meet our april member of the month - kyla stelling
Some people walk into the studio and instantly feel like part of the fabric of the place. That’s Kyla.
Born and raised in Langley, Kyla brings a sharp sense of humor, grounded presence, and genuine appreciation for movement and community to Pilates Collective. When asked what her spirit animal is, her answer was immediate: “A kangaroo because I’ve got mad hops.” That pretty much tracks. She’s funny, self-aware, and clearly someone who knows how to bring both energy and perspective into a room.
Kyla’s story is full of color and personality. One of her happiest childhood memories was living in Australia with her family for a year when she was twelve. She loved the school uniforms, the weekend travel, and the adventure of it all, though, as she noted, she “did not love the spiders.” She’s also someone guided by a mindset that feels both lighthearted and wise. Quoting Cher Horowitz from Clueless, she shared: “Wait a second, what am I stressing about?” It’s a reminder, she says, that she has “the agency to decide what truly deserves my energy and what I can release.”
At home, she has an equally memorable cast of characters: Wellington, her black cat, who “pays rent in ominous stares,” and Frankie, her Australian Kelpie-Border Collie, who runs on “joy, curiosity, and a firm belief that we should be doing more right now.”
Kyla first came to Pilates because she wanted to “put myself out there more and step into community spaces centered around movement and well-being.” She had taken Pilates years ago in Los Angeles and was excited to return to it here, especially because she already knew Nicole to be “lovely and awesome.”
Since then, Pilates has become much more than exercise. For Kyla, it’s become “a space where I can slow down, breathe deeply, and fully focus on the present moment.” She describes that feeling as “grounding and restorative, like a reset button for my brain.” That kind of impact reaches far beyond the studio. She’s noticed herself becoming more present in daily life, especially in her work as a high school teacher. She shared that in her classroom, she now finds herself “instinctively slowing down and taking a breath the way I do in Pilates,” and that pause helps her respond more intentionally in difficult or dynamic moments.
That’s one of the things we love most about Pilates: the benefits don’t stay on the reformer. They show up in your conversations, your confidence, your ability to pause, breathe, and move through life with a little more steadiness.
Kyla has built Pilates into her routine in a way that feels sustainable and meaningful. Evening classes after work are her “official reset,” a way of clocking out and coming back to herself. On weekends, starting the day on the reformer helps create “a tone of alignment and quiet awareness that lingers.” Even when she shows up tired, she leaves feeling stronger and recharged.
She’s also honest about what keeps her coming back: “The benefits are tangible, and my body has grown accustomed to this ritual of strength and recalibration.”
When asked what she’d say to someone considering Pilates, Kyla put it beautifully: “Don’t let it intimidate you! It’s far more approachable than it looks.” She talks about the mental clarity and physical strength showing up sooner than expected, and the way the studio becomes a place where you feel like you belong. She described the instructors at Island Pilates as carrying “this effortless joy that makes showing up feel like a gift rather than a task,” and says they create “a warm, inclusive space.”
Her favorite exercises? Leg Circles for opening the hips and building controlled strength. Elephant for that incredible feeling of strength and core connection. And Short Spine? In Kyla’s words: “straight-up magical.”
She also spoke so beautifully about the spirit of the studio community. “There’s something really special about the community,” she said. “We’re often laughing and sharing little moments of joy,” but there’s also a shift into “a mindful, collective focus of breathing together, moving together, and quietly recentering as a group.” She credits the instructors with being intentional about fostering that feeling and creating a space that feels genuinely supportive.
Physically, Pilates has helped her work through long-standing tightness in her hips and back while building real strength and body awareness. As someone who also runs and plays tennis, she says Pilates helps balance those higher-impact activities and supports injury prevention and long-term success.
Outside the studio, Kyla teaches high school and loves writing fiction, photography, vintage shopping, running, tennis, film festivals, traveling to Los Angeles and Copenhagen, and spending time with her baby nephew. She also describes herself as having “a passion for fashion” and shared that attending Copenhagen Fashion Week in 2026 was a dream.
When asked to describe her Pilates Collective experience in one word, her answer was: Transformative.
And honestly, that says it all.
Kyla, we are so grateful you’re part of this community. Your humor, thoughtfulness, and presence make our studio better. We love watching your strength grow, and we love even more the way you speak to what Pilates can really become in someone’s life: not just a workout, but a practice that changes how you move through the world.
As Kyla put it, “Pilates has become more than just a workout for me. It’s a practice that extends beyond the studio.” And in one final perfect line: “I guess you could say I’ve been completely re-formed.”
And to that we say; Mic Drop.
