How the Reformer Box Changed Classical Pilates for Risa Mathews
By Risa Mathews, Founder & Owner – Boditree Pilates & Healing LTD
Classical Pilates is not defined by how much equipment you use, but by how precisely that equipment supports the work. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Reformer Box. Simple in form yet exacting in purpose, it creates the conditions for the spine to organize, for breath to inform movement, and for the work to unfold with clarity.
Across the repertoire, the Reformer Box remains a constant reference, supporting early learning while continuing to challenge and refine more advanced work through the Short Box and Long Box series.
The Moment Everything Changed
Every Contemporary Pilates Instructor can tell you exactly when they first saw the light on why to ‘go Classical Pilates’, and for me, it was with the Reformer Box.
Approximately 14 years ago I was visiting a Classical Pilates studio to ‘learn more of the formal repertoire’. When it came time for the Short Box series, I was instructed to “press ribs into the box with breath”. I had never been able to push my spine into the Reformer Box before because my original brand of apparatus was corrupted, with hard edges, all the dimensions were off, and nowhere was the equipment issue most obvious to me than with the Reformer Box.
The Gratz Reformer Box enabled me to go deep into spinal extension, rather than hovering over the edge. This newfound connection to the upholstery enabled a deeper connection to the movement element and totally transformed my experience of the repertoire.
As soon as I returned home, I ordered six Classical Reformer Boxes to use with our contemporary Reformers. I spent the next 10 years changing out piece by piece to go fully Classical with our studio apparatus. Where I found this realization most confronting and exciting was in box exercises such as Long Box Swan, Short Box Rollback, and of course, the almighty Climb a Tree.
Why the Reformer Box Matters in Classical Pilates
In Classical Pilates, the apparatus is instructional. The Reformer Box provides critical feedback to the body without verbal over-cueing. When manufactured correctly, it allows the practitioner to meet the apparatus rather than brace against it.
The Gratz Difference: Precision You Can Feel
The right apparatus makes the method more accessible, safer, accurate, and meaningful.
This is why Boditree Pilates & Healing uses Gratz, because it is authentic and original. The foam used on Gratz apparatus is not comparable to other brands. Few manufacturers come close to the level of accuracy required in Classical apparatus manufacturing. Gratz keeps the apparatus authentic. Honoring the work with the right apparatus makes teaching it much more efficient.
Gratz Reformer Boxes are built to original specifications, with carefully calibrated foam density that supports the spine without collapsing or resisting the body. This balance allows practitioners to release into the apparatus rather than hover above it, a distinction that fundamentally changes the experience of the work.
Client Experience: Comfort With Purpose
We often hear clients comment on how soft and comfortable the apparatus is, and this design is specifically meant to protect the spine in all spheres of movement.
The Reformer Box is where this need for supportive cushioning is most pronounced. Whether seated upright in Short Box, lying prone for Swan, or navigating the complexity of Climb a Tree, the box must support the work without softening it. Gratz achieves this balance with precision.
When you buy Gratz, you get the best.
About Risa Mathews
Risa Mathews is the founder of Boditree Pilates & Healing in Vancouver, where she has been teaching and innovating since 1999. With a background in dance, education, and movement therapy, Risa blends classical Pilates with complementary healing modalities to help clients manage pain, recover from injury, and build long-term strength and resilience.
Her research and teaching have led to the creation of Boditree Releasework™, a pre-Pilates approach designed to support individuals with conditions such as scoliosis, Parkinson’s, MS, post-surgical rehabilitation, and more. These protocols, now available through online workshops and international presentations, give instructors and therapists worldwide access to her methods. Risa has presented Pilates workshops in locations including Hawaii, New York, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary, sharing her unique vision of the authentic Pilates method with teachers around the globe.
Holding degrees from Simon Fraser University (BA) and Macquarie University in Sydney (MA), Risa has shared her expertise globally—from Honolulu to New York—and has been featured on Darien Gold’s All Things Pilates radio program. With over two decades of teaching, publishing, and public speaking, she continues to expand the reach of her work, providing resources for both practitioners and the Pilates community at large.