Personal Pilates Plus Staff

Katie Thornhill - Owner & Founder of Personal Pilates Plus in Arvada

Katie Thornhill

The owner of Personal Pilates Plus has been in the fitness and wellness industry since 1983 and opened her personal training/fitness business in 1996.  Katie specializes in Pilates, personal fitness training and MAT-muscle activation techniques.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in exercise and sports sciences, with a concentration in Wellness Management from CSU in 1991.  She has been a personal trainer for 35 years and is certified through National Strength and Conditioning Association.  She earned an Associate’s Degree as a physical therapist assistant in 1998 and worked at St Anthony Central in acute neuro-trauma.  She received her Pilates certification in 1999 and has been training herself and others ever since.  Katie  and is now currently being certified in the 2nd level as a MAT, muscle activation techniques, specialist.  She is certified in pre-natal/post-partum exercise.  She taught gross anatomy, anatomy, physiology and medical terminology at CSU and DTC.  Her passion is facilitating a balance in life with family, education, occupation, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual wellness.  She loves rock climbing, river rafting, camping and all outdoor exercise (indoors, when she can’t be outside)

Heather Lee - Pilates Instructor at Personal Pilates Plus in Arvada, CO

Heather Lee

Heather Lee has her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1993. She obtained her Physical Therapists Assistant degree from Denver Technical College in 1999. Heather received her Pilates certification from the Donna McLean studio and has been using her knowledge in both a rehab setting and here in the studio. She has worked in the physical therapy setting since 1995 in sports medicine and manual therapy settings. Heather continues to work full time as a Physical Therapist Assistant. In her spare time, Heather enjoys the Colorado outdoors and telemark skiing and competes in triathlons.

Carrie Davidson - Pilates Instructor at Personal Pilates Plus

Carrie Davidson

 I recently moved here from California and am so excited to be working at Personal Pilates Plus! I worked as a Women’s Pelvic Health Therapist for the last 10 years. There I fell in love with Pilates and completed my Comprehension Teacher training certification through Basi Pilates International.  I was able to incorporate Pilates with my patients for rehabilitation and teach group equipment and mat classes.  I specialize in pre and post natal care, back-hip and pelvic disfunction, postural alignment and women athletes. I received my 200 hour yoga certification and look forward to teaching that as well! It’s been a crazy year and I look forward to being back in the studio working with all of you and the amazing instructors here at Personal Pilates Plus.

 

Heidi Kullman - Yoga/Pilates Instructor at Personal Pilates Plus

 

Heidi Kullman
Hi, my name is Heidi. I am a Colorado Native. I live in Arvada with my Husband, and 3 daughters. I have been teaching Yoga for over 12 years with over 300 Hours of Yoga Teacher Training. I have experience teaching Vinyasa, Power, and Gentle Yoga Classes. I have a certification for Mat Pilates and have been consistently teaching mat classes for over 6 years. I teach a multi-level class placing a strong emphasis on form, and proper technique. I keep my classes fresh and fun. I would love to see you in one of my classes at Personal Pilates Plus in Arvada! Heidi will be teaching Thursday mornings (virtual) at 6:45am for the MAT class as well as 1 Saturday a month! Jump on over to our website and sign up!

 

Emily B.
Emily is passionate about living a balanced, yogic life. As a mindful movement practitioner, she finds joy in teaching others how to find physical and emotional strength. She specializes in teaching Vinyasa Yoga and Pilates for seniors. Her classes are alignment based and core centered. She likes to emphasize the importance of breath, encouraging students to move with their own breath and listen to the wisdom of the body. 

Yoga has taught her how to find peace within the chaos of the world we live in. It has shown her light where there was darkness, helping her move through grief and live life with less pain. She is a forever student of Yoga Therapy, Ayurveda, and holistic healing. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, traveling, and spending time alone in nature.

 

Azzie Crean
Hello, my name is Azzie, and I have been practicing yoga for over 10 years. I received my 200 hour certification at The River Yoga in Denver, Colorado in 2022. I specialize in teaching yin yoga, as well as the practice of Vinyasa yoga. My mission is to create a community through the shared experience of breath and movement, connecting people to the deeper aspects of themselves and the world around them. My classes are designed to help students release tension and cultivate inner awareness, while building strength, flexibility, and resilience. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a beginner, I invite you to join me on your mat to explore the transformative power of yoga together.

 

Marisa Farrah
Marisa is a proud Colorado native and graduate of CSU and DU! Marisa has a passion for wellness and fitness that began in her youth as a competitive gymnast. After an injury and subsequent surgery in 2010, Marisa began taking pilates classes to rehabilitate, gain strength, and improve flexibility. She soon realized all the benefits of the practice and has continued ever since. With her background in yoga, Marisa brings a holistic quality to her instruction. She lives in Littleton with her family, 2 cats, and her pug Lola!
Heather Behrends - Pilates Instructor

 

Heather Behrends
Heather Behrends took her lifelong enthusiasm for exercise and moved from coaching gymnastics to becoming an exercise instructor in 2011. She is nationally certified and teaches a variety of classes as she shares her love of fitness and wellness with others. When she isn’t teaching classes, Heather is a wife and mom to 3 boys and spends as much time outside in the amazing Colorado weather as possible.

 

Caellaigh Klemz
Caellaigh (Kay-lee, she/her) started practicing yoga in 2012, and received her 200-HR YTT at Yogaview in Chicago. Yoga has helped her move through physical injuries. She is interested in adaptive, playful, and restorative flows, and creating an inclusive environment for students of all levels. She also focuses on meditation and mindfulness during class. She started learning aerial yoga in 2017, and expects to complete her teachers certification in it in 2024. In her free time, she’s trying to make it to all the national parks – she’s at 15 out of 63, so far.
You can find her on Instagram @flow_with_cae.
Heather Gilbert - Yoga Instructor in Arvada at Personal Pilates Plus

 

Heather Gilbert

Heather integrates yogic knowledge into her daily life to gather awareness in order to best serve her community and fulfill her calling. She values the mind, body and subconscious connection and is passionate about the intersection of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience and anatomy. She believes that by spending time in awareness, we have the potential to act from an informed, grounded space. This is our ability to shape our own development and is the foundation of our freedom and our power.

 

Heather comes from a right-handed tantric yoga tradition and draws heavily from the Krishnamacharya lineage. She emphasizes weaving together various techniques, philosophies and holistic approaches. She uses these various tools to meet students in their current state and to co-create an intentioned journey. Heather has also taken specialized training in mental health and wellness and trauma informed yoga. 

 

Heather’s classes can be physically demanding, but they always emphasize the connection of breath and movement over shapes. Classes are designed as a process of moving into a stillness state of mental clarity. She loves incorporating functional movement and contralateral and ipsilateral movements to join the body, mind and subtle body in synchronous movement and expression.

 

Outside of yoga, Heather enjoys hiking, rock climbing, skiing and reading and is a current student at the University of Colorado Denver working toward a Master’s in Clinical Counseling. 

Adrian - Yoga Instructor at Personal Pilates Plus

 

Adrian Quintana

Hello! My name is Adrian, I’m so excited to walk with you on your yoga journey.
I began my own yoga journey 4 years ago as a new mom of twins. After pregnancy, I experienced some complications that affected my lungs and breathing. My doctor suggested yoga to re-train my breathe, and although I was reluctant at first being used to fast paced fitness activities, I decided to give it a try. I discovered that not only did yoga help with my breathing difficulties, but it also provided a sense of safety and stillness to my very busy life.

Three years later, I decided to pursue a yoga teacher training and I’ve been providing that same safe space to other people ever since. I was trained through a school that focused on Hatha Yoga and I tend to stick with Hatha in most of my classes. I feel it is safe for most people and really gets you in-tune with the sensations in your body while providing the most opportunity to tone and strengthen your muscles.

I’m so thankful for what yoga gave me and what I continue to learn about myself and others through it! The feedback I’ve received from my students is that they like how calming my voice is and they feel loved and safe with me- there is nothing more fulfilling than that!

When I am not doing yoga or talking about yoga, I like to spend time with my twins going out to eat or spending time with our friends and family.