Sandra Herting – Owner

Meet a positive, outgoing California girl who, from the age of seven, has traveled extensively in Europe and has come to find her home in the mountains of Colorado. Sandra visited Vail a few years ago while in Denver at a Pilates convention and almost instantly made the decision to call it home. Within two months, she had settled in Vail and calls it "heaven on earth".

From summers of surfing in the ocean to winters of snowboarding in the mountains, Sandra enjoys all activities that take her outdoors. However, her intuitive sense about the human body - its range of motion, its potential and its overall health - has led her into this vocation, long past the time when Pilates was just the "in" discipline for teachers. As a result, she has become one of the best Pilates and fitness teachers in the Vail Valley.

In years prior to her move to Vail, Sandra focused her undergraduate studies on anatomy and kinesiology. She followed up by earning a certification in Pilates equipment through The Physical Mind Institute with Maria Leone of Body Line Studios in Beverly Hills, California. From the time she was certified, she applied her Pilates work directly to the field of physical therapy. Initially Sandra was affiliated with Physical Rx in Huntington Beach, California and then with Ando & Aston Physical Therapy in Anaheim Hills, California. Building her Pilates expertise from her exposure to physical therapy protocols, Sandra has developed an extremely solid foundation of knowledge about the human body and its ability to be and stay fit, even when challenged by injury, being out of shape or overuse. Her resume also includes studies with noted experts such as Barbara Huttner, Rael Isacowitz and Julian Littleford. Sandra describes herself as a believer in “good living energy” and thus has gravitated to Pilates, GYROTONIC®, Yoga and massage as foundations for a powerful and fit life.

Committed to continuing her education and training, Sandra encourages the same for the teachers of Synergy. Her own plans call for both GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® certifications in 2007.

What makes the studio unique and successful? Sandra puts it best: “seeing the positive changes in people’s lives by educating them about their body’s anatomy and biomechanics, plus how to apply those principles to their daily lives.” Her commitment to defining what clients take home from Synergy is undeniable. Simply put, the goal in the studio is to adapt a movement and achieve a postural awareness that continues to flow outside Synergy’s doors. Power for Life and Fitness.

Sandra would like to see Synergy grow, but she means ‘grow’ in the sense that one might not expect. She wants Synergy to transcend gender and become a center for health, mind and body in the Vail Valley.

Karen Anderson – Yoga Director

Karen Anderson has been living in Vail for 14 years, and practicing yoga for 12.  She feels very lucky to live in such a lovely and natural place, and believes that the beauty of the outdoors inspires and helps us on our yogic path.  Her yoga practice began as a complement to competitive athletic training, but has become so much more: a way to look inward, to relate better to others, to live ethically and peacefully. 

Karen first became certified with Yoga for Athletes in Vail, then in the Vinyasa Flow style with Shiva Rea in LA,  and now studies the traditional Ashtanga practice with Richard Freeman at the Yoga Workshop.  While she continues to teach in Vinyasa Flow style, she incorporates the internal alignment and depth of the Ashtanga practice, and integrates the development of her own Ashtanga practice into her teaching.

Karen loves to teach at Synergy because of the beautiful yoga community that has developed there.  She learns from her students every day, and anyone who has been to our classes knows that we share a great deal when we practice!   The coziness of the room, intimacy of the practice, and open hearts are a daily blessing.

Maura O'Donnell – Kundalini Yoga Teacher

Maura O'Donnell's passion for the mountains brought her to Colorado from the east coast 11 years ago.   A former competitive snowboarder, she first discovered yoga while recovering from injuries.   She soon realized how beneficial yoga is for not only injury recovery, but also injury prevention, and thus she began her path to becoming a teacher.   After a few years of practicing different types of traditional asana yoga classes, she came across a Kundalini Yoga class and was intrigued by not only the effects it had on her personally, but also the science behind it.    Kundalini yoga uses a combination of rhythmic breath and movement to energize the senses and calm the mind.   It includes mantra, or sound vibration, meditation and deep relaxation techniques than can create change and healing to anyone who practices.

Maura has been practicing yoga for 10 years and Kundalini for the last 6.   She feels that yoga is a wonderful way to stay in touch with the universe and maintain self-awareness.    As a teacher her goal is to elevate and uplift others, and to encourage her students to allow themselves to have their own unique healing experiences.  

Maura is a current member of the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association, and completed the Self Mastery intensive teacher training at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM in 2005.   She is now certified through the Kundalini Research Institute as an International level 1 Kundalini Yoga instructor as taught by Yogi Bhajan.

Nicola Farrer – Yoga Teacher

After spending three days at the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park in 2002, Nicola realized that yoga was going to become an integral part of her life. It was during this transformational experience, where she was intensely immersed in Meditation and Yoga Asana, that Nicola decided she wanted to share her love for yoga with others. She then completed her certification in Yoga for Athletes (a unique program that integrates Hatha yoga, but is geared toward providing athletes with greater balance, strength and flexibility). Her dedication to the craft inspires her to continually educate herself through a variety of workshops each centering on different styles and philosophies.

A student first, a teacher second, Nicola approaches yoga as a lifestyle, allowing her own practice to reflect in her teaching. She guides her students into becoming aware of their own body wisdom and intuitive to their inner voice. Her classes are challenging, energetic, contemplative and uniquely catered to the needs of her students. Nicola's choice of a Vegan-lifestyle, her avid awareness of the environment and a compassion for all life, stems from the healing energy manifested in the classroom and on the mat.

Nicola is also certified in pre and post-natal yoga.

Friends, mentors and inspirations: Charry Morris, Argie Tang, Libby Plante, Julian & Rob Farrer, Alanna Kaivalya, Gurmukh, David Life & Sharon Gannon, Seane Corn, Eknath Easwaran, George Harrison, Rumi, Hafiz.

Melissa – Yoga Teacher

Melissa lived in Chicago for eight years, where she participated in numerous triathlons and marathons, all the while maintaining her daily yoga practice. She joined the Vail Valley yoga community eight years ago, and has been teaching flow classes ever since, while still feeding her love for outdoor sports.

She was not only trained and certified in the Yoga for Athletes discipline, but also participated in the YogaAway instructor training. YogaAway focuses on the practice of using yoga sequences to assist in stress reduction and mental focus while improving fitness. Melissa teaches a Vinyassa style of class that blends strength and flexibility with choreographed postures that are linked together though the breath. These creative posture sequences combined with gentle cueing culminate with a meditation to help quiet the mind.

Nicole White – Synergy GYROTONIC® Teacher

If you know anything about GYROTONIC®, then you might recognize that having a GYROTONIC® teacher who has worked in ‘surgical recovery’ at the Vail Valley Surgery Center is a good thing – a very good thing. Not only a Certified GYROTONIC® Teacher, Level 1, Nicole is a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician and a nationally Certified Massage Therapist.

Nicole has called Vail ‘home’ since 1999 and originally hails from Georgetown, Texas. She graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.S. in Exercise and Sports Sciences and a minor in Psychology.

Her passion for GYROTONIC® teaching comes partially from her work with master teacher Adrianna Thompson. As well, Nicole spent many years studying dance and ballet. By adding the fluidity of her dance background to the discipline of GYROTONIC®, Nicole has rightly earned a reputation as an observant and intuitive teacher.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Nicole has been accepted to study Pilates with Rael Isacowitz in September 2006. She made this decision after taking Pilates classes with Synergy owner, Sandra Herting. Nicole found that Sandra’s method of instruction allowed her to make progress in healing a back injury that had been slowing her otherwise active life down. No doubt Nicole’s GYROTONIC® students at Synergy will be pleased to hear that she is adding Pilates to her teaching roster. Planning even further ahead, Nicole intends to study GYROKINESIS ® Level 1.

Deb Plath – Synergy Pilates Teacher

With a self-professed passion for people and exercise, Deb Plath fell in love with being a personal trainer 25 years ago, which is just about the same amount of time she has been living in the Vail Valley. A southern California girl who describes herself as a ‘city girl’, Deb moved here to start a new relationship – who knew it would lead to being a successful, multi-talented fitness teacher?

From aerobics to spin to becoming a Certified Personal Trainer, Deb teaches because she calls it a “gift you can give someone else”. She admits that it takes motivation, but that is one thing she does not lack.

After years of teaching a variety of fitness disciplines, Deb gravitated towards Pilates because she recognized the importance of ‘core strength’ in any fitness regimen. She also likes the need for mental strength, precision and focus that Pilates demands.

Deb’s Pilates certification was earned in 2003 from Barbara Huttner, who is not only well-known in the Vail Valley Pilates and GYROTONIC® circles, but also a driving force in the establishment of Synergy. In fact, Deb credits Barbara for being the reason that she came to Synergy as a teacher. She adds that she continues to teach at Synergy because of the “energy in the studio” saying, “I feel motivated when I’m there!”

Her favorite class to teach? Group Pilates Equipment! Best said in her own words: “It’s invigorating for me to see my clients get it.” She loves seeing her clients transform their bodies and attitudes about being fit. She calls it a “motivating story” to guide students who “think they are in shape” to really being in shape.

Moving to Vail from Varberg, Sweden more than ten years ago, Lindy Johansson’s reason for choosing Vail is somewhat typical – the skiing. Her decision to stay still includes skiing, but she also adds that she likes the cosmopolitan, yet small, feel of the Vail Valley. The lifestyle and variety of activities seem to be a perfect match.

Lindy’s introduction to Pilates came when she was helping a friend who was training to be a Pilates teacher. “She needed a guinea pig, and that was me!” Obviously the experience piqued her interest, and soon Lindy found herself enrolling and graduating in a Pilates course taught by Rael Isacowitz at Body Arts & Science International (BASI). And her friend? Her friend also became the reason that Lindy is a Synergy teacher today.

Describing her commitment to teaching, Lindy first lists the “great energy coming from different individuals”. Probably for that reason, she enjoys teaching Group Pilates Equipment Classes the most. Like the ongoing process of her own learning, Lindy finds that her students go down a path of “cumulative learning” She says when a student finally has the ‘light bulb’ go on, it is without a doubt the best part of teaching. The other ‘best’ parts come from her feelings about Synergy: “it’s a big old family”! As well, Lindy embraces the Synergy atmosphere and says: “it’s not just Pilates….. it’s all aspects – mind/body/health”.

Lauri – Pilates Teacher

Lauri has lived in the Vail valley for nearly ten years. She started as a general surgeon in 1998 and by 2003 her focus had changed. She no longer wanted to just fix problems, but assist in helping people maximize their physical and mental potentials. Since Lauri has seen the inner workings of the human body, she has a unique perspective on helping people work toward health and wellness from the outside in.

Intensely athletic, she has participated in extreme sporting events including numerous 100 mile mountain bike rides and running events, and conquered the summit of several Himalayan peaks, including Mt. Everest. Her yoga practice complimented these "out-there" adventures; however, the birth of her first son forced her to do more "in-here" activities.   After she became certified to teach through Yoga for Athletes, she discovered her love and passion for teaching. She then quickly became a student of Pilates, becoming certified to teach both mat and equipment classes.

She taught throughout her second pregnancy (twin boys) and realized the benefits of adapting these disciplines to the pre and post-natal client. She loves watching how Pilates and yoga can inspire people to lead healthier and more fulfilled lives: "Life is an extreme sport"