Naiza has spent her entire life keeping her body in motion, whether through sports, cheerleading or dancing. In 2013, she became a professional certified coach, sharing her passion for support and guidance with others. When health issues limited her mobility, Naiza turned to “movement” again to heal herself, and in 2015 she became a certified yoga instructor – again passing along her positive experiences to others. When she was first introduced to Pilates, Naiza recognized the added benefits this exercise offered its students, including the value of body awareness and self-confidence. Her philosophy is to take small steps towards great goals to navigate through the vulnerabilities found deep within the body. Naiza’s extraordinary energy and sense of humor enable her to deeply connect with her students, enabling them to bridge the gap between their minds and bodies through mindful engagement and movement. A resident of Central Florida for over 30 years, Naiza is currently one of the Pilates Education Mentors at Soteria Pilates Maitland & Winter Garden as well as the lead instructor for both locations! Once studio life settles and her two little kids are both in school full time, she plans on starting a part time MSW program to be able to further integrate the mental and physical worlds of the human body. When the Pilates hat can come off for a moment, Naiza enjoys spending time with her family, impromptu friend hangouts and having someone else tell her what to do with her movement in group classes at Soteria and weight training at Hardcore Altamonte Springs