost about learning to move.
I'm not simply interested in teaching exercises. I want to help you better understand how your body works, so you can move with greater awareness and freedom.
I see teaching as a collaborative process. I pay attention to what I observe, but what you feel, experience and share with me is equally important.
I don't believe everyone needs to perform a movement in exactly the same way. We all have different bodies, movement histories, abilities and needs.
I teach with a somatic approach, which means that alongside the outward form of movement, we pay close attention to how it feels from within. How you sense your body, your breathing, effort, support, balance or perhaps a sense of ease.
I often use imagery, anatomical explanations and sensory-based cues. Sometimes I'll use a skeleton to demonstrate how bones and joints relate to one another. At other times, a simple image can help you experience a movement in an entirely new way.
I want you to understand why we do what we do, and to have the space to explore your own solutions.
My aim isn't to achieve a perfect shape, but to develop functional, adaptable and varied movement.
There's room in my sessions for strength, challenge and concentration, but also for rest, playfulness and curiosity.
Beyond Pilates
I believe that what we learn through movement can extend far beyond the studio walls.
When you learn to recognise your boundaries, notice tension, adapt to how you're feeling or approach something new with confidence, these experiences may also become valuable in other areas of your life.
Pilates isn't the goal of life. It's a tool that can help us move better and participate more fully in the things we love.
That might mean walking with greater ease, dancing more freely, improving a movement in your chosen sport, moving through everyday activities or simply enjoying the feeling of being able to move.
Movement, Sensory Awareness and the Nervous System
Alongside Pilates, I also practise aquatic movement meditation. Aquakontakt and JANZU offer opportunities to slow down, relax and experience free movement within the supportive environment of warm water.
I'm currently training to become a TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) Provider. This body-based approach works with the body's natural shaking and tremoring responses, supporting the release of tension and the development of self-regulation.
For me, these three approaches are closely connected. Stress and the state of our nervous system can influence how we sense, move and learn. In Pilates, I explore this through conscious movement learning; in water, through support and letting go. My TRE® studies are further deepening my understanding of self-regulation.
Across all three areas, I'm interested in how we can create more opportunities for ease, curiosity, playfulness and trust in our own bodies.
What I Hope to Share
I hope that when you leave one of my sessions, you take away more than simply the feeling of having had a good workout.
I hope you've gained a new understanding of yourself, discovered a new possibility and developed a little more trust in your own body.
I believe movement learning can also be a process of self-discovery. That curiosity, attention and acceptance can often take us further than striving or pushing ourselves to perform.
And I believe the joy of movement is available to everyone, at every age and level of experience.
This curiosity, knowledge and love of movement are what I'd like to share with you.
I look forward to welcoming you to Animus Pilates Studio!
Anikó Lakos
