A.J.’s education is extensive and on-going. He has numerous certifications in Personal Training, Massage Therapy, Pre/Post Rehabilitation, Neuromuscular Re-Programming, Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening, Rehab Therapy and Reiki.

“Renew is a place of communing and healing. Whether you want to recover from surgery or an old injury, desire greater flexibility (range-of-motion), hope to improve the quality of your leisure-time activities (tennis, golf, gardening etc.), or seek simply to feel and look better, we can prescribe an exercise program to help you accomplish this and more.”

For more information about Neuromuscular Re-Programming, go to www.alivewell.com  

Pamela's classes are heart-centered, spirit-driven and based on the Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga technique. Along with teaching yoga, Pamela is also a Reiki Master and intuitive channeller. For over 30 years, her teaching path has included ballet, professional jazz, Pilates and group exercise. Pamela has also directed three dance companies and is the 1997 Masters Sport Aerobic champion.

Pamela and A.J. feel blessed to own and work together at Maldonado's Renew. They have been together for almost 20 years.

Jessica’s entire life has been an expression of movement. Jessica has studied classical ballet since early childhood, danced professionally for fourteen years, worked as a personal trainer for fifteen years, and practiced yoga for the last five years. All this experience has given her a unique insight into the art and science of movement.

Jessica’s method of training is very personal. She targets an individual’s health, strength and fitness goals while honoring the full spectrum of the well-being of each client. Her eclectic style is the culmination of her knowledge, understanding and lifetime of experience. From all of this, she will share with you what she has learned from the movement of dance, yoga, fitness and the conscious effort to live each day as fully as possible.

Amanda Wongsonegoro studied therapeutic massage at the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville, California. She continues to advance her techniques through classes at Alive and Well (The Institute of Conscious BodyWork) in Corte Madera and the American Massage Therapy Association. Amanda has been in practice for almost ten years and has previous experience providing orthopedic massage to patients at North Bay Pain Care, Santa Rosa and Hill Park Medical Center, Petaluma.

Her background in competitive swimming and an interest in mind-body fitness steered her to Maldonado’s Renew. At Renew, she combines her efforts with Personal Training professionals A.J. Maldonado and Terri Rivero, Physical Therapist Diane Ellis-Caruana, and Pilates Instructors Anne Bishop and Ava Motter to facilitate somatic awareness in their clients. She is team-oriented and works with clients to relax and move freely and gracefully. Amanda provides a stress-free, balanced approach to fitness that provides life-long benefits for the mind and body.

Diane Ellis-Caruana, PT loves assisting her clients in the promotion of their health, wellness and fitness.

Diane graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy from CSULB in 1986. She is also a member of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Throughout her years of practice, Diane has taken numerous courses to build on her wealth of knowledge. She will use purposeful and skilled interventions to restore movement, alleviate pain, increase strength and endurance, and promote an improved level of fitness. These may include:

• Therapeutic Exercise and Stretches
• Soft Tissue and Joint Mobilization
• Ultrasound
• E-Stim
• Posture and Body Mechanics Instruction
  

Diane enjoys an active lifestyle including running and working with her horses. She believes that “It is in our nature to move freely with ease and grace without hesitation.”

As a Certified Instructor, Pilates Academy International and Stott Pilates™, Pre-Post Natal Exercise Specialist and member of the Pink Ribbon Program Anne has immense enthusiasm for Pilates and her clients. Her movement history begins with dance. Anne began studying Pilates in 2000 and received her certification in 2002.

Anne also followed her passion for body awareness and the human form at San Francisco State University. There she studied biology, anatomy and movement, receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Physiology in 2005. In 2006, she joined the faculty at SFSU, and for a semester taught the Anatomy Laboratory class within the Biology Department. Anne draws from her academic education and her passion for movement to create a uniquely well-rounded approach to Pilates.

Keeping abreast of new developments led Anne to further training at the Pilates Academy International (PAI) in Manhattan. In July 2006, she became a certifying instructor for PAI training instructors of Pilates throughout the world. Through PAI, Anne was recently hired to teach and certify future instructors in Istanbul, Turkey. Anne’s love for travel has expanded her teaching locales to include places such as the Dominican Republic, where she taught at the Balance Pilates Studio. Anne remains dedicated to continually expanding her education in the field and sharing her love of Pilates with clients.

Anne recently became certified in the specialties of Pre/Post Natal Pilates and the Pink Ribbon Program, which helps breast cancer survivors heal post-operatively. She inspires them to honor where they are in their lives during every session, and to move forward with playfulness, mindfulness and great enthusiasm for their practice.

Ava Motter is a highly skilled certified Pilates instructor. She is mat certified through the Physical Mind Institute. She also has apparatus training through the Integrated Teacher Training Program with Madeline Black. Ava has completed her mastery work at ITT where she studied primarily with Debra Schubert. Ava was also a student of the Body Kinetics program in Marin County, California. While in this program, Ava studied with Carol Appel. She has also studied Active Isolated Stretching techniques with Aaron Mattes. Today, she continues her studies in Pilates and overall movement.

Ava brings a gentle and kind teaching style to her Pilates instruction. She currently works with a diverse group of clients that includes athletes, seniors and novice exercise students.

Elizabeth comes to Renew with over five years of a devoted yoga practice and sixteen years of experience as a classical ballet dancer. Her love for movement began early in life driven by a desire to find new ways to open the body, heart, and mind. Elizabeth blends the energy of an invigorating asana practice with an inward gaze and outer awareness. She offers students a fun and compassionate environment in which to move into their deepest connection with the practices of yoga. She received her teacher training from Frog Lotus in the Berkshires of Massachusetts and is a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance. Elizabeth is grateful to be able to bring her passion for Yoga to Renew.

Nicholas Giacomini began studying yoga at the age of eighteen with his father. In January 2000, he took his first teacher training from It’s Yoga in San Francisco. There, he met his future wife Amanda. After completing the training, Nicholas and Amanda journeyed to India to deepen their knowledge of yoga. Upon their return, they opened the door of their own studio, Yoga Toes, in Nicholas’ home town of Point Reyes Station, California. Over the years, Nicholas has studied with many great teachers including Larry Schultz, Tim Miller, Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, Rod Stryker, Yogacharya Venkatesh and the Ashtanga Yoga Master, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois.

Nicholas teaches a fun, dynamic and deeply spiritual Vinyasa style yoga class. His classes are influenced by his passion for music and yogic philosophy. When he is not teaching, he is combining these two loves into his yoga-inspired hip hop as MC Yogi.

For more information on Nicholoas visit: www.yogatoes.com or, www.mcyogi.com

Amy has been teaching adults and kids fitness classes for almost 20 years.  She has been practicing Yoga since 2001and it has inspired healing, personal growth and grounding, in her busy life.  Amy is the mother of three beautiful girls, ages 4 to 12 years old.  She has completed training with Baron Baptise, International Yogi and author, and Sydney Solis, founder of Mystic and Storytime Yoga.

She has run many kids after school programs and has a true love for children, Yoga and storytelling.

Blending an uplifting yoga philosophy, entertaining sense of humor and over a decade of experience, Kim's teaching style guides each student to challenge themselves with light heartedness. She is renowned as an innovative, charismatic Dahn Yoga and Certified Pilates instructor. Kim has an extensive backround in biomechanics and kinesiology. She serves the community as an educator in movement throughout the Bay area and abroad. Holding a Master's of Arts in Sports & Fitness, Kim also works with athletes and people with disabilities. Her continued education learning innovative, therapeutic techniques inspirts students to discover unique qualities within themselves. Over the years, Kim has studied with many wonderful teachers including Anne O'Brien, Tony Briggs, John Friend and Elizabeth Larkam.

What is Dahn Yoga:

Dahn Yoga or "Dahn" literally translates into energy, vitality and the origin of life. Through asana and the study or flow of Chi, practitioners restore mind-body connection. This Korean based movement practice, created by llichi Lee is the flowing practice offering a fusion of asana, meridian stretching, breath, relaxation techniques and meditation. Enter the practice with the intention of releasing stagnant energy while simultaneously filling the body with fresh ki or life force energy.

Nicholas, who has just returned from study in India, has taught yoga in North America, Central America, and South East Asia. 

His teaching focuses on bringing together the three centers of the self- body, speech and mind.  Nicholas shares an enlivening flow that links breath with movement.  Each class is a playful mixture of fluid movement and fun intended to awaken the joy of being who we are.  Join Nicholas for classes that integrate mind, body, and spirit to awaken the true essence of the self- Bliss.