Expert Instruction

At Simpatico, we stay ahead of the times and are always improving our methods, furthering our accreditations, and adding classes and technologies that our customers show interest in. For us to be experts, we need to keep learning! As a result, we create and offer a well-rounded experience to keep our clients’ workouts fresh and effective. The history and core values of Joseph Pilates are important to maintaining the integrity of the work we do at Simpatico. Click here to learn more about Joseph Pilates and the inspiring story behind his work.

SIMPATICO TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS

Simpatico instructors are a highly motivated and compatible group, working together to obtain our clients’ best health and well-being. Each trainer is an employee and works as a team player emanating balance, harmony and integrity while Simpatico supports their personal dreams and goals.

We are always looking for new instructors who are fun, dedicated, enthusiastic career professionals and certified through a PMA accredited program. For information about becoming a Simpatico instructor, please click here to learn more.

Trainers’ Certifications

  • BASI(Body Arts and Science International)
  • PMA(Pilates Method Alliance)
  • Long Beach Dance Conditioning and Rehabilitation
  • Core Dynamics
  • Alexander Technique

Special Population Trainings

  • Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon Program
  • Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies
  • Fitness for the Aging Population
  • McEntire Pilates  Neuro-Movement
  • GYROTONIC® Applications for the Pelvic Girdle

  • GYROTONIC® Applications for the Hip and Knee

  • GYROTONIC® Application for the Psoas


Mindy Horwitz, Owner
Certified Pilates Instructor, GYROTONIC® Method Instructor

As owner of Simpatico Pilates since 2012, Mindy strives to meet her clients’ needs for developing strength, balance, fitness, postural alignment, and mobility.  She specializes in working with individuals with rehabilitative or health concerns.

Mindy has trained individuals in Pilates for over 20 years and was certified in 1996 at Long Beach Dance Conditioning Center. There she studied with the master trainer, Marie-Jose Blom.  In 2002 Mindy became a certified Level 1 instructor of the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® and advanced her education to Level 2 in 2011. Mindy has been active in the dance community for over thirty years, both nationally and internationally. Her years of experience as a dancer, teacher and choreographer have given her a trained eye for analyzing the body and practical knowledge for getting the most out of her clients.


Ruth Alpert
Certified Pilates Instructor, GYROTONIC® Method Instructor

Ruth Alpert brings to her teaching extensive training in alternative movement modalities in addition to her many years’ experience as a dancer. Ruth’s interest in healing movement began in 1976, with the work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Lulu Sweigard, and Susan Klein. She has been a certified practitioner of The Trager® Approach since 1987.

Ruth was trained in Pilates by Michele Larsson in 1992 and was an Associate of Core Dynamics from 1998-2009. She was certified in GYROTONIC® in 2002 and became a teacher of The Alexander Technique in 2007. Ruth has conducted workshops throughout the US since 1976.


Lindsay Ladin
Certifed Pilates Instructor

Lindsay Ladin is a BASI certified Pilates instructor from Santa Barbara. Lindsay practiced yoga for twelve years before discovering her love for Pilates in 2011. As a child Lindsay was a gymnast and has always been into physical activities such as soccer, hiking, softball, and boxing. Lindsay teaches both group and private Pilates classes on the apparatus, as well as on the mat. Lindsay’s love for teaching and her range of instruction, practice and skills makes her a well-rounded and fun instructor.


Jo Landis Shields
Certified Pilates Instructor

Jo considers teaching Pilates her dream job, as it allows her to combine her love of fitness and passion for helping others. She loves to see Pilates enhance and transform the lives of her clients. Pilates helps establish the mind-body connection necessary for a balanced fitness routine, while learning proper movement patterns that will sustain healthy posture and inspire new ways to strengthen the entire body.

Jo became a certified Body Arts and Science International (BASI) Pilates Instructor after managing a Pilates studio in Santa Barbara for five years, and then entering the BASI Pilates teacher training program there. Jo has since earned the advanced BASI Pilates certification in “Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies” and also the “Working with the Mature Client” workshop. She is committed to continuing her Pilates education with workshops, self-practice, and supporting certifications. Jo currently serves on the Event Ambassador Committee for Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation where she has been active since 2010 and enjoys cooking for family and friends, playing in the ocean, adventuring with her husband and adult kids, and tiring out their Australian Shepherd, Koda Bear.


Melody Collins
Certified Pilates Instructor

Melody discovered her passion for Pilates in 2010 while recovering from a back injury during a summer ballet program. Pilates helped immensely with her strength and recovery, and she now loves to share the benefits of Pilates with others. Melody became a certified Pilates Mat instructor in 2013 through BASI Pilates. In 2017, she completed her comprehensive BASI Pilates certificate with Dance Specialization under Karen Clippinger, while also achieving a degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science at Cal State Long Beach.

Melody loves working with clients of all ages and backgrounds, and in addition to Pilates, she has taught dance and performed professionally with several dance companies. She enjoys music, walking in nature, and spending time with family. Melody is thrilled to be a part of the community at Simpatico.  


Raman Dhaliwal
Certified Pilates Instructor

Raman’s passion for Pilates began with a search for alternative pain management options for back injuries. After a long journey with chronic pain, Pilates helped Raman find her path towards healing and has been a constant in her life ever since. As a certified Pilates instructor, Raman is thrilled to help others find their own ability to heal. Her sessions aim to leave her clients feeling connected to their body and grateful for all that it is capable of.

Raman also holds a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and is interested in discovering alternative approaches to health care challenges. She deeply values the information she can share with clients, helping them connect to their bodies through mindful movement, breathwork, and a focus on wellness from the inside out.


Julie Tomlinson
Certified Pilates Instructor

Julie has been working in the fitness industry since 1985. She was an accomplished aerobic and hip hop instructor working with Jane Fonda at both her studio in L.A. and participating in her videos. Over the years, Julie excelled as a master teacher trainer and became a Holistic Nutritional Therapist and a certified Body Arts and Science Pilates instructor. She worked on a number of Pilates and other fitness videos produced by the BodyTrends group.

Julie loves teaching, relating to her clients, and caring for her son, Evan. Age and life experience has equipped her with a new understanding and appreciation for what our bodies need at different stages of our lives.


Nicole Helton
Certified Pilates Instructor

Nicole helps clients transform and get results by focusing on fun and dynamic workouts, empowering movement, total body wellness and challenging limiting beliefs through inspiration and encouragement.  

Nicole is a Master Pilates Teacher Trainer with over 22 years of teaching Pilates and Dance, as well as TRX, Barre, and adjunct modalities. She believes in evidence-based movement practice. Nicole is passionate about clients feeling safe to explore options, make mistakes, be bold, try new things and honor their unique body story as it unfolds. 


Meredith Lyons
Certified Pilates Instructor

Movement and fitness have always been an important part of Meredith’s life. She first discovered the benefits of Pilates when it was offered in conjunction with her Ballet and Modern training as a young dancer in New York at the Cantarella School of Ballet. Meredith received her B.A. in dance teaching and performance from Mercyhurst University, and M.F.A. in dance performance and choreography from Smith College, all the while still training in Pilates. As her career performing and teaching continued to build, Meredith discovered that Pilates could change the way in which she could associate movement and her body unlike anything else. She recognized that this method is a continual life practice, one that connects both the mind, body and spirit. After years of studying Pilates, she finally turned her passion into a profession, becoming Full Apparatus Classically certified in 2011 through In Balance Pilates under the tutelage of Kristy Powell and Carrie Pages.

Meredith is on faculty with the Theater and Dance Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has taught Pilates across the nation and internationally within a variety of studios and academic departments. As an instructor, Meredith places focus on form and breath while challenging students to exceed their self-defined limits. Students can expect a workout that is motivating, challenging and fun. Her classes and privates offer a great variety of exercises, where clients leave feeling a great sense of self accomplishment.