WHY PILATES?
STRESS RELIEF - PAIN REDUCTION - INJURY PREVENTION
Offering a refreshing alternative to the typical gym workout, Pilates can transform the way your body looks, feels, and performs, while also providing a successful tool for stress relief, pain reduction, and injury prevention. Additionally, Pilates may keep you healthy. According to a 2013 study at Duke University Medical Center, there is growing evidence to support that mindful exercise, such as Pilates, reduces cardiovascular health risk factors and improves mood state, making it an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
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Pilates instruction at Bodytonic emphasizes blending strength, mobility, and flexibility training while focusing on precise skeletal alignment, muscular contractions, and breathing patterns. Our classes focus on the quality of movement (AKA technique) rather than the number of repetitions performed or weights lifted. During your classes at Bodytonic, you will work every major muscle group, with particular emphasis given to the abdominal, back, hip girdle, and shoulder girdle muscles. This fusion provides a refreshing, energizing, and balancing workout that improves musculoskeletal balance, joint health, athletic performance, injury prevention, and stress and pain reduction.
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A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW OF PILATES
Fitness innovator Joseph H. Pilates (1881-1967) first developed an interest in exercise techniques from his determination to strengthen his body after growing up as a sickly child in Germany. He created the Pilates exercise system in the 1920s and opened his first studio in New York City in 1926. Some of the first people he treated were soldiers returning from war and dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine. Other dancers and athletes were quickly drawn to Pilates to heal their aches and pains and recover from injuries. In the past few decades, Pilates has become the fastest-growing exercise modality around the world.
BTP INSTRUCTORS
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NADIA RODRIGUEZ
Owner, Certified Pilates Instructor, BHSc
Nadia’s first experience with Pilates began in 1990, using mat exercises to cross condition for her dance training, and in 1995 using pilates equipment to rehabilitate dance-related injuries. For her instructor training, she studied under Jane Erskine, owner of one of the first Pilates studios in Seattle and daughter of the famed ballerina and first director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Janet Reed. Nadia completed her instructor training in 2002 at the Pacific Northwest School of Pilates. She has developed a loyal following from her work teaching in Pilates & yoga studios, physical therapy clinics, & in personal home gyms. Nadia’s practice involves working with professional athletes to those recovering from injuries and applying classical and contemporary Pilates techniques. Her philosophy prioritizes her client’s goals and desires while teaching them how to produce somatic longevity, efficiency, and balance.
In addition to Pilates, Nadia has over 30 years of professional experience in the movement field, including Gyrotonic, yoga, gymnastics, and classical & modern dance. Before becoming a Pilates instructor she trained and danced professionally in both Seattle and NYC, where she was a trainee with the Martha Graham Dance Company. Nadia holds a B.S in Health & Human Performance from Eastern Oregon University and a certificate in Women’s Exercise Training and Wellness from Washington State University
DANIELLE HRACHOVEC
Certified Pilates Instructor
Danielle (she/her/hers) is a holistic movement enthusiast with a passion for accessibility, generative self-care, and embodiment. Danielle has been teaching movement for over a decade with formats including mat and equipment based Pilates, dance fitness, partner dancing, and weight lifting. She has a special place in her heart for working with functional movement goals after seeing close family members live with disability and experiencing her own autoimmune challenges. In addition to functional movement, Danielle loves working with people to focus on challenging, effective exercise to build confidence and strength.
Outside of Pilates, Danielle is a progressive strength trainer, a social dancer, a “maker”, and a government employee based out of Seattle. In addition to her Pilates certificate, she has a BA in Theatre Design & Production focusing on Costume Design from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and an MPA from University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy.
ARIKA RATAJIK
Certified Pilates Instructor
Arika Ratajik, a Seattle native. Arika worked for several years as a social worker and decided to quit her job in 2018 to pursue her greatest loves, Pilates and backpacking. Her passion for adventure led her to conquer all the major volcanoes and has also backpacked the Pacific Crest Trail, as well as the grueling John Muir Trail, completing the latter in just 23 days while carrying a 55-pound pack as the only woman in a group of seven.
Arika’s passion for health, fitness, and mountaineering led her to become a Pilates Teacher in 2021. Arika began her formal training in classical and contemporary Pilates in the spring of 2021, completing over 650 hours of rigorous training and an additional eight-month full-time apprenticeship. After accumulating more than a thousand hours of teaching, has worked at corporate and private studios in Seattle, Mercer Island, and Redmond. Arika is dedicated to empowering her clients with strength, balance, and the confidence to reach their full potential in Pilates.
CHANEL BELL
Certified Pilates Instructor
As a former D1 soccer player and avid Latin dance aficionado, Chanel is no stranger to fitness and the importance of movement. After an accident five years ago that left her with sciatica and a hip injury, Chanel turned to Pilates and yoga to help manage her chronic pain and never looked back.
After practicing regularly and working with amazing instructors in DC and Kenya, Chanel decided to take the leap and pursue the BASI Comprehensive Certification. Having taught PE and other sports, transitioning to teaching Pilates has felt like the perfect pivot.
As a plus sized instructor, her passion is making Pilates accessible for every body. Whether you are returning to exercise from an injury, already working out several days a week, an avid athlete or just wanting to incorporate more movement into your life, Chanel is there to assist you on your journey to be your guide, your cheerleader or just an accountability buddy to make sure you show up.
CASSIE KINNEMAN
Certified Pilates Instructor
Cassie is a compassionate Pilates instructor who believes wholeheartedly that movement is medicine. Her journey to becoming an instructor is deeply personal. After experiencing a debilitating neck and back injury from an ambulance accident working as an EMT in Philadelphia, she discovered the transformative power of Pilates. The practice not only aided her recovery but gave her a newfound appreciation for how intentional, focused movement can restore the body and improve quality of life. This is powerfully enhanced by her extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology, which allows her to tailor intentional movement that supports both the body's structure and the client's mindset. She started her training at BASI in Newport Beach and completed the graduate program in Oro Valley. Cassie is dedicated to helping clients heal, build sustainable strength, and improve their quality of life through empowering, mindful movement.
JONNIE PEDERSEN
Certified Pilates Instructor
Hello, I'm Jonnie, and I'm thrilled to be joining the BodyTonic Pilates team as a Pilates instructor. With a background deeply rooted in the world of dance and movement and a lifelong connection to outdoor activities, I bring a unique perspective to the practice of Pilates.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Dance from Boise State University, where I began exploring the connections between the mind, body, and movement. As a multi-passionate person, movement and somatic healing arts have always been a driving force in my life. I'm a firm believer in the power of (W)holistic wellness, and I'm continually expanding my knowledge by attending various workshops and classes, including Reiki and Healing Touch.
My introduction to Pilates came at an early age during my time in a dance company, where it was used as a tool for strength and conditioning. Since then, I've been captivated by the transformative potential of Pilates, both physically and mentally. I'm eager to share this passion and help individuals discover their inner strength, improve their form, and integrate structured movement into their everyday lives.
In addition to my love for Pilates, I'm also an avid practitioner of mixed martial arts, further enhancing my understanding of body mechanics and movement. Like martial arts, Pilates is a path to self-discovery and personal empowerment.
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Strongly recommend the private sessions with Nadia and group Spring Board classes. Working with Nadia through and after my pregnancy has been essential to my overall ability to maintain strength and stability in a totally shifting and changing body. This beautiful studio and supportive community is definitely one of my happy places in our lovely city.