Body Work by Karen Casino

Karen’s great! Fixed my neck problems (when Kaiser’s physical therapists couldn’t). Now working on general conditioning and improving my overall well-​being. I always look forward to a session with Karen — my body is grateful for the therapy! Karen’s exercises and stretches have really made me feel better and stronger. I highly recommend Karen.

Karen Casino is one of those Berkeley people you feel so fortunate to meet. She’s a New Yorker turned hippie slash pilates instructor who works primarily with women who have recently given birth.
Her pilates studio is a lovely and warm little outpost in her backyard, which has one of the largest and most vibrant succulent gardens I’ve ever seen.
Going to her classes is rewarding on so many levels. She really knows the postnatal body and works with you individually and as a class to strengthen your core and start building muscle again.
She also has a friendly aura that makes you feel right at home in a class of complete strangers. In any given class she drops words of wisdom on body alignment, essential oils, healthy hippie food, succulents, communes, etcetera.
I feel lucky to have found Karen at a time when I needed to reawaken my body after pregnancy. There’s no one else I’d rather do kegels with!

Karen’s pilates sessions have helped me tremendously after the birth of my first baby. She is a lovely person and I’ve enjoyed my time with her so much. I recommend her to anyone who’s looking to repair separated abdominal muscles after pregnancy and to anyone who’s pregnant! I wish I had gone to her pregnancy workout classes!

Karen is wonderful!
After being told I need surgery for my abdominal separation, I began to see Karen for physical therapy private sessions. She is kind, caring, and I’m already feeling a difference after 3 sessions. I even commute in from SF– her rates are very reasonable and she came so highly recommended from various sources. She does prego work too. I wish I would have known about her months ago!

EDIT: I just realized there’s a ton of filtered reviews for Karen but I can’t figure out why those are filtered and these are unfiltered. They all match my experience with Karen.
Prenatal yoga classes are nice but they don’t really cut if for me. There are tons of them but there are only two prenatal pilates options in the East Bay. Why is this?
It’s amazing how much Karen can get done in just a one-​hour class. Her experience and understanding of the pre– and post-​partum body is so comforting for a first-​time mom like myself. I especially appreciate her advice about other physical activities I am continuing throughout my pregnancy so I can stay active but also safe.
My pelvic floor gets a workout in addition to other muscle groups that I’ll need for labor and delivery. I’ve stopped fretting about diastasis recti (separated ab muscles) because she has shown me how to prevent it and she knows how to help me get it back together after I give birth. I consider myself a bit of a jock and I want to continue being a jock after I give birth.
Karen really should charge more, given what I get in exchange in terms of her mastery of anatomy and attention to my body. I’m going to spring for privates because that’s how much I love her. I haven’t gone for any of her bodywork (massage) yet but I’m pretty sure I will as I get near the end of this pregnancy.
Karen Casino is the best-​kept and most affordable prenatal secret in the Bay Area.

If you haven’t tried out Karen you are missing something. Karen is excellent in helping you get your post partum body back again. She conducts a new mothers excercise classes where the mother can bring the baby. The workout focuses on developing your core muscles and releasing all the tension that your body carries. Since the classes are small, Karen gives you very individualized attention and helps you work through each exercise. The babysitter is right in the room so that if need be you can tend to the baby. Check out her website for more. You will not be disappointed.

I found Karen’s flyer about postpartum exercise classes at my pediatrician’s office after I had my second baby. She is helping me repair all the damage to my innards and outards after my pregnancy through core-​strengthening exercises. And in a beautiful garden studio with a wonderful personal style. Best of all, I can bring my baby and interact with him while I «work out.» She has a sitter /​baby holder for when he gets fussy. She also does soothing, helpful body work. Highly recommended for postpartum moms who are not «boot camp» types.