STAFF
 Tom McCook, founder and director of Center of Balance, is a nationally-recognized fitness and movement
specialist. Beginning his full-time career in personal training in 1984, Tom designs programs for health and life
performance for working professionals, people rehabilitating from injuries, and world class athletes, including
Olympic Gold Medal swimmers Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Thompson and Misty Hyman.
Through years of continuous study and his strong commitment to a daily meditation and physical practice, Tom has developed a deep personal understanding of what it means to be balanced, strong, flexible and to
have a functional, intelligent body. His teaching approach integrates a range of training disciplines that broaden his effectiveness in designing programs for optimal health. In 2003, Tom produced "Combining
Pilates & Yoga for Balance," an exercise video that brings together the benefits of Pilates and Yoga. Tom was certified in Pilates in 1995 and has been teaching Pilates certification courses since 2001 for
PhysicalMind Institute formerly, and currently for Balanced Body University. He has been teaching Yoga since 1996 and has trained in
the United States, Mexico, and for a one-month intensive in India. Tom has studied with Ashtanga master teacher Sri K. Pattabhi
Jois, David Swenson, with whom he completed a teacher training in 1997, and Ana Forrest with whom he completed an advanced Yoga teacher training intensive in 2003.
Tom is certified in Personal Fitness Training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports
Medicine. In 1998, he completed a teacher training in Meridian / Resistance Stretching at the Meridian Stretching Center in Boston,
MA. In 2003, Tom became certified in BodyCode, an innovative system of strengthening, stretching and rehabilitation using
three-dimensional movements and specially-designed props. Center of Balance is one of the first studios in the United States to
integrate the BodyCode System into its teaching. In 2005, Tom graduated from the first Franklin Method teacher training in the US in
experiential anatomy and imagery, and completed the Level 2 teacher certification in 2007.
Tom was certified in 1989 in Shiatsu, a form of body therapy recognized in Japan as a medical treatment. He became an Associate
of the Lomi School in Somatic Education with Richard Strozzi Heckler in 1991. From 1991 to 1995, Tom underwent a four-year
apprenticeship in movement re-education, structural body work and Craniosacral Therapy. He received national certification in
Therapeutic Massage and Body Therapy in 1993. He completed intensive training in Myofascial Release (connective tissue therapy) from 1996 to 1999 with John Barnes, PT.
From 2000 to 2002, Tom underwent an intensive Focus Counseling training with Dennis Stevenson, designed to help individuals
create momentum and freedom in life by developing clarity of purpose and self-trust. This Life Coaching work has greatly enhanced
Tom's work with clients and increased his effectiveness in helping others become more successful in their lives.
In addition to the work Tom does at Center of Balance, he also conducts retreats nationally and abroad.
Click here for upcoming retreats.
Tom McCook and Center of Balance have been featured in national magazines, including Women's Sports Illustrated, Yoga Journal,
PilatesStyle, Self, and Outside, in USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News, and on TV programs including the Today Show and Evening Magazine.To contact Tom, email tom@centerofbalance.com Back to Top
 Karen deMoor, Business Manager
Together with Tom, Karen owns and manages Center of Balance. She oversees the business, planning and financial matters of the studio as well as designs the marketing materials and website. Karen's background is in
non-profit management and fundraising, communications, and international political advocacy. Her work has been
mainly involved in global environmental and human rights issues, with focus in Central and South America. She was the Development Director of Pesticide Action Network and National Press Director for Oxfam America, an
international development and disaster relief agency. She holds a BA in political science from Tufts University in
Boston. Karen has been practicing Pilates and Yoga since 1997, and completed PhysicalMind Institute's Initiation 101 Pilates Mat training with Tom in 2001.To contact Karen, email her at karen@centerofbalance.com
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 Bridget White, Receptionist / Studio Administrator
Bridget helps keep the studio running smoothly by responding to inquiries, scheduling appointments, signing in
classes, and managing our client database. She brings to Center of Balance a wide range of skills and experience in
administration, data management and reception work. Bridget is available Monday though Friday 9am - 12pm. You can reach her at 650-967-6414.Back to Top
 Stephanie Anthony, Associate Instructor
Stephanie is an associate Pilates instructor and completed PhysicalMind Institute's teacher training with Tom
McCook at Center of Balance. She was introduced to Pilates through ballet and comes from an athletic background in soccer and running. With the goals of gaining more flexibility and strength, she learned to
incorporate Pilates for increased awareness of movement patterns. Stephanie is inspired to share her passion for
Pilates with her clients and to help them develop a balance of functional strength, flexibility and increased postural awareness.Back to Top
 Kim Boman, Associate Instructor
Kim Boman is a Pilates instructor and has been teaching Ballet for over 14 years. She has danced professionally
with the Bavarian State Opera Ballet Company in Munich, Germany and later with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While training for the Nutcracker, Kim was introduced to Pilates as a means to
strengthen her core which had been challenged by two pregnancies. Pilates opened her mind and body to a more organic way of dance and movement, and she was inspired to become a certified instructor so she could share
her philosophy and training with others. Kim's goal is to help clients increase their range of motion, decrease muscle tension, build a stronger core, and develop more grace. Back to Top
 Arwen Brooke, Instructor
Arwen discovered Pilates by accident. She went into her first class thinking she was attending a yoga class! It was
love at first exercise though, and she began attending every Pilates class she could find until she finally decided
she'd like to share her love of the Pilates method with others and become an instructor. She completed her certification through PhysicalMind Institute in 2004 and continues to expand her education and skill through
specialized training at Center of Balance. Arwen is strongly influenced by the work of studio owner, Tom McCook.
She loves Pilates for its whole-body approach and its focus on wellness for the body AND mind. Her teaching style
is one of empowerment, encouraging students to learn their way into better fitness & an overall improved life experience.
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 Owen Grady, Instructor
Owen is a certified Pilates, Elvis "the Pelvis" and MasterStretch instructor, former competitive cyclist and Nordic
skier. He completed Center of Balance and PhysicalMind Institute's Pilates teacher training with Tom McCook. He
has practiced both Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga extensively and trained with senior instructors including Manuso
Manos, Ramanand Patel, and Nikki and Eddie Modestini. Owen's teaching style draws from his athletic background and strong influences from his Yoga practice. He teaches both Pilates and Yoga at Center of Balance.Back to Top
 Jocelyn H. Saiki, Instructor
Jocelyn is a Certified Pilates Instructor and a Franklin Method Level II educator. With her deep understanding of
functional anatomy, Jocelyn teaches clients to move with ease by utilizing the natural strength within their bodies.
Clients improve balance and coordination, enhance their performance in sports and daily life by understanding how
muscles and joints are designed to work. Jocelyn came to Pilates with a chronic back injury and learned how to
rehabilitate with Pilates and anatomy training. She provides fun tools for clients to incorporate Pilates form, focus
and breath into everyday activities, enjoy physical movement, feel stronger and find balance by embodying natural form and alignment.Back to Top
 Evangeline Kochanek, Instructor
Evangeline has been teaching Pilates since 2000 and is a faculty member of Balanced Body University. At age 16
she began practicing Pilates at the studio of Mary Bowen, one of Joseph Pilates original students, to address chronic sprains from dancing. Certified in Pilates with Ellie Herman, she also completed the Janda Method of
Neuromuscular Reprogramming with Lizz Roman. Evangeline's approach to Pilates is influenced by her background in modern dance and human anatomy and kinesiology at the university level. Patient and dedicated, Evangeline
works closely with clients to identify and help heal imbalances, with the ultimate goal of empowering them in their day-to-day activities.Back to Top
 Sue Meadows, Instructor
Sue Meadows is a Pilates Method Alliance Certified instructor. She completed her Pilates certification training with
Nora St. John and has trained with Valentin, Tom McCook, and Elizabeth Larkam, plus Stott and Powerhouse Pilates. She has been in the health and fitness industry since 1984 as a health promotion consultant, group
exercise instructor and personal trainer. In the transition into the second half of her life, Pilates has been a major
influence in Sue's personal and professional growth. She blends technical expertise, creative style and contagious enthusiasm, guiding clients to enrich their bodies and lives through movement.Back to Top
 Amy Moore, Instructor
Amy is a certified Pilates instructor and Elvis "the Pelvis" instructor. She completed her training with PhysicalMind
Institute and Tom McCook at Center of Balance. An experienced teacher by trade, Amy enjoys motivating and encouraging confidence through goal setting and personalized instruction. Her passion is to help clients improve
postural awareness and develop efficient, healthy movement patterns for everyday living. Through Pilates and a balanced lifestyle, she has experienced her own healing from neck and shoulder pain and brings energy and
enthusiasm to helping others experience freedom of movement. Amy is on maternity leave until the Summer. Back to Top
 Michiko Wade, Associate Instructor
Michiko Wade is an associate Pilates instructor and completed PhysicalMind Institute's teacher training with Tom
McCook at Center of Balance. She was introduced to Pilates in 2002 because of her chronic lower back pain. She
learned through Pilates how to eliminate/minimize pain with correct alignment and by creating length in the spine.
Michiko enjoys outdoor sports including jogging and hiking in nature. She is committed to helping people who want to develop functional strength and flexibility and create balance in life.Back to Top
 Brody, Greeter
Brody is our unofficial welcomer and can sometimes be found beneath the front desk conserving his energy.
Gentle and sweet, he specializes in human affection and may lick your toes in exchange for a pat on the head.
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