Mike Phillips has always had a passion for extreme-sports.  In 1987 he began snowboarding as a Pro-Form Rider and in 1988, a Flow-Rider for various companies.  In 1995 he began competing professionally for Never Summer Snow boards (later, changing to Nitro snowboards), Burton boots and bindings, Arnette Optics, Concept Clothing, Specialty Sports, Mountain Creak Resort, Intra West, Pepsi Co., Duffs Shoes and Kue Wax.

During his years of competition, he experienced various injuries; he dislocated both shoulders, rolled both of his ankles, broke his tail bone, dislodged and broke several ribs, a broken elbow (which took major reconstructive surgery to repair), he dislocated his jaw, fractured his skull, and dislocated both of his knees. Although he was told that his knees had to be replaced, due to a partial tear in the ACL, PCL, and a bruised meniscus (from the dislocation), he refused to undergo surgery due to the lengthy recovery time and other issues associated with replacement surgeries.  So, he began his quest for a way to rebuild and repair his knees without surgery.  At last, Mike discovered the benefits of pilates!  This opened the door for him to rebuild his whole body.  He has now freed himself of asthma, arthritis, neck pain, back pain, and still has his own knees. He has had great success in helping his clients meet--and in some cases exceed--their goals for a pain free life.

Mike obtained his certifications in 2003 from PCC in Raleigh, NC.  He then opened The Core-A Pilates Studio, and in 2007 Mike and Amber expanded the pilates studio to become Body Synergy, a wellness center offering skin care, massage therapy, yoga and pilates. In 2012, with a better focus on the rehab of his clientele, added Directional Non-Force Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage, and Qi Gung to his practice. His goal is to help you keep your original parts as well as assist in post-surgery rehab.  “After experiencing so many different types of injuries, along with the options I was given for recovery, I began to feel like there wasn’t any hope left for me to continue with the active lifestyle I’ve always enjoyed,” says Mike, “Once I discovered the power of Pilates, I was given a new lease on life!  I am so inspired, everyday, by my clients as they move towards healing and rebuilding their bodies. I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of that process.” 

Fleming Lomax began dancing as a young girl in her hometown of Goldsboro, NC.  She danced with Goldsboro Ballet and continued her training in high school at North Carolina School of the Arts. She attended UNC-Greensboro on scholarship; there she received the Virginia Moomaw Award for dance theory and performance and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Dance Education.  Fleming's teaching career includes faculty positions at Dreyfoos School of the Arts (West Palm Beach, FL), Denver School of the Arts (Denver, CO), the company school of Ballet Nouveau Colorado, and currently at Asheville Center of Performing Arts where she is Director of Asheville City Ballet.  Fleming's performing career includes two seasons with Kim Robards Modern Dance Company and four seasons with Ballet Nouveau Colorado. She retired from professional ballet in 2005 but enjoys an occasional return to the stage as a guest artist, most recently as Emily Webb in Phillip Jerry's ballet adaptation of the Thornton Wilder classic, Our Town. 

Fleming received her Pilates certificate from The Pilates Center of Boulder, a world-renowned training facility where she completed a year-long internship in classical Pilates.  She graduated in 2005, returned to her home state of North Carolina, and joined the staff of The Core-A Pilates Studio, now Body Synergy, in September of that year.  "Working with clients each day is so rewarding," says Fleming, "because I get to see people make mind-body connections which empower them and enhance their quality of life.  I firmly believe in the Pilates method, because it is relevant to everyone-- from the fine-tuned athlete to the person rehabilitating from surgery or injury.  It encompasses the needs and goals of each individual.  How fulfilling it is to witness daily the infinite possibilities of the human body! I leave work in awe!" 

Susan and her husband, Rick, moved to the Carolinas in 2005 in search of that "small hometown" to raise their two boys, Kyle & Karl. They immediately fell in love with the area. Susan was an avid runner for many years until she broke her foot in '09. Knowing that she couldn't sit idle for 3-4 months while her foot healed, she searched for a new exercise regime and found Mike and his Pilates studio. Susan started with one class a week but soon was up to five. Pilates gave her a mind to muscle connection that she had never experienced before. In just a few short months she saw her body transform in strength and tone.….she was hooked! Her love of Pilates took a new turn in December 2011 when she decided to expand her knowledge and train to become a certified instructor through Balance Body.  Susan is blessed to be able to pass on her love and knowledge of Pilates to her clients so they too can experience the positive change in their body and mind. 

I was first introduced to Pilates through dance. I was told that Pilates would help give me the strength and alignment necessary to improve my dance technique. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the benefits of Pilates went deeper than simply helping me dance. It creates an awareness that ensures that my body is well-rounded: strong, mobile, aligned, efficient, and connected. No matter what my body has done outside of the studio (cardio exercise, dancing, walking, etc.) I know that when I come into the Pilates studio I will leave with a healthier, well-balanced body. Pilates is designed to work with each individual body and is adaptable to each individual need. It can be as rigorous as it can be therapeutic. It has made me a stronger, more precise dancer, has helped me prevent injuries, and overall has improved my day-to-day life.

Elizabeth Huntley is an Classically/Authentically trained Pilates Instructor. Her dance training is in modern release technique, Limón, and Ballet. She has studied dance, education, and Pilates at Appalachian State University. She gained her Pilates certification from Penelope Barrow (2nd generation Pilates instructor) and has attended Pilates workshops from Mejo Wiggin, Blossom Leilani Crawford, and Jay Grimes. Elizabeth also continues to develop her dance training by attending release technique workshops at LaCantera in Mexico City, Mexico and teacher training workshops through the José Limón Foundation New York City, New York. She is a dancer, dance teacher, Pilates instructor, and exercise enthusiast. She teaches dance technique, improvisational dance, somatic dance, Pilates, and is an active Pilates practitioner who wishes nothing more than to help you begin or continue your Pilates practice.

Catherine Bedard – Pilates Practitioner

Catherine has thirty-four years of experience in the health and fitness industry. She has taught in clubs, studios and in clients’ homes in Georgia, New York, Florida, Illinois, California and now North Carolina. She has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from City College of New York, she attended the Alvin Ailey School of American Dance, and she worked in the dance industry for 10 years in NYC. She is certified by the PhysicalMind Institute and by the National Pilates Certification Program to teach the full spectrum of apparatus-based Pilates exercises and she is an American Council on Exercise certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer with specialty recognition in Pre/Postnatal fitness. Catherine loves to develop new skills when opportunities present themselves and she is passionate about helping her clients attain their aspirations. Catherine maintains that with dedication and action we can all experience the joy and freedom of movement that are paramount to overall health and contentment.

Catherine believes that the Pilates technique provides something for every person, no matter what age, background or skill level. By restoring balance to the body and mind students learn to move in a manner that alleviates tension and increases energy and vitality. Her sessions place emphasis on strengthening the “core” muscles of the torso, while increasing the range of motion in the extremities.

Catherine’s athletic and dance backgrounds inform her session structure, and she enjoys creating sequences that flow, keeping her students focused on form while allowing them the latitude to participate in the process of self-empowered growth.

Amberly has always had a passion for science, but it wasn’t until she was getting her chemistry degree that she found her real passion was the science of movement. It took her 4 years in the chemistry industry to realize her true calling.

Amberly’s experience teaching in fitness began in 2013 when she was working for a Naval Laboratory in upstate New York. She started teaching in yoga and barre in New York before moving to the Washington, D.C. area to pursue a massage therapist license.

When Amberly met her military spouse and moved to Kansas with him, she was introduced to mat Pilates. Pilates intrigued her. When they relocated to Austin, Texas, Amberly started working as the general manager of Club Pilates. This is when she fell in love with Pilates on the equipment.

Having lifelong hypermobility issues, she found using the equipment felt right for her body. She finally felt centered and stabilized through an exercise program. In 2020, she started her comprehensive Pilates training with Balanced Body.

Amberly knew she wanted to take additional training surrounding the nervous system and movement due to her own experience with a neurological issue during her pregnancy, watching her mother experience a brain tumor, and research on the bio-psycho-social model of movement. As she was going through her comprehensive training, Amberly took additional courses in Pilates and yoga for neurological conditions, EDS (Ehlers Danlos syndrome), POTs (postural orthostatic tachycardia), BREATHE certification, Duke Health Coaching certification, and movement for trauma.

Amberly and her family arrived in Hendersonville September 2023. She looks forward to serving the community with her experience in Pilates.