THE MOVEMENT APOTHECARY
Pilates + Yoga + Dance
OUR TEAM
The Heart of The Movement Apothecary
LACEY GASAWAY
Owner
Instructor of Pilates, Yoga & Dance
My name is Lacey, and I am a movement instructor out of Fort Collins, Colorado. I utilize the teachings of Pilates, Yoga, Dance and more in my sessions with clients. I grew up as a dancer and fell in love with learning how the body moves. After a spinal injury in high school, I began physical therapy and found what I was passionate about: Helping others understand and move their bodies.
I went to university and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology. I began teaching fitness classes at the university recreational center. That was where I found my love & energy for teaching. Pilates teacher training and Rock Steady Boxing Coach training only furthered my desire to learn more.
After graduating from university, I spent the next 5 years working at The Parkinson’s Exercise & Wellness Center in Kansas City. There I specialized in working with people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I began the Moving & Shaking (dance) program, The Pilates program and the Spinal Roll & Release program at the center. All of these classes were specifically designed for those with Parkinson’s.
Pilates taught me how to put words to movement, Yoga gave me the breath work and control, and Dance gave me the flow and flexibility. My teaching style is intuitive and present. I love teaching, it is where I feel connected and powerful. I believe my classes can be beneficial for everyone and am always happy to modify for injuries. It’s important for me that everyone feels safe in my classes.
I am a lifelong learner and am always eager to expand my repertoire. I have undergone Yoga teacher training in India, reiki training, one-on-one assisted stretching, herbalism, massage therapy and more!
JOE RITTER
Sound Healing & Meditation Instructor
Joe Ritter is a Chopra Certified Meditation and Ayurvedic Health Instructor, and a graduate of Emily Fletcher’s ZIVA. He has also studied Vipassana meditation through the lineage of S.N. Goenka. Originally from Michigan, he now lives and teaches in Colorado. He is a plant medicine advocate who loves playing drums, seeing live music, and exploring nature in the mountains. His passions also include Kaizen, yoga, and psychedelic healing. In September of 2020, the benefits of his daily practice led him to leave his executive chef career to become a meditation teacher. He created Rhythmic Alchemy shortly thereafter as a platform to raise the awareness of his community and share his gifts as an educator. Joe practices the style he teaches every day.
TAYLOR ESTRELLA
Calisthenics Instructor
My name is Taylor and I grew up involved with different contact sports such as boxing and wrestling, tumbling and gymnastics, parkour, climbing, and pretty much any activity I had an interest in understanding that made me move my body and control it more. I was a competitive boxer for 7+ years and went from assisting athletes in that field to coaching them. My love for boxing is still there, as it’s helped me achieve my coordination and control over different aspects in my movements today!
I have always been in love with movement and unlocking a deeper potential with my vessel. I loved seeing personal growth and progress when practicing various forms of movement. Which is what guided my interest in getting certified in Yoga, and further deepened my practice in Calisthenics. I had been a practitioner of Yoga and Gymnastics for some time, and had always incorporated some form of Calisthenics into my exercises when it came to doing different activities. But studying Yoga in Rishikesh, opened my mind to the potential my body and all of our bodies have lying within them. Understanding this, I decided to go down the road of Calisthenics once more, but with more of an open mind. I developed a dream routine I wanted to achieve for myself, and have since been on that journey to obtaining it. It became a transformative way of thinking when I started getting really deep into practice, and that really carried over to different aspects in my life. Calisthenics has provided me with patience, body awareness, and tenacity. My goal is to expand your idea on what Calisthenics can be, and help you develop a dream routine of your own.
In the middle of my journey to understanding and mastering Calisthenics, I decided to seek out another form of movement I fell in love with at a young age, and that was Gymnastics. Remembering the strain and the coordination it took for me to participate in this sport made me want to take another swing at it and see where it could go. I currently coach at Timberline Gymnastics in Fort Collins and I am implementing Calisthenics everyday. There’s only one cheat code in Gymnastics and that’s strength. This and the heavy use of Calisthenics throughout the history of the sport appealed to me and I have been learning new regressions and progressions to movements I’ve been racing towards since I’ve been involved again. Because of this, handstands are a vital part of my practice and journey, as the skill itself has many shapes Calisthenics can help achieve and strengthen. Im looking forward to bringing this knowledge and passion I have with these style of movements to the Movement Apothecary. Especially perfect handstands.
When I’m away from the studio or the gym, I take interest in reading, writing, transcendental meditation, traveling, writing music, producing music, engineering music for myself and others, and playing the piano. Outside of the movement I’ve been in love with learning more on hermeticism, the occult, metaphysics and philosophy. In 2014 I sought out a TM certificate that would later change my whole development and outlook on what I wanted to understand more of in life.
I am more than excited to be around you conscious collectives at the Movement Apothecary and create synergistic relationships with all who come in!
JENNIFER CARMACK
Somatic Practioner, Yoga & Pilates Instructor
Jennifer Carmack, E-RYT 500, has been teaching Hatha Yoga since 2008. She was certified by the Shambhava School of Yoga (associated with Shoshoni Ashram Nederland, CO) for her 200 hour YTT and Advanced YTT with alignment based teacher, Christina Sell. Her continuing education over the years in hands on Yoga adjustments, Thai yoga therapy, Ayurveda, Restorative Yoga, Breathwork, Bhakti, Meditation and Somatic Experiencing integrates in all of her teaching.
For Jennifer, teaching yoga creates a space, a moment in time where we get to just be, right where we are, in our own bodies, our experiences, our perspectives, our thoughts, all the parts of us. There is this limitless space when the group aligns in this energy and there we all are, together, in ALL that is. Transcendence of the ways we are perceived, an abandonment of our judgements, in commonUnity . Moving in this way reminds us of the practice that we get to bring into our lives, our relationships and all we are creating.
GNOSIS RENA MERCADO
Kundalini Dance Instructor
(Pronounced Know-Sis) aka Lightworker "G" grew up in an alternative way of life, living in big cities of the world, utilizing holistic and meditative practices and the ways of some the last living warriors of peace on earth. The account of her experiences and expertise of health and healing combined with learned earth magic allow for facilitation of ritual movement to be full circle to the place of here + the time of now.
Gnosis has over 1000 hours of training in various modalities of movement and movement therapy and loves to focus on helping people release trauma from the body. Fear, pain, and trauma are built up in the fascial system and can be released through specific types of functional movement that can be trained and tailored for ANY BODY. Gnosis is happy to co-create with Movement Apothecary and is also an aerial yoga teacher at Live Beyond Limit.
IZZY MARTENS
Yoga Instructor
With over a decade of yoga practice and six years of teaching under her belt, Izzy teaches yoga classes that are athletic, creative and empowering. Inspired by the yoga traditions of Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Power, Izzy's classes mix mindfulness, movement and storytelling. Izzy enjoys the ever-evolving nature of yoga and will often incorporate unique postures, transitions, and movements into her classes. Izzy aims to provide her students with an experience that is about more than just asana (the physical postures), but about all of the teachings that yoga offers. Izzy shares her weekly flows on her newsletter What I Taught in Yoga This Week (yogahumans.substack.com) and more on her website at www.yogahumans.com.
Yoga has taught Izzy so much in her life, including the values of tuning-in to the mind and body, setting positive intentions, and simply showing up. Izzy earned her 200 Hour RYT Certificate through Yoga Alliance in 2018. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2016. Outside of yoga, Izzy works with a leadership consulting organization. She is certified in Executive Facilitation from Georgetown University's Institute for Transformational Leadership. She is also the co-author of the book titled Holding Space: Mindful Facilitation.
CAT STONE
Yoga Instructor
Cat's yoga practice began in 2002 while a seva student at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts - she has offered yoga classes in clinics, homes, studios, community spaces, online, and outdoors since 2015. She completed her initial (200) Yoga Teacher Training in vinyasa yoga at Old Town Yoga Studio and advanced (300) YTT in kundalini yoga at Yoga Farm Ithaca. She also holds a Masters in Education from Colorado State University, and is working toward an additional Masters in Clinical Mental Health from Adams State University. Most often, however, she is in her garden, on the trails, reading a book, and playing with her family.
Before teaching yoga, Cat taught outdoor education, worked on organic farms, and traveled – as well as completing programs in permaculture design, therapeutic massage, reiki, and courses with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Alongside teaching yoga, Cat has worked in Colorado public schools.
Cat has gratefully studied with Nikki Myers (Yoga of 12-Step Recovery), Hala Khouri (trauma-informed practices), Gina Caputo (vinyasa, anatomy, cueing and assists), Lucia Seglie (prenatal yoga), and Jeannie O’Neill (kundalini, ayurveda).
Her classes focus on knowledge and growth through movement, meditation, and community.
CRISTEN ROBINSON
Belly Dance Instructor
My name is Cristen and I'm so excited to be teaching here at The Movement Apothecary.
My mom jokingly tells me often that I have been dancing since I was in the womb. I have always been a mover and a shaker and since I can remember dancing has been apart of my daily life. I have taught or been a part of Belly dance, Hip Hop, Burlesque, Samba, Live Theatre, and I'm always down to dance to a good DJ!
I currently dance and perform with Sumatra Belly Dance here in Fort Collins lead and directed by Julia DiVerdi. I have been with this company for almost 10 years. You can find us performing with the Cupcake Cabaret at The Lyric on North College.
SYDNEY SHORTMAN
Dance Instructor
Sydney grew up here in Fort Collins, and has been dancing since childhood. She has trained in multiple styles such as ballet, hip-hop, and jazz, but her most-loved style is contemporary. She took a brief step back from dance as a teenager, but has returned to dancing as an adult with the goal of encouraging other dancers to learn to appreciate their own unique talents. She hopes to create a class environment which instills a sense of self-compassion, creativity, and non-judgement in her students. She strives to teach key fundamentals and principles of contemporary dance while making maintaining a fun and healthy environment the main priority.
LIZBETH MARTINEZ
Yoga Instructor
Lizbeth is a free-spirited, nature and travel enthusiast. Her passion and love for yoga began 10 years ago when she discovered all the wonderful healing benefits this practice has to offer.
Throughout the years she has practiced different styles of yoga and her passion for it led her to make the decision to get certified to teach. She took her 200-hour training in Bali, Indonesia, where she absolutely fell in love with their culture and spiritual practices. Lizbeth focuses on teaching all levels and is looking forward to connecting deeper with the movement community.
SARAH BROUSSARD
Yoga, Buti & Barre Instructor
My love for yoga began in 2011. My past job required hours of driving and stressful deadlines. My body was in need of restoration and my mind was in need of peace. I gradually started to include more and more mat time into my life and, soon enough, yoga became a necessity for me. After I was bit by the ‘yoga bug,’ I started to expand my horizons with all different types of yoga and movement styles.
I received my teacher training from Om Ananda Yoga Studio here in Fort Collins where I obtained my 500 hour and prenatal teacher trainings. My training only enhanced my background in yogic and other movement methods and techniques. I am forever a student and continue to attend various meditation, restorative yoga, and inversion and arm balance workshops and barre trainings not only to enhance my own practice but also to teach my students the newest methods to help accomplish their physical and mental goals.
My love affair with inversions is never-ending but I have learned more than just the simple ‘headstand’ or ‘handstand.’ Through years of practice I have learned when to listen to my body and when to hold back (even when my ego begs me to keep going). Finding trust in the process of yoga is a crucial component that I try to communicate to all my students.
I cannot stress enough to all aspiring yogis that yoga is not just a physical practice but also a mental one. I value the yoga sutras and you will find that many of my classes are based on these friendly moral principles. I truly believe that yoga is not just for the flexible or fit; yoga is for anyone at any age. My classes are catered to not only seasoned practitioners but also beginners. I will challenge every one of my students because only when we escape our comfort zone is when we learn and grow. I enjoy practicing as well as teaching Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Hatha, and Kids/Teen, SUP Yoga, Barre, and BUTI, value creating a balance between these styles of movement and the balance it helps to create in my life.