Our Team

At Happy Body, our team is made up of compassionate, highly skilled instructors who bring both deep expertise and a genuine passion for helping others feel better in their bodies. Each member of our team offers a high level of personalized instruction and a commitment to meeting you where you are. We take pride in creating thoughtful matches between clients and instructors, and you’re always welcome to schedule sessions with different team members to find the fit that best supports your goals. We’re here to guide, encourage, and celebrate you—welcome to the Happy Body family.

**Mary Beth Chandler** - Pilates Instructor
Mary Beth has worked in the Fitness Industry for over 19 years. She discovered Pilates while working as a personal trainer and began introducing the method to her clients. Mary Beth became a Certified Stott Pilates Instructor in 2004. She furthered her studies with Polestar Pilates and still enjoys learning various forms of exercise and movement. She also holds certifications with ACSM as an Exercise Physiologist, TRX Suspension Training, RYT200 Hatha and Integral Yoga, and as a Post Rehab Breast Cancer Specialist with the Pink Ribbon Program. Mary Beth enjoys helping people discover a healthy lifestyle and happy body! She believes workouts should be fun, educational, and challenging.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
I fell in love with Pilates because I believe it's good for everybody! I love how much body awareness it creates helping us to address muscular imbalances and move with ease. It compliments day to day living, hobbies and activities.
**What is your favorite hobby outside the studio?**
I enjoy working in the garden, crocheting, needle felting, yoga and entertaining my cat! Taking a watercolor class is on my to do list!
**What is your favorite sweet treat?**
I'm a salty and spicy girl, however I do love dark chocolate.
**And a little love from one of her clients:**
I am so grateful for our work together over the last couple of years. I was definitely at a low point physically after completing my breast cancer treatment and our work together has helped me to get stronger and to feel more resilient. Thank you for your warmth, encouragement and guidance!
-S.G.

**Jessica Damon** - Pilates Instructor
Jessica has been teaching Pilates since 2006. She is grateful to have been mentored by Nora St. Jean and Naomi Leiserson, receiving their skillful transmission of the St. Francis Dance Medicine lineage of Pilates. This rehab-oriented training, coupled with her years spent working in a chiropractic clinic supporting clients during acute injury, were foundational to Jessica's teaching. She is also certified in Pilates for Scoliosis and Perinatal Pilates and has an MFA in Dance from CU Boulder.
Jessica draws on a wide range of complementary modalities in her teaching. Her sessions are non-traditional and often include concepts from Feldenkrais, Fascial Movement Training, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and many other somatic forms.
Outside the Pilates studio, Jessica is a grain-free baking aficionado, independent dance artist, mama, yogini, aspiring homesteader, secret singer, and accidental guardian to a very cute pit boodle and two hooded rats. She is thrilled to be joining the Happy Body community.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
I started having back problems at age 14 - too many backyard back-walkovers without enough core strength! During and after college these problems often flared up during peak periods of dancing and performance. In my 20s during a particularly bad flare a friend lent me her Advanced Stott Pilates Mat DVD - I spent an hour going through the (very challenging) repertoire and, upon standing up afterwards, had no pain! I was hooked and enrolled in a teacher training a few months later.
**What is your favorite hobby outside the studio?**
I love grain-free baking and hiking with my canine children, but hands down my favorite way to spend my time is dancing - it’s not really a hobby, more like a life passion! Most of my dancing life has centered around modern dance technique, choreography and performance, but since moving to Asheville I get most of my dancing fix through contact improvisation - a non-hierarchical, high-contact, full-bodied partner dance that explores gravity, momentum, flying, falling, weight sharing, and lifting. It's like applied Pilates! An expressive, athletic, somatically rich and sometimes high thrill form of play for grownups. And this summer I am hoping to learn a new partner dance - tango anyone?
**What is your favorite sweet treat?**
85% dark chocolate please and thank you very much :)
**And a little love from one of her clients:**
Jessica brings such deep knowledge and intentionality to every session. She listens, adapts, and makes Pilates feel completely personalized to my needs. Her creativity and gentle, therapeutic approach have been so supportive—I feel stronger and more in tune with my body because of her.
N.D.

**Alice Jane Eacho** - Pilates Instructor
Alice Jane has been a lifelong student and lover of Pilates since playing on her mother’s reformer as a child. She grew up in South Florida, then moved to New York City to pursue theatre after receiving her BFA from Stephens College in 2006. She found that she had developed injuries and habits from hyper-mobility and misalignment in dance and yoga, intense dance training (in heels!) and physically demanding rehearsals and show schedules. Alice Jane relocated to Asheville 10 years ago and her passion for Pilates was reignited throughout her pregnancy and postpartum. She credits this incredible work to her seamless home birth experience, as well as healing her body from old dance injuries and car accidents. She is the mother to a seven-year-old daughter, is still acting and working in voice-overs and commercials, dance companies, and singing in local performances. Alice Jane believes that we all have the right to pain-free healthy bodies so that we may fully embody our true purpose and enjoy the abundance of the gifts life has to offer us.
Alice Jane is a fully certified Balanced Body® Comprehensive Pilates Instructor.
She holds a certificate in “Practical Release”, and integrates therapeutic fascial release techniques into her teaching.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
Being a lifelong lover of all styles of movement, fitness and dance, pilates has offered me the most profound healing, especially through pregnancy/postpartum and rehabbing old injuries.

**What is your favorite hobby outside the studio?**
Gardening in the sunshine

**What is your favorite sweet treat?**
Fresh summer peaches

**And a little love from one of her clients:**

Ever since I stepped into the Happy Body world you’ve helped me reconnect with my breath and find more balance in my life. I truly look forward to our time together and the focus and calm I gain from your instruction benefits my entire week. Your guidance and expertise inspire me to push myself, even though I may look at you side-eye-ed when you ask me to do some crazy looking move, you gently remind me to just try it and see. Your classes have improved my strength, flexibility, and body awareness tremendously. Your emphasis on mind-body connection elevates the practice and I’m amazed by your attention to detail for each student’s needs. Pilates with you is my weekly recharge for mind and body and I couldn’t be more appreciative as well as your calming presence creates such a welcoming atmosphere. Keep Being You. Keep Teaching. Keep Learning. Keep Living!
-S.P.

**Christina Heldreth-Johnson** - Kinēsa Instructor
Christina is a Kinēsa Practitioner who offers a unique system of Feldenkrais-inspired movements to increase inner awareness. Her approach with clients involves various somatic modalities including Kinēsa for self-healing by flowing through stuck patterns related to stress and unresolved life events to find ease. Finding how each client moves through life is a unique design of their past movement histories. Her goal is to help clients turn their past body experiences into their natural state of well-being and vitality for a happy and healthy life.
Christina's movement story began when she was a dancer, which eventually led her into the world of Pilates and Yoga. Since 2002, she has been teaching Pilates and discovered early on in her dance training the benefits of Pilates, Hatha Yoga, and the Feldenkrais method to help enhance her flexibility, strength, and mindfulness.
Alongside her professional dance career as a Soloist for Columbia City Ballet, SC, and Principal dancer/Aerialist for Walt Disney World, Christina acquired her certifications through Stott Pilates, Physical Mind Institute, Hatha Yoga Level 1, as well as other certifications.
Outside of teaching, Christina loves all the beauties the WNC area has to offer, taking nature adventures with her wonderful husband and furry babies. Other favorite pastimes are decorating, journaling, reading, creating aromatherapy mixtures, art doodling, and sharing her love of fashion in the form of all that “SPARKLES!”
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
Pilates has been a part of my life since I was 14, it has helped me in many different capacities during and after my dance career.

My exploration of movement has now branched into the somatic world of Kinēsa which has further enhanced my Pilates and Yoga practices and teaching.

**What is your favorite hobby outside the studio?**
Outside of the studio I love dancing, camping, and being in Nature.

**What is your favorite sweet treat?**
My favorite treat is my Grandmother’s oatmeal cookie recipe. Home sweet Home YUMMINESS!!

**And a little love from one of her clients:**
Christina has introduced something totally new to my self care regimen. I love her positive energy- it’s absolutely contagious. Kinesa offers me an amazing tool to address areas of my body that might not feel optimal. Learning how to work with the nervous system and bones is intriguing, especially since I’ve spent years taking care of my muscles. I love this practice, but most of all, love the practitioner!
Thank you Christina! You are a light in my world!
-C.D.

**Eden Hughes** - Pilates Instructor
Eden is a mountain and movement lover, and has found a home in each. She is a comprehensive Balanced Body certified Pilates instructor and has been a long-time Pilates fanatic, first having found the medium as a means of cross-training for dancing and inevitably falling in love with the way that it gifts vitality back to the mover. Eden recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with majors in Dance and Arts Administration and a minor in Therapeutic Recreation, and her movement and wellness philosophy centers around joyful, informed movement. A mobile mind and body are the source of so many good, life-giving things! Eden is also a classically trained dancer, and uses her history of disciplined, embodied work to inform her exploration of wellness through Pilates. It is a joyous journey that never ends, and she is ecstatic to continue the journey in this wonderful community!
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
It all began with cross-training for ballet and ensuring injury prevention along the way.

**What is your favorite hobby outside the studio?**
Dancing

**What is your favorite sweet treat?**
Popsicles

**And a little love from one of her clients:**
I am truly a “happy body” because I have you as my Pilates instructor.
You always have a smile and a cheerful demeanor, and I appreciate both - even when you have me do squats and sits!

This old body has its aches and pains, but since you watch me like a hawk to be sure I’m doing everything safely and appropriately, I feel secure. You give me confidence and encouragement, and I know I am stronger because of you. I appreciate you and am so glad you are in my life.
C.H.

**Amanda Newcomb** - Pilates Instructor
Amanda is a certified Pilates instructor through Pilates Sports Center’s comprehensive training program based out of Encino, California. A dancer, Amanda discovered Pilates at Appalachian State University, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Studies and Nonprofit Management. As an undergraduate student, she was involved in the Appalachian Dance Ensemble, the App State Classical Pilates Program, and was an Excellence in Dance Scholarship recipient. An Asheville native, Amanda now enjoys dancing with the Asheville Ballet and implementing her own personal Pilates practice. She is excited to share Pilates with others and all the wonders it has to offer for both body and soul. For Amanda, Pilates is where artistry and athleticism collide and she loves helping others find their own inner beauty and strength.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
For me, Pilates was a practice in somatic sustainability. I loved the way it allowed me to take care of my body and the community of people it introduced me to.
**Favorite hobby outside the studio:**
I love dancing and crafting.
**Favorite sweet treat:**
Anything chocolate, but brownies are #1!
**And a little love from one of her clients:**
Amanda brings such lovely energy to every session. Her guidance is encouraging, helping everyone feel stronger and more confident in their movement. She creates a welcoming space where clients feel supported, challenged, and inspired. We’re so grateful for her passion, knowledge, and the warmth she brings to the studio!
J.G.

**Renee Giles** - Pilates Instructor
Renee is a lover and a believer in the power and wonder of movement. She is a certified STOTT Pilates instructor. She has been a mover her entire life and is glad to be back to the teaching realm after taking a break since COVID. Renee went to Ohio University to study dance, kinesiology, and choreography and that is where she was introduced to Pilates in 1998 after a car accident that left her unable to dance. Pilates brought her strength back and deepened her awareness of the connections within the body and made her fall in love with the work. Following that, she moved to Asheville, NC to continue her studies of the body and anatomy in massage school receiving her massage license, Renee has also been certified as a Dance for Parkinsons instructor as she continues to explore all the ways movement can help bring balance, joy and healing to the body. She is continually fascinated and in awe of the human body and loves to share her passion of movement with awareness of the body, breath and spirit.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
What sparked my passion for Pilates was in college, I was a dance major, after 1 of my car accidents, I couldn't walk and had so much pain, so instead of being in the dance studio, they sent me upstairs to the Pilates studio. It was miraculous to me how much it helped with not only taking away my pain, but brought my awareness so much deeper into the connections of the body and gave me so much more strength and balance than I had ever had before. I dove deep into understanding where the work stemmed from and the history of Pilates and i absolutely fell in love with the work.
**Favorite hobby outside the studio:**
My favorite hobbies outside the studio are walking with friends (especially on a warm sunny day), being poolside and my most favorite thing is watching my kids do what they love. I am a proud Mama.
**Favorite sweet treat:**
MMMM... favorite sweet treat is tough. Dark chocolate never fails and then there's coconut anything and lemon anything. I guess it depends on the day :)
**And a little love from one of her clients:**
Renee’s energy is absolutely contagious! She brings such joy and lightness to every class, while also grounding it in a solid understanding of how the body moves. I always leave feeling better—physically and emotionally. Her teaching style just really clicks with me.
F.T.

**Whit Zeh -** Studio Manager
Whit Zeh is a dedicated advocate for holistic well-being and has a deep desire to share the benefits with the community. As a wellness coach and certified yoga and meditation teacher, Whit is committed to helping individuals on their unique journeys toward better health and happiness. Whether leading classes or ensuring a seamless studio experience, Whit is dedicated to making Happy Body a space where everyone can thrive.
Outside the studio, Whit enjoys hiking with her dogs, immersing herself in the world of music, and diving into nutrition and nourishing meals. She is deeply committed to giving back, actively volunteering to support her local community. She cherishes life in the Appalachian Mountains, where she lives with her husband and two sons.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
My background in yoga and love for movement led me to Pilates, where I discovered a new way to build strength, stability, and resilience. It challenges me to move with greater awareness and has been a powerful reminder that movement is about longevity, aging well, and supporting our bodies at every stage of life.
**Favorite hobby outside the studio:**
Hiking and listening to music
**Favorite sweet treat:**
Chocolate Chip Cookies & Ice Cream
**And a little love from a client:**
Whit is a true bright light—her warmth and positive energy make everyone feel instantly welcome, like a hug when you walk through the door. She keeps everything running seamlessly at the studio, and we’re all so grateful for her presence and care.
C.H.

**Riley Ford** - Pilates Instructor
Riley holds a 600-hour Comprehensive Pilates Certification from Classical Pilates Education and is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher. She also holds a 200-hour Yoga Certification from Ember Hot Yoga. What she loves most about Pilates and yoga is that they require awareness of the present moment. There’s little room for outside distraction, when you are focused on the movement and breath. That kind of focus is a great gift to ourselves. Her teaching style is educational and coaching with plenty of room for laughter, keeping things light and fun.
**What sparked your passion for Pilates?**
Looking to expand my strength and mobility outside of the yoga studio, I fell hard for Pilates. My first sessions were hilariously humbling as I learned where my body’s instabilities were, but I survived to tell the tale! When I committed myself to the Pilates method, I was amazed at how quickly I developed strength and grace. My love for mindful movement is what attracted me to Pilates, and witnessing transformation in my clients is what keeps me motivated in my commitment to the practice. It’s pure movement magic!
**Favorite hobby outside the studio:**
I love connecting with nature, on a trail or simply sitting in the sun with a book.
**Favorite sweet treat:**
Peanut butter cups!
**And a little love from a client:**
Riley has an amazing understanding of the body—her knowledge of anatomy really shows in every session. I love how she intuitively tailors each class to what we need that week. It’s never the same twice, and always exactly what my body needs. Working with her is a highlight of my week!
S.S.

**Natasha Albornoz** - Yoga Instructor
Natasha has been sharing her passion for yoga since 2015. Her qualifications include a 500-hour yoga teacher certification, as well as certifications in Yin yoga and Trauma Outreach. With a background in belly dancing, Natasha was drawn to yoga for its unique ability to blend movement and mindfulness. She deeply values the inner stillness that yoga cultivates, finding it provides strength for navigating life's challenges with grace. Natasha has had the privilege of studying with esteemed teachers such as Terri Cooper Space, Will Duprey, Arianne Traverso, Michelle Berlin, Rosa Santana, Susan Cartigilia, and Leslie Glickman. She views yoga as a continuous journey of self-discovery and remembering our true nature, one day at a time.
**What sparked your passion for yoga?**
At the end of the first yoga class I ever attended, while dazed, sweaty and blissed out, I said to myself: "I am going to do this for the rest of my life." Over thirteen years later, my love for yoga remains strong, even as my personal practice has evolved. My initial yoga teacher training was a transformative experience, introducing me to the powerful path of mantra (bhakti yoga). Exploring this further through my own practice, I've been amazed by the profound impact of a consistent 40-day Sadhana. I also developed a deep appreciation for the importance of alignment in asana, recognizing it as the foundation for a safe and lasting practice. During my time teaching at 305 Yoga in Miami, I had the invaluable opportunity to learn from my mentor, Terri Cooper Space. Her Chakra Journey series, 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, and Trauma Outreach Training with the Connection Coalition were all instrumental in providing me with the tools to understand myself better, work through personal obstacles, and support others through the practice of yoga.
My teaching comes from the heart, rooted in gratitude for the yoga lineage and a commitment to creating a safe and welcoming space for everyone who joins this path. Inspired by Ram Dass's words, "We are all just walking each other home," I approach teaching with a sense of shared journey.
**Favorite hobby outside the studio?**
Dancing and laughing! I regularly try to find weekend places to do either, or both, and thankfully our sweet little mountain town of Asheville has them in abundance. Kayaking and hiking are also some of the outdoor movement activities I enjoy, but sometimes I just want to soak up nature in stillness so you might find me at a park with a book or a picnic.
**Favorite sweet treat?**
I prefer salty and crunchy treats, but when looking for something sweet, I am drawn to desserts that have fruit or a hint on nostalgia, especially if it feels connected to my Latina roots, like flan or tres leches.

Happy Body Affiliates

At Happy Body, we believe in fostering a community of wellness professionals and enthusiasts who share our passion for healthy living. Our Affiliates Program partners with like-minded practitioners, educators, and artists to expand access to meaningful, holistic care.

From pain relief and improved mobility to stress reduction and overall well-being, our affiliates support individuals on their unique healing journeys—connecting clients with trusted experts who care.

Our Team

Happy Body Affiliates

(828) 277-5741

1378 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803

25 Reed Street Ste 210 Asheville, NC 28803