PMA-CPT | MOVEMENT THERAPIST | OWNER / DIRECTOR, FITWISE PILATES

CERTIFIED GYROTONIC® METHOD INSTRUCTOR

Ronda, founder and director of FitWise Pilates and Wellness, has worked as a movement therapist, wellness practitioner, Master Pilates Instructor, Gyrotonic instructor, exclusive specialty chef for private citizens and celebrities alike throughout the world for over 20 years. In addition Ronda splits her time as a luxury residential realtor and local expert with her clientele.Ronda understands how to move calmly through a turbulent and highly competitive market; her composure is borne of competence and confidence.

Ronda did her initial Pilates training in Brazil and through Polestar Pilates Education. Ronda is certified through Pilates Method Alliance. She has worked/studied with Elizabeth Larkam since 2005 as well as several other prolific educators including Jean Claude West. During her career as the Body, Mind and Spirit Chef, she instructed workshops and clients on weight management, movement medicine, energy optimization, personal fitness, wellness and other daily life concerns through an easy approach to nutrition, functional movement and sustainable lifestyle choices. Ronda’s Movement repertoire is vast and innovative. Her clientele range from professional athletes, high profile CEO personalities to acute rehabilitation and everything in between. Movement and healing are truly her second nature. Ronda has traveled extensively throughout the West Indies, the South Pacific, as well as South, Central, and North America, researching medicinal and native foods, movement therapies and modalities that formed the basis of many of her flourishing practices at FitWise Pilates and Wellness. Her own desire for optimal fitness and well-being led her to create a style of nutritious haute cuisine for specialty diets and natural living in which she currently teaches and leads in wellness groups. As the owner and director of FitWise Pilates and Wellness in Mill Valley , Ronda teaches Pilates, functional fitness, Fascia Fitness, brain fitness and movement therapies to heal, rehabilitate and strengthen both body and soul.

Elizabeth Larkam is a pioneer of the Pilates Method Alliance® initiative Heroes in Motion®. She was awarded the Medal of the Danish Society of Military Medicine in recognition of her efforts to improve the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. As a Dancemedicine Pilates Specialist at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, 1985-2000, Elizabeth developed Pilates programs for orthopedic, spine and chronic pain diagnoses. As Director of Pilates & Beyond for Western Athletic Clubs, she helped create the internationally acclaimed Mind & Body Center. Elizabeth authored the book Fascia in Motion: Fascia-focused movement for Pilates (Handspring, September 2017) and the Pilates chapter for the book Fascia in Sport and Movement (Handspring, 2015, second edition 2020). She is co-editor of the book in preparation, Pilates Applications for Health Conditions: Case Reports and Perspectives (Handspring, 2021). Elizabeth is a Feldenkrais® practitioner and a Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® instructor qualified in specialized equipment. She has 48 programs on Pilates Anytime and eight on fusionpilatesedu.com. She is a Balanced Body Master Instructor and Mentor. Elizabeth has participated in eight dissection courses taught by master dissectors Carla Stecco, Gill Hedley and Todd Garcia. She taught the movement component of dissection courses hosted by Tom Myers and by Balanced Body Pilates. Elizabeth is a participant in the Fascial Net Plastination Project, sponsored by the Fascia Research Society at Guben Plastinarium. She hosts the monthly webinar series ‘Moved to Learn!’ produced by Handspring Publishing for movement educators and manual therapists. Elizabeth is a guest teacher on Shifting Paradigms, a biotensegrity forum.

As a Neuro trauma Critical Care nurse, she realized that Pilates was not only an incredible avenue to improvement in athletic performance, but an invaluable resource for therapeutic movement in helping her patients, who frequently experience life-altering, neurologic disabilities following trauma or disease. Through Pilates-focused movements she helps her patients regain improved proprioception and develop kinesthetic intelligence tailored to their individual conditions.Tabi brings expert biomechanical and neuromuscular knowledge to her practice and is enthusiastic about learning, meeting, and designing training programs to meet the needs of clients over an entire spectrum of personal needs. She enjoys teaching Pilates across myriad client needs: from introducing clients to the kinesthetic experience of Pilates, to working with individuals with specific therapeutic needs like recovery from ataxia status post stroke, to facilitating peak athletic performance through a combination of complementary and targeted training.Tabi is ecstatic to be able to be part of your FitWise experience and to facilitate you in finding and reaching your fitness and wellness goals! Tabi’s teaches a wide spectrum of classe from restorative to an advanced athletic style.

CERTIFIED GYROTONIC® METHOD INSTRUCTOR
CERTIFIED GYROKENISIS® METHOD INSTRUCTOR

 
Naomi is Certified in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis with 26 years of Teaching experience.

Naomi received her BFA in dance performance from the Boston Conservatory and has worked in Mexico, NYC, and Germany both as an aerialist and modern dancer.

She studied with Juliu Horvath (creator of Gyrotonic) and was certified to teach Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis in 1997.

Sharing her knowledge and training teachers who went on to open their own studios, Naomi was instrumental in introducing Gyrotonics to the New York Fitness scene!

She added yoga to her teachings (Laughing Lotus Yoga Center NYC 2004) and continues to teach both modalities. She studied functional anatomy extensively with Irene Dowd, and with Kelly Kane at the Kane School of Pilates.

Her client base has been professional ballet dancers, various movement teachers, injured athletes, aging community, enthusiast and everyone else who stumbled into the studio looking for ways to feel better.

Alison is a certified Pilates and Yoga instructor with over fourteen years of teaching experience. She began her movement studies dancing and practicing yoga at the age of three with her mother who taught creative movement. She received her BA in History at Brown University where she was also awarded the Weston Fine Arts Award in Dance. After graduating, she moved to New York City and studied and danced with many masters of the craft. She went on to complete her Pilates certification at BodyTonic Gymnasium in Brooklyn. In 2009, she completed her Master’s Degree in Somatic Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She additionally holds two yoga teacher certifications: one through Ana Forrest and the other through Laughing Lotus SF. Throughout this lifetime of movement studies, she has worked with many different populations including those working with rehabilitation issues, expectant and new mothers, the elderly, athletes, and children dealing with developmental issues. Since the birth of her son, she loves to help expectant and new mothers navigate the pre and post-natal process. She continues to be fascinated with questions of embodiment and strives through her work to inspire people to have richer experiences of their own aliveness. Alison is thrilled to work with the FitWise community and in an environment that fosters intelligent movement.

Ashley became a part of the FitWise Pilates Mill Valley staff earlier this year and she has since been working with clients and their goals towards mind-body connection by incorporating Pilates and utilizing the benefits in all aspects of their life.

Ashley has experience working with clients of varying ages and abilities; from competitive athletes to postnatal women with emphasis on rehabilitation and everything in between!

Ashley’s goal is to customize the exercises to meet the specific needs of the client, so you feel challenged and see progress in a safe and positive environment, while making sure to maintain great form and function throughout her sessions.

CERTIFIED GYROTONIC® METHOD INSTRUCTOR
CERTIFIED GYROKENISIS® METHOD INSTRUCTOR

Dannielle has been teaching creative and functional movement modalities for over 20 years. She trained through Polestar Pilates Education and is a Pilates Method Alliance certified Pilates instructor, certified GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS instructor, and an Inbody Academy trained Yoga instructor. She has taught at various movement studios in California, Oregon, Utah, and Indiana, and had the good-fortune of working as an assistant to Elizabeth Larkam.she was a Balanced Body University faculty member and master trainer. Dannielle has worked in physical therapy clinics and high end sports clubs. She has worked with professional athletes and those in acute rehab( and everything in between). Dannielle progresses her clients with her deep understanding of anatomical mechanics and movement. As an ongoing commitment to instructor training and high standards of movement education, she is currently an educator for Polestar Pilates Education. Dannielle is committed to the art and science of intelligent movement and to the health and well being of her students. Her primary aim is to help people feel comfortable in their bodies and to feel good about themselves and to deliver them to their most optimal levels of wellness and fitness.

Carlo became a part of the FitWise Pilates Mill Valley administrative staff and the rigorous comprehensive Pilates teacher training program under the direction of Master Trainer Ronda Priestner. He enjoys working with clients to unlock their own mind-body connection and utilize the benefits of Pilates in all aspects of their life.Carlo has experience working with clients of varying ages and abilities; from competitive athletes looking to increase their strength, balance and flexibility to post-natal women reincorporating physical exercise into their lives. He also has worked with clients post-surgery, those with limitations due to arthritis or injury, complete knee and hip replacements, torn rotator cuff and impingements, stenosis, spondy, SI dysfunction, Natal and herniated/bulging discs to name a few.

Carlo’s goal is to customize the exercises to meet the specific needs of the client, so you feel challenged and see progress in a safe and positive environment.

Marianne hails from Dallas, TX where she has been teaching Pilates and personal training since 2013. After completing her comprehensive teacher training through Power Pilates, Marianne went on to work with professional athletes, chronic injuries, and clients with neurodegenerative diseases through premier fitness clubs, private homes, and assisted living facilities.

Prior to her full-time Pilates career, Marianne graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas and went on to work in the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser and then as an assistant at a tech company. Seeking a way to bring more movement and creativity into her life, she embarked on a journey as a performing cirque artist through booking agencies in Dallas, specializing in contortion, aerial, and partner acrobatics. She credits Pilates for helping her recover expeditiously from both shows and multiple injuries.

Marianne believes in the power and adaptability of Pilates to fit anyone – no matter your fitness level or prior experience, there is a Pilates session that is right for you! She is excited to teach in the Bay area and to assist FitWise clients with meeting their movement and wellness goals in collaboration with the rest of the studio.