Education Teachers

About Val
Val Russell is a certified Pilates and Yoga instructor. She began her Pilates training in 1998 at The Ellie Herman Studios in San Francisco, CA. She furthered her education in rehab Pilates with Lizz Roman. And has studied at the Pilates Center in Boulder. She is a certified trainer with the Pilates Method Alliance and Push Pilates is affiliated with the Pilates Method Alliance. Val's yoga training is through OM Yoga in New York with Cindi Lee and Midtown Yoga in Memphis with Sarla Nichols. Val has also studied with Hart Lazar, Richard Freeman and Jennifer Brilliant.

Val opened Push Pilates in 2002 where she began training out of a spare bedroom. And has grown the studio into a 3300 square foot house on Union Avenue and opened a second location in Oxford, Mississippi in July 2006. The programming has expanded to include yoga, massage, workshops, continuing education, Teacher Training, and a clothing line, PUSH wear.

Val combines an evolved Pilates repertoire with physical therapy methods using tools such as the Feldenchreist foam roller, small balls, physio-balls, flex bands, magic circles and now YOGA. Val continually strives to integrate her fine art background and love of bodywork by offering current, fresh and creative bodywork and movement to the Memphis and Oxford communities.

About Susan
Susan Powers is a professional actress and singer. She completed her Pilates teacher training at the Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado under Amy Alpers, Rachel Siegel and Cara Reeser. The Pilates Center of Boulder has been labeled "The Harvard" of Pilates Teacher Training Programs". She has studied with Kathleen Stanford Grant, Ron Fletcher, Mary Bowen and Lolita San Miguel, first generation Pilates master teachers and all of whom studied under Joseph Pilates, himself. She currently teaches in San Francisco.In the bay area, she is known as a teacher of teachers. Susan is also among the first in the United States to become a Franklin Method Educator, Level I. (Log on to Franklin website to learn about the Franklin Method, www.franklin-methode.ch/content,6,r,_Ez.html) Susan is also a certified massage therapist. Push Pilates is honored to welcome Susan Powers as a teacher of our teachers.

About Donna
Donna Rosen endured chronic back pain for years before discovering Pilates. After doing Pilates on a regular basis for one year, her back, and entire body was the strongest it had ever been, and she was completely free from her constant pain. She received her training at the Ellie Herman Studios* in San Francisco, and has been passionately teaching others about the benefits of Pilates ever since. Donna recently moved back to Colorado (she graduated from CU in 1994), and is excited to be back in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and to be a part of the wonderful community that is so unique to Boulder. Because of Donna's journey through pain and into full body wellness, she brings into each session her compassion, understanding, and personal experience with rehabilitating injuries and chronic pain through the Pilates method.