Freda
Meet Freda, the heart and soul behind Center Me Wellness. Like many of us, Freda once struggled to find balance in her life and body, which led to weight gain, low energy, and intense pain. Determined to find a solution, she stumbled upon a Pilates class, and it was a game-changer. After just one class, she knew Pilates was her calling, and she wanted to share its benefits with everyone!
With a burning passion for Pilates, Freda earned an advanced certification from the renowned Body Arts and Science International (BASI) in Newport Beach, CA. Eager to help a diverse range of people, she also trained in various specialties, including Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies, Active Aging, Innovations in Pilates, Kyphosis and Osteoporosis, Breast Cancer Recovery (Pink Ribbon Program™), and Pilates for Neurological Conditions (e.g., Stroke, Parkinson’s disease, MS, ALS, etc.). With years of experience, Freda has taught Pilates all over the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She firmly believes that Pilates can transform your body, mind, and life at any age.
Freda’s passion for wellness didn’t stop there. She became a certified holistic health coach and dove deep into studying major dietary theories to help her clients find what works best for them. She earned a certification in Nutritional Counseling from the prestigious Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Freda has learned from top experts like Joy Bauer (The Today Show), Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Barry Sears (The Zone Diet), Dr. Deepak Chopra, and David Wolfe. She’s also accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) and the State University of New York (SUNY). Freda works with clients all over the world.
Kate
Kate is a certified yoga and Pilates instructor, who has been teaching since 2007. She has a 200-hour yoga certification through Yoga Fit, a nationally accredited teaching program, and she is accredited with the Yoga Alliance. Kate also has a 100-hour certification in Yoga Fit’s Warrior program which allows her to teach trauma-sensitive yoga. She has been teaching mat Pilates classes since 2007, and after receiving her Level One Reformer certification from Balanced Body in 2008, she started teaching Reformer classes as well.
She brings an open heart and many years of personal practice to her teaching, and she loves to share yoga and Pilates with her clients. She believes that finding proper alignment and protecting clients from injury is key to healthy practice, along with finding joy in moving, stretching, and strengthening the body and the mind. She enjoys putting together a good musical playlist and bringing a playful yet honoring approach to the practice. She provides individual attention to each client in order to help them find their personal form and connect with their breath, as well as, their own inner flow.
Further, she believes that imbuing Pilates and yoga practice with fun is essential to keeping things fresh. Mixing it up, finding the playful aspects in movement, and keeping a sense of humor keeps her coming back to her mat. It is important to her to work with her clients (and herself) on alignment and posture along with breath and movement and to find that sweet place where we move with joy.
Kate strives to create a space in which each person can find their place of comfort and ease on the mat. Additionally, she believes within that environment they can find the expansiveness of their practice, the breath that connects to the magic of movement, and the peace that comes within as a result of that connection.
Alessandra
Alessandra, originally from Brazil, has always been passionate about dance. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Fortaleza and a master’s degree in pain and rehabilitation from the University of São Paulo. Her journey with Pilates began shortly after graduation, when she started teaching. Alessandra obtained her initial certification from Polestar Pilates, a renowned American institution specializing in Pilates for rehabilitation. She later became a Fletcher Pilates professional teacher through certification from the Fletcher Pilates school. Currently, Alessandra is pursuing a new certification in Classical Pilates, further expanding her expertise.