About Awaken Movement Studio
Experience the Difference
Welcome to Awaken Movement Studio, where we are dedicated to helping you achieve your fitness and wellness goals through the transformative power of Pilates. Our studio is thoughtfully designed to give you a focused session/class that takes you into your body and out of life's stresses and demands, so that you can come away with a centered mind and a strong, empowered sense of well-being and body.
Your Pilates Journey Here
At Awaken Movement Studio, our small class sizes ensure detailed attention to your specific needs and goals. Big breakthroughs, enhanced performance, and a transformed physique are all a part of comprehensive Pilates. Our clients gain a deeper body awareness that is truly transformative!
Our Commitment to You
We are dedicated to enhancing your physical and mental well-being through personalized Pilates sessions. Our mission is to create a welcoming and encouraging space where individuals of all fitness levels can experience the life-changing benefits of Pilates.
Always serving NWA's vibrant community, reaching Fayetteville, Johnson, Lowell, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville & beyond!
Awaken Movement - Fayetteville, Arkansas' favorite Pilates studio!
Empowering Northwest Arkansas to move, strengthen, and thrive-one class at a time!
Meet Our Expert Instructors
Our team of expert instructors is committed to guiding you through a personalized Pilates experience with unmatched expertise and genuine passion. Get to know the talented individuals who lead our studio.
Apache Baxley
OTR, FST, CPT, CES, Pilates Instructor
Apache Baxley is a licensed Occupational Therapist and fitness professional with a decade of experience providing therapy in clinics, hospitals, home health, and long-term care facilities. In 2016, Apache and his wife moved to Fayetteville, where he began exploring ways to help people outside the standard healthcare system.
As an NASM-certified personal trainer specializing in corrective exercise and a certified Fascia Stretch Therapist, Apache has spent years coaching clients to regain strength and mobility and recover from injuries and surgeries, guiding them back to their previous levels of activity and function.
Sondra Puorro
Certified Pilates Instructor
Sondra, raised in an athletic household, developed a profound appreciation for the power of physical fitness from an early age. Raised by parents who were often outside running, biking, and playing tennis, Sondra's home-life experiences helped ignite a passion for a healthy lifestyle. Her own athletic journey led her to discover a love for long-distance running. After many years of running, she discovered Pilates as a way to safely cross-train, recover from injuries, and prevent them, allowing her to stay active and keep up with her kids and dogs.
Drawn to Pilates for its holistic approach to health and well-being, Sondra recognized that Pilates could offer a transformative experience to individuals of all ages and fitness levels, helping them achieve balance, strength, and flexibility. While training with wonderful teachers in Dallas, TX, she also taught and is currently working on her master training certification. When not teaching or taking Pilates herself, you can usually find her outside in her garden, hiking the Arkansas trails (sometimes with the dogs), or coordinating renovations of her 1800s home.
Jordan Rayne
Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified Pole Fitness Instructor, AIS Certified
Jordan received her STOTT Pilates Instructor Training in 2016, after two years of preparatory work in the Pilates method. Also an XPERT Certified pole fitness instructor, Jordan utilizes an integrative approach to fitness that draws on her background in ballet, acrobatics, Foundation Training, and weight lifting. She is also AIS (Active Isolated Stretch; the Aaron Mattes Method) Certified and specializes in an athletic approach to the contemporary Pilates repertoire.
Katie Kirk-Pense, Owner & Founder
Certified Pilates Instructor, MS
Katie Kirk-Pense is a Master Kinesiologist, Certified Pilates instructor, and Certified Health Coach who has trained bodies and minds for 20 years in NWA and is one of the longest-serving in Fayetteville, AR! She has a wide range of experience, including personal training, cardiac rehabilitation, senior health, scoliosis, pre- & postnatal care, and various pain conditions.
After her own experience with back pain, she began exploring the Pilates methodology and found its strong focus on muscular stability and mobility, which provides exactly what our bodies need to rebuild and build a lifetime of strength, flexibility, and overall health.
Marsha Hash
Certified Pilates Instructor
A lifelong educator, Marsha graduated from the University of Arkansas and dedicated her career to supporting schools and children stateside. She completed Pilates in the Grove Comprehensive Teacher Training Program, focusing on apparatus training with Balanced Body, and the Evolve Your Teacher Training Program.
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Her journey with Pilates began a few years ago when her physical therapist recommended it as part of her recovery from knee issues. Through that experience, she developed a deep passion for helping individuals achieve their fitness goals - particularly in building confidence, balance, strength, and flexibility. She believes Pilates provides the foundation for living well, staying active, and maintaining a strong and healthy life.
Jorja Brinker
Certified Xtend Barre instructor, Pilates Instructor
Jorja is a certified barre instructor and started her Pilates education certification after years of enjoying the Pilates methodology as a client. Her experience as a client transformed her recovery from an emergency traumatic C-section, bringing healing to body and mind through breathwork, neuromuscular connection, and fascia-focused work. Jorja brings with her a passion for helping others feel strong, empowered, and alive in their own bodies. She loves incorporating fascia work into her sessions, which is a great bonus!
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