Karlon Kepcke's interest in movement and fitness began in 1984 when she started training in the Brazilian art Capoeira. She continues to train, teach and perform Capoeira. In 1994 to expand her knowledge of the body and movement she began studying the Pilates method. Karlon is a certified Pilates instructor and did her training with Madeline Black. She continued her study of manual therapy with Jean Claude West and Dr. Maud Nerman. She has been teaching Pilates in Marin County since 1996 and specializes in rehabilitation and injury prevention. She is also a certified massage therapist trained in deep tissue, sports massage and cranial-sacral therapy.

Karlon finds the most rewarding thing about teaching Pilates and mind-body fitness is helping injured clients return to health and eventually to a pain-free life. She uses a synthesis of hands-on bodywork and appropriately sequenced exercises to facilitate pain-free movement and restore circulation to injured areas. Pilates exercises stimulate the central nervous system to help muscles unwind and create new movement patterns. The exercises balance muscle groups to help the client move from intrinsic muscles, creating more graceful and fluid movement.

When Karlon is not teaching Pilates, she enjoys spending time with her son, Leo, and her husband, Max, and hiking the hills with her dog, Lightning. She also loves playing Capoeira, downhill skiing, river rafting, boogie boarding, gardening, and reading a good book--and swimming in any body of water available.

Maria’s journey to wellness has taken her through many different modalities to the point where she found that she needed to take charge of her own health in a more methodical way through training in pilates, practicing Gyrotonic and more recently the MELT method. Maria is a PMA Certified pilates teacher since 2010 and also a MELT Method instructor. MELT assists the nervous system through hydrating the connective tissue, de-stressing the body, stabilizing and strengthening to achieve more balance and efficient body movement.

Maria has always been active, but it was not until 1995 that she began a more focused approach to staying healthy. Ballroom dancing became a passion and also long distance running. Pilates was a conduit to enhance the former and help steer clear of injury, as well as help the back and neck issues brought on and intensified by playing violin, dancing and just life in general.

The person who first introduced pilates into Maria’s world was Roberta Meyer, beloved dance teacher and mentor, who advised her to see Suzanne Martin, DPT and pilates instructor. From there classes with Ellie Herman, pilates teacher training course and eventually teaching. Maria has taught pilates in a physical therapy setting in Marin since 2009.

The primary motivators in her continuing development has been Madeline Black, whom she has been seeing for years for workshops and privates, being her ‘pilates guru’, as well as encouraging Maria to look beyond the pilates scope into IMT and other modalities, Gil Hedley’s Integral Anatomy Intensives among them. All of which is influencing the way Maria looks at the body and her teaching style.

To help people live a more healthy and balanced life using MELT and Pilates is a privilege and dream come true for Maria.

In my 20th year as a certified senior-level Pilates instructor I'm continually inspired to teach Pilates, the method of movement created by Joseph H. Pilates.

After dancing professionally, I thought that becoming a nurse would be a solid career choice. I received my A.S., but then in 1999 I survived a life-threatening cervical spine injury. After rehabilitating at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital's Dance Medicine Center, I was led to extensively study The Pilates method as an amazingly powerful and refined tool for orthopedic injury rehabilitation and prevention, as well as an unparalleled conditioning program for all levels of movement, dance, sports, and performance art.

I completed an advanced teacher’s training program at Turning Point Studios in Walnut Creek, and then was hired at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital's Dancemedicine Center. For seven years I worked at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital’s Center for Sports and Dancemedicine in San Francisco and Corte Madera, Ca. – Dr. James G. Garrick, Director. As a certified Pilates instructor, Dancemedicine Specialist, and physical therapist aide, my education and experience is primarily in Pilates-based orthopedic rehabilitation (concurrent or post physical therapy), injury prevention, and sports and dance conditioning.

I’m grateful to have studied from and worked with some of the most masterful connoisseurs of the body such as; Mercy Sidbury, Nora St. John, Marie-Jose Blom, Elizabeth Larkam, Jean-Claude West, Brion Charles, P.T., Dr. David Kell, Dr. James G. Garrick, Kathleen McDonough, P.T., Deborah Rose (Director San Francisco Gyrotonic), Jane Austin (Master Yoga Teacher.), and many more who still inspire my teaching so very much. In 1988 I studied with Jocelyn Olivier and David Weinstock at Alive & Well! Institute of Conscious BodyWork® and NeuroMuscular Reprogramming (NMR)® , and became a Certified Massage Therapist. I attended Saint Mary’s College’s LEAP program (working professional dancer’s B.A. program), and was happily interrupted with my greatest teaching of all, the birth of my daughter. While pregnant, I received my yoga pregnancy teacher's training certificate from master teacher Jane Austin.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with students from Marin Ballet, Marin Dance Theatre, San Francisco Ballet School, and Studio ‘B’ in Israel. My past experiences as a professional dancer, a certified massage therapist, and a certified medical assistant in women's healthcare clinics have laid the groundwork for me to work with clients of all ages and physical abilities. I am very inspired to work with performing artists, dancers, athletes, the senior community, and children of all ages. Pregnancy, birthing, and motherhood have inspired me to work with pre-/postnatal women.

Having healed rapidly from my total hip replacement in 2018, I am very enthusiastic to teach pre+post surgery strengthening exercises to insure quick healing from THR surgery. Working with the senior community is a passion of mine, and I long to help people who experience pain and discomfort in their daily lives. I worked with my aging father who had Parkinson’s and Type 1 diabetes. Pilates-based movement increased his quality of life tremendously. I work often with those who experience chronic or acute back and/or joint pain due to injury, repetitive stress, scoliosis or osteoarthritis. Regular Pilates sessions accompanied with a solid individually choreographed Pilates-based home program is life-changing for most.

Life is short, and I am passionate about helping people feel better while we are living in these precious bodies of ours.

—Kimberley Michelle