About Us

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

Known internationally as a Master Pilates instructor and movement educator, Jean has been teaching Pilates since 1994 and certifying instructors since 1998. Jean has been a guest speaker at conferences throughout the US and travels internationally to train instructors in the ITT PILATES Certification Programs. Jean expanded her movement knowledge with the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® in 1999. She is also certified as an ACE personal trainer, WKC Kettlebell instructor, SFMA provider and in the GYROTONIC® specialized equipment. Jean studied in corrective exercise and therapeutic applications with Jean-Claude West, Anna Schmitz, Marika Molnar, Liz Henry, and Linda-Joy Lee. She worked at St Francis Hospital's Dance Medicine department and developed Pilates-based rehabilitation programs for Bay Area chiropractors.

Jean draws on her extensive knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and neuromuscular re-education, with her experience as a professional dancer and flying trapeze artist, for an interdisciplinary approach to her teaching. She enjoys working with people of all ages and movement abilities. Jean specializes in helping clients with scoliosis, spinal injuries, back and hip pain, shoulder and neck injuries, pregnancy and postnatal exercise, sports related injuries.

Margaret is an avid and enthusiastic teacher of movement and a Master Pilates certifying instructor for the ITT PILATES training program at A Body of Work. A former professional ballet dancer, she received her Pilates certification through the Physical Mind Institute with Madeline Black in 1998 and went on to receive her GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® certification in 1999 with Master Trainer, Debra Rose and GYROTONIC® inventor, Juliu Horvath. She is certified to teach GYROKINESIS® yoga as well as the advanced applications on all of the specialized GYROTONIC® equipment.

Margaret enjoys working with people from all walks of life and is especially interested in the therapeutic applications of the Pilates and GYROTONIC® methods as a means of stimulating the body’s natural ability to heal. Margaret specializes in correcting faulty posture and movement patterns, alleviating chronic pain in clients with special needs, such as scoliosis, sports, and dance related injuries. Ultimately, she aspires to bring the joy of movement into people’s lives.

Fran embarked on her now 30-year exploration of fitness and movement therapies seeking to ease the musculoskeletal pain and imbalances in her own body resulting from scoliosis. And as an actress and singer, she wished to cultivate a strong, supple, and balanced body. Fran specializes in treating musculoskeletal issues, such as scoliosis, and is skilled at restoring optimal balance in musculature and minimizing patterns of compensation. She can tailor and modify exercises for those recovering from accidents, injuries, and surgeries. A fascination with movement has led her to delve deeply into many movement systems, including Iyengar Yoga, Feldendrais, Alexander Technique, and Trager Bodywork, and she draws upon these in her practice. At the heart of Fran’s teaching is profound respect and appreciation for the intelligence and resilience of the human body. She views her work with each client as a unique, exciting, and collaborative process of discovery. Fran currently holds certifications in Pilates, Gyrotonic Expansion System®, Hendrickson Method of Orthopedic Massage, and Manual Therapy, and addition is an Instructor for the ITT PILATES Certification Program, educating and guiding students through the training.

Ashley Beldon-Egbuna, MPH, CHES,  has 17 years of experience educating teachers for  ITT Pilates, and twenty five years of experience teaching specialized workshops, group and individual Pilates classes.With a Masters in Public Health from San Francisco State University, and as a Certified Health Education Specialist, Ashley brings an evidence-based approach to her teaching and she uses best practices to support student success. As a Pilates practitioner, Ashley uses a student-centered, liberation-education approach. She is committed to helping her students learn to both honor their physical limits AND develop and expand their physical capacities. Beyond Pilates, Ashley's work draws from her studies of massage, Alexander Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Chi Gung, Breathing Coordination, anatomy of movement, and neuromuscular training.  Her teaching is inspired by Madeline Black, Jean Sullivan, Jean-Claude West, and Irene Dowd. Ashley is currently founder of Move to Thrive, LLC, a master trainer at Studio M, Sonoma, and  she is the creator of the Embody to Thrive wellness video series on her Pilates and Beyond YouTube channel.

Sue is an ITT Pilates certified Master Trainer and a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher. She is the owner of Studio M Pilates in Sonoma, CA. Studio M was founded by an international leader in Pilates Madeline Black, with whom Sue studied biomechanics for nearly two decades. Sue also is a certified Gyrotonic Method® teacher and her continuing education credits include in-depth study in manual therapy with Joshua Margolis, kinesiology with Jean Claude West, orthopedic massage with Tom Hendrickson, and the Lauren Berry technique with master body worker Lynda Caesara. Sue holds a BA in journalism and worked for many years in marketing and public relations. She lives in Sonoma with her son.

Yukiko Asami started her career as a fitness instructor and taught mainly aerobics in 1988 after graduating from a sports college. At the same time, she was an aerobic gymnast, winning the second prize of a single division in All Japan Championship in 1993 and 1994, the 6th prize of a female single division in the 1995 World Cup, the first prize of pair division in All Japan Championship.

After retiring from competition, she belonged to the Athletics and Fitness Association of America Japan (AFAA Japan). She was an examiner of fitness exams, an associate consultant, and a full consultant, and was involved in qualifying and giving continuous education for aerobics instructors and personal trainers between 1997 and 2005.

She acquired the Pilates Mat certificate in 2003, and that of equipment in 2005. In 2007 she established Yukiko Asami Pilates & Fitness (YAPF) studio in Tokyo. Next year in 2008, she started the ITT course inviting Jean Sullivan from San Francisco. She acquired ITT comprehensive certificate in 2011. She has organized 11 ITT courses having direct teaching from Jean Sullivan and continues to develop Pilates trainers in Japan.