OUR MOVEMENT INSTRUCTORS

 

AUTUM CASEY

PILATES INSTRUCTOR

Autum Casey is a lifelong mover, and she is dedicated to helping all bodies move as they change and age. She has a background in dance, kung fu, and tai chi. After years of running and cycling she felt less connected to her body as a whole and looked to Pilates. Autum received her mat and reformer certifications from Pilates Instructor Academy under Amanda Iiams. She wants clients to leave a session knowing they had a challenging balanced workout for their mind and body.


lisa appolonia

GYROTONIC®️INSTRUCTOR, LICENSED NUTRITIONIST, YOGA FOR SCOLIOSIS SPECIALIST, GYROKINESIS®️APPRENTICE TEACHER

Lisa has spent most of her life as an equestrian, riding and connecting with the horse since the age of seven. As acompetitive equestrian with scoliosis, these physical challenges led her down a path to deepen her physical capacity to strengthen her muscular body, deepen the mind-body connection and proprioception as well as create fluidity, mobility, flexibility and balance. Her training methods, over time to achieve success in her love for show jumping, included GYROTONIC®️, Weight training, Pilates, Yoga, Qigong and Tai Chi.

 Having discovered Pilates and GYROTONICâ over 20 years ago through years of practice with Siobhan Roberts, owner and founder of Upstate Movement and Wellness, life as an athlete and equestrian became pain liberating with a new-found capacity to move freely with deep awareness and intention.

 Lisa’s life journey led to deepening her knowledge and expertise over the past 20 years, in a variety of modalities including practicing as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Licensed GYROTONICâteacher, QiGong and Tai Chi Teacher, Taiji Fit Teacher, Yoga Teacher, Radiant Lotus Women’s Qigong Teacher, Reiki Practitioner, Empowerment Life Coach, and Wellness Retreat Leader.

 Lisa has had the privilege to train with renown and respected Master teachers including Siobhan Roberts- GYROTONICâ/GYROKINESISâteacher from UpstateMovement and Wellness, Linda Winnick, Master yoga teacher-Shakti Yoga Woodstock, Master Ken Kobayashi-Master healer, Roger Jahnke, OMD founder of Institute of Qigong and Tai Chi, Daisy Lee- Radiant Lotus Qigong, David Dorian Ross- founder of TaijiFit, and David Gershon and Gail Straub of The Empowerment institute.

Lisa has a unique holistic approach in guiding others to create balance, fluidity, mobility, and strength through movement and mindful connection. Lisa’s teaching style is relaxed, supportive, and fun.  Her ultimate goal is to guide others to broaden their understanding of health and wellness as they know it, and to discover the wonders of self-empowerment, self-healing, and self-care to maximize the mind-body-spirit connection.  

 GYROTONIC®️METHOD TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS

GYROTONIC®️LEVEL 1

GYROTONER PROGRAM 1 AND PROGRAM 2

GYROTONIC®️APPLICATIONS FOR THE PELVIC GIRDLE

 

GYROKINESIS®️ METHOD TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS

GYROKINESIS®️LEVEL 1 APPRENTICE

 

ZOE THOMAS

PILATES INSTRUCTOR, MS IN CORRECTIVE EXERCISE & ORTHOPEDIC REHAB, GYROTONIC APPRENTICE

Zoe Thomas is a dedicated Pilates instructor, dancer, and movement enthusiast with a strong background in corrective exercise. She holds a Master’s degree in Corrective Exercise and Orthopedic Rehabilitation and has earned her Pilates Certification from Balanced Pilates and Erika Bloom Pilates in New York City.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Zoe trained at Westside Ballet and Los Angeles Ballet, where she was first introduced to Pilates. After being diagnosed with scoliosis, Pilates became a key part of her wellness routine. She later earned a BA in dance and moved to New York to pursue a dance career, where she discovered her passion for teaching.

Zoe’s sessions are designed to help clients achieve their goals—whether that’s injury prevention, pain relief, building strength, or improving mobility. With a unique understanding of body imbalances, Zoe incorporates thoughtful exercises to support each individual's personal development and overall well-being. promote functional movement, strength, and overall well-being. 

SHANNON LEE-GEORGE

PILATES & GYROTONIC®️ INSTRUCTOR, LICENSED MASSAGED THERAPIST AND PERSONAL TRAINER

Shannon has two decades of experience in movement and manual body work, and has collaborated with numerous physical therapists over the years to work with clients in pain and repatterning their movement to return to active lives. We’re happy she has shifted her NYC life to the upstate holistic hive at Upstate Movement & Wellness.

Jennifer Martini

GYROTONIC® INSTRUCTOR/ PILATES INSTRUCTOR

Jennifer Martini has been in the fitness world since the late 1990'S. Fitness, overall health and well-being has always been her main drive, both physically and emotionally.

It started off as a personal goal and then branched out to helping others. Studying with NASM ( National Academy of Sports Medicine), and continuing to further her education working with well-known Ashtanga Yoga instructor Michael Stein, she became a certified teacher of Ashtanga Yoga. Pilates become an interest of hers in 2007, taking her first class with Siobhan Roberts.

Since then she has studied Anatomy under Steve Gioradano and apprenticed under Siobhan Roberts. Later being introduced to the world of GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® in 2008, she is a level one certified GYROTONIC® instructor, and is also certified in Archway Level 1 and Gyrotoner.

Her overall goal is to help people live a happy, healthy, well educated body-aware lifestyle.

 
Lori-Mora-Pilates-Massage-Therapist.jpg

Lori Mora

MASSAGE THERAPIST & PILATES INSTRUCTOR

Having discovered Pilates over a decade ago, Lori realized she had found something that helped her to be stronger, leaner, and more flexible.  As a Massage Therapist, Lori knew she could use all of these Pilates principles with her clients to help them take back their health through movement. She has integrated her anatomical knowledge as a Massage Therapist with Pilates movement to release her clients’ binding muscle tension and help re-educate them into more healthy muscle and joint movement patterns.

Lori carefully and uniquely personalizes her classes to ensure that regardless of a client’s age or fitness level, they are able to gain awareness and an appreciation of their bodies.  She’s found that helping people to become stronger and more flexible with their Pilates practice has enhanced many other aspects of their lives.  She’s able to bring fun, encouragement, and results to clients, young and old— no matter what level of fitness they came to her with, they always feel good and move better after Pilates!!

Lori received her Pilates comprehensive training and certifications through PSC (Pilates Sports Center in Encino, California). She has studied Scoliosis Workshops under Karena Thek, founder of Scolio Pilates, in Ventura, CA. She has further studied Anatomy in Three Dimensions with Viktor Uygan at Konnect Pilates through Balanced Body®. She has also completed the Continuing Workshop with Chelsea Streifeneder, author of Studio Shape Up, and the Extensive Foot and Ankle Workshop with Jillian Hessel.

Recently Lori has relocated back to the East Coast where she was born in Dutchess County after living in Southern California for the last 30 years. 

Although she misses the sunny days and warm weather, she’s incredibly happy to be home where her heart is, in NY.

“Change happens through movement and movement heals.” -Joseph Pilates

 

MALVINA LORIDA

GYROTONIC® /PILATES/YOGA INSTRUCTOR & ACUPUNCTURIST

Malvina Lorida is an animal lover, holistic health coach, acupuncture therapist, yoga and Pilates connoisseur, and performance artist. She specialize in Detoxification and Woman’s Health, and her passion is to share her knowledge of nutrition and self-healing with underserved communities.

Malvina was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and I has been studying, performing, and teaching about the soma and its healing techniques in several different countries throughout Europe & the U.S., such as France, Germany, Spain, and New York City.

She started studying Dance Education in Germany until she was transferred to the Dance Department of Hunter College in New York City, where she received her second Bachelors Degree in Dance. She later got her MFA in Arts Leadership from Savannah College of Art and Design, and at the same time realized her festival, called All Souls Festival, and its mission of making space for disability in the arts.

Malvina is also a certified 500 hour Advanced Yoga teacher from Science of Self in New York City, with a specialization in Meridian Yoga, Yoga for Cancer, Yoga for Addiction, Prenatal, and Yin Yoga, and a Comprehensive Pilates instructor, with a specialization in Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates.

Years of muscle injuries, amenorrhea, and stomach reflux forced her to discover and trust the wisdom of her body, through the activation of her self-healing mechanisms and the realization that food is medicine. These significant concepts guided her towards Traditional Chinese Medicine and Integrative Nutrition.  

Soon after, Malvina became a certified acupressure and acupuncture therapist, as well as certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. During her training at IIN, where she specialized in detoxification and woman's health, she studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. Her teachers included Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University; Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating; and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities.

Malvina’s work as a therapist and artist focuses on healing justice, equality, and inclusion in the arts, together with community building, while aiming for the transformation from a sick care industry to a movement for healing for all. 

If you are interested in more information or to book an appointment for cupping, gua sha or ear seeds, please contact us.

 

Siobhan Roberts

SPECIALIZED GYROTONIC® MASTER TRAINER Level 1, Level 2 PRETRAINER

GYROTONER®️& Leg Extension Unit Master Trainer, STUDIO OWNER

I have been practicing Pilates and Yoga for 25 years and teaching since 2000, beginning under Romana Kryzanowska’s Pilates Inc. and Steve Giordano in New York City and upstate NY, and continuing my education under her teacher trainer Leah Chaback-Katz. As Romana learned directly from the originator, Joseph Pilates (and was his chosen successor) the training and standards were of the highest order. My continuing education under Power Pilates master trainers includes: advanced Cadillac, barrels, chair, tower, alignment and gait analysis, advanced reformer on the mat and pilates anatomy. I also attend workshops regularly with Blossom Leilani Crawford of Bridge Pilates, of Kathy Grant lineage. I added the 360 degree Pilates training with Benjamin Degenhardt, applications for knee with Irene Dowd, and have completed Mejo Wiggin's Classical Syllabus for additional input on the Classical system true to the unparalleled knowledge base of Romana Kryzanwoska. 

Having opened and owned several movement studios in Dutchess and Columbia counties in New York, and teaching seasonally at Strength and Clarity in Provincetown Cape Cod, my constant interest in continuing education has led me to pursue training in a variety of directions.  Thai Massage Level 1 at the Royal School in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Lotus Palm in Canada; Tom Myers of Anatomy Trains; Leslie Kaminoff of the Breathing Project in NYC; and Irene Dowd’s full year-long anatomy course. I recently completed Dowd’s new Hypermobility Module- such an experience!

I was privileged to be able to immerse myself in the educational process of the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® since 2005, having first experienced it at Yoga Moves in 1998 in New York City.  I am certified in GYROTONIC® Levels 1 and 2 and Master Trainer in Level 1 and a LEVEL 2 Pretrainer, in GYROKINESIS® Level 1 and Level 2 Beginner, and am an Authorized Pre-Trainer in both systems. I do regular refresher courses in all of the prior programs annually.  Specialized equipment certifications include Leg Extension Unit, Jump Stretch Board, Ladder, Archway Level 1 and 2, and GYROTONER®.

Continuing Education Courses / Master Trainers: 

  • Pre/Post natal GYROTONIC® Applications with Leda Franklin

  • High Level Athletes with Angela Crowley

  • Post Breast Cancer Surgery with Leda Franklin

  • GYROTONIC® Shoulder Girdle, Pelvic Applications, and Scoliosis with Uwe Herbststreit

  • Dynamic Torso Stabilization and with Rita Renha

  • Wrapping with Debra Rose, both systems

  • Psoas Principles with Juergen Bamberger

  • GYROKINESIS® Cardio 1 with Erika Hassan

  • Lotus 1 with Rita Renha

  • Creative Series with Cori Doetzer

  • Osteoporosis with Dr. Justine Bernard

  • GYROKINESIS® Breathing Course with Juliu Horvath

  • Shoulder/Pelvic Girdle with Paul Horvath

  • Applications for the Fascial Body with Irene Rampino

  • Applications for Equestrians with Michelle Spinner

  • Scoliosis applications with Rita Renha

I look forward to bringing as much continuing education as possible from Master Trainers of various disciplines to the Upstate Movement & Wellness Studio, and sharing what I love to do and teach to more and new people. I like to laugh and hope you do too!

namaste