We move people; people move the world

Movement has been a central theme of Leila’s life since age 4, beginning with ballet. Her introduction to Pilates was as a young teenage ballet dancer and a VHS tape of Pilates mat work! With a BA in Sociology and a BFA in Dance and after receiving a grant to train at The Ailey School, she moved to New York City to pursue a dance career. Leila’s friend had recently been certified in Pilates through the Kane School of Core Integration NYC and had a home studio, where Leila had her introduction into the pilates equipment while working through a dance injury. “I started to see a difference in how my body felt and performed, and I was hooked!” In 2010, Leila began her Pilates teacher training at the Kane School with mat work and in 2011, began her equipment training. “I loved Kelly Kane’s hands-on, anatomy-focused and creative approach and I saw how everyone benefited from this method. I became interested in making it a career.” Leila’s interest in the Women’s Health aspect of Pilates came as she transitioned out of the professional dance world and into what would become the greatest learning curve of her life –motherhood. When Leila first became pregnant, she began studying with women’s health experts such as Deb Goodman and Carolyne Anthony to learn more about Prenatal movement and Postnatal recovery. “I have a passion for the Mamas, because we inevitably put ourselves last. The Prenatal class gets women thinking about how to prioritize their physical and mental health before their babies are even born.” Flash forward to today -- Leila has become a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher, a Certified Pre and Postnatal Specialist and a Practitioner of the Center Method of Diastasis Recti Recover and now, Owner of Ebb & Flow Pilates and Movement. She has enjoyed working with and learning from people recovering from hip, knee, back and shoulder injuries & surgeries, scoliosis and just simply helping people get some movement in after a long day of sitting at work. She is passionate about movement education. “Ultimately, the people I work with are my best teachers, each offering me a chance to learn more about the human body and how it works. Pilates has given me a vehicle for helping them feel better in their bodies while doing the things they love to do.” When not teaching, you can find Leila being her kids’ best cheerleader at all their sporting events, searching for time to have full, uninterrupted conversations with her husband whom she adores, dreaming of beach trips, watching comedy shows or reading about anatomy like a true nerd. With gratitude, she welcomes you to Ebb & Flow, where she hopes you’ll find a place to move well, be your best self and a community that feels like “home”.

Melinda truly believes that movement is life. After years of caring for others and meeting their needs she realized she had put her own health on hold. In 2014, a friend recommended a Pilates local studio to her and after taking classes, she was hooked! The purposeful movement and mind/body connection proved to be the gift she needed to restore her strength and health. Pilates had such an impact on Melinda’s health, she wanted to share the joy with others. After attending a training class locally she knew learning the method was her next adventure. She enrolled for formal training through the Balanced Body University at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT. She earned her comprehensive Pilates certification in June 2017 and became a National Certified Pilates Teacher NCPT in 2017. Pilates is designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, posture and mental awareness. Melinda has experienced exponential improvements in all these areas of her own well-being since choosing to move through the Pilates method. Her passion is bringing the joy and health benefits of movement to a wide variety of people. Melinda has worked with individuals ranging from professional athletes to re-hab, youth to senior and novice to advance. She strongly believes in the success of every “body”. Melinda shared, “My favorite thing is to hear a client excitedly say that they moved their body in a surprising way, a movement they could not have done before gaining strength, flexibility and awareness with Pilates”. Melinda enjoys the challenge of personalizing workouts to meet her clients’ needs. Other than Melinda’s Balanced Body education she has attended numerous seminars and workshops and will continue to be a lifelong learner. Some trainings she attended: A week spent at The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO, Franklin Method for feet, shoulders and necks, Anatomy in 3D with Crammond, Courtney Miller for athletic reformer, Thoracolumbar Fascia with Shari Berkowitz, The Aging Human Movement System with Crammond and Lamb, and Alignment, Load and Tempo with Brent Anderson of Polestar Pilates and Pilates for Swinging Athlete with Chrissy Romani-Ruby. All of her training has culminated to make her a knowledgeable and well-trained instructor who finds delight in safely guiding her clients through movement. Melinda was raised in Oklahoma City and attended Oklahoma State University and the University of Central Oklahoma. She has a B.S. in Liberal Studies. Outside of the studio, you can find her spending quality time with her husband and two children, creating healthy meals, working in her garden and learning to play golf. She also enjoys a nice hike and family sunset watching parties from their back porch.