The Team at Pilates Health Connexion

Anna Schafer, MS, RD

Anna Schafer is the registered dietitian and studio owner of Pilates Health Connexion. A passionate educator, she brings her nutrition knowledge and enthusiasm about healthy living to her clients. After receiving a B.A. from Bonn University in Germany, she completed her M.S. in Nutrition Education at Penn State, where she implemented nutrition education programs as a student assistant at the university?s Nutrition Center.

Her first position took her to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, where she was employed by the Department of Health as a community nutritionist. In this capacity, she provided individual nutrition counseling sessions, conducted group presentations, and developed many neighborhood outreach programs. It is in this Caribbean setting that she began conducting Supermarket Tours, educating the public about healthy eating.

Now a resident of Lake Worth, Florida, Anna has established herself as a successful entrepreneur. Armed with a degree in web design from Florida Computer Business School, she launched www.akswebdesign.com, developing internet sites and web pages. As a director of her historic neighborhood association, she organized historic home tours, which have become an annual fundraiser in the community. To keep fluent in several languages she also hosts regular meetings for the German or Spanish conversation clubs of the Palm Beaches.

When she is not organizing an event, Anna advises a host of private clients for whom she has developed nutritional programs, helping them achieve and maintain their weight loss goals. To this end, she designed "Your Nutrition Toolbox", a program empowering clients by providing them with the knowledge to manage their dietary programs on their own and live a healthy life based on sound nutritional habits.

Besides the "Nutrition Toolbox" program, Anna is available for individual dietary counseling and diet specific programs. Rates

Mayra Centrella

Mayra Centrella made Pilates her career and with that she chose the perfect path. Passionate about Pilates her classes get her students hooked as well. Her delightful personality combined with her professionally instructed classes leave people wanting more.

After graduating, Mayra spent several years working in the medical profession before discovering Pilates. "I love Pilates. The first time I attended a session, I fell in love. Pilates has me hooked, and it's the reason why I encourage everyone to try it. My Pilates hobby quickly became my passion, so I decided to make it my career." Mayra completed her Mat & Apparatus Certifications through Power Pilates, but she never stops learning new exercises, moves and techniques which make her classes fun and new every time.

I attended a mat class with Mayra and assumed it would be a run-of-the-mill class. It was the most awesome mat class I have ever taken! I have taken Pilates classes of all types on and off for over 7 years. Mayra blew me away! She was awesome! I can't wait to take more classes with her. She let me get away with nothing. I wish my prior instructors were as meticulous as Mayra is. Wow!

Chay Shavrick

Chay Shavrick RN, LMT has over 23 years of experience in the health and wellness industry as a health care practitioner and instructor.

Over the last several years, Chay has practiced Rehabilitation Pilates in Wellington, Florida. Her clientele includes equestrians and other athletes, as well as people with physical issues due to medical conditions such as fibromyalgia , multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and other diseases that affect the musculature. Chay also helps those with a fragile or weak back who want to improve their health through the gentle movements of Pilates.

Chay teaches Pilates that can be incorporated into everyday life, focusing on functional exercises that enhance both physical performance and the quality of daily living. When committed to a regular program, most of her clients move forward from Pilates Rehabilitation to Pilates fitness.

Training and Certifications Chay Shavrick RN, LMT is a registered nurse, licensed massage therapist and certified yoga instructor. She also taught anatomy and physiology at the Florida College of Natural Health and was trained in Pilates Rehabilitation by Polestar Education at the University of Miami campus.

Lisa Berger

A marathon runner, kick-boxer and spinning enthusiast, pilates is Lisa’s passion and the exercise regimen that has made the most significant impact in her physique and body strength. Lisa was introduced to pilates as a way to transform her body back into shape after her first child was born. Now, more than ten years later, Lisa is still amazed by the incredible benefits offered by pilates. As a certified Power Pilates instructor she is never happier than when she can introduce Pilates to newcomers and share its incredible benefits, both physical and mental.

Prior to getting married and starting her family, Lisa worked in Manhattan as an Account Director in the advertising and international marketing industries. She worked with clients such as Samsung, The Limited, Remington and various pharmaceutical companies, developing corporate identities, logos, product names, packaging design, and brand rejuvenation and marketing strategies.

Born and raised in New York, Lisa has been living in Boca Raton for the past seven years with her husband and two children. Lisa graduated from the University of Texas, Austin, with cum laude honors and a BA in English.

Lauren Kogelschatz

Lauren Kogelschatz has always been an active athlete. When her sister opened a Pilates studio she started taking classes herself and got “hooked” seeing the positive changes in her body.

Being an avid teacher she started instructing Pilates 5 years ago with an unique athletic style, developed through her passion for kickboxing, running, biking, and the barre method. She loves the fact that she can share her enthusiasm of the benefits and results of Pilates with her students. Her outgoing character creates active and exciting classes.

Besides teaching Pilates, Lauren is now continuing her education, working toward a Doctorate in Experimental Psychology, at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Committed to personal growth and education, Lauren is constantly searching for knowledge of the mind, body and brain and her passion lies in sharing this knowledge with others.

Vicky Cole

Vicky Cole was born and raised in New York City, where she started her career as a ballerina at the age of 8. For the next 12 years she practiced under some of the world’s greatest teachers and performed in many New York City Ballet productions. Her advanced career took her from the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet as a soloist to the Los Angeles School of Gymnastics where she coached girls in Rhythmic Gymnastics who made the Seoul 1988 Olympic team.

At 17 Vicky fractured her left ankle. She knew from her teachers that Pilates helps heal their injuries and increase their conditioning. Vicky decided to take Pilates from Joseph Pilates protégé Romana Kryzanowska. This proved to not only save her career but opened up a whole new level of conditioning and fitness. She was back at ballet jumping fully on her ankle in only two and a half months. Vicky was hooked on Pilates realizing this was an amazing healing program.

In 1991 Vicky moved to Boca Raton and since then she has taught Ballet all over the South Florida area. In 2009 she decided to obtain her Pilates Certification and teaches Pilates exclusively. A year later she had the opportunity to combine Ballet and Pilates in a new fitness class and created Ballet Body Fitness which she taught at the Harid Conservatory, a professional Ballet Boarding school for high school students, located in Boca Raton

She also obtained her Pink Ribbon Program Certification and is working with Breast Cancer Survivors helping them to decrease pain, increase energy, regain strength and mobility, and most important of all, enhance their physical and mental wellbeing.

Vicky finds this work extremely worthwhile and fulfilling and her goal is to help as many women as possible to recover from Breast Cancer.