Aileen Gangoo-Smithies
Aileen is a comprehensively trained (STOTT) Pilates instructor. She began her teaching career in Toronto in 2003 and has since taken her love of Pilates to her hometown of Montreal and now to Ottawa joining us at Glebe Pilates. She is a guest instructor at the Bermuda Dance Academy and has taught Pilates to NATO Forces in Afghanistan. She is energized by seeing her students progress and gain in well-being through their regular Pilates practice. She enjoys her full time career hiring top talent for HBO as well as being out and about with her canine best friend, Oxford, family and new friends in Ottawa.
Aileen Szkwarek
Aileen is Registered Physiotherapist receiving her degree from the University of Toronto in 1985. She is a Stott trained Pilates Instructor and has an extensive background as a dance educator, choreographer and musical theatre performer. Now in her 60's, and an empty nester, she no longer works full time and is leading an active lifestyle with her husband. Aileen continues to be passionate about Pilates and enjoys being a substitute Pilates Instructor at Glebe Pilates. During Covid Aileen and her colleague Krista Dicks developed a YouTube Channel, Stay Strong Online, safe and effective Pilates based exercises for those undergoing breast cancer treatment. Aileen considers herself a life long learner and believes keeping active is a key to keeping young at heart.
Alli O'Callaghan
Alli began practicing yoga in 2003 and immediately felt at home within the yogic community. This allowed her to challenge herself both physically and mentally, in a way that felt deeply meaningful and personal. Alli took her first YTT in 2021 and has completed many more since then, including: RYS 200 hour Therapeutic YTT with Soma Yoga Institute RYS 10 hour Understanding Trauma, Resilience & How Yoga Heals YTT with Soma Yoga Institute RYS 25 hour Yin YTT with Pure Yoga Institute RYS 200 hour Vinyasa YTT with Sacred Space Yoga Institute Alli believes in the importance of connecting to the body on a cellular level through movement and breath. She enjoys sharing the process of continual growth that occurs within the four corners of the mat, and is incredibly humbled by those who choose to share that space with her.
Alison Kaluski
Alison is passionate about teaching mindful movement and creating yoga classes that allow for opportunities for physical, mental and emotional growth. Having taught yoga for over ten years, she has expanded her skill set along the way by taking workshops and additional training in sequencing, assists and more. As a social worker who works with victims of domestic abuse, Alison is trauma sensitive in her approach to teaching yoga. She often provides options and modifications and intends to empower her clients on their mat. She enjoys teaching flows set to music and is passionate about the creative aspects of yoga. She has a compassionate and encouraging approach to her teaching style and works to make all feel welcome. She hopes to see you on your mats in one of her classes soon!
Amy Kowalik
Amy, proud owner of Glebe Pilates, here. I am not a dancer or athlete or even particularly flexible. I simply love Pilates because of the benefits I’ve enjoyed first hand. Pilates was gifted to me in the form of advice from a doctor after suffering many years of back pain due to scoliosis. After only a few months, the improvements were undeniable and my pain mostly gone. I became hooked and here we are.
After getting my comprehensive certification, I ran a small studio in Bogota, Colombia before returning to Ottawa. I loved that time in my life so wholeheartedly, I knew I needed to create that boutique experience here in the Glebe.
Seeing improvement in people is pure joy to me. You can always count on me for motivation and encouragement. I have endless energy and optimism.
I love a good joke, good wine, good people. I am the mama to wild man, Roscoe and two dog-like creatures. Married to my unbelievably supportive husband who entertains most of my bold ideas.
Amy Macdonald
Amy has been teaching yoga throughout the city since June 2017. She discovered a passion for the practice in 2011 while dealing with anxiety and largely credits yoga for having transformed her life in positive ways. Amy is also a kindergarten ECE and mother of a 2 year old. She particularly loves sharing the practice of yoga with her kindergarten students!
Annie Ferro
Annie Ferro is an influential figure in the world of yoga, meditation, and wellness. With 18 years of experience as a yoga teacher, Annie has guided countless individuals toward a path of greater peace and inner understanding. Her mastery of the discipline of yoga is combined with a deep passion for meditation, forming a practice that transcends the physical realm to address well-being in its most holistic sense. In addition to her expertise in yoga, Annie is a highly recognized international speaker in the field of wellness, providing valuable perspective and advice for those seeking a more balanced and healthy life. Her influence extends even further thanks to her work as a podcaster and her social media community, where she shares her wisdom and vision with a global audience.
Cat Doyle
Cat Doyle loves connecting with people and helping them to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. She has fused this knowledge with her own experience and has an interest in all health, healing and wellness modalities. A yoga teacher since 2011, Cat teaches classes, hosts retreats, leads teacher training and continues her own learning. Cat is E-RYT 500 registered and has studied with many gifted teachers including Bernie Clark (Yin), Seane Corn (Vinyasa), Maria Garre (Ayurveda), Anodea Judith (Chakra) and Abrah Arneson (Reiki and Herbal Medicine). Her background is in science — she holds a BSc. in biology and psychology. Often anatomy and functional movement are incorporated into her classes. Cat offers clear, straightforward instructions with a dose of insight and playfulness. In addition to yoga and wellness, Cat is enthusiastic about cats, travelling, essential oils, reading, scuba diving and snowshoeing. Cat loves the magic of community and is looking forward to connecting with you!
Chantale Plante
Chantale has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and started her 200YTT training in 2015 with the intent to deepen her personal practice but discovered that she wanted to share the amazing tools she learned with others. She has over 500+ training hours in the Sri Vidya yoga tradition and has studied with Rod Stryker of Parayoga and continues more advanced studies with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait and the incredible faculty at the Himalayan Institute in the USA. Yoga is a rich tradition that has been there at those precarious times in life and has kept her balanced and centred. Chantale’s goal is to bring balance and joy to those that she meets through these powerful hatha yoga practices. She infuses her classes with wise progression, detailed posture instruction, some juicy philosophical tidbits, breathwork and simple but effective short meditations and the odd bad yoga joke. She works for the Federal Government by day, loves good wine and cooking, and joyfully walking her two spunky Fox terriers about the neighbourhood. You will also find her Directing theatre productions for the local community theatres.
Devon Honywill
Devon began practicing yoga and Pilates in 2010 after searching for new ways to stay active while travelling. Growing up as a competitive gymnast, she wanted to find a low impact exercise that didn’t require a lot of equipment. She loves these modalities for the way they link breath to movement and for their ability to calm the nervous system while building strength and flexibility. Devon is certified to instruct in both Mat Pilates as well as Yoga, is passionate about helping people live happy and healthy lives, and knows that movement plays an enormous role in this. Acknowledging everyones differences, whether it be ability, energy or simply preference, Devon aims to be creative in her classes and offers a variety of movements that are designed to make to you connect more with your own body. In her classes you will gain strength but also become more aware of how your body moves, and where asymmetries may lie from one side to another. In 2017 Devon began studying Osteopathic Manual Therapy, graduated in 2021 and is now running her practice in the east end of Ottawa. As such, her classes are anatomically focused and can be adapted to suit a variety of levels, injuries or limitations for whatever reason. While her classes are challenging, she encourages practitioners of all levels to join her, knowing that they can take rest at any point.
Diane Rieken
Diane (aka Dee) started Mat Pilates over 20 years ago in London, England. When she moved to Winnipeg, she continued practicing Mat and discovered Reformer. She moved to Ottawa 10 years ago and did not practice for a long time until Glebe Pilates opened two years ago. She felt she had found her home there. With her love of the Reformer re-ignited, and because of the encouragement from the great community, she completed her Pilates Teacher Training (Balanced Body). She also likes to walk her dog Jinx, loves all things chocolate and visiting her family in Ireland.
Geneviève Ross
Geneviève (she/her) studied nursing and explored a few contemporary dance & gymnastics classes before venturing on her yoga journey. She loves anatomy and is a lifelong student always seeking to learn more. Genevieve studied with world renowned Shiva Rea. Since the beginning of her journey she has accumulated over 600hrs RYT. Geneviève’s offerings are layered with breath work, intuitive movement, creative transitions and meditation. All this is served at a steady pace syncing breath and movement offering lots of options throughout. Genevieve invites you to return and reconnect with your internal landscape & come back home to yourself Genevieve loves being outdoors, cycling, camping, kayaking and hiking when she is not on the mat.
Ginette Saucier
Ginette came to movement at a young age through ballet. Her awareness of the body in movement then grew and morphed over the years as she ran and ran, enjoyed aerobics classes (how vintage!) and lifted weights to her heart’s content. In 2016, Ginette brought her ongoing curiosity about movement and the biomechanics of the body to her Pilates mat certification with Body Harmonics, a Toronto-based international school whose certification is recognized by the Pilates Method Alliance, sealing with forever stardust her love of Pilates. Her passion for movement now also seeps into her practice as an Integral Master Coach, so very aware that the body is part and parcel of the human experience. Fluently bilingual, she welcomes participants in both English and French. Join Ginette on the mat to build and deepen your core strength and to lengthen body and limbs!
Hélène Paris
French
Hélène est abord danseuse et chorégraphe en danse. Elle doit mettre fin à sa carrière en raison de blessures. Au début des années 2000, elle découvre le Pilates et se passionne pour cette forme entraînement, dite corps-esprit. Au cours de ses carrières subséquentes dans les domaines des communications écrites et du travail administratif, Hélène est amenée à agir comme formatrice. Son enthousiasme pour enseignement et sa passion pour le mouvement et le Pilates la conduisent à devenir formatrice du mouvement et instructrice de Pilates. Elle est certifiée par Body Harmonics, studio-école de renommée internationale et reconnu par la Pilates Method Alliance.
Souffrant de douleurs chroniques et ayant certaines limitations physiques, Hélène est une inconditionnelle des bienfaits du Pilates pour les ressentir elle-même. De fait, c’est grâce au Pilates qu’il lui est possible d’avoir un corps fort, de préserver sa mobilité articulaire et de mener une vie active. Elle souhaite que autres personnes ressentent de tels bienfaits, quelle que soit leur condition ou limitation, contribuer ainsi à leur mieux-être ainsi que les accompagner dans leur prise de conscience du corps et du mouvement.
English
Hélène began her career as a contemporary dancer and choreographer. Unfortunately, injuries forced her to end her career. In the early 2000s she discovered Pilates and became fascinated by this form of mind-body training. Throughout the course of her subsequent careers in written communications and administrative work, Hélène trained others in those fields. Her enthusiasm for teaching and her passion for movement and Pilates led her to become a movement trainer and Pilates instructor.
Suffering from chronic pain and having certain physical limitations, Hélène is a firm believer in the benefits of Pilates, having experienced them herself. In fact, it is thanks to Pilates that she can build a strong body, maintain joint mobility and lead an active life. She hopes that other people, whatever their condition or limitations, will experience the same benefits, thus contributing to their well-being and helping them to become more aware of their bodies and movement.
Imad Khaddaj
Imad’s methodology of teaching focuses on breath work and guided body movement working closely with the mind. His goal is to keep working with his students on developing functional movements that help them improve their everyday life. All Imad’s classes are fun, creative, and full of great knowledge that will help you improve your practice.
Janice Touchette
With over 15 years teaching fitness in various forms Janice had heard about Pilates but hadn’t tried it until 1999 when she required a knee replacement. Pilates allowed her to stay active while recovering. Soon after she started her Pilates training and was hooked. In 2005 she retired from the Saskatchewan Government Insurance Corporation and had the opportunity to pursue her Comprehensive Pilates training and began her second career in what she loves - teaching and doing Pilates.
“I loved the way it made me think about how I moved and to find different muscles from the ones I usually wanted to work with – it was mentally and physically hard work! I knew I had found a form of exercise I would be able to do for years in spite of my damaged knee.”
When not in the studio, she’s living her best life sailing the Ottawa river with her husband. She loves to move, so you can catch her hiking, snowshoeing, biking, scuba diving or skiing.
Joanna Helmer
Joanna is a dedicated and passionate Pilates teacher who brings a calm and sweet demeanor to her classes. With her comprehensive Stott training, she is well-versed in the principles and techniques of Pilates. Her classes are a perfect blend of challenge and relaxation. Joanna's warm and nurturing personality shines through in every class. She takes the time to understand her students' individual needs and tailors her instruction accordingly. Her ability to connect with her students on a personal level fosters a sense of trust and encourages them to push beyond their limits.
Karen Murtagh
Karen is a comprehensively trained (Balanced Body) Pilates instructor. She decided to follow her passion for functional movement in 2014 after years of personal practice. After working in a rehab clinic in Ireland for seven years she can attest that Pilates truly is for everyBODY! Her playlists and her energy are equally infectious. When not on the reformer you’ll catch her wining, dining and at live music shows around town.
Kate Penny
Kate grew up being active - swimming competitively and playing sports gave her a deep connection and appreciation of her body. She found Pilates after noticing what a toll sitting at the office all day was having. Pilates allowed her to reconnect with her core strength, alignment and connection with her body. Starting at the Glebe Reformer studio she quickly fell in love with Pilates. Wanting to share this feeling with others she took the next step and completed her Pilates teacher certification with Power Pilates. Outside of the studio you can find her around the Glebe walking her dog Frankie, or grabbing a coffee after class.
Kelly Fletcher
Kelly discovered her love of Pilates 20 years ago at a reformer studio in NYC. As a professional Broadway dancer, Pilates aided in quicker recovery from dance related injuries and helped prevent new ones. Fast forward several years - and two kids later- she reawakened her passion for Pilates to regain strength, stability and flexibility in her body. As a professional choreographer and movement coach for performing artists, she wanted to extend her love of teaching into Pilates. Kelly received her Stott teacher training from the Merrithew headquarters in Toronto.
Kelly Brandys
Kelly is originally from the East Coast but has called Ottawa home for over 30 years. Kelly has practiced yoga for over 20 years and decided to pursue teaching by completing her 200 hr yoga teacher training 5 years ago. She loves blending the mindfulness and movement of yoga with the core strengthening benefits of Pilates in her teaching. When not in the studio Kelly can be found walking her two dogs, playing tennis, spending time with her friends and family, and looking for that perfect neighbourhood coffee shop.
Laurence Cazabon-Sansfacon
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Maëlle Thomas-Traore
Born and raised in Montreal, Maëlle's classes find the fun in fun-ctional! With dynamic and intentional classes, Maëlle sets you up to be able to do things you didn't think you could do! Certified on mat and all apparatus, with experience with everyone from dancers to those recovering from injury, she pays particular attention to the precision and intention behind each movement. Hands-on and detail oriented, Maëlle hopes to use Pilates to support and guide people toward a broader understanding of what living in our bodies could mean.
Mélissa Roy
Passionate about movement, Mélissa first discovered Pilates during her professional dance training in contemporary dance. After starting to feel the benefits of the practice herself, she decided to become an instructor to help people build awareness of their body. Studying with Body Harmonics, she completed her mat work certification in 2015 and her Reformer certification in 2018, as well as numerous courses about specific topics, such as postural analysis, post-rehab protocols, scoliosis, etc. Teaching since 2015, her main goal is that her clients leave every class feeling better than when they step foot in.
Mike Dynie
Mike has practiced Yoga since 1998, seeking relief from back pain related to scoliosis, and something like enlightenment. His teaching blends anatomy studies with Hatha Yoga and a modern take on Ashtanga Vinyasa inspired by studies with Richard Freeman. Mike uses simplicity and breath awareness to draw students into the core of the body – the seat of meditative awareness and postural stability. He invites you to compassionately explore your boundaries in search of the middle-path.
Mimi Husseini
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Naomi Simmons
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Olivia Urquhart
Liv is a personal trainer, holistic nutritionist, massage therapist, yoga teacher and proud dog mom from Ottawa. She is passionate about all things health, wellness & fitness. She teaches young women health literacy in order to help them achieve sustainable lifestyle changes geared towards a healthy body & mind connection.
Pamela Forth
Pam has over 20 years teaching experience. She received her pilates certification with the renowned Diane Miller and went on to open the former Pam Forth pilates studio in 2001 where she hosted multiple teacher trainings. Her inspiring love of movement has brought her to Osteopathy, ELDOAs, myo-fascial stretching, stick mobility, dance and more. When she’s not teaching at various locations throughout the city, you’ll catch her and Danger, the cat, on their houseboat in the summer and on her skis in the winter.
Rena Argilopulos
Rena Argiropulos is an experienced Yoga and Fitness Instructor. She started teaching fitness over 30 years ago obtaining a Group fitness instructors certificate and in more recent years, graduated from Astanga Yoga Ottawa’s 200 hour Teacher Training course. Rena teaches Astanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, Hatha, Gentle Yoga , Yoga Flow & Yin. Rena is passionate about helping people reach their fitness goals, regardless of experience. Rena has a light hearted approach to her teaching and strives to create an atmosphere that helps people feel immediately at ease in her class. Rena is compassionate in her approach and will take the time to stop and listen to her clients concerns and will do her best to accommodate them. Outside of her work as an instructor, Rena loves cycling, quad roller and ice skating, gardening, photography, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and is always listening to music! She enjoys spending time with her family and pets. You can find her in the forest every weekend taking photos.
Rob Aranyosi
Rob Aranyosi is a yoga teacher, mobility coach & hand balancing specialist with over 1000 hours of training with some of todays most influential teachers such as Dylan Werner, Jason Crandall & Miguel Santana. His classes are challenging yet playful, invigorating yet grounding & creatively structured in a way that will have you moving in ways you've never thought of. Robs main intention as a teacher is to help students connect to their bodies through movement & challenge them to grow and overcome self limiting beliefs so they can move through the world with ease, confidence & grace.
Sara Wicks
Sara Wicks, a former Division I soccer player from St. John's, Newfoundland, brings her energetic spirit and passion for fitness to the world of running and spin instruction. When she's not inspiring others through her teaching, Sara takes delight in embracing the simple joys of life, basking in the warm glow of the sun, cherishing fun moments with friends, and savoring refreshing margaritas. Her teaching style revolves around positive reinforcement and a steadfast belief in the power of "YOU CAN!" Join Sara on her fitness journey and let her guide you towards achieving your goals with positivity and determination.
Sara Nizman
Sara was born and raised in Ottawa, where she has been practicing yoga for nearly 10 years, experimenting with styles ranging from power to yin. She recently took the leap into teacher training, because she believes that making the world a better place starts with taking care of yourself first. Sara strongly believes in yoga's ability to help people connect with their bodies, as well as with others. This principle is at the core of her classes, which are vinyasa-based and focused on finding balance in being both dynamic and grounded. Off the mat, you can find Sara exploring the outdoors, cozying up with her dog, or hosting dinners for family and friends.
Sarah Christie
Sarah’s passion for Pilates goes back to 2004, when her physiotherapist recommended Pilates as an effective treatment to correct years of chronic pain and immobility that had been caused by an old injury to her jaw. Sarah began taking Pilates mat classes right away and within just a few sessions, she noticed a significant improvement. Today, she remains mobile and pain free and lives an active lifestyle. Sarah is grateful for what Pilates has brought to her life, and this comes across in her warm teaching style. Sarah completed her Comprehensive Mat Certification with Fletcher Pilates in 2008 and she looks forward to teaching Reformer in the coming months! Sarah spends her days guarding Canada’s borders, but her favourite activity is soaring in a glider at 4,000 feet.
Shannon Webster
Shannon is a passionate Yoga Teacher and Certified Athletic Therapist who loves being in positive environments where she can service the Ottawa community by providing elite level recovery and movement to everyone. Shannon has worked in varsity college and university settings, Olympic development programs and currently works in professional football. Her yoga teaching style is gentle, peaceful and uplifting. She loves to create vinyasa flows that blend her background in Athletic Therapy by emphasizing range of motion, mobility and stability. You can expect to be given plenty of movement options that deepen the connection with your body and mind.
Shima Taheri
Growing up as a gymnast and then participating in sports such as competitive soccer and volleyball, health and fitness have long been Shima's passions. Yearning to move her body in different ways, she fell in love with pilates while practicing at the Glebe studio. Shima quickly noticed the positive effects that it had on her body and mind and decided to share this knowledge with her community through teaching. She received her Stott training from Merrithew at their headquarters in Toronto and is looking forward to sharing her enthusiasm for a well-balanced lifestyle.
Sophia Massicotte
Sophia Wood Massicotte is a certified Life Coach, 500hr Vinyasa/Hatha Yoga Teacher and Ayurveda Practitioner. Her passion for holistic wellbeing stems from her fascination with the power of the Mind, intelligence of the Body and wisdom of Nature. Sophia's mission is to empower and inspire individuals to awaken to their Truth, reclaim their Power, and create a life that feels authentic and fulfilling. Sophia approaches holistic wellness on a mind, body, soul level using the ancient healing science of Ayurveda to help guide students back to their natural essence: Love, Peace & Harmony. She uses a variety of tools and practices such as movement, mindfulness, pranayama, meditation, nutrition, and relationships. As a guide and facilitator, her energy is known to be grounding, nurturing, soothing and empowering. Her movement classes are for all levels, ages and body types, as she believes everyone can practice Yoga. Sophia is also excited to be offering special experiences such as wellness workshops, ecstatic dances and cacao ceremonies to help deepen the connection to your Higher, Truest Self.
Stacey Martin
Stacey Martin, the creative force behind Stacey Martin Lifestyle, is dedicated to bringing you More Life! As a passionate movement instructor with a background in Broadway dance and certified expertise from the PhysicalMind Institute Pilates program, she brings a unique blend of skills to her sessions. Infused with the vibrant spirit of the Caribbean, Stacey's energy is infectious. Her mission is clear: to energize your fitness journey, igniting your goals with passion, purpose, and a touch of style. Join her dynamic community and embrace a life filled with movement and vitality.
Stefania Basile
As a dancer and lover of all things health, fitness and healing, Stefania was always drawn to Pilates for the added strength training, injury prevention and mindfulness it offered. In 2012 she completed her STOTT Pilates Teacher Training and enjoyed teaching part-time while working in Project Management. After becoming a mom to her daughter Ella in 2020 she has been inspired to pursue her passion and make Pilates her career! She has obtained her certification through STOTT Pilates and looks forward to meeting you in one of her classes!
Coming Soon! Stay tuned for more details regarding Stefania's private home studio In Kanata ( just off the Queensway behind the Tanger Mall) where she will be offering private and semi private sessions on the Reformer and Cadillac.
Stephanie Power
Steph is not only a yoga instructor, but she recently received her Pilates Mat 2 certification from Power Pilates and she’s excited to share what she’s learned with practitioners of all levels! She believes that the secret to almost everything is a strong core (and a good sense of humour)! You can find her stocking paper towel and watering plants around the studios, as she’s also our friendly studio manager. She looks forward to further connecting with the community, in both roles.
