Our Team
At Happy Body, our team is comprised of positive, energetic, community-oriented, and compassionate instructors. We take immense pride in ensuring that you receive the utmost care, attention, and instruction from every member of our dedicated team. We can assist you in scheduling your sessions interchangeably with our exceptional team, as we recognize that there are often ideal matches of personality and approach among our professionals. We encourage you to embrace the diversity of styles available in our studio, enabling you to deepen and expand your movement awareness. We are fully prepared and excited to assist you in actively cultivating balance within your body!
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.
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.
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.
Mikum Leah Webster - Pilates Instructor
Mikum is a Dance Scientist and Pilates Therapist who recently relocated to Asheville from Honolulu, HI. in her ten years of teaching Mikum has worked in boutique Pilates studios and internationally recognized Sports Medicine Clinics as a Pilates and Redcord Therapist. Her career as a movement practitioner began while pursuing a professional dance career. After years of being riddled with injuries she became fascinated with anatomy, physiology, and helping others that were plagued with similar problems. This led her to receive a Masters of Science in Dance Science from Trinity Laban in London, UK; a comprehensive Power Pilates certification in Atlanta, GA; and a Sling Exercise Therapy (Redcord) Certification through the Neurac institute in Oslo, Norway. With her extensive clinical Pilates experience she is accustomed to working one-to-one with clients of all abilities and individual needs, but specializes in back pain, pre- and post-natal Pilates, and lower limb injuries. In her free time, she teaches dance, lectures at WCU, and enjoys the outdoors with her husband and baby.
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!”
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!
Anna Caggiano - Pilates Instructor
Anna has been involved in many and varied types of movement throughout her life, from gymnastics to ultramarathon to Krav Maga self-defense to CrossFit to aerial arts and more. After getting a bachelor’s and master’s degree in exercise science, she was working as a fitness professional in 2013 when she was first introduced to Pilates and became captivated by its mind-body aspects and complementary qualities to all other forms of movement.
Anna obtained her comprehensive Pilates certification through PEAK® in 2014, and holds certifications in personal training, health coaching, group fitness instruction, corrective exercise, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebells, and strength & conditioning. An insatiably curious learner about both body and mind, Anna also holds a PhD in General Psychology with focus in Performance Psychology. Anna is honored to be part of people’s wellness journeys and guiding them to their own unique levels of feeling empowered through physical movement and living vibrantly in their bodies.
Whit Zeh - Studio Manager & Yoga Instructor
Whit Zeh is a dedicated practitioner of holistic well-being, driven by a 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. Whit recognizes that health and wellness are deeply personal and individualized experiences. She is passionate about teaching mindfulness and the power of presence; empowering individuals to cultivate mental and emotional well-being on their path to a balanced and fulfilling life.
In her role as a yoga instructor, she focuses on slow flow, restorative, and yin yoga practices. As a manager, Whit leverages her organizational skills and passion for fostering connections to ensure seamless operations. Her approach to both centers around creating meaningful relationships with clients and tailoring wellness practices to best meet their specific needs and aspirations.
During her free time, Whit finds joy in hiking with her beloved pups, immersing herself in the world of music, and delving into the intricacies of nutrition and nourishing meals. She is deeply appreciative of the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains, where she resides with her husband and two sons.
Alli Conrad-Cooper - Front Desk
Alli has been a resident of WNC for close to 10 years. She moved here from Orlando, Florida after graduating college. She visited the area shortly after her parents moved to Maggie Valley and fell in love with the scenery and knew she wanted to call these mountains home. Her professional background is primarily in animal welfare but she has a personal interest in fitness and movement so she’s thrilled to be a part of the Happy Body community! She has one daughter, four dogs and four cats so spends her spare time enjoying her big family.
Happy Body Affiliates
At Happy Body, we believe in fostering a community of wellness enthusiasts and professionals who share our passion for Pilates and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Our Affiliates Program is designed to collaborate with like-minded individuals and businesses to spread the joy of wellness and create a positive impact on people's lives. Our affiliates are a diverse group of professionals, including practitioners, educators, artists, and enthusiasts who share a passion for wellness.
By partnering with our affiliates, we aim to connect individuals seeking wellness services with qualified practitioners and educators who can guide them on their healing journey. Whether you're looking for pain relief, enhanced mobility, stress reduction, or overall well-being, our affiliates are here to support you.
ArtPlay- Studio and Gallery Owners
Unleash your creativity and explore the fascinating world of art with our adult art classes at ArtPlay. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner looking to discover your hidden talents, our classes are designed to inspire and guide you on your artistic journey.
Doug Zeh- Wellness Coach, Organizational Consultant, and Teacher of Wellbeing
As a lifelong student of optimal human functioning, Doug has deep subject matter expertise and lived experience in the areas of mindfulness, presence, positive psychology, and emotional intelligence. Having worked in many different settings throughout his career, from being a mental health therapist to an executive, Doug has always approached his life and work through the lens of wellbeing and caring for others. As a trained teacher of presence, Doug brings kind and compassionate energy to helping others connect with their true self and what it means to live happy, fulfilling, and connected lives. Doug has a wholistic approach to wellbeing, focusing on the areas of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health to support others in connecting with a sense of harmony and peacefulness in their daily lives. Doug lives in Asheville with his wife Whit, their two amazing boys, and their two doodles. Doug loves to be outside in nature and is an avid hiker, snowboarder, skateboarder, and mountain biker. He also has a deep love for music and plays lead guitar in a local band with his friends. Doug is available for coaching, workshops, and organizational consulting.
Jessica Mark - Ortho-Bionomy® Advanced Practitioner & Instructor
Jessica Mark’s greatest love is working with and learning from the body. The vision of Happy Body was created from a yearning of a welcoming and supportive space for movement, health, and wellness for all bodies. “When we feel comfortable, can find support, and live with awareness in our own physical bodies, we cultivate a greater balance and resilience within ourselves, greater peace in our communities, and ultimately, find our harmony within the world we inhabit.” Jessica is a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (NC #9944) in Ortho-Bionomy® as well as a certified Pilates instructor and Ortho-Bionomy Instructor. Jessica complements her primary practices of Ortho-Bionomy and Pilates with studies in Polarity Therapy, Gyrokinesis®, Trauma Therapy, Pre-Post Natal Pilates, and Body-Mind Centering®. She believes in the truth and integrity of the body and is passionate about the blending of touch and movement. In her practice and instruction, Jessica works to bridge the gap between the language of the body and the language of the cognitive mind so that clients may find freedom and ease in their physical being. Jessica is a happy mama to Sydney and Jonathan, and a happy partner to husband, Rich.