wellness studio

Located on the pedestrian level of Village Center, the Wellness Studio offers classes sure to make you feel better.

Current Wellness Class Schedule
Class schedules and times may change, check with concierge at 406.995.5803 for possible daily schedule changes.

Purchase your Wellness pass prior to attending class at these locations:

-Front Desk
-Concierge
-Accounting Office

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

BELLY DANCE with KATIE (Katie Smith) This class is based on the Suhalia Salimpor format of Belly Dance which takes the traditional joint based movements of this ancient form and breaks them down muscularly.  Each class mixes stretching and strengthening with traditional dance styles for a fun and challenging way to get in shape and express yourself.  Whether students have been dancing for years or have two left feet they will enjoy the beauty, grace, and challenge of this wonderful dance.

WINTER FITNESS with JACKIE (Jackie Rainford Corcoran) This challenging and invigorating class will help you improve your balance and increase your stamina as you go through a series of exercises designed to elevate your heart rate and target all of your major muscle groups.  You will be motivated to work hard and coached to use proper form.  Be ready to sweat as you stimulate your body and mind.

YOGA with ANNA (Anna Holder) Anusara is one of the fastest growing yoga styles in the world and is  based on the uplifting and heart oriented Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness and the Universal Principles of Alignment™ developed by John Friend.   Anna’s classes empower and celebrate each students’ unique differences, limitations and gifts, and emphasize optimal flow of life force, alignment, and experiencing the creative expression and beauty of the heart.

PILATES STRETCH with JOLENE (Jolene Budeski) Come rejuvenate your body and awaken your mind in this post ski core and stretch session hosted by certified instructor Jolene Budeski.  The class will focus on body parts critical to good ski form and technique incorporating postures and exercises that will build strength, increase endurance, and improve flexibility and balance. Additionally, we will concentrate on breathing, mindfulness and lengthening tight muscles. This class will help you get more out of your time on the mountain, be less injury-prone and improve your overall health and fitness level.

BODY-CONDITIONING (Maggie Steffens) works every major muscle group by incorporating repetitive, intensifying movements.  A variation of cardio, strength and core movements, this class will tighten and tone the body while burning those extra calories.  This is an awesome workout that will leave you feeling confident and ready for more.

YOGA (Lianne Kershaw) is a blend of classic hatha yoga postures, vinyasa flow and breath to enhance flexibility, strength and general well-being of body, mind and spirit. Suitable for all levels and ages.

NIA  (Hatton Littman) new to Big Sky, Montana, now you can get a great cardio workout and a supple strength with flexibility from an amazingly fun dance class.  Practiced barefoot to music, Nia is self-guided, adaptable and safe for any fitness level, from stiff beginners to highly fit athletes.  Delivering cardiovascular, whole-body conditioning and the chance to shake your bootie, Nia is a one hour mind body treat you don't want to miss. This class blends modern dance, world dance and yoga with T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, & Aikido to deliver a workout that is never boring.  Come in comfortable clothes, layers recommended because we will warm up, get dancing and then cool down.

YOGA with JOHN (John Marroquin) is an all levels class emphasizing Alignment and Fun.   This class is tailored to attendees needs.

VINYASA FLOW YOGA (Lily Azel) Although this class is perfect for intermediate students who like to work with a few of the more demanding poses, it is also ideal for beginners. The student will find themselves in a nurturing environment within which they can slowly increase their level of strength and flexibility. Slow and steady is the approach as we explore the fundamentals of the many limbs of a yoga practice.  Suited for beginners and experienced students alike.

YOGA WITH CALLIE (Callie Stolz) Callie enjoys teaching a style of yoga that is rooted in traditional hatha yoga with influence from the heart centered foundations of Anusara, Iyengar and Anusara alignment principals, while blending in the flow of a Vinyasa practice. This class is open to all levels and will use modifications in order adjust for varying levels of experience.

INSTRUCTORS:

Lily A. Azel, (RYT) a dedicated practitioner of yoga, was born in Antofagasta, Chile and came to the United States at the age of four.  She pursued a successful business executive career earning Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business Administration along the way.  In 1999 she retired from the corporate world and started Children’s Center for Development & Behavior an organization providing therapeutic services for children with autism and developmental disorders.  In recent years, she has traveled extensively including a one month stay in Tibet in 2007 spending time deepening her yoga practice.  She divides her time between Miami and Big Sky, Montana.  Lily has earned her credentials as a registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance at South Beach Yogashala in Miami Beach, Florida.   A humble student of yoga, Lily gives credit to her yoga teachers  Paul Touliuszis, Fred Busch and Duncan Wong to name a few.  She teaches Vinyasa Flow Yoga (Power Yoga).

Jolene Budeski is an IFA (International Fitness Association) Certified Group exercise instructor and Personal Trainer, and Fi Tour certified Pilates instructor.  Jolene has extensive experience in the Health and Fitness field.  She was an elite level gymnast and competitive gymnastics coach for 11 years.  She has been a Personal trainer, aerobics instructor and Pilates instructor for the past 9 years. 

Anna Holder teaches yoga in the Anusara® style, based on the Universal Principles of Alignment© developed by John Friend.  The Anusara method emphasizes optimal biomechanical alignment and empowers students to experience the fullness of their potential and a deep revelation of their essential nature.  Her classes inspire students to explore and unveil the beauty of their own unfolding and discover a life of intention.   Anna's quest for living fully and authentically brought her to the path of yoga in 1989 exposing her to many teachers in the Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions.  She has been teaching yoga since 1996.  Since 2000, she has devoted herself to the Anusara method and her primary teacher, John Friend.  She teaches in and around Big Sky and at Montana Lotus Yoga in Bozeman, which she co-owns. 

Lianne Kershaw has been practicing yoga for fifteen years and teaching for ten. As a massage therapist she has an extensive knowledge of the body which enhances her teaching skills. She has taught yoga locally in Big Sky and has also travelled to Nepal four times to teach during adventure trekking/yoga trips. Her training includes study at Kripalu Institute and workshops with favorite yoga masters in the U.S. and Mexico which have given her a diverse and well-rounded style of teaching. 

Hatton Littman has been practicing Nia since 2003 when she was pregnant with her second son. Five years later, she is still dancing any chance she can get and is so excited to bring the joy of movement to her students in Big Sky. Hatton earned her White Belt in Nia from Britta Von Tagen and also practices Ishin Kempo Karate (she holds an orange belt) and loves to ski, surf, do Contact Improvisation and Bungee Dancing. Hatton also runs our local private interim high school and teaches Film and Video to middle school students at Ophir. She loves to dance and is prone to wild fits of laughter and creativity!
 

John Marroquin started his career as a software engineer.  In 1991 he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT.  John took his first formal yoga class at the local YMCA in Colorado Springs.  He was amazed by how the same stretches done for sports could be taken to a different  level by being mindful of the alignment and intention of the stretch. A pivotal experience in John's life was visiting Nepal on his way to Mt. Everest (Sargamatha) base camp in May of 2001.  This took him out of the Western worldview temporarily and into a whole new way of being.  In 2003, he received his massage therapy certificate from Sterling Health Center (Dallas) while still working as a software engineer.   While in Dallas, John primarily studied yoga with Liz Tucker at Dance, Arts & More, (now Move Studio), incorporating a deeper meaning of yoga into his practice.  In 2006, John received his Yoga Teacher's certification from Amrit Yoga in Salt Springs, Florida.

Fellow Big Sky Resort instructor Anna Holder introduced John to Anusara yoga and the teachings of John Friend.  He continues to attend workshops and classes in Big Sky, Bozeman, and the region, most recently attending the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park for 7 days of the Anusara Grand Gathering.  John incorporates what he learns and has experienced into his classes at Big Sky Resort, bringing to his students a heartfelt and enlightening experience.

Jackie Rainford Corcoran has been a fitness enthusiast for as long as she can remember. She studied ballet from ages 3 to 16 and began teaching group fitness in health clubs at 17. At Barnard College in NYC, she graduated with a degree in Arts and Sciences. At 27, she became an ACSM certified personal trainer in Northern California. Today, she is an NASM certified personal trainer and a Chek Certified Golf Conditioning Specialist. Her education is never
ending; she is always researching and applying new knowledge to fitness education. It is with positive energy, encouragement and particular attention to each person's needs and body type that she helps her clients reach their goals. They are very diverse - from athletes to weekend warriors to post-op patients. Regardless of their goals; enjoyment, practicing with excellent form and continuously learning how to be healthier and stronger are always a priority. Jackie's approach to training is holistic in that it addresses cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, strength training and healthy eating habits. Each session focuses on biomechanics, muscle control, energy levels, health issues and state of mind.

Katie Smith is a New Hampshire native who stumbled upon belly dance while living in New Paltz, NY.  As an athlete she thought the dance would be a piece of cake, and had her butt kicked in the first 15 minutes.  She was hooked and began dancing three to five days a week, joining a dance troupe and performing in the New York area.  She has studied with Jillina, Dalia Carella and currently with Suhaila Salimpore, the daughter of American Belly Dance and
pioneer of the Salimpore formaat which breaks down movements muscularly and sets them to eighth time.  Katie has taught in Northern New Hampshire and is excited to spread the belly dance vibe of self expression and acceptance to the Big Sky Community. 

Maggie Steffens is the Health Club Manager here at Big Sky Resort. She received her personal training certification in 2004 through NPTI (National Personal Training Institute). Maggie attended NPTI in Orlando, Florida and received her diploma in Personal Training after four months of studying and hands-on training. 

Callie Stolz has enjoyed sharing her passions with others through teaching yoga, teaching snowboarding and guiding people on multi-sport adventure vacations over the past decade. Callie’s love of yoga began to grow 10 years ago in Bozeman, Montana where she began to see the benefits of her practice in rehabilitating herself back to health after a snowboarding accident and facing some other serious health challenges. In the spring of 2004 Callie pursued her passion for yoga at the Sivananda Ashram in Northern California where she was certified to teach a traditional form of hatha yoga. Since then she has continued her learning and growing process through more yoga teacher trainings and workshops in Baja Mexico, India, Montana and Southern California. Callie believes it is essential to honor one’s body, mind and spirit in order to bring one’s state of being into balance. She enjoys helping others reach this goal through her work as a yoga teacher and a massage therapist. Callie also enjoys integrating all of these opportunities for growing, learning and enjoying life through guiding adventure wellness retreats.