REWRITING • ACTIVITY • INDEFINITELY

Stephanie Patterson – Owner

Stephanie began taking Pilates at the age of 12, when her ballet teacher
“brainwashed her” into it. She was one of the first students in Oklahoma.

“Pilates didn’t really exist in Oklahoma at the time. So my ballet instructor,
Barby Spates, went to California to be trained by Elizabeth Larkam.  When she came back, my friends and I were her guinea pigs.  I remember when she got her first reformer and it was just in a quaint, small room in her house.  And we would go over for private lessons.  That was my introduction.”

Read More

Amanda Watson – Director of Operations

Amanda is thrilled to be at the Pilates Nook! She’s a problem solver, a multi-tasker and a connector of people. Amanda honed her professional skills for more than 18 years at Oklahoma Christian University (OC) in a variety of roles. She’ll continue to work part-time with seasonal projects at OC while serving her Pilates Nook family.

Read More

Vidya Muralidharan – Senior Instructor

Born in India, Vidya moved to America with her family on Christmas Eve of 1988.

“I was 14 and a sophomore in high school. We moved here to enhance oureducational possibilities and I’m very grateful to my parents for providing me with the support system to have accomplished that.”

In 2001, Vidya graduated from The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center with a Physician Associate Degree and a Master in Health Sciences. Vidya became a Physician’s Assistant in 2001 and has practiced mostly in the Urgent Care Industry.

Read More

Leila Pepper – Senior Instructor

Leila’s first contact with Pilates began as a teenager and an old VHS tape – yep, no youtube back then! “At that time, I was a young ballet dancer getting the unhelpful cues ‘hold in your abs’ or ‘use your turnout!’ with no real education on how our bodies work.” She mainly used Pilates (via the VHS tape!) as a cross-training tool for ballet as she continued to work towards her goal of being a professional dancer.

Read More

Gina Boren – Pro Instructor

Gina began her Pilates practice in October, 2011 due to a back and knee injury that redirected her life with intention. “At the time, I was living with constant pain, hoping and praying for any relief. Pilates gave me this and so much more!” Soon, she fell in love with how the method not only helped her recover in healing her body, but how it made her stronger in body, mind and spirit.

Read More

Becca Grelle – Pro Instructor

Becca loves to work out, and after having two babies 16 months apart, she needed an outlet. In 2011, she decided to call the Pilates studio she passed by each day. She had a private lesson with Stephanie and was hooked! She’s been at it ever since. “I love doing Pilates because it provides an amazing physical feeling to my body and every time I finish a session, my mind goes,
‘Ahhh.'” During one of her sessions, Stephanie mentioned Becca should consider teaching Pilates and her response was, “I will never teach Pilates, but thanks anyway!” Never say never, right?

Read More

Janet O’kresik – Pro Instructor

Janet’s first encounter with Pilates was in 2014. Her manual physical therapist recommended the experts at The Pilates Nook to augment the ongoing therapy regimen needed at the time to ease the physical challenges of her 15-year bout with scleroderma. “I was very weak and unable to sustain consistent physical activity or keep my job as a Registered Dietitian. The Pilates method of movement was the missing piece needed to get my body aligned and moving towards strength, endurance, and the return to whole-body health.” Janet took weeks of private sessions before she was ready to participate in classes.

Read More