Our Teachers

FOUNDER & STUDIO DIRECTOR
PILATES, YOGA, & BUDOKON

Leslie Parker is the director of the Mindful Movement Centre, Toronto. A former professional ballet dancer, she has been teaching yoga, Pilates, and body conditioning for more than two decades. She uses her extensive knowledge of different movement forms to teach functional movement, increase flexibility, and treat injury.

Throughout her career with leading ballet companies in the United States and Europe she drew on Pilates to enhance her dance practice and to rehabilitate serious injuries. 

The experience of treating her own injuries inspired Leslie to specialise in injury rehabilitation. She brings real expertise and compassion to this work and collaborates with doctors, physiotherapists, athletic therapists, and osteopaths to develop healing programs. Her long career in bodywork has also given her invaluable skills in assessing people’s bodies. Leslie believes the breathwork, relaxation, and infinite kindness contained in yogic teachings complement her Pilates and bodywork skills. Leslie teaches restorative, vinyasa (flow), and Ashtanga yoga.

In 2003 she founded Mindful Movement in London, England, a company that specialised in individual Pilates and Yoga programs. Her clientele (both male and female) included people from a variety of backgrounds and age groups. Athletes, executives, and artists came to Leslie to maintain fitness, reshape their bodies, rehabilitate injuries, and to treat chronic pain and stress. To help her students further their practice, Leslie in 2004 founded Pure Retreats, a travel company that took participants to Morocco, France, Italy, and various places within Great Britain on yoga and Pilates retreats.

Leslie’s love of movement also led her to the practice of Budokon, which she studied under Sensei Jamal Pender and Kancho Cameron Shayne. She has since become a certified Budokon instructor and earned her red belt, as well as her Budokon Yoga certification. She is currently the highest ranking Budokon instructor in Ontario.

Leslie looks forward to welcoming you to the Mindful Movement Centre, where she hopes you will enjoy a friendly and nurturing atmosphere focused on helping you reach optimal levels of fitness and flexibility.

MASTER TEACHER
PILATES & YOGA

Aley found her first love of movement through yoga. As her practice evolved, she decided to complete her yoga teacher training (YTT) and was inspired to leave her corporate career and pursue a career in teaching. 

Wanting to learn more about anatomy and alignment through movement, she was introduced to Pilates and completed her mat Pilates teacher training. It was the perfect complement to her teachings and evolved into much more. 

She found a great love for the reformer and then for the cadillac, chair and barrel, becoming a fully certified Pilates instructor with Mindful Movement Centre. She is also certified in Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), a comprehensive joint training system. 

She loves teaching and connecting with people. She seeks to bring mindfulness and balance in her sessions, and enjoys working on alignment, challenging and supporting her clients, and finding joy in movement. Wherever you are on your movement journey, Aley looks forward to working with you! 

MASTER TEACHER
PILATES

Aniela describes her classes as “a combination of challenge and fun, hopefully leaving you with a deeper connection to self and a sense of strength and balance.” She is amazed by the healing powers of the body and continues to learn and explore different modalities. Aniela stresses the importance of proper alignment in both Pilates classes and long term over all body health.

Aniela began studying Kundalini yoga with Sat Dharam Kaur and received her Hatha Vinyasas yoga certification from the Yoga Sanctuary.  She further studied restorative, pre-natal and yin yoga.

Her passion for anatomy and healing injuries lead her to Pilates; in 2013 she received her mat certification from Body Harmonics. Since then she has continued to take courses and is currently working towards her reformer certification with MMC director Leslie Parker.

In addition to teaching with a focus on healing and rebalancing the body, Aniela has worked as an actress.  She loved having the chance to play/think/be someone else from time to time. This ability to put herself in someone else’s shoes, as it were, has increased her ability to understand and empathize with her students.

While Aniela began doing yoga early in her career she was motivated by the desire for a ‘great body’. However as she deepened her understanding of these combined disciplines her focus changed to healing and rebalancing ultimately leading to a ‘best body’.

TEACHER
PILATES, YOGA

Born in Manila, raised in Toronto, Carla likes to make soap & eat pie when she’s not in Savasana. She completed her first yoga teacher training in Thailand, and shortly after found her voice to teach yoga with confidence. Carla’s classes will encourage you to get intimate with your body and mind.  Her time spent adjusting students in their self-practice gives her a different approach to her led classes, providing modifications to help achieve their personal goals.  Eager to learn more, she took her first Pilates Teacher Training with Leslie Parker at Mindful Movement Centre.  Leslie focused on therapeutic methods of rehabilitating injuries which inspired Carla to teach in a more meaningful way. You can look forward to increased joint mobility as well as an overall sense of calm and balance in her Pilates classes.  In her spare time, she has a fondness of making beautiful natural handcrafted soaps, where she then started her company, The Good Bar, which sells in several stores in the downtown core.

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Caryn is passionate about supporting people to move with ease, strength, and confidence. She loves to play with sequencing that challenges the mind body connection. Her approach to movement is both specific and playful, always with the needs of each individual in mind. Caryn is a contemporary dancer and received her BFA from Ryerson University. She then completed her Teacher Training in both Mat and Reformer at Mindful Movement Centre. The practice of Pilates has been very grounding for Caryn, and being able to share movement brings her so much joy!

MASTER TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Danielle comes to Pilates with over 15 years of classical ballet training solidly behind her. Having first discovered Pilates as an invaluable tool for improving her dance technique, she moved on to train as an instructor at both Body Harmonics and STOTT Pilates. Danielle brings her natural ability for imagery to class to make movements come alive for participants and awaken their body awareness. Both her mat and reformer classes flow – not unlike a dance – and sparkle with inventive choreography that plays with but always stay true to the basic foundations of Pilates. With humor and care, she encourages participants forward with the goal of progress, not perfection. A firm believer that Pilates can compliment every lifestyle and fitness level, she teaches with the intent of helping people find a new ease in and utilize the most valuable tool they own: their bodies.

TEACHER
PILATES

Meet Eleanor van Veen—a movement instructor, contemporary-based dance artist, coffee enthusiast, and music lover based in Toronto. Originally from Cape Breton Island, Eleanor grew up dancing competitively and playing various sports. From an early age, movement has been an essential part of her life, shaping her dynamic and expressive approach to teaching today.

Eleanor’s practice emphasizes mobility, stability, strength, and movement that simply feels good. Her Pilates offerings are accessible and trauma-informed, designed to support a wide range of individuals, from young children to older adults. Having worked with people aged 5 to 75, she brings a deep understanding of movement’s impact on the body and mind.

As a professional dancer with firsthand experience managing chronic pain and injuries, Eleanor understands the importance of tuning in to the body’s needs. She guides clients through movement with care, helping them explore and connect with their bodies in a safe and supportive way. She is excited to build meaningful connections with Mindful Movers as they deepen their awareness through movement.

She looks forward to flowing together soon!

TEACHER
PILATES, BONEFIT (OSTEOPOROSIS CANADA) & RESTORATIVE PILATES

A lifelong athlete with a passion for longevity and functionality in movement at all ages, Emily loves playing around in the awesome intersection between strength-building and restorative movements. Having grown up playing sports and curious to know more about how our bodies are impacted by day-to-day routines after working in sedentary desk jobs for several years, Emily completed her Mat Pilates teacher training with Leslie Parker at Mindful Movement Centre, as well as a Restorative Pilates certification with Evelyn Charters, and the BoneFit training program through Osteoporosis Canada. She then continued to layer elements into her teaching practice through the Reformer, Cadillac, Chair & Barrel Pilates certification programs at Mindful Movement Centre. 

Always eager to learn more about the body and movement, Emily is currently training in Pilates for Neurological Conditions through The Neuro Studio, as well as Classical Chinese Energy Medicine through the Ngui family lineage, with a particular focus on the practice of Qigong.

She now seamlessly weaves together her many years of training for soccer, curling, and Ultimate Frisbee with her Pilates and BoneFit training to coach people of all ages and movement backgrounds through safe and effective strengthening programs. Emily is particularly passionate about helping people better understand how their bodies move and how they can build sustainable movement practices into their day-to-day routines.

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Emily is a yoga instructor and health coach with over 16 years in the wellness industry. Her yoga and health journey began when her college and professional basketball career came to an end. Throughout the years, she's become aware of her clients’ continually developing needs. As she ages and dabble in exercise of all forms, Emily has discovered that Pilates is the natural next step to keeping both her clients and herself strong. Now nearing the end of her first, hopefully of many, pilates certifications she's discovered that all people have a simple and universal goal; keep balanced, strong, mobile and feeling like a million bucks and she is committed to bringing this to her community!

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Erika was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She is a professional dancer and social anthropologist. From a young age, she developed a special relationship with movement and dance. Erika completed a few semesters at The National University of Córdoba in Argentina and wrote her thesis on corporal studies and dance at San Basilio De Palenque in the Colombian Caribbean. She taught dance at various schools and academies in Colombia for several years. In 2015, she received the "Young Talented Artists" scholarship, which led to an artistic residency in contemporary dance in Madrid, Spain.

Afterwards, Erika moved to Toronto, which she has called home since 2017. She performed with Ballet Creole, worked with various dance collectives, and taught multiple dance styles at different academies. After experiencing a few injuries, Erika discovered her love for Pilates. She pursued this passion by completing certifications in mat, reformer, cadillac, chair, and barrel at the Mindful Movement Centre.

Erika infuses her passion for dance and movement into her Pilates sessions, offering creative and flowing sequences in a safe and welcoming environment for EVERY body. She tailors each session to meet her clients' unique needs, harnessing the power of movement to help them achieve their wellness goals and promote growth and vitality.

MASTER TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Georgia has been teaching Pilates for over 15 years with a specialty in athletics, pre/post natal fitness and rehabilitation.

She has been featured in Pilates Style magazine and has several videos on-line at PilatesAnytime.
Georgia was interviewed by NOW magazine for her work in the "Best of Pilates" in Toronto.

Her classes and private sessions are very challenging and safe making it easy to see progress quickly. Through Georgia's rehabilitation work in post organ transplant at Toronto General Hospital as well as knee and hip replacement she has built unique programs and modifications to fit every body.

Georgia believes Pilates keeps us aware of our bodies which helps us move more freely through ongoing changes of life.

TEACHER
ESSENTRICS, SUSPENSION & PILATES

Over 10 years ago, Jeff embarked on a personal mission to overcome chronic back pain resulting from a life-altering motor vehicle accident, the physical strain of competitive sports, and the detrimental effects of a sedentary desk job. Through the practices of Pilates and Essentrics, he discovered the solutions he had been seeking, effectively reversing the effects of time and restoring his ability to move and feel better than he had in a decade. Today, as a dedicated full-time movement instructor, Jeff focuses on enhancing and sustaining individuals' quality of life through the transformative power of movement.

As a certified Pilates and Essentrics instructor, Jeff finds great fulfillment from assisting clients from all walks of life. Whether their goals revolve around rehabilitation, rediscovering pain-free movement, or enhancing performance to complement a demanding training regimen, he is committed to guiding them on their journey. With prior training in various martial arts and sports, Jeff brings a diverse skill set to address specific training and rehabilitation needs from various perspectives. His sessions are thoughtfully designed to increase awareness of movement patterns and effectively target common chronic pains, particularly in the knees, hips, lower back, and shoulders.

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Karen Williams is graduate of the Mindful Movement Teacher Training Program. She has trained under master teachers such as Leslie Parker and Georgia Burns. As a committed pilates mover for over 20 years, she knows first hand the power of this movement discipline. Sharing her love of movement through pilates on the mat, reformer and all apparatus has become a lifelong passion. Karen is currently working towards Anatomy of Pilates Certification, Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies along with Pre/Post Natal certifications. She is committed to helping her clients continue to move and feel good in their bodies.

MASTER TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Lourdes is a seasoned professional ballet dancer with more than 25 years of experience. She moved to Canada in 1997, when she began teaching ballet in Toronto. Lourdes has been teaching at Toronto Metropolitan University (Formerly Ryerson University) for the Dance Department at the Creative School, since 2013. 

After obtaining her certification in the Stott Pilates Method in 2000, she started giving private and group pilates classes at several prominent private clubs, fitness clubs, and colleges throughout Toronto. Lourdes’s classes are thoughtful and have the precision of a dance class.

Lourdes is distinguished as one of our Master Teachers and has been with Mindful Movement Centre since it’s first days in Toronto. She loves to make people feel comfortable and welcome in the space and her classes.

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Natali is a certified Pilates instructor with a deep love for art, nature, and anything rooted in beauty, line and form. Her classes are contemporary with a classic feel, with a focus on accessibility and providing modifications for all levels. Growing up with anatomical postural concerns, Pilates was the only practice that provided not only immediate relief but also long-lasting solutions for Natali, and she is excited to share it with others.

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Olivia is a Toronto-based Dance Artist, instructor and choreographer. She received her BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2018 and continues to dance professionally around the city. 

Olivia first discovered Pilates as a young dancer. She felt that this form of movement resonates with her most as a form of cross training. She continues to explore other movement modalities, but always comes back to Pilates. She first began at Mindful Movement in an administrative role, but found that she wanted to share her love of Pilates and movement with others. This led her to start her training. Olivia has completed her Mat, Reformer and Cadillac, Chair & Barrel training here at Mindful Movement and is excited for this new journey! 

Olivia loves to challenge the body and brain, working on co-ordination and flow in all of her classes. She aims to have everyone leave feeling energized. Olivia is so happy and grateful to be apart of the MMC community! 

TEACHER
PILATES

Robbie Fenton’s (he/him) curiosity for movement is endless and his bright personality can help push you through his challenging but rewarding classes. As a professional actor and dancer, he has explored his own movement in 101 ways - but he has found himself now settling on a deep love for sharing Pilates, as a tool for that exploration. With his natural ability to create a space that is inherently “come as you are”, Robbie will challenge your perception of what you can or can’t do, as well as being sensitive and highly aware of your personal boundaries and limitations. He believes in fostering a space where we listen deeply to our bodies and ask ourselves important questions pertaining to movement, while also taking a moment to laugh at ourselves and at life. When we drop our personal guards and don’t take ourselves too seriously, we can shine authentically, and our movement might feel like a totally different experience of self-embrace and self-fuel.

TEACHER
PILATES

Sarina has been on her movement journey since the age of 3 – starting with ballet and gymnastics, Sarina has also danced jazz and acro and cheered competitively for over 15 years, loving every minute on the dance floor or the mat. When her corporate job brought her downtown, Sarina discovered her love of Pilates and started practicing at studios across the city. After practicing for 8 years, Sarina decided to pursue her mat & reformer certification at Mindful Movement Center, helping her grow strength and confidence while keeping her connected to her body, and working through injuries. Sarina believes that Pilates is for everybody and is proud to be a part of the community MMC!

TEACHER
PILATES, PRE-NATAL PILATES

Sydney is a Toronto-based dance artist, movement instructor, and choreographer. She is a graduate of the Performance Dance Program at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Performance under the direction of Vicki St. Denys. Since graduation she’s worked on multiple independent dance projects across Toronto. Recently Sydney has shifted her professional work into education, teaching acrobatics, jazz and contemporary dance at various studios in the city.

Having trained in competitive dance since the age of five, movement has been a main focus of Sydney’s entire life. While she was introduced to Pilates early on through her dance training, only after graduation did she begin to implement it into her regular practice thanks to Mindful Movement Centre. What began as an administrative energy exchange in 2018 quickly developed into a love for the mindfulness and specificities of Pilates. Sydney completed her Mat, Reformer, Chair, Barrel and Cadillac certification at Mindful Movement Centre between 2019-2021.

Sydney brings a love of dance and movement into her Pilates repertoire. This manifests in her work through playful creative sequencing and choreography that challenges both the body and the mind. Her work aims not only to improve strength and flexibility but to aid in moving with more confidence by discovering the beautiful nuances of one’s own body. Sydney is so happy to be a part of the incredible MMC community and cannot wait to share her love of movement with you!

TEACHER
PILATES

Wendy is a certified pilates instructor as well as a yoga and rock-climbing instructor. She is currently completing her pilates teacher training program at Mindful Movement Centre and continues to evolve and build her practice. Drawn to the transformative power of movement and mindfulness, Wendy started exploring the practice of pilates and yoga over 15 years ago. After experiencing firsthand the profound impact these disciplines had on her own physical and mental well-being, she embarked on a journey to share these benefits with others. In her teaching, she embraces the principles of movement methods, which combine functional movement, strength, mobility and stability with mindful breathing and flow. Wendy is also an avid rock climber, and her climbing adventures subtly inform her approach to teaching. It reinforces the principles of balance, core strength, and mental focus that are essential in movement practices. The lessons learned on the rock face inspire her to challenge her students to reach new heights, literally and metaphorically.