Sara had already fully embraced a whole other career as a high level executive in the music industry for over 10 years before she decided it was time to make a major change in her life. After becoming certified on all apparatuses in west-coast contemporary style Pilates through Pilates Sports Center in Encino, Sara decided to pursue a full-time career as an instructor. She began teaching at Pilates studios throughout California and in the process began developing her own unique method of teaching. She wanted to provide her clientele with a “complete workout”, one that encapsulated all of the fundamentals of a fitness regimen but with all of the amazing benefits that Pilates has to offer.
In June 2011, she opened the doors of i heart fitness XO.
Sara’s former lives also consist of having studied classical piano at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and her time boxing having trained to fight as an amateur. She is also a NASM certified personal trainer.
She lives in Encino with her husband Myles and her pitbull Red.
Talin first fell in love with Pilates after her second child was born 10 years ago. She loved the stretching, strengthening and mainly the confidence it gave her to bounce back after pregnancy. She received her classical, New York-style Pilates certification through Master teacher, Jill Cassady, and has been teaching for 5 years. In addition to her Pilates certification, Talin is also a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Council of Strength and Fitness and recently completed a two month training program with Equinox Training Fitness Academy. Talin incorporates Pilates and strength/endurance training to her classes to give each client a full workout. She strongly believes that fitness is essential to good health and positive state of mind. Talin makes sure her classes are motivating and fun, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of exercise.
Guy grew up as a dancer and gymnast, with his career taking him all over the globe, from Broadway onto cruise ships. He has trained in many physical techniques and discovered Pilates after a bad gymnastic injury led to two spinal surgeries, with his taking to the Pilates Method like a fish to water. Guy is certified through BASI (Body Arts Science International) under the direction of Rael Isacowitz. He teaches locally and is excited to include i heart fitness XO as one of the select studios where he teaches, “The combination of Pilates and cross-training makes for a perfect balance.” Guy works with clients of all levels and excels at catering to each individual while guiding them to realize their full potential. “My biggest pleasure in teaching fitness is seeing the client’s progress and the difference it makes in their lives.”
Shana has had more than just an extensive career as an Acrobatic Performer. She has traveled all over the world with many world renowned corporations including the ever popular Cirque du Soleil. Her athletic career prior to that was in Gymnastics where she competed at an Elite level in Canada. She later moved to Los Angeles on a scholarship where she trained as a dancer at the Edge Performing Arts Center. While training in Montreal with Cirque du Soleil, she was introduced to various exercises using the principles of Pilates. This Pilates type training and efficient movement study was to become her passion. Shana has paralleled her 20 years of performing with teaching Pilates, movement styles, and exercise. She received the majority of her Pilates training through STOTT, BASI, and The Pilates Center. She also holds certifications in personal training and group exercise to further understand conventional fitness. Currently, Shana continues to perform multiple styles of aerial and acrobatic acts. She has two young children of her own, and is grateful that Pilates and her love of therapeutic exercise has kept her strong, healthy, and well balanced.
Mike began his life in motion. The youngest of three, he ran just to keep up with an older brother and sister always on the move. He’s still running. A gypsy at heart (and most likely by blood), Mike finds inspiration through living a life of curiosity. His eclectic and varied interests have led him to opportunities in multiple disciplines. In the production world, Mike is an award-winning producer and director of digital content for advertising, and has produced and shot several fitness DVDs. In the performing arts, Mike has traveled the world singing and dancing. A natural teacher, Mike is a certified Pilates instructor through Pilates Sports Center in Encino and also teaches spin at Breakaway Indoor Cycling. Mike strives to create a workout that is effective, but more importantly, FUN for his clients. His goal is to inspire through example, and to show that fitness is achievable by everyone willing to take that first step.
Lindsay was born and raised in Washington state with an eye for athleticism from a very young age, competing in gymnastics, volleyball, soccer and softball. After 4 years of studying forensic psychology on the island of Oahu, she decided to completely uproot and change gears by moving to Los Angeles where she fell in love with the Pilates method. Already working as a makeup artist, she felt as though she needed another unstable job to go with her current unstable job, so she decided to become a Pilates instructor and eventually went full time. She is certified through Balance Body at Core Conditioning/Studio City and has been teaching for 5+ years. Lindsay also trains as a boxer out of Freddie Roach’s world famous Wild Card boxing gym.
Sarah is a natural born teacher having practiced some form of movement be it dance, gymnastics, yoga and Pilates for over 20 years. Her love and dedication led her to acquire certifications in Pilates, Yoga, Barre in a single year. Sarah innately draws her inspiration from all of these disciplines to further enhance her teaching. Her life experience has been just as multifaceted, having lived and studied in Tokyo, London, New York and Honolulu, among others. This unique upbringing has shaped Sarah’s teachings to make her classes inventive and challenging, but accessible to everyone. She is currently pursuing a Master Trainer certification status in both Pilates and Barre.
Movement has always been essential in Carly’s life. She found dance when her parents enrolled her in a dance class at a very early age and Carly immediately fell in love with it and dedicated herself to classical ballet. By the age of 16 she was studying with the Boston Ballet and the prestigious American Ballet Theater. While studying in New York, she discovered yoga and Pilates and quickly realized how these disciplines helped to improve her dancing, flexibility and overall strength. Over time Carly’s interests have shifted away from ballet, but Pilates remains an important prerequisite for her active lifestyle. She is an avid hiker having ascended Mount Whitney and trekked across the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Carly is certified in West-Coast Contemporary Pilates through Pilates Sports Center in Encino.
