OUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE INCLUDE:

• Stengthening
• Balance
• Self-Study
• Relaxing
• Empowering
• Stress Relief
• Elongating
• Quieting the Mind
• Connecting
• Being Present

8827 Columbia 100 Pkwy, Suite 1
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 715-1228

Synergy Pilates & Yoga is open to men, women, and children over the age of 12. It is owned by Charmaine and Rod Gordon who have been serving Howard County for over 17 years with Synergy Women's Fitness.

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Charmaine B. Gordon, Owner

Charmaine has over 20 years experience as a group exercise instructor. She is classically trained in Pilates and holds a Comprehensive Certification from Peak Pilates. She also holds a Pilates for Golf certfication.

Michelle Dello-Russo, Instructor

Michelle also comes from a fitness background (certified personal trainer). She is classically trained in Pilates, holding a Comprehensive Peak Pilates Certificate. She received her Pilates for Golf certificate in August 2006 as well.

Barbi Smole, Instructor

As a stay at home mom of two small children, Barbi, discovered Pilates as a solution for re-sculpting her weak and flabby body.  Amazed with the results, and looking for a new career, she started training for her Peak Pilates Certification in the spring of 2009.  Six months later she received her Level I Peak Pilates Certificate.

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Pat Barnes, Instructor

Patricia Barnes, MS, is an RYT 200 with over 25 years experience as an Occupational Therapist. She began her personal yoga practice over 30 years ago and completed her teaching certification through the Yoga Center of Columbia, Maryland in 2003. Her special interest areas include healthy aging, and management of pain and chronic conditions. Pat strives to adapt yoga to the individual and to assist each client to reach his or her full potential.

Amanda Bergner, Instructor

Amanda is a dynamic and joyful Vinyasa flow yoga teacher who completed her RYT 200 level training at Flow Yoga Center in Washington DC. Her teaching combines the strength and flexibility gained from a strong physical practice with the peace and contentment that can be discovered through linking body, mind and spirit. Amanda is also active in the sport of triathlon and enjoys bringing the gifts of yoga to athletes of all levels.

Kimberly Berkstresser, Instructor

Kimberly Berkstressor, RYT 200, has been practicing yoga for 8 years, studying various traditions, and decided to earn her yoga teaching certificate in May 2008. She traveled to the Northeast coast of Scotland to participate in an intensive 4-week 200-hour course through the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center.  Kimberly is a firm believer in 'educational empowerment'; thus ensuring you learn about the tradition, philosophy and the many benefits this practice has to offer.
She is currently pursuing her Master's of Acupuncture from the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD and plans to incorporate the knowledge of this tradition into her teaching.

Rodger Carter, Instructor

Rodger teaches a challenging power flow style of yoga that works all aspects of one's strength, balance, and flexibility, in addition to enriching one's depth of connection between body, mind, and soul.   His teaching style is dynamic and he has a proven ability to work together with participants in order to assist them to meet their goals and potential.   His yoga teaching studies were done with Shiva Rea, and he continues his studies with her.  He thoroughly enjoys sharing his gift of yoga with others.

Julia Greiwe-Martinez, Instructor

Julia Greiwe-Martinez, a 200 RYT teacher, draws inspiration from a variety of traditions to create a playful and challenging practice.  A yoga instructor for six years, Julia has been practicing yoga since 1996, and is currently working on her 500 hour certification in pranakriya yoga.

Liz Schulman, Instructor

Liz Schulman, RYT 200, is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor. She completed her certification through the Yoga Center of Columbia in 2003. Liz integrates over 25 years of dance and musical theatre experience into her yoga practice. Her classes are a fun combination of body awareness, the joy of movement and postures, strength, flexibility, mindful breathing, and relaxation. More importantly, Liz loves sharing the joy of yoga.

Dana Arnold, Instructor

A life-long quest to find “balance in life” and to bring her life into balance has led Dana to pursue Yoga in many traditions. She has been trained in Iyengar style, flow yoga, and Kripalu Yoga.  She has a 500 hour certification in Kripalu Yoga which also provided me in depth training in meditation and pranayama practices. Along her journey, certifications in Pre-natal and Children’s yoga was added to her experience.  Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy helped to focus on the body-mind-spirit connection in people’s lives.

Most of all, having a deep love for people, nature, the Tao and Spirit; Dana really feels that we are all one, universally connected to bring about peace, harmony and love to this world.