My name is Anikó Lakos, the founder and lead Pilates instructor of Animus Pilates Studio.
I hold 1 to 1, group, and studio Pilates sessions in Hungarian and English in downtown Budapest. I help you to arrive in your body, experience its wisdom, and learn to listen to it. I support you in stress and tension relief, self-discovery processes, and healing traumatic wounds through Aquatic Bodywork.
Since my childhood, dance and movement have been an important part of my life. Over the years, I have been fortunate to experience the joy of movement in various genres (figure skating, gymnastics, aerobics, ballroom dance, jazz ballet, hip hop, Argentine tango, kettlebell, weightlifting, crossfit, Cuban salsa). Argentine tango became my true calling. I first encountered this genre in 1998 and actively taught it from 2001 to 2010.
I graduated in Recreation Management and Health Development from the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Széchenyi István University in Győr.
I first encountered Pilates in London in 2003. As a dancer, it helped me a lot, so I quickly recognized the positive effects of the Pilates method and the possibilities it offers.
I began my Pilates studies in 2007. Since then, I have attended and continue to learn at three internationally recognized Pilates instructor training centers. Stott Pilates and Michael King Pilates were the first two stops. MK Pilates truly grew close to my heart, and after many years of teaching, I also held teacher training courses as a master instructor.
I completed my Polestar Pilates Comprehensive training course in March 2020 in London and I am a fully qualified Polestar Pilates Practitioner.
During my studies abroad, I also focused on the application of the Pilates method during pregnancy. I have a spine pathology myself, hence I deeply studied the guidelines and possibilities of movement to work with clients who want to take better care and prevent pain and worsening their condition.
I am constantly educating myself, continuing to learn about the wonder of the human body and movement. I firmly believe that for today's fast-paced world, it is essential to teach slowing down, breathing, sensing, arriving in the body, and through these, stress management and tension relief. No one role models these for us. Most of us learned to suppress our feelings and needs as children, and to perform better at school was the example to follow. As adults, we still worry, feel anxious about deadlines, struggle to sleep well, wake up tired, and rush on. In addition to my somatic Pilates sessions, I also recommend Aquakontakt Movement Meditation to those interested in taking a pause and spend time in the here and now (also known as Aquahealing, Aquatic bodywork, or water relaxation).
I passionately love teaching, just as I did when I started teaching Argentine tango.
The principles and movement system of the Pilates technique, as well as the Pilates equipment, help you to get to know and develop yourself. As you begin to consciously focus on your body, movement, and breathing in my somatic approach Pilates classes, you will become more alert and open to everything else in your life because every learning process is also a form of self-discovery and self-development journey. Aquatic movement meditation is one of the most effective relaxation and stress-relief treatments I know. It beautifully complements the movement classes. I am grateful to be able to create a clear space – on land and in water – for the miracle that can happen when we approach the body with curiosity, openness, loving kindness and acceptance.
I'd be happy to guide you towards this awareness, openness, so that you can live in a healthier body with a freer spirit.
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