Our Team

I have always loved the human body and it’s ability to inspire and awe us through movement. Whether it’s an elite athlete, a dancer, a child or an elder- the things our bodies do for us is incredible. My practice of Pilates started well over 15 years ago and it helped keep me strong and centred through my career as a professional dancer and actress. After having my two lovely daughters it gave me the time to heal my body and calm my mind though movement and breath.
My decision to dive deeper into the classical training of Joseph Pilates was a natural one and I was extremely lucky to study beneath the inspiring Matilda Christensen and Veronica McClurg, graduating from The Pilates Center Teacher Training program in 2017. I will forever be a student of movement and love the community that Pilates has brought to me.
I hope to inspire and nurture my clients on their Pilates journey, empowering them to heal their bodies and discover their full potential. Everyday is a different day just as every practice is a different practice and I hope they embrace that!

Pilates is the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit

~ Joseph Pilates

I am a former athlete, dancer, cheerleader and owner/director of a dance studio. For more than 30 years I taught dance at my studio in the Surrey community as well as coached the BC Lions Dance team in 1999 and 2000. Along with Veronica (owner of Surrey Pilates Studio). I choreographed the 1999 Grey Cup halftime show and countless routines throughout her career.
I have been a student of Pilates for over 20 years and in 2009 took my Advanced Teacher Training through Pilates From The Center in N Vancouver under the umbrella of The Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado. I continue in my Pilates practice and continue my education in movement by attending workshops and classes. I am also part of the faculty for the Teacher Training Program at PFTC in N Vancouver.
I bring love , laughter and enthusiasm to my classes and believe Pilates is an amazing practice.

I have appreciated my body's ability to move for as long as I can remember. I was drawn to sport at an early age as a competitive swimmer before discovering my love for volleyball. Although I played many sports growing up, volleyball was where I excelled and continued playing at the college level. While finishing my degree in Human Kinetics at UBC I found a love for running and triathlons. I have competed in 2 Ironman Canada's as well as finished many marathons, including the prestigious Boston Marathon, and placed in the top 20 in the Vancouver International Marathon. After reaching my running peak I decided to take up cross country mountain racing, which is where you will most likely find me today when I have some spare time. I have also completed my 200 hour Yoga Teacher training.

My Pilates journey started at a young age, as I've always had a passion for moving my body, however I did not dive into the trainings of Pilates until years into my personal training career. I was always trying to discover the why's behind movement and Pilates gave me that tool to dive deeper into how our bodies move. I studied Balanced Bodies Pilates under the master teachers of Heather Low and Lauren Brandt and since completing my teacher training I have continued to explore how Pilates can improve not only how we feel in our bodies but how we can excel in our chosen movement. My goal is to help people move in ways they love for as long as they possibly can.

Movement has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in dance, I learned early on how powerful it is to connect with your body through movement. My passion for understanding the mind led me to pursue a degree in Psychology at UBC, where I learned just how important movement is for mental well-being too. From this, I decided to take my path into the fitness industry.
After becoming a certified personal trainer, I spent several years teaching higher-intensity workouts. While I loved it, I eventually discovered Pilates and I instantly was obsessed with the mindfulness and body awareness it brought. My body had never felt better, and I became so much more connected to how I moved day to day!
That connection between the mind and body completely changed my perspective on movement and I knew I wanted to share that feeling with others. In 2024, I joined Lori’s teacher training program and haven’t looked back since. Now, as a Pilates instructor, my goal is to help others move better, feel more connected, and build confidence from the inside out!

Originally from Sakatchewan, I fell in love with dynamic movement at an early age and have always enjoyed playing a variety of sports including running and doing anything that made me move my body!

When I learned about The Lab Pilates Mat Teacher Training Program I jumped at the idea hoping to gain knowledge on how I could implement the restorative properties of pilates into my own training regimen and to help me become a stronger runner and help reduce injury from my high impact sport. Learning how to work even the smallest muscles in the body, to using breath through movement has helped me through my own athletic journey and has pushed me to pursue my passion for all things movement and overall total body wellness

I have since added the Mindful Movement Pilates Teacher Training Program to my education and am working on completing my hours to even further my knowledge. Through this I found that I'm even more passionate about helping those around me meet their fitness and wellness goals. I have worked with athletes of all ages and levels in speed, agility, and strength as an instructor. Additionally I am training with people who just want to move their bodies more and find that mind-body connection.  

When I'm not in the Pilates studio, you can find me playing in the mountains on the trails with my dog. I've recently fell in love with Ultra running and really enjoy pushing myself and my body to reach new goals. 

What can you expect from one of my classes? I love adding in fun, high energy athletic and dynamic moves that can be translated to the weight room or other daily activities and sports.

Education:

-Mindful Movement Teacher Training (2022-Current)

-Empowered Perinatel Movement-Jenny Redford Pilates- (2021)

-The Lab Pilates Training (2020)

I am certified CY-RYT 500 hour yoga teacher.
I completed the 500 hour comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training with Lori at Mindful Movement in 2022.
I work full time as a Critical Care Nurse. I am fascinated by the human body and its capacity to adapt and move.
My approach to teaching is both playful and creative. I love to combine traditional  movements with new science for a life long sustainable movement practice.

I am passionate about health, wellness, Pilates, and the study of movement and posture. I'm a certified Pilates instructor through the National Pilates Certification Program and an Integrated Movement Specialist through Balanced Body. Recently I completed my Clinical Pilates certification and was accepted into university for The Bachelors of Kinesiology program. I am also working towards my certification as a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, and will be working towards my license in Dynamic Neuro-muscular Stabilization through The Rehabilitation Prague School.

Growing up, I was involved in dance, drama, and music and performed in musical productions. As an adult I was certified in fitness and nutrition, and had the opportunity to perform and work with physical conditioning of performers in Brazil. This is when I first started practicing Pilates and fell in love with it. It wasn't until I went through teacher training that I became obsessed with the practice and decided to work exclusively with Pilates and functional movement. I should have known during my grade 7 human anatomy project in science class that this is what I'd be doing with my life.

My classes and clients include people from all walks of life. I've worked with athletes, pre-teens, teens, adults, the elderly, pre and post natal, the injured, and those with pathologies. My desire is to help people move efficiently in their bodies and to do so by finding the connections necessary for that to happen. I put my all into my classes, and believe in striving for excellence in whatever I do.

I found Pilates in 2003 after having a slow recovery from my first pregnancy.

I had been athletic throughout my life but after my son was born, something changed in my body - it was a shift I didn't recognize.  I no longer had strength, and my mobility was not the same.  I knew I needed to do something and through my research, and an understanding of what my body might need, I was blessed to find a Pilates studio in White Rock and have Lori as one of my instructors.  This form of movement that was new to me awakened my body and helped guide me back to my strength and my mobility.  Finding Pilates also gave me focus and a heightened awareness of the mind and body connection that continues for me to this day.

Fast forward to 16 years later when in 2018 Lori encouraged me to take the Pilates Teacher Training at Mindful Movement and start my journey as a teacher.  Every day since has been humbling.  I have learned and continue to grow from being in an amazing space with very accomplished and talented instructors and even more amazing clients.  Teaching continues to help me understand why so many seek out the benefits of Pilates.  

I am grateful to be a part of my clients journey and their continued resilience in finding movement, challenge and awareness in my classes.  

When not in the studio, you can find me enjoying time with my family and friends, on a hike or walk in nature and when I can fit it in, on the golf course.

I welcome you to experience the practice of Pilates! By working with me you will learn mind to body connection, and gain an understanding of true functional movement. I am STOTT Pilates and Garuda certified in Advanced Mat work (both Pilates and Garuda), Advanced Reformer and Apparatus (both Pilates and Garuda), and Garuda Barre. I keep up to date with my knowledge through workshops and taking classes myself from senior teachers. I believe there is always more to learn and am open and willing to challenge my knowledge and deepen my understanding of the Contrology method. 

As a retired professional ballet dancer, Pilates was a fundamental tool for me to complement my ballet training. I have been practicing Pilates since I was 13 years old.  Now, being able to help others with the knowledge I have gathered over the years is a source of fulfillment.

I have had the privilege of working with a great variety of clients, teaching private lessons to clients with past or present injuries. My passion for Fascia work is a great asset to help clients with various auto immune conditions, active aging, and decreasing stress mentally and physically.  As well as working with high level athletes like hockey players, figure skaters, and dancers too. So wherever you are in your movement journey, I am ready to help you empower yourself!  Take back your health, and become the happiest you through the healing powers of movement and presence.

My love for pilates began in 2020, when my mom opened her first pilates studio in Langley. Inspired and guided by her direction, my practice has grown and flourished ever since then. I am passionate about sharing pilates with others and hope to see positive change and renewal as a result of my teaching. I believe in an evidence-based method, drawing from both classical and contemporary sources to create effective movement that heals and strengthens the entire body.
I completed my Pilates teacher training here at Mindful Movement with Lori in 2023 and have never looked back. I am so grateful for the guidance of my fellow instructors and peers that have helped me along this journey.

With a background in nursing and over two decades of experience in health and wellness, I bring a holistic, compassionate approach to movement and mindfulness.

I’m a certified life coach, yoga teacher (500+ hours), and mat Pilates instructor, with a 2-year certification in mindfulness and meditation. I’m currently deepening my practice through a 500-hour comprehensive Pilates training with Mindful Movement.

I like to blend strength, breath, and awareness into everything I teach 

Renee discovered Pilates during a period of deep burnout from running her own design studio. Through consistent practice, she began reconnecting with her body — not just to move, but to feel again. Having experienced firsthand how Pilates can release long-held tension and rebuild self-trust by accessing a quiet strength she didn’t know she had, she felt called to begin teacher training with Balanced Body, where she is currently completing her comprehensive certification.

In her teaching, Renee offers a gentle yet intentional approach — inviting curiosity, awareness, and a sense of freedom through movement. She especially enjoys working with people who are open to learning about themselves, particularly during times of transition, when life feels stagnant or when hope and joy feel distant.

Outside the studio, Renee enjoys running, skiing, and quiet walks with her husband and their dog, Stella. She believes that, like the ocean, we all have tides — and Pilates is one way we learn to ride them with grace.

I am a BCAK Registered Kinesiologist and Pilates instructor with a passion for movement, rehabilitation, and helping people reconnect with their bodies. I completed my Kinesiology degree at Simon Fraser University in 2022, and later completed the Pilates Teacher Training Program in 2023 at Mindful Movement with Lori Thompson.

My training includes over 450 hours of observation, teaching, and self practice. I bring a rehabilitation focused approach to my classes, with an emphasis on breathwork, nervous system regulation, and somatic techniques that help build a stronger mind body connection. I truly believe that connecting to a deep diaphragmatic breath can promote relaxation, improve body awareness, and create greater mental clarity both in movement and everyday life.

My own healing journey deeply influences the way I teach. After being injured in a car accident in 2022, Pilates became the missing piece in my recovery. Learning to connect with my breath helped my body decrease chronic guarding patterns and finally reach a state of regulation and ease. Since 2022, I have also worked with ICBC patients recovering from motor vehicle accidents. In 2024, I completed a Clinical Pilates workshop with Rachel Robertson at Return to Form Kinesiology and Pilates, further expanding my knowledge of rehabilitation focused movement practices.

Outside of the studio, I enjoy staying active through strength training, running, Pilates, and spending time outdoors. I’m passionate about combining my background in Kinesiology with my love for Pilates to help people feel stronger, more connected, and more confident in their bodies. My goal is to meet individuals where they are in their movement journey, support them in tuning inward, and help them build a sustainable relationship with movement. To me, Pilates is not just a practice, it’s a way of life.

I am grateful to be a part of the Mindful Movement team! I began my own Pilates practice at Mindful Movement in 2018 after suffering a back injury and subsequent surgeries. I went from living an active lifestyle enjoying many outdoor pursuits to living in chronic pain, reduced mobility, deconditioning, fear of movement and lack of confidence in my own body. Lori and the team at Mindful Movement have offered an environment of support, knowledge, encouragement and so much more.

Over the years Pilates has offered me a way to not only reduce pain while regaining strength and mobility, but also a way to trust in my body again and find joy in movement. Going through my own health journey has led me to deepen my knowledge, understanding and embodiment of functional movement patterns, the connection and importance of breath to movement, and the integration of mind and body in ones’ healing. I’ve been known to say “Pilates is the key to life”. It certainly has been for me through my injury and chronic pain journey. My hope is to bring my passion for Pilates to others who are in their own healing journey.

Pilates will be a lifelong practice for me and I am excited to deepen my knowledge and exploration through my continued self-practice as well as through the teacher training program here with Lori and now joining the team as Administrative Manager.