An Intentional Pilates Practice That Feels Good
Traditional Pilates with modern play —we prioritize healing, stability, strength, and rejuvenation.
We use low-impact exercises to enhance muscle strength, postural alignment, and flexibility, supporting your body today and decades ahead. Our classes focus on purposeful and controlled movements, making sure you deeply activate and connect with the right muscles during each exercise.
We offer a traditional leaning Pilates practice that is not only safe, effective, and sustainable, but also feel really good.
Meet Your Instructors
Miriam Bonano
STOTT PILATES® CPT & OWNER (SHE/HER)
Miriam was first introduced to Pilates in high school through her dance program. As she pursued a fine arts degree at VCU and taught visual arts after graduating, Miriam continually returned to Pilates for its ability to make her feel whole, both physically and mentally.
During her time as an art educator, Miriam felt drawn towards teaching movement and helping others discover the benefits of Pilates. She sought extensive certification through the STOTT PILATES® method and learned how to effectively adapt Pilates for different needs and anatomical variations.
Beyond her technical expertise, Miriam's unique approach combines anatomy with education, ensuring that her students achieve functional strength, stability, and alignment. Got a question during a session? Ask away! Miriam loves to geek out on all things Pilates, form, and deep muscle connection. She is excited to be actively pursuing continued education with the comprehensive Somaphyx® Pilates Pro Mentorship program with expected completion in April 2025.
As Eleos Pilates continues to grow, Miriam remains committed to her mission of offering an intentional movement practice centered on overall health, stress-reduction, movement education, and long-term physical wellness in an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Emily Walters
STOTT PILATES® CPT + EDUCATION COORDINATOR (SHE/HER)
Emily is a registered nurse (RN) and a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). Prior to joining Eleos Pilates, she dedicated nine years to assisting with labor, birth, and postpartum care. With a passion for women's health, Emily offers safe and empowering Pilates sessions tailored for individuals at any stage of the parenting journey, from prenatal to postnatal and beyond. As the Education Coordinator for Team Eleos, Emily ensures consistency within our programming, instruction, and oversees the educational realm.
Residing in Forest Hill with her husband, daughter, and their sweet dog and cat, Emily is available for client sessions at the studio on Thursdays.
Sarah Maser
Peak Pilates CPT (SHE/HER)
Sarah has been teaching Pilates since 2015. She is classically trained through Peak Pilates, and completed their 500-hour fully comprehensive certification while living in Austin, TX. She loves Pilates for the way it engages the whole body for a fun and dynamic workout, that leaves you feeling uplifted, taller and stronger.
She has completed continuing education for a deeper understanding of ergonomics and anatomy, and teaches classes that are challenging while still being safe and accessible for everyone.
She brings a positive, welcoming energy to her class and is excited to share her love of Pilates with you!
Allie Mullican
APPRENTICE MAT INSTRUCTOR (SHE/HER)
Allie is a Richmond native whose love for Pilates started back in 2014 when she discovered the reformer. She quickly learned and appreciated all that Pilates had to offer - the mind-body connection, the feeling of strength and alignment, and the use of breath as fuel.
In recent years, she has become a student of Pilates, learning about the history & principles as well as trying out various studios and online programs. While on her Pilates journey, she discovered Eleos, where she has developed a deeper appreciation and understanding of the STOTT PILATES® method. Allie has completed all of her mat training hours for the STOTT PILATES® method and has achieved the Apprentice level as an instructor at Eleos. Outside of Eleos, you can catch her making commercials, listening to country music, and loving on her Sproodle, Edley.
Krystal Maroon
Balanced Body CPT (SHE/HER)
Krystal discovered a passion for Pilates after healing from a hysterectomy and looking to rebuild core strength. She loves the mind/body component of Pilates, and the precise and controlled way it builds strength, tones deep muscles, and develops good posture and coordination.
Krystal is passionate about helping people discover their resiliency through Pilates. She loves creating a welcoming, non-judgmental, and relaxing environment for clients to achieve balanced muscle development and optimal alignment for long term health. She designs every session with the goal that you will walk out feeling happier, stronger, more aligned, connected to your body, and less stressed.
When she is not doing Pilates or chasing and carpooling her three children, Krystal enjoys being outdoors (especially around any form of water), hiking, biking, writing, reading fiction, taking hot baths, and having deep soul conversations. Krystal loves introducing people to the Pilates reformer – there is simply no movement like it! What you learn from reformer Pilates will help you succeed in all other forms of exercise. Krystal is qualified to work with anyone from introductory beginner level to super advanced level Pilates on the reformer.
Alexa Linker
Balanced Body CPT (SHE/HER)
Alexa is a Balanced Body certified instructor who loves all things movement and believes Pilates is one of the greatest investments for your health. She fell in love with Pilates for its emphasis on controlled and precise movement that educates students on proper muscle engagement and body alignment.
Pilates has been vital in everything from her day to day movements, to her running accomplishments through the development of pelvic stability, increased range of motion, and muscular endurance. Her mission is to help build strong, mobile, and empowered bodies that can keep moving!
Rachel Wells
APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR (SHE/HER)
Balanced Body Method
Rachel is currently finishing up a certification in Mat & Reformer with Balanced Body. She decided to start teaching because of the positive impact that Pilates has had on her mind and body throughout personal practice. During her trainings, she quickly discover a love for anatomy, teaching, and connecting with other through movement.
Other interests include her Scottish Fold “Theodore”, playing chess, online window shopping, and house music.
Rachel is on the schedule here at Eleos Sundays & Mondays. Join her for a feel good movement practice with intentional guided care.
Maggie Mauck
APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR (SHE/HER)
A Richmond native, Maggie returned back to richmond after living in nyc for 5 years. She is thrilled to be actively working towards a STOTT PILATES® certification.
While in NYC, she completed the Solidcore certification and during her time as in instructor, she began to supplement the reformer-based resistance training with Pilates at a studio in NYC. Through this, she fell in love with the practice and has found a more contemporary balance between the mega-reformer resistance training and traditional Pilates, which she brings to her classes at Eleos.
Join Maggie for the Reformer: Weights offering! This class is a spin on Pilates foundations with functional strength exercises.
Sydney Stewart
APPRENTICE MAT INSTRUCTOR (SHE/HER)
Sydney first discovered Pilates through her dance training. After experiencing a significant hip injury she saw how incredibly beneficial Pilates truly can be in injury rehabilitation and prevention. Over time Pilates became the only form of movement that she continuously feels energized to pursue.
Sydney has completed the STOTT PILATES® Intensive Mat training program and is in the process of finishing her full Mat Pilates certification with Balanced Body. She is passionate about making Pilates accessible and geeks out over how to help clients adapt an exercise for their own bodies. She aims to help clients discover and build muscle connections and foster a mind body awareness that can be taken into all your other passions. Sydney loves how Pilates is a practice that always offers more to learn and ways to grow no matter how beginner or advanced you are and you’ll always catch her offering up modifications to challenge or assist you in your practice.
Outside of taking or teaching classes you’ll find Sydney in her day job doing research for Etsy, dancing with RVA Tap Troupe, or taking long walks with her rescue pup Rosie!
About Our Name
Eleos, the Greek goddess of mercy, pity, and compassion, inspires us to practice mindfulness in each moment and cultivate self-compassion throughout our journey. While the past is unchangeable and the future remains uncertain, we have the power to focus on the present. Life is characterized by a constant ebb and flow, and to navigate it, we embrace self-love, self-pride, and self-awareness in our daily movements and actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The magic of Pilates appears with commitment to the process and consistency. Our students describe their weekly sessions as medicine for the body and mind. Benefits include: longer, leaner muscles, core stability, relief from stress and lower back pain, aids in chronic pain management, better posture, heightened mind-body awareness, increased self-confidence, and reduced anxiety.
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All you need to bring is water and an open mind!
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Wear comfortable clothes that allow you to move easily, such as leggings, joggers, a tank top, or t-shirt. Avoid baggy clothes and loose-fitting shorts. Barefoot or grippy socks are required.
In small group settings, if you feel comfortable, it is best to wear more fitted clothing that allows the instructor to see your body's shape and alignment. This will enable them to provide visual cues that help you maintain proper stability as you move.
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STOTT PILATES® is a method of Pilates that was developed by fitness professionals and physical therapists. It focuses on restoring the natural curvature of the spine by balancing the muscles around the joints. The STOTT PILATES® method is structured similarly to classical Pilates and follows many of the same principles like breathing and concentration, but emphasizes posture and alignment using props. STOTT PILATES® exercises are structured in a sequential order but can be modified for the individual.
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Nope! We offer programs for all levels, from beginner to advanced. Our instructors will guide you through proper form and technique every step of the way.
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We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive, and judgment-free environment where you can feel comfortable being yourself and moving in ways that work for your body.
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We offer private, semi-private, and small group classes. Each class incorporates guided instruction, warm-ups, Pilates exercises, cooldown stretches, and modifications tailored to individual needs and goals.
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Yes, absolutely! We specialize in adaptive and restorative Pilates, customizing programs to work with and around injuries, pain, or conditions. Pilates is low-impact and can aid in recovery.
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The Pilates reformer is a piece of Pilates equipment that provides resistance training to build strength. It consists of a sliding carriage mounted on a rectangular frame that resembles a bed. The carriage is connected to one end of the reformer by springs of varying levels of tension. Ropes with handles are attached to the carriage by pulleys, allowing you to push and pull the carriage along the frame. The reformer offers a smooth gliding motion while the springs provide resistance to target various muscle groups in a controlled manner. The reformer provides precision, support, and tension to help sculpt a strong, balanced body. And we promise, it’s not as intimidating as it looks.
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Yes, all our instructors complete over 200 hours of accredited training in STOTT PILATES® or another internationally-recognized certification program. We emphasize alignment, safety, proper technique, and continuing education.
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Absolutely. We offer customized prenatal and postpartum Pilates programs to help strengthen your body, ease discomforts, and restore core strength. Pilates is a safe, low-impact way to exercise throughout pregnancy and motherhood. We also offer Mat Pilates: Pregnancy and Birth to support a healthy pregnancy and positive birth experience. Suitable for all levels and trimesters!
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We have a 12-hour cancellation policy. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least 12 hours before your scheduled session's start time. All missed sessions or classes will not be refunded in the event of a no-show or a cancellation with less than 12 hours' notice.
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At Eleos, we strive to create a peaceful, safe, and distraction-free environment where everyone can fully immerse themselves in their practice. To maintain this atmosphere, we kindly ask all members to adhere to the following cell phone guidelines:
1. Silence or Turn Off
All cell phones must be silenced or turned off before entering the studio. This includes turning off any audible notifications, alarms, or vibration modes that could disrupt the session.2. No Cell Phone Use During Class
Use of cell phones during class is not permitted. This ensures that everyone can focus on their practice without distractions. If you are expecting an urgent call, please notify the instructor before class and keep your phone on vibrate in your bag or locker.
3. Photography, Selfies, and Recording
To protect the privacy and comfort of our members, photography, video, or audio recording is not allowed during classes without prior permission from the instructor and the studio. If you'd like to take a selfie around the Pilates equipment, please ensure that no other members are in the background to respect their privacy.4. Emergency Calls
If you need to take an emergency call, please exit the studio quietly and take the call outside. We understand that emergencies happen, but ask that you respect the practice space by handling these calls discreetly.5. Pre/Post-Class Use
Before or after class, you are welcome to use your phone in designated areas like the lobby or lounge.By following these guidelines, we can all contribute to a peaceful, safe, and supportive environment for our practice.
If a staff member observes a violation of this policy, you may receive one warning. If the behavior continues, we will respectfully ask you to discontinue attending classes at our studio.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
Let’s Move!
Check out our class descriptions and schedule and reach out if you have any questions! We’re here for you.