Austin Girl Pilates owner, Susan Caldwell, is an Austin native and practices from her private Pilates studio near Mt. Bonnell in Austin, Texas.

Susan’s career life began as a Producer for Austin City Limits, the nationally acclaimed tv program, from 1981 - 2002. In 2002, Susan moved to Washington D.C. and studied under the direction of the nationally renowned Master Trainer for the Physical Mind Institute, Mike Wright. While working on her certification, Susan apprenticed with Wright and found Pilates to be the most amazing training she had ever imagined. Whether clients were injured, or just out of shape, Pilates changed their lives. The change in their physical confidence was awe inspiring.

Susan understands about those life changing experiences. Back in 1985, Susan injured a disc in her lower back. At that time, her doctors told her that she would not be able to waterski again. Susan, her father’s daughter, promptly sold her waterski and bought a windsurfer. She had never windsurfed, but she knew intrinsically, that the core strength required to handle the sail and balance the board were exactly the muscles that would strengthen her back and torso.

While in D.C., windsurfing wasn’t an option, so Susan began regular Pilates workouts. She lost inches and brought precision of movement and strength to her long, lean appearance. Her back and neck pain diminished significantly.

Pilates changed the structure and shape of her body. This, combined with posture, breath and body awareness have made her a convert to Pilates.

In 2004, Susan was certified in The Method Pilates by the Physical Mind Institute. She is eternally grateful to her master instructor, Mike Wright, who not only taught perfect form, but also, methods to correct imbalances in postural alignment and the importance of breath in the daily practice.

Susan believes that the key elements of Pilates can be brought into daily activities to straighten posture, exercise with grace of movement and eliminate pain. She calls it conscious movement.

After teaching at Wright’s Body College, Susan returned to Austin to teach private and mat sessions at the opening Davenport location of Body Business. Susan thrived at Body Business, but felt that she was destined for a more private setting with her clients. In January 2005, Susan branched out to her own private pilates studio, offering private pilates sessions in her studio and naming it appropriately, Austin Girl Pilates.  

Susan believes that the private session is the most effective way for an individual to focus on breath, precision of movement, focus and control that are so essential to the experience of Pilates.

Susan has been well received in Austin’s artistic, eclectic community and her practice is thriving.