About Zoa

After 4 years of a variety of continuing education work in the fields of Pilates, Fascial Movement, Anatomy, and more, I earned the recognition of Post Rehabilitation Specialist from Merrithew™. Whether you are dealing with an injury, preparing and recovering from surgery, or your body never worked quite right after that “thing” eons ago, I can guide your body and mind into better movement patterns, help you gain strength where you need it, and reach for the stars!

My expertise in pelvic floor health comes from various learning and teaching opportunities. My personal practice with pelvic floor work during my pregnancies and beyond give me experience to draw on for explanations that make concepts click for clients. Training as a natural childbirth educator, yoga teacher, and Pilates instructor mesh well to offer a variety of tools for connecting to, strengthening, and releasing pelvic floor tension. I became a Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist with Dr Sarah Ellis Duvall which trained me to identify and correct pelvic floor, abdominal, hip, foot, spine, and shoulder issues related to a weak or damaged core from pregnancy or other sources. I work with powerlifters, moms of twins, older men with hernias, and many more to reconnect them to the proper functioning of their core musculature so they can build strength and recruit the proper amount of tension for whatever you need!

My interest in fascia began with the Pelvic Power workshop by Eric Franklin of the Franklin Method. The entire world opened up after that! I was intrigued by how the body’s tension and sensory system creates a deep connection between body, mind, and emotions. I began experimenting with fascia props (toys!) and pursued training as a Zen•Ga® Qualified Instructor from Merrithew™, online courses about the Franklin Method®, and most recently completed training in Merrithew™ Fascial Movement.

I am a STOTT Pilates® Certified Instructor fully educated and qualified to offer exercise programming on the Equipment (Reformer, Chair, Cadillac, Barrels) and Matwork with additional Certification in Injuries and Special Populations. I enjoy focusing on teaching you about how your body is constructed and works so you can feel your muscles and build strength and control from the inside out.

Yoga has been part of my life since 2007. Like many others, I enjoyed the physical practice of yoga exclusively at first before being shown the wonders and joys of the rest of yoga. Now, not a day goes by where I do not practice yoga off my mat; I practice on my mat as often as I can. Well over 1000 hours of teaching yoga explains why I can tailor a class to meet the needs of every person in the room. Starting mid 2018, I was an E-RYT200 teacher registered with Yoga Alliance. My experience and knowledge is sometimes shared with other yoga teachers through Continuing Education workshops or private instructor mentoring. I have been an approved Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). I am currently unaffiliated but yoga will always have my heart and mind.

Zoa is a Certified Nutritional Consultant as certified by the AANC, The American Association of Nutritional Consultants. I have been a local food advocate since the birth of my children. My definition of local foods are those grown within 25 miles of my kitchen. I have sourced as much of my diet as possible from local organic farms and sources since I met Gabrielle from Next Step Produce when I was a La Leche League Leader circa 2002. Join me for a Nutrition Consultation and step up your wellness!

As a child in a Montessori school, my curiosity driven explorations of the world were intensely cultivated. Because I believe we never stop learning, I still actively seek knowledge in any area that interests me. I grow my wide knowledge base as frequently as possible. Sometimes I opt into an official program that yields a certification. Sometimes I create my own array of resources and experiences to teach myself the exciting topics I have uncovered. One of the most important skills I acquired on my way to my PhD, is how to see and build connections between different pieces of information to create a stronger web of knowledge for both of our uses!

My personal definition of biohacking is the art and science of experimenting with how to improve and support your own unique biology through knowledge, exploration, and analysis. Anti-aging is often the goal while disease prevention and an enriching, beautiful life are the benefits of good biohacking. Because no one knows how you feel better than you, your experience and analysis as you make lifestyle changes is crucial to the success of your wellness journey. Through my membership in the Upgrade Collective (led by Dave Asprey), we have access to a wealth of ideas, information, and experiences to draw on as we customize your personal Functional Wellness Roadmap.

As my desire to learn about the body, how it heals, and how to support that natural healing ability grew, I chose to participate in the Academy of Naturopathic and Functional Wellness’s Mentorship program led by naturopathic doctor Jennifer Savage, ND. For me this was perfect – learning, gaining feedback, getting assistance when needed as I expanded into areas like Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, Functional Blood Chemistry, Gut Health, Detoxification, and more!