Vos-Fitness

Train to be fitter and stronger safely.  Over the course of the last 20+ years I’ve studied and trained in multiple disciplines of fitness like Pilates, Barre, traditional strength training, kettlebells and more. I use my years of experience training and teaching hundreds of bodies and blend these methods to challenge your body in a way that creates long lasting results.  Find better body awareness and flexibility while training to be fitter, stronger and learning what it truly feels like to move well.

Moving from the right place makes all the difference in the world.  It’s the subtle shift in a shoulder or a muscle that changes how you feel an exercise and more importantly how your body responds to it. It’s the little things that make people say, “I didn’t even know I had a muscle there!” When you truly feel and experience the ‘work’ from the right places, it’s game changing! 

It’s no secret that Pilates is my go-to mode of exercise and that I think everyone should do it.  That sounds pushy, but I do! Here’s why:  If you have a body, it should move.  All movement is not created equal.  The pilates methods will help you learn how it feels to be aligned and in control, to find strength in subtle places - and some not so subtle places.  The best part is this strength translates into everything else you do!  In most of the fitness programs I create, we’ll add some pilates-style exercises to build your base of strength.  But to be truly strong, you also have to be able to lift heavy things - like your body, a child, a kettlebell or your groceries.  For these reasons, I think it’s important to add traditional strength training exercises like deadlifts, squats and bench presses into a routine at just the right time to really challenge your body. The combination of traditional training and pilates movement will challenge your body to new levels.

Come share in an all levels flow with one of Peacebank Yoga’s wonderful instructors, Amanda. Peacebank Yoga studio is right around the corner and prides itself in offering yoga for everyone with top quality instructors. Amanda is a writer, teacher, and lifelong learner who views yoga as training ground for life. She crafts her classes to be safe spaces in which you can connect with yourself, explore your edges, slow the rush, and steady in the present moment. Amanda completed her yoga teacher training with Peacebank Yoga and teaches throughout the Bay Area.

Born and raised in and around Boston, I turned to yoga on a whim as a last-ditch effort to combat the everyday fatigue I was feeling during my freshman year in college. Sore and shaking after that first yoga class, I was blown away by the emotional and physical transformation that the practice so quickly provided. The experience inspired me to try other forms of exercise, eventually striking a balance between yoga, running and strength training. I have since built a career in fitness and academia that is driven by a passion for helping others through kindness and compassion. 

I have worked with diverse populations in fitness, healthcare and corporate settings throughout the Boston area and beyond.  In addition to being a personal trainer and yoga instructor I’ve also served as a domestic violence advocate at local community health centers. Whether I’m working in fitness or violence prevention, my methodology is the same – be kind to yourself. 

My approach to yoga and personal training specifically is light-hearted, fluid and allows for a practice that is firmly rooted in alignment and strength. Whether working together 1:1 in the gym or attending a yoga class, my clients can expect to walk away feeling accomplished and energized.

You’ll see me with an iced coffee every morning, even in the winter. On weekends, going for a long run outside, trying out local breweries with friends or enjoying brunch in the city (anywhere with poutine, please!).

My ten years of teaching experience often involves combining empathy, attuned attention to the body's mechanics, mindfulness and humor. My Improv comedy performance helps with the last one. My specialties are Pilates for Scoliosis, Gait Analysis (for runners + anyone who wants to treat compensations) and Pre and Post-natal Pilates. I am certified in STOTT Pilates (VA), The Kane School of Core Integration (NYC) and Mat Pilates for Dancers with Terri Steele Pilates (NYC).  I also completed FAMI cadaver workshop and AIM (Anatomy in Motion); a 6-day gait immersion with Gary Ward.  

I run my own business, Jessica Barzell Pilates in NYC and also have a mindfulness practice. I am extremely passionate about guiding people to their happiest potential --- physically and mentally.

As someone who has played sports my entire life - including college - I have found a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a moving body is most often a happy body. My goal as a trainer and coach is for you to leave each session feeling better than you did when you walked in. I love to learn and I want my clients to be able to gain knowledge that will improve their daily life both inside and outside of the gym. 

After college, I worked at the Brown Medical school doing obesity and diabetes research for women and children. Trying to minimize individual problems that had already occurred instead of working on more preventive medicine and health strategies had me feeling like I was working backwards. I wanted to be proactive and work with individuals before they sought out medical care for health/weight related issues. I knew the right path for me was to dive into one-on-one training, wellness and nutrition work. 

I take a holistic approach to training by incorporating mind and body into my movement practice. The focus of our sessions will go beyond physical training and will impact both emotional and physical health. I believe it is important that each person be on their own health track and because fitness is not one-size-fits-all it needs to be personalized to your needs and lifestyle. We’ll work on everyday strategies that you can implement to help you reach long and short-term goals. 

I came to yoga because it illuminated something for me.  Questions like, “Who am I?,” “Why do we suffer?,” and “Is there anything we can do about our stress, pain, and emotions?” suddenly became more spacious.  Through more than a decade’s worth of practice, I have come to realize that Yoga is a science of the Self.  Yoga gives us tools to not only ease pain and suffering but also to feel deep joy and love in the midst of life’s ups and downs.  
 

Always a student and a teacher, I have dedicated thousands of hours studying and training with Sri Dharma Mittra, who has taught classical yoga in the heart of New York for over 60 years.  My newest calling is Meridian Yoga Therapy, which combines Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupressure with Yoga, as founded by Rose Erin Vaughan, MSAc.  It is my hope to open the doors for you to access radiant physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual bliss by way of the inner teacher deep within your own heart.  

After several years in the corporate communication world, I left my job and transformed my part-time yoga career into a full-time health and wellness passion. My Physical Therapy work and research inspires my teachings with the latest and safest practices in mind-body medicine. Keeping my students healthy and safe through proper alignment is a priority.

I teach a variety of classes geared to all levels: vinyasa, core/power flow, HIIT, and one of my deeper practices, Restorative Yoga. I enjoy infusing my yoga classes with mindfulness techniques and playful movement sequences, and, of course, consistently updated playlists to keep you motivated! 

I’ve had the privilege of studying Restorative Yoga with Jillian Pransky, international yoga teacher, yoga therapist, & author. I love to share pieces of this practice with my students, helping them to relax deeper, and calm the mind/body to elicit a healing process.

My classes are about creating space, physically and mentally - with a goal that you will leave class feeling strong, nourished, rejuvenated, and ready to move through this journey of life! I am a true believer that mental health requires just as much attention as the physical body. 

I became a fitness coach in 2011 after realizing that fitness and nutrition were some of my favorite hobbies and subjects of research and conversation. I wanted a more meaningful carrier and it made sense to go for it. The satisfaction of helping people become the best version of themselves motivates me to continue challenging myself to become my yet best version.

I love to help people who want to learn how to move like kids again, physical freedom!!! ‍

Certifications

PTA Global Personal Trainer Certified

Precision Nutrition Level 1

USA Weightlifting Coach level 1

Animal Flow Coach 

Pilates Mat 1 & 2

Pilates Reformer 1 & 2

I began working in clinical research after graduating from college and I quickly realized that I enjoyed research study design almost as much as I liked exercise.  Graduate school for physical therapy became the logical next step, after which I began working for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital's orthopedic physical therapy department.  At that time, I also began working as a personal trainer to take a more preventive approach to fitness in combination with the reactive environment of physical therapy practice.

While physical therapy is an excellent option for rehabilitation after injury, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  I'm equally interested in helping you engage in exercise and movement so that you can enjoy both without hesitation or injury.  As a physical therapist and personal trainer, I'm constantly evaluating movement quality in each session and as patients and clients improve over time.  So, whether you are working on getting back on your feet post-surgery or preparing for a marathon, I am excited to be with you every step of the way.