Body Wisdom Studio

Staff Biographies

Nancy Allen Burns CFT, CMT,

Certified Fitness Trainer, Certified Massage Therapist, Restorative Exercise™ Specialist, Arthritis Foundation Exercise Instructor, Pilates Instructor

I’ve always been an active, athletic person with a passion for nature; the mountains, the sea, the desert, I love it all.  As a runner in my 20’, 30’s and 40’s I enjoyed competing in short and long races. I was never a star but I gave my best and had a great time. At age 45 I began training with Hit The Hill, the original outdoor Boot Camp fitness program in Marin County and found I needed a lot more muscle power to keep up so I began weight lifting with my coach. At age 50 I was stronger, fitter, with a calmer spirit and in better health than I was as an active 30 year old. Those years planted the seed that became my life as a professional fitness trainer, anatomy nerd (yes, I love to study anatomy and physiology) and Therapeutic Massage practitioner. My life is about healing. I’ll be the first to tell you that it requires more time to stay strong, fit and healthy as we age but the rewards are huge for your body, your mind and your spirit. It all works together. Look forward, start where you are. Privately I embrace spiritual retreats and meditation.   Contact Nancy at 415-722-3000.

Member: ACSM, IDEA, National Arthritis Foundation, National Osteoporosis Foundation, Aquatic Exercise Association.

Nancy Jean Travis PRT, YRT

My dharma is teaching classical therapeutic yoga for injuries and healthy aging.  I’m certified as a level 1 Professional Yoga Therapist and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Contact Nancy directly at www.lostresort.com

I’ve loved surfing and yoga for over four decades.  In the 1980’s I competed in the California State bodybuilding and power-lifting championships and developed a fascination with anatomy and exercise physiology.  Sports, auto and motorcycle injuries brought me at last to a serious study of yoga for healing. 

Judy Bentsen

Judy is a certified Pilates Instructor specializing in the fitness needs of the sailing community.  Her positive approach and enthusiasm are contagious.  Judy teaches an intermediate level class and skillfully modifies exercise to meet individual needs. Please contact Judy directly at www.pilates4yachties.com.

Hazel Wood

Through her business, Stride by Stride, www.stridebystride.com Hazel has taught the ChiRunning® technique and the ChiWalking® technique since 2003.  In her ChiRunning and ChiWalking classes she helps runners and walkers of all abilities learn how to move with energy, efficiency and without injury.  Hazel has been an avid athlete for over 30 years.  She runs all distances from 1 mile to 50 miles and has placed first in her age group in several races, including the 2005 PAUSATF National 50K Trail Championship. 

Hazel is certified by the American Senior Fitness Assoc. as a fitness leader and by National Arthritis Foundation as exercise instructor. She completed the Exercise for Adults with Special Needs Certification Course in May 2006 and since that time has continued to study under and work as an intern for Kim Jones and Betsy Best-Martini. Hazel teaches strength training classes at several facilities in Marin.

Prior to working in the exercise field Hazel spent many years at Autodesk.  She is originally from England and likes to travel to Europe on the pretext of regaining her original accent.  For other leisure activities Hazel can be found walking her golden retrievers, gardening and spending time with family and friends.

Peggy Dey

Nicole Ward BA-YRT

May 2002 brought the completion of my Integrative Yoga Therapy's certification for yoga instruction with Joseph La Page and soon after, I registered with the Yoga Alliance to teach Hatha Yoga. Since that time, Vipassana and Mahamudra meditation, massage, acupuncture, and bodywork have also brought a significant awareness to my practice.

Nicole strives to promote powerful yet peaceful means of self-transformation, healing, and growth amongst all living things. Nicole uses Integrative Yoga Therapy to help beginning students learn how yoga can work for them. Technique is taught gradually & step-by-step using sequencing that allows students to work at their own pace. Nicole’s integrative methods of self-exploration allow the relationship between our bodies and the larger landscape of life to be revealed…

Lauren McLeod

Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, Feldenkrais Guild of North America, 1997, and MBS Academy-Mia Segal, The Netherlands, 2003; graduate of The Anat Baniel Method for Children Mastery Program, 2007, and Anat Baniel Method for Vitality and Anti-Aging, 2008. Also, Licensed Massage Therapist.

For me, aging is not a process of inevitable deterioration, but an opportunity to discover many new possibilities in life. My background is in dance, music and art; I love learning and teaching and being creative. So, Feldenkrais is a way for me to bring all my loves together. It helped me overcome chronic pain related to scoliosis and several injuries, and be able to do things and be comfortable in many more situations, physically and mentally, than I ever could have imagined. I feel better, at 52 than I did at 30. My spine is longer and straighter; I enjoy greater ease and pleasure when I hike, run, dance, garden, sing, paint, and cook. Plus, I have skills that allow me to help others achieve their dreams and live a healthier, happier, pain-free life. I enjoy working with people of all ages, from infancy to elder, whether they are already healthy and athletic and want to excel, or have great difficulty and want to improve.  (510) 237-0935

To register for our classes, or to receive additional information, please email us at:

Nancy@BodyWisdomStudio.net

or call Nancy at:

(510) 232-4566 or (415) 722-3000