teacher bios
MISTY MOON NICKEL ~ Pilates Instructor Owner
Driven by her vision to build a center where movement integrates into healing, Misty Moon Nickel founded Bria. Misty is a Certified Stott Pilates instructor, licensed massage therapist, certified yoga instructor, and certified herbalist.
Recently, Misty co-produced Complete Yoga and Pilates, a 4 DVD box set available nationally. Misty also received national recognition when Allure magazine named her Seattle’s best massage therapist.
Dedicated to a life-long pursuit in the healing and moving arts, Misty has studied around the world and is continually attending workshops to stay current with the ever evolving science of movement. Her specialty is to draw on her wide back ground of related work and employ her knowledge of anatomy and healing to enrich each individual she works with.
LAURA VERELLEN ~ Pilates Instructor
Laura's movement background began with intensive ballet training at age 11 in Lakewood, WA. She was first exposed to Pilates at the Washington Contemporary Ballet School where she studied with Kay Englert and Noel Mason. Laura also performed in the Washington Youth Ballet Company until the age of 16. Additional dance training included two summer sessions at San Francisco Ballet School and one with Doug Varone and Dancers is New York. In 2004 Laura earned a BA in Communications with a minor in dance from the University of Washington.
Laura's love of movement and interest in biomechanics inspired her to get her certification in Pilates. She received her training as a Pilates instructor from the Physical Mind Institute and Bodycenter Studios - a STOTT training facility.
Laura enjoys teaching Pilates to a wide variety of clients. She values pilates as a tool for people to increase their strength and improve alignment, rehabilitate their body after an injury, and prevent further injuries from occuring.
MEGAN SULLIVAN ~ Certified Physical Therapist and
STOTT Pilates Instructor.
Megan is an enthusiastic addition to the Bria team! A board-certified Physical Therapist, Megan brings to Bria a unique combination of skills – she is a dynamic Pilates instructor with a background in dance, competitive athletics and a passion for healing
Megan specializes in manual therapy, orthopedic and neuromuscular rehabilitation, which she has practiced in the United States, United Kingdom and her native South Africa. In her Pilates instruction, Megan is able to contribute her extensive knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and movement science to provide customized programs to meet her clients’ needs - whether it be rehabilitation, physical fitness or overall wellness. Altogether, Megan seeks to provide clients with the tools they need to become active participants in meeting their personal goals.
Megan received her BSC in Physiotherapy from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was a member of the Johannesburg Youth Ballet and competed on the South African national beach volleyball circuit. She received her Pilates training in the United States through the STOTT certified instructor program. As a licensed physical therapist in Washington State, Megan offers physical therapy consultations at Bria in addition to Pilates instruction.
JESS NOTMAN ~ Stott trained Pilates instructor
Bria welcomes our new Pilates instructor Jess Notman. We are excited to have her as a part of the Bria team. Jess will be teaching mornings Mon-Friday and her hours include Drop in mat classes, Group Equipment classes as well as private sessions.
Jess comes to us from Body Centers Stott teacher training program. She is a sponsored tri-athelete with Triumph Multi-Sport and will be competing in many events this year including a half iron competition in Cancun Mexico this October.
Jess believes that working out should be the highlight of everyone's day. She tries to make each and every session challenging, educational and most importantly, fun. She enjoys the time she spends with her clients helping them to feel better about themselves both physically and mentally as they exceed goals and accomplish what they considered impossible. Most of all,she takes pride in being able to do this while putting a smile on her client's face.