As a breast cancer survivor, Barbara Hoffer is compassionate about “helping others gain and maintain a healthier body at each stage of life.” She sees cancer as a turning point for change. Given tools and insights for healing the body, she has found that many thrive after treatment and truly enhance their quality of life. Her Pink Ribbon classes are Pilates-based strengthening classes for post treatment lifestyle management and success. They are designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles most affected by breast cancer surgery as well as enhance physical energy level and mental well being. Pink Ribbon Pilates courses are for women of all fitness levels and recovery levels, seeking to regain full range of motion of the upper body in order to move efficiently in every day activities.
As a devotee of the 5 Rhythms dance discipline, she finds inspiration through movement, often referring to Pilates as “dancing yoga.’Passionate about dance as a spiritual practice, she is a student of the Anna Halprin’s Tamalpa Institute, a movement-based expressive arts approach that integrates movement/dance, visual arts, performance techniques and therapeutic practices. Learning to thrive after breast cancer enhances Barbara’s work as a healing teacher who understands firsthand the impact of stress on the body. Her mission is to push her clients past places where they may be stuck through compassion and a helping hand. What gets her up in the morning is her desire to help others gain and maintain a healthier body at every stage of life. This drive has nspired her to become certified to work with post surgery rehab to help other women thrive.
Over the past eight years Hoffer has served on the Executive Board for San Francisco’s cancer hospital, UCSF Mt. Zion. Hoffer’s community service has been dedicated to speaking and fundraising for programs dedicated to direct services to patients and to cancer research. In addition to her Hatha Yoga certification, Hoffer is a certified massage therapist from the International School of Massage Therapy, a Certified Pilates instructor from the Physical Mind institute NYC, and a Certified post-rehab breast cancer exercise specialist. She is also involved in the awareness and prevention of osteoporosis through Pilates, diet directives, pilates for golf and the Tamalpa Institute.