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 / Morning Receptionist
Bridget keeps the studio running smoothly with her warm welcome and attention to scheduling. The "glue" of
Center of Balance, she responds to inquiries, schedules appointments, signs in classes, and manages 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 9:30am - 12:30pm. You can reach her at 650-967-6414.Back to Top
 Kim Boman, 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
 Owen Grady, Instructor
Owen has been teaching Pilates and Yoga full-time in the Bay Area since 2002. He is a certified Physical Mind
Institute Apparatus, Mat and Standing Pilates instructor. He began his studies and teaching of Pilates with nationally-recognized Pilates Master teacher Tom McCook, founder of Center of Balance in Mountain View, CA. He
credits Tom's mentorship & coaching as key factors in his rapid development and success in teaching movement
full time. In 2005, Owen began studies with Eric Franklin, founder of the Franklin Method, combining vivid imagery
and experiential anatomy to help people navigate their bodies with greater ease and facility. Owen is a Level 2 Franklin Method Movement Educator. He is also certified by Pino Carbone of Body Code Systems in Bodykey
instruction. Owen's Yoga teaching is founded on a combination of his personal practice of Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga and more recently influenced by the Core driven styles of Ana Forrest and Jill Miller, with whom Owen
recently completed his Level 2 Yoga Tune Up® certification. Yoga Tune Up®, developed and created by Jill Miller, is a "whole body"
regenerative fitness system integrating elements of Yoga, calisthenics and body therapy.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.
 Jennifer Hughes, Instructor
Jen was first introduced to Pilates at the age of sixteen from a background in dance. She began her formal Pilates
certification training with Ellie Herman and later studied rehabilitation through movement under Nora St. John to
further understand the anatomical body mechanics behind the repertoire. In 2007, Jen continued her movement education by undergoing GYROTONIC® Level 1 training with Master Trainer Nora Heiber. After experiencing
firsthand the remarkable improvement in her neck pain through this method, she pursued a secondary certification
on the GYROTONER® with Master Trainer Lisa-Marie Goodwin. In 2009, Jen completed her Foundation training in
Svaroopa®, a non-active form of yoga. Using props to support the body into specific angles, the poses release spinal tension to create more movement and ease through the body and joints. Drawing from all of her
movement therapy expertise, Jen focuses with her clients on optimal posture alignment, ease in movement and breath, and improving overall body awareness in order to carry out their favorite activities pain-free.
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 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 studied at Mount Holyoke College, where she graduated in
2001. 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. Back to Top
 AnnaLena Thilderkvist, Instructor
AnnaLena comes from a background of dance, competitive gymnastics and running. During her maternity leave from her Engineering Manager position at Applied Materials, she decided to get certified to teach Pilates. She
quickly realized the benefits in her own body and the positive differences it made in her clients, and decided to
leave the corporate world to make her passion for movement into her new career. She has been studying with Tom McCook at Center of Balance since 2006, when she received her Mat and Standing Pilates certification from
PhysicalMind Institute, and completed her full equipment certification with Balanced Body University. AnnaLena
brings energy and spirit to her sessions, and is dedicated to helping each client reach their potential as they gain strength, balance, and flexibility, and inspire them to bring healthy movement into their daily life. Back to Top
 Therese Voelker, Instructor
Therese is a Physical Therapist and Polestar Certified Pilates Instructor. She earned her Master's degree in Physical
Therapy in 1993 and has received additional training in McKenzie and Maitland based manual therapy. Therese
began studying Pilates exercise with Master instructors Brent Andersen, P.T. and Elizabeth Larkham, M.A. in 1998.
Through this experience, she learned how valuable Pilates work is in the rehabilitation of orthopedic and sports
related injuries. Therese enjoys creating fun, innovative programs geared towards helping individuals restore balance, strength and healthy movement. Back to Top
 Michiko Wade, Instructor
Michiko Wade is a certified 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
In Memory of Brody
For many years, Brody was our unofficial greeter and could sometimes be found beneath the front desk
conserving his energy. Gentle and sweet, he specialized in human affection and may have licked your toes in exchange for a pat on the head. Brody passed away October 2008 and we miss him dearly. We adopted him from
Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue
, an organization in need of loving homes for rescued Labs - particularly in this tough economic climate and home foreclosure crisis, pets are now much more vulnerable to abandonment. For more memories of Brody, click here. Back to Top |
