Pasha is a nationally certified personal trainer, fitness instructor and yoga instructor and life coach. She is certified through the American Council of Exercise (ACE), National Endurance and Strength Training Association (NESTA), Pilates Institute of America (PIA), Yoga Fit and the Spencer Institute. Since 1996, Pasha has traveled to workshops and conferences to become trained in various aspects of the fitness profession. She is trained in kickboxing, step/aerobics, Pilates, spinning, weight training, core/functional training and yoga and tai chi. Her specialty is turning "newbies" (her favorite clients) into athletes who can't imagine a life without exercise.

There are a lot of misperceptions about folks who live up here in rural New Hampshire. Rest assured, that even though you are in a very small town, Pasha takes several weeks a year to travel to Boston and New York to stay up to date on fitness trends and equipment. Her "hobby" is to research and try out new exercise programs in her classes. She buys all the videos (so you don't have to!) and takes the best of all of them to create innovative and constantly changing routines to keep the members motivated and fit. She grew up outside of Washington DC and has lived and worked in the fitness profession in Florida, New York, Seattle, and Connecticut. At 42, she still teaches most of the classes and every day thanks her lucky stars for a job she enjoys.

Over the past 15 years, Pasha has also worked as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Preschool Teacher, and Physical Therapy Assistant. After working with families in crisis, Pasha wanted to find a more preventive method of therapy.  Blending her interests in psychological and physical health, Pasha began developing parenting programs and women's wellness workshops that addressed the need to take care of one's self on various levels (physically, emotionally, spiritually). She continues working with individuals and families as a Certified Holistic Counselor and Life Coach. Currently, she is working with children and adults dealing with co-parenting, PTSD, cancer, chronic pain, weight issues, sexual orientation issues and nutritional changes. Pasha is exploring a gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free lifestyle and is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge on healthy eating habits. No matter your age, activity level, race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or gender, Pasha is open to talking with you about your personal goals and concerns. All counseling/life coach sessions are held in a private room and information gathered is handled with complete confidentiality and respect.

Pasha believes that yoga, which she has studied since 2001, was the missing piece in her puzzle as she explored ways to find true peace within herself and her body. She is thrilled to introduce people to the world of yoga and fitness and help others to meet their personal and fitness goals. She is especially excited by the idea of introducing yoga, tai chi and fitness to those with joint replacements, injuries, illnesses and chronic pain. After many years of hip pain, Pasha finally received a metal hip replacement in November of 2006 (and then had a revision due to metal toxicity in 2012). Thanks to daily classes in yoga, tai chi and toning, she is returning to her active lifestyle and has not lost strength nor mobility to do the activities she enjoys.

Pasha lives at Holland Hill Studio with her two school-age children (Josh and Emily), husband John, and toddler (Jamie).  In her spare time (?) Pasha enjoys developing sprint triathlons and local races, creating art, cooking, hiking, hanging out with friends and loving her family. She is incredibly thankful to all of her kind and loyal members and friends who cared for her during her divorce, remarriage, new baby, and hip replacement surgeries and continue to bring happiness and purpose to her work.

Credentials:

• B.A. in Psychology from the University of MD at College Park
• M.F.T. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Lutheran University
• ACE, group instructor certification since 1992
• ACE, rehabilitation specialist
• NESTA, personal training certification
• YogaFit, yoga instructor certification
• Yoga training with Beryl Bender Birch, Shiva Rae, Sean Corn, Rodney Yee
• Tai Chi Institute, Tai Chi for Arthritis
• PIA, Pilates Institute of America
• CHLC, Certified Holistic Life Counselor and Certified Life Coach

MORE STAFF BIOS COMING SOON!