Colleen Jorgensen, C.A.T., D.O
Owner, Osteopath, Athletic Therapist, Polestar Certified Pilates Instructor
Colleen Jorgensen B.Sc., C.A.T.( c), D.O.is a Certified Athletic Therapist, an Osteopath and a Polestar certified Pilates’ instructor. She has been teaching Pilates and treating patients since 1994. In 2003, she realized a dream of hers when she opened the doors to CORE BASICS Centre d’ostéopathie et de Pilates in Kirkland, Qc.
Colleen’s love of movement and bodywork began at the age of 3 with her first dance class and continues to evolve as she explores through both movement and rehabilitation. It was following her own back surgery in 1992 that she discovered the benefits of both Pilates and Osteopathy as a patient. Her years of work as a professional in these fields have led her to embrace wellness and mindfulness as a way of life and she enjoys sharing these benefits with others.
Life is a constant and ever-changing journey of learning and growth. Colleen is continuously updating her knowledge through continuing education courses and takes great pleasure in sharing that knowledge with others. Colleen has been a guest lecturer at many Sports Medicine conferences over the years and continues to give Pilates workshops and instructor training courses each year.
Caroline Fleury D.O., T.R.P.
Caroline has always been athletic. As a teenager, she swam and cycled and played ice hockey. Her love for sports lead to her discovery of various forms of injury rehabilitation. She completed a program in physical rehabilitation at the Montmorency College in 1995. In order to further her knowledge, in 2002 she began the osteopathy program at the Montreal Osteopathy College (CEO) and successfully defended her thesis in June 2008. She has practiced physiotherapy for 10 years and in June 2005 she joined the CORE BASICS team so that she could focus on her new passion - osteopathy.
Christopher Blouin - Clinic Manager
B.A., CORFIT Certified, Masters Level, Fitness Consultant and Performance Nutritionist
Being a sports and fitness enthusiast, Chris continued to train while pursuing his post secondary education at Concordia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in political science. While undertaking his professional career, Chris also earned a certificate in adult education from St. Francis Xavier University.
Over the years, Chris' passion for fitness never waned and he decided to expand his horizons by pursuing certifications as a professional fitness consultant and performance nutritionist. Chris achieved his goal by earning CORFIT certifications as a masters level fitness consultant and performance nutritionist in 2001.
Having held various management positions throughout his professional career, as well as having served in the military, Chris brings a vast spectrum of leadership experience to the Core Basics team.
Michelle Sands, B.Sc., R.Y.T
Pilates Instructor, Certified Yoga Teacher
Michelle completed her Yoga Teacher Training at 7 Centers Yoga Arts in Sedona, Arizona (now the home of the American Yoga College). Her background includes work in Classical Hatha, Ashtaga, Iyengar as well as several styles of dance, and of course Pilates. She started studying Pilates in 2003, mentoring under Colleen at CORE BASICS, and has been learning ever since. She believes deeply in the intelligence of the human body and works with care and respect for each of her clients. Above all she loves to move, and believes that movement should be fun! Her classes combine her love of physical alignment and sense of play. She is most passionate about the Pilates principals of balance, grace and moving from the centre, as well as Pilates' ability to help people connect with their body and lead happier and in many cases, pain-free lives. Michelle is the owner of Ambaa Yoga near the Atwater Market.
Sara Wiskar
Certified Pilates Practitioner
Sara is an independent dancer, teacher and body worker native to Calgary, AB. Classically trained in Ballet, Tap and Jazz. She performed her first tap solo at eight years old and knew life would never be the same after that! After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance and a minor in Education from Concordia University (2000), she spent five years performing, teaching and training in Montreal and across Canada. Along with the development of her own solo performances and productions, Sara taught and choreographed with “Les Productions Multi-Sens” (2003-2005).
Sara continues to unite forces with fellow colleague and choreographer Namchi Bazar (Van, BC) as they have been traveling, teaching and performing together since 2003. Sara was highly involved with the classes, workshops and productions of shows and events for Studio 303 in Montreal (1999-2006). She eventually left her position as Technical Coordinator of Studio 303 in 2006 in order to deepen her knowledge and studies of the body and movement and pursue her life path as a teacher and body worker.
Sara is a Certified Pilates instructor (2002-present) from The Structural Studies Institute (Montreal, Qc).She has studied under the guidance of Rosemarie Geist D.O. Her experiences teaching severely autistic children, adolescents, the elderly, the blind and the mentally challenged have had a profound impact on her approach to teaching a Body-Mind practice such as Pilates. Practices that strongly influence her pedagogy are Alexander Technique, Skinner Releasing technique, Body-mind Centering (BMC) and her on going training in Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic. Sara’s specialty classes for lower back pain and movement therapy approach have been hosted by Marionopolois College, Concordia Creative Arts Therapy Dept and at the Richardson Hospital & physiotherapy dept. Along side her home-studio in Montreal, Sara also sees clients and teaches classes at Core Basics - Centre d’Ostéopathie et Pilates. Sara’s Hands-on and therapeutic approach to teaching Pilates, is like doing “osteopathy in movement”. Sara spent most of 2008 traveling back and fourth to Vancouver BC kindling allied forces with Meridian Pilates Studio in hopes to one day create an east coast, west coast, teacher exchange. She continues to challenge her pedagogy by focusing her energies on understanding the balance between athletic and rehabilitative training. Her creative process is inspired by a deep appreciation and respect for the art of communication. After all, when one teaches, two learn!
Shantal Nicole
Polestar Certified Pilates Instructor
Shantal posses a solid foundation in graphic arts, contemporary dance and Pilates. After pursuing a successul career in grahpic design she pursued a degree in contemporary dance at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). Her growing interest in movement lead her to explore different techniques from Feldebkrais, Tai Chi, Yoga, Tibetan rites, Thai Yoga Massage... and of course, Pilates. Her experience teaching dance, especially her work teaching creative dance to children, concreted her growing interest in a more holistic approach to the body and movement, as well as the relationship between the body in movement and the spirit moving through the body. After an injury and two pregnancies she rediscovered the potential Pilates holds and decided to complete her Pilates training with Polestar Education in Miami, Florida. Through Pilates, she works with sensitivity and creativity all the while creating a warm and constructive ambiance.
Martine Sarrasin
Polestar Certified Pilates Instructor, Satyam Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor
En 2001, elle découvre les bienfaits du yoga et pratique assidument, depuis 2005, le Pilates. Certifiée de l’école Satyam à Montréal en Hatha yoga et détenant aussi un certificat en Pilates de la formation Polestar à Miami en Floride, Martine s’est jointe à l’équipe du Centre Core Basics et enseigne le Pilates avec sa touche personnelle teintée de yoga. « Après avoir travaillé sur l’apparence des gens, je veux maintenant contribuer à leur bien-être physique en exerçant le métier que j’aime. »
Diane Barker
Pilates, yoga and somatic education instructor
For over 20 years Diane has dedicated herself to helping and motivating people develop their body’s natural inner strength and endurance.
As a certified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer (YMCA 1992), she discovered the power of Pilates and Yoga in the 1990’s. She was inspired by the holistic approach to well being proposed by Joseph Pilates and the centuries of knowledge the yoga tradition brings to the body, the mind and the spirit. By 2006 she was a certified Stott and Polestar instructor for all the Pilates apparatus. In 2005, she completed a 500 hour Ashtanga Yoga training.
She has also taken specialized courses in therapeutic programs, for clients, of all ages, be they pre or post natal, or people with special conditions and needs. Fascinated by the transformative power of our conscious awareness to learn and move with optimum efficiency and ease, Diane continues to expand her knowledge.
She is completing her training in Somatic Education, based on the Feldenkrais method. Workshops in Pilates, Yoga, Somatics, Body Mind Centering, The Franklin Method, Continuum, continue to enhance Diane’s breadth of understanding to health, fitness and healing.
She is grateful to all the teachers in the Montreal community, and beyond, who through their knowledge, dedication and workshops continue to inspire her. Through them, Diane brings motivation, compassion and understanding to her clients.
Guest Instructors
Tanya Rich
Certified Pilates Instructor
But it is as a student of Raja Yoga meditation for the past 10 years that Tanya has come to realise that true power to change comes from within. With this in mind, she is constantly exploring new ways to instill the power of spirituality in her teaching, through breathwork, awareness & a deep regard for humanity.
Title.
Yoga instructor
Cathy Bouskela - Yoga Instructor
I am also a group fitness instructor at a gym in West Island. My next goal to is to obtain my yoga certification.