ABOUT US
Sana Vita means "Healthy Life" in Latin. To embark on your best year ever, you need the resolve to make a permanent life change; you require an illuminating path and a detailed strategy on what precisely is required to achieve your optimum aim. This involves more than a mere few weeks to reach your destination. Think about what you want to do and not only what you should do. Change is frightening: It often entails an emotional impact on our lives for which we are not entirely prepared. However, if you secure the desire to change, you have taken the crucial first step toward a fundamental change in your life. Avoid the pitfalls of comparing yourself to others: Uncover what your individual needs are and satisfy them, not someone else’s.
Pilates, Yoga, Bodhi and Yamuna Body Rolling, needs to be focused and regular. Going through the motions isn’t enough. A habit of “focused practice” isn’t established until we can get our spirit, our soul, our heart into what we are doing. Doing the action or practice consistently may create the habit in time, but it’s more important for us to really get our heart into it. Creating new habits is about becoming the habit. It is not about installing a habit, it is about embodying one. Good working habits are not something external, they are a medium through which we express and master ourselves. It requires moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar. As soon as we slow ourselves down and give ourselves completely to the development of ourselves, that is when we see dramatic changes and improvement in posture.
The path to quality, pain-free movement begins by transforming the ethos around how you move. It begins with a simple understanding: If I am in pain, the way I have been moving is not good for me. If I want to reduce or eliminate pain, I must change the way I move. This adjustment begins by disassociating yourself from fallacious beliefs pain is caused by age. On the contrary, it is not. Pain is caused by body motion and body movement. When you make the necessary amendments to your alignment, you will realize a pain-free lifestyle. At Sana Vita Studio, we can help you reach your goal; however, we do not promise an immediate change. The evolution for a pain-free life requires a dedication to learning various techniques and time-tested sessions. Our staff is dedicated to facilitate your growth to reach your physical and emotional goals.
Upon entry into Sana Vita, you will discover this exercise studio and the professionals who manage the programs are for Real. The workplace is pristine and the equipment in our studio is maintained to the highest standard. From the professionalism of our staff, all of whom are certified, the convenient location, to amenities, our clients find our deep devotion to their physical and mental wellness.
Meet the Team


Kristin
Kristin is an outgoing and empathetic Pilates Instructor skilled at providing Pilates classes to individuals and/or groups, educating clients on body awareness and functional skills. She has the ability to maintain an enjoyable learning experience while keeping a professional attitude. Extensive experience with clientele with back, hip, knee and shoulder issues.
Kristin has also worked with verbal and non-verbal children with autism. She developed and led creative art therapy programs for children to increase awareness, promote cognitive function and enhance socialization.

Guinn
Guinn is a passionate yoga teacher with a love of constructing unique, creative, and purposeful classes. She utilizes setting intentions, meditation, Pranayama, Asana, and music to leave students feeling spacious, renewed, and in-tune with themselves. She very much enjoys combining body-intuitive alignment, hands-on adjustments, and enriching the mind by remaining in touch with the traditional roots of yogic knowledge. She also highly values a holistic approach to movement and healing, as well as education and collaboration with peers.
200 Hr Teacher Training
Hosted yoga for high school age athletes, offered for small group booking.
Collaborated with easymoney fitness boxing gym to teach yoga to kids from ages 5-12.
Independently hosted a series of "Sunday night Vinyasa" classes on Lake Michigan for donation.
Held intensive private lessons for golden glove champion boxer(s) in preparation for Olympic try-outs.

Marilyn
Marilyn Glielmi-D'Andrea holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and Cardiac Rehabilitation.
Additional certifications: Pilates, Yoga, Personal Training, Pre and Post-Natal Pilates, Muscle Activation Techniques and CPR.
Integrative Corrective Exercise Instructor Certification. Institute for Integrative Health and Fitness Education
Lecture, seminar and coursework:
Economics of Obesity---Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Nutrition for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention---University of California, San Francisco
Public Health and Global Environmental Change---Harvard University
FAMI, Functional Anatomy for Movement & Injuries---The Mount Sinai School Of Medicine
Anatomy Trains---strategies to improve stability, coordination and resolve long-standing compensations in postural and movement patterns.
As Owner of Sana Vita Studio, I am passionate about working with individuals of all ages and fitness levels to help you reach your potential. My Master’s degree in Exercise Science and my knowledge base in anatomy and biomechanics assist me in assessing clients I work with. I believe it is essential for my clients to aspire for consistent progress, not perfection. My greatest desire is Sana Vita Studio will be a haven for clientele devoted to life-long physical health.
I was bit by the "Pilates bug:" This is precisely how I discovered this career. I was a dedicated client who witnessed a complete transformation of both my mind and body by Pilates. I wanted to be an instructor, then sought to open my own studio and now, together with a team of talented, passionate, like-minded instructors, Sana Vita has grown into the studio it is today.
In private sessions, we will focus on the specific exercises you need to complete in order to reach your goals. I have experienced great success with my clients because I address their concerns. Work of any real depth must be one-to-one. I choose to work with people who need and want to go deeply into themselves in this lifetime. This is difficult to achieve in a group setting or by teaching the same thing to everyone. Each of us is different. My work is to honor that difference by supporting each client in his or her own particular journey, into the body with Pilates and also into one’s whole person, conscious and unconscious. It’s not about what I want for clients; it’s about what clients want for themselves. I am just your educator. My training methods are systematic and I am dedicated to clients leaving an individual session feeling a sense of accomplishment, with exuberance and willing to return for the next challenge. I’m resolute in giving clients a tailor-made training program where they will achieve results, and avoid the pitfalls of becoming discouraged. I concentrate on this aspect of private sessions.
With extensive experience in both clinical and fitness settings, my expertise includes working in cardiac rehabilitation at several Chicago hospitals and personal training. I have delivered lectures on various health and fitness related topics for numerous corporations in the Chicago area. I enrolled in an apprenticeship program in 2000 to receive my Classical Pilates Method Certification and I am deeply committed to the philosophy conceived by Joseph Pilates and the power and the depth of the method he originally developed. I teach both Ashtanga and Hatha yoga and find yoga brings qualities of clarity, mindfulness and peace into our lives.
I have worked with diverse populations including athletes and sedentary men and women of all ages. Additional expertise working with post injuries and those with a variety of ailments.
I am committed to empowering women and have worked with women who suffer from eating disorders, assisting them in enhancing their body image and self-esteem, while focusing on internally motivated, empowering approaches to eating and exercise.

Terance
Terrance Wright has always been a natural fit as a personal trainer. Growing up in Pilsen, he was an avid sports enthusiast. While attending Chicago Hope Academy, he excelled on the track and football fields. While studying at the University of Alabama, he knew his career would veer toward sports.
In the spring of 2019, with a goal of becoming certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Terrance enrolled in classes as part of the Malcolm X College’s Personal Fitness Training program. With the help of program director LaMarr Magnus, Terrance gained the necessary skills and knowledge required to complete the ACE exam.
During his studies at Alabama, Harper College and North Park University, he starred on the track team and began to pick up personal training clients. These clients were both individuals and high school teams seeking to improve speed, agility and strength. His knowledge of sport-specific exercises allowed him to customize his training programs for the teams he worked with.
With the necessary formal education under his belt, Terrance knows the sky is the limit. “I’m taken more seriously as a personal trainer now that I’m (ACE) certified, and that helps me serve my current clients better and attract new business.”
Terrance runs a boot camp and teaches classes that focus on Pilates, strength training, functional movements, and mobility and stability. He works with mixed martial arts fighters, Uber drivers who suffer from back pain, sports teams, and individuals with diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition, he coaches a sixth grade basketball team and assists on a high school football team.

Teresa
Teresa loves teaching Pilates because everyone without exception needs and benefits from Pilates. She loves to see how Pilates improves quality of life for her students. She continues to explore additional educational venues through workshops emphasizing alignment & posture. Her strong knowledge base of the body allows her to tailor the Pilates Method to each individual’s needs and goals, while assuring every session is safe and beneficial.
Her passion and ability to motivate people has transformed the beginner client into dedicated Pilates enthusiasts. She celebrates as her clients progress and achieve their goals, witnessing improved strength, injury rehabilitation and increased mind-body awareness. She looks forward to her continued growth as a Pilates instructor and sharing her fondness for the Pilates Method with others.

Annette
Annette has been teaching since 2000, having received her certification from The Frog Temple in Chicago. She also received her PMA certificate in 2012 and in 2015 completed The Master's Program at The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO. Her passion for the Classical Pilates Method has driven her to explore additional education at The Pilates Center. Learning never stops, she says. She strives to increase her knowledge of the body and it's ability to improve physical well-being. It is her mission to empower each student to live a healthy life. She strongly believes the Pilates Method is both healing and transformative. She has personally experienced it's healing properties as she recovered from various injuries, weight issues and depression. Her style is very accommodating, the result of working with people of all ages, sizes and special needs for many years. From the first session, she is committed to helping clients see results leading to a life of happiness and vitality.

Angelica
Angelica Palomo stands for healing, through nutrition and movement. She helps people with hip tightness, muscle pain and poor nutrition how to stretch, strengthen and eat better, so that they can feel better. For the past 8 years she has devoted herself to teaching Pilates, serving clients in Vernon Hills at Lifetime Fitness and in Chicago at Fitness Formula Clubs, Sana Vita Studio and River West Fitness Studio. While completing her Dance Degree at Columbia College Chicago, she fell in love with Pilates. She began her training with Power Pilates and has her mat and intermediate mat certifications and has completed a 600 hour comprehensive training certification, which involves all apparatus. Her teaching methods, which stem from Joseph Pilates and her own dance career, involve a movement based, systematic, integrative style. She believes that having her clients learn in a flowing style, will get their body to remember the movements, and also will get their minds to hear the corrections at the right time. Muscle Memory begins to activate with consistent practice and this awareness can rid them of compensatory weaknesses that contribute to chronic injuries. She emphasizes the importance of responsibility for your own body and is committed to helping others find that power within themselves.
She has now partnered with Purium, a whole foods based nutrition company that sells superfoods, and is excited to combine nutrition and pilates in her monthly programs.
Angie believes just as a scar heals on the skin, the body has the potential to heal from any illness or pain. She desires to work with you on reaching your health and fitness goals. When she is not working with you, she spends all her money traveling to other countries and recommends you do the same.

Mary
Mary Fazio, is a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1982. She is a certified Trainer and Instructor in Yamuna Body Rolling and Certified in Yamuna Body Logic. Yamuna Body Logic is a one-on-one session which creates space in your body for improved movement in daily activities and a sense of well- being. The effects of Body Logic are often longer lasting than massage. Mary Fazio developed an interest in massage while attending Southern Illinois University; after obtaining her BS in 1981, she enrolled in the Chicago School of Massage Therapy. She successfully completed coursework and began private practice Massage Therapy in 1982. In 2002, she completed her training in Yamuna Body Rolling. As her interest deepened, she became a certified Level I instructor in Yamuna Body Rolling in 2004.

Terri
As a dancer, actor, artist, musician, bicyclist and teacher Teri Virgilio, is constantly striving to find harmony between strength, flexibility, knowledge and learning. Her inspiration comes from all art forms. She has been a student of yoga since the late 90's. As someone with deep compassion and an ability to connect with others, yoga is the perfect outlet for her to explore this further.
Teri is passionate about the ability to use yoga as therapy and for special needs. Yoga provides the opportunity to always bring lightness and humor, as well as, equilibrium with spirituality into one's practice. She believes yoga can provide a balance to the physical and emotional stresses of our environment and is committed to inspiring others, as she has been inspired, by this practice of mind, body and spirit. She is grateful to her many teachers including Steve Nakon, Tracy Pristas, Rhonda Kantor, Rita Knorr and Dorie Silverman.

Christine
Christine is the director of marketing strategy in an investment group, graduated from Saint Joseph University, HEC Paris and pursued her education in entrepreneurship, innovation and business at Harvard.
Her passion for fitness and health has led her to investigate the best ways to train the body and pursue daily life activities pain free. Christine has personally experienced the benefits of Pilates and Yoga. Teaching then gave her the opportunity to pass these benefits on to others. Her focus ranges from improving general strength and flexibility, to assisting with more specific issues such as injury recovery or pregnancy.
Christine is certified in Mat Pilates from the Sport Performance Institute (SPI) Canada. She has nearly 10 years experience in teaching Pilates group classes, body conditioning for dancers and athletes, in addition to designing personal training programs for specific pathologies.
Christine has also been teaching Pilates in one of the leading universities in Lebanon (Saint Joseph University) as an elective course for the past 9 years.
She also did her continuous certifications in pre and post-natal Pilates in 2013.
Christine joined the Aerial Pilates program in Scotland with Air Control Pilates and became certified in 2017.
In 2019, she worked with Basi Pilates in Ireland and received a certification in Pilates for injuries and pathologies.
In addition to the above, Christine is a certified fitness dance instructor for the past 10 years and won the championship of the Lebanese national Jujitsu in 2011.
Christine speaks three languages: English, French and Arabic.
The Sana Vita Difference
Those who achieve great things rarely, if ever, accomplish it alone. They enlist their support team; they surround themselves with a qualified group of people, all of whom enable them to succeed. When you look at your body and you look at your performance you may think: There are so many different things I could be doing. There are whole inventories of good deeds which you could do, but my question is: What's the best thing that you can do? When one pauses and reflects on which diet change or alterations in exercise are needed, you are required to define the most tangible benefits to any perceived change. The best investment you can make is to schedule a session with a trainer who understands how to help you, not only how to perform the exercises correctly in Sana Vita but also instruct you the exercises which can be performed in your home. We can demonstrate how to exercise because, ultimately, it's not your lack of will power, you may have needed discipline, but what is essential is a plan. Proper form is essential for success when training for anything from general fitness to sports events and/or competitions. It is the quality of training which influences your progress, even more than the quantity. Instructors at Sana Vita Studio will provide feedback for improvement, aid you in overcoming obstacles which emerge during sessions and both develop and maintain your discipline.
The good news: It is never too late to make a positive change in your body! You drive, you work at a desk, you spend long hours in front of your computer, and you use your smart phone to text. These tasks, however necessary, are adversely transforming the mechanics of your body; you are further distanced from sitting upright. Movement patterns based on compensation create strain in the body. Any deviation in one area of the body will cause the mechanics of the entire body to shift, leading to imbalances in muscles, pain and dysfunction. We seek to address patterns of tension and strain. It is not sufficient to merely strengthen and stretch muscles; incorporating proper movement patterns is an essential technique for improved mobility, movement and pain reduction. Correct exercise mechanics decreases the amount of stress which is placed on the skeletal system and lessens the likelihood of an injury occurring. Sana Vita’s hands-on methods increase the possibilities of movement and create a balanced muscular system.
The Anatomy Trains theory relies on the concept of synergy ("the whole is greater than the sum of the parts"), which looks at the body as a series of interrelated muscular chains, and not just a system of individual muscles. As instructors, we seek out the pattern, which contributes to the origin of pain in a distressed client; this is an important basis from which to work.
