Fitness Instructor
Jen Cavanaugh

Jennifer Cavanaugh is a certified Spinning instructor and joined Rancho Valencia’s fitness staff in 2012. She is an avid road cyclist and brings the feeling of riding on the road to her classes with hill climbs, sprints, and endurance intervals.

She often teaches family classes and knows that walking into a spin room can sometimes be intimidating, especially if it is your first time. To make sure all of her students are comfortable, she emphasizes a festive and inclusive atmosphere with creative and positive playlists incorporating music from all eras. Jen’s lively classes will keep you smiling and maybe even singing along!

When she is not on the bike, Jen is working as a Senior Project Consultant with Lars Remodeling and Design building beautiful homes. Also, she owns and operates Home Stylist, a boutique staging company.

Family life keeps her busy with her partner Jason and her two (nearly grown) children Katie and Ryan, their pug Bella and two rescue cats, L.V. and Babe. Time with her family is spent golfing, mountain and road biking, cooking, and whenever possible traveling. Be sure to ask her about cycling the mountain climbs of the Tour de France.

Fitness Instructor
Suzanne Wise

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Suzanne grew up surrounded by movement and music. Unable to complete a dance minor due to undergoing foot surgery, she chose to continue to move in a different direction and obtain her BA in Studio Art & Minor in Nutrition and Cultural Anthropology from SDSU. A few years after graduation she discovered and fell in love with the Pilates Method when she met internationally recognized Master Instructor Julian Littleford.

Suzanne completed his intensely precise Pilates full apparatus certification training program in 2008 and began teaching at his studio JL Body Conditioning in Del Mar
CA. Those six years of working under Julian’s dynamic and classical style of teaching left a permanent mark on how Suzanne teaches today. Her teaching career led her to
San Diego Sports Medicine: Pilates Wellness. It was in this environment that she learned what the true internal core stability muscles are and how to improve the function of bodies in a broader client base including pre and post-surgery, and special needs populations- such as those with spinal fusions, herniated discs, SI joint issues, osteoporosis and all those who required more of a physical therapy type Pilates program.

From her teaching experiences, Suzanne created her own unique, modernized approach that is based around alignment and functional movement. She provides a keen eye for form but likes to give a physically demanding session. She utilizes specific cueing to get proper breathing and function of the correct muscles while encouraging a deepening of the core perception to release unnecessary tension elsewhere and increase the body’s overall performance.

Whether it is a class, a semi-private, or a private lesson, her goal is to challenge each client past what they thought possible while having fun and feeling better than they did before they started. She loves to see her clients improve each week in strength and flexibility but to also see them get curious about their own bodies and gain more awareness to apply in their daily lives.

Fun Fact: She once lived in Glacier Bay, Alaska in her 20’s and spent three months there kayaking with Orca and Humpback whales and then hitchhiked across the Yukon Territory of Canada to the Kenai Peninsula. She also loves photography, architecture, hiking, traveling, and especially spending quality time with her family, her fiancé, and their new kitten Jasper.

Fitness Instructor
Olga Lomakin

Olga has been a part of the wellness and fitness world for over eight years. Before this fulfilling career, she received her BS in Mechanical Engineering and spent her professional life designing and analyzing mechanical systems working as a mechanical and computer engineer in various companies. Having a passion for working with people to support their physical and emotional state she moved out of the industrial world to fully engage in her career in health and wellness.

On this journey, she received multiple certifications that qualified her to teach a diverse range of workout formats, such as barre, personal training, dance cardio, corrective exercise, HIIT, strength and flexibility, and beyond.

Olga enjoys teaching her class around alignment principles and assists participants with a variety of verbal and physical cues. She loves when people ask questions during class to ensure a full understanding of how each movement is benefiting the body. Olga’s classes are supportive, powerful, and energetic. She focuses on encouraging her students to push past what is comfortable, as change and transformation lie just beyond that threshold.
Guests can expect a full-body workout that includes sweat, fun, and a mix of current songs- Olga creates a new playlist for every class! It was through Barre classes that she came to realize the true power and healing that comes through the combination of movement, music, and community. Practicing and teaching barre helped her immensely in her own fitness journey. Olga wants to make her life’s work rooted in helping others unleash their true inner potential and get desired results.

Fitness Instructor
Veronica Ceseña

Veronica Ceseña is a certified 500-Hour (RYT 500), Prenatal (RPYT), Children’s (RCYT) Yoga Teacher, and sound healing practitioner-having. studied traditional sound healing techniques from a Tibetan Buddhist. She is also a graduate of the University of San Diego with a BA in Communication Studies and a minor in Business Administration & Marketing. Although she holds numerous certifications, has many years of dedicated practice, and over a thousand hours of detailed training and studies, Veronica always approaches her yoga mat with a humble student mindset.

It is Veronica’s passion to honor the Eastern teachings of yoga through her classes. For Veronica, yoga is not solely about the poses and one’s flexibility of the physical body. Though rather, how one can become flexible in mind and spirit to incorporate the various limbs of yoga as means to experience a life of awareness, kindness, purpose, and meaning. She is continuously grateful for the opportunity to help guide others in discovering their own yoga practice and committed to holding a supportive space where people feel welcomed.

Veronica values creating a space that encourages curiosity, playfulness, and expression to allow each student to connect with themselves. She takes the time to share the ancient practice and philosophies of yoga with her students that allows them to further explore their personal experience throughout the physical postures. Students can expect a space where they can have fun, connect with themselves on a spiritual level, and become curious about what their yoga journey is to them. Her approach to sound healing is guided by intentions that are intuitively felt from the energy within the room. Tibetan singing bowls and other sound healing instruments are played in order for people to experience a sense of release, relaxation, and peace. It is Veronica’s belief that sound healing, as well as the practice of yoga, provide an avenue for people to connect with themselves on a deeper physical, mental, energetic, and spiritual level.

In addition to her regular classes at Rancho Valencia, Veronica teaches private and corporate sessions, including for resort members and guests through sound healing, meditation, and nature yoga hikes on the resort’s beautiful grounds. Veronica also teaches yoga and meditation to children and teens, including young athletes given her familiarity with an athlete’s mindset as she grew up playing tennis and competitive soccer. She believes that the sooner we can teach people about enjoying the small things in life (such as mindfulness and breath) the better!

Fitness Instructor
Danielle Maloney

Danielle is a San Diego native, a mama to her 6-year-old daughter, and has been teaching Barre classes for over 13 years. Mental and physical wellness have been a passion of Danielle’s for many years. In addition to her barre certification, Danielle has a BA in Psychology & Humanistic Studies, and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. Her love of genuinely connecting with others, learning their story, and helping them become the best version of themselves has led her to create a thriving Life Coach practice as well.

Danielle brings a calm but powerful approach to her class by challenging each of her students on an individual level. She prioritizes alignment and engagement throughout the class and provides hands-on adjustments to ensure everyone is working to the best of their ability. Constantly inspired by the strength and unique energy each person brings to class, Danielle often adds her coaching mindset messages into her fitness classes. Guests can expect a challenging and informative class for any skill level surrounded by a personalized, warm, and inviting atmosphere. The aim is to work every part of the body effectively while focusing on particular muscles and using isolated movements.

Fitness Instructor
Dory Goldman

A native New Yorker, Dory moved to San Diego in 2004 and pursued a career in fitness in 2009. With 12 years of experience in the fitness industry, Dory holds a Pure Barre- Level 3 and Group Fitness Certification. Through the years, Dory has taught various fitness classes, but Barre is her specialty.

Dory brings upbeat energy with lots of musical variety to each of her classes. She likes to include quick transitions and thorough verbal cues so that each participant understands what they should be working on to get the most out of the workout. She believes that a good workout relies on proper form and will assist participants through hands-on adjustments and individualized attention to help everyone work to their edge safely.

You can expect a full-body workout for all levels that is based around small isometric movements from a Barre class with Dory. This class will typically include lifting weights for the upper body, barre work for the lower body, and some floor work using other modalities such as a ball or resistance band to get a truly effective workout.

In her free time, Dory loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. She is also a huge music lover, loves live music, and plays the tambourine. She has played with many local bands in San Diego. Dory believes in being healthy and feeling good about yourself and loves to help people achieve their fitness goals!

Fitness Instructor
Nikki Griggs

Nikki has been teaching Pilates and fitness for over 10 years. She began practicing Pilates in college and since getting certified in 2009, she has continued to study under top master trainers and physical therapists. Nikki holds a Classical PMA Pilates Certification, is Pre & Post Natal certified, and has experience working with injuries and injury recovery.

She considers herself a lifelong student of movement and fitness and is grateful for the wide array of clients she has been fortunate to train. Nikki takes an integrative approach to fitness while focusing on core strength and functional mobility training. Rooted in classical Pilates, Nikke focuses on form, flow, and fluidity. There is constant movement throughout her class. She believes the mind-body connection is important for all fitness modalities. Her energy and positivity make her classes and training sessions enjoyable and effective.

Fun fact: Nikka and her husband William have two daughters, Summer and Lily. They love being outdoors as a family and focus on maintaining a healthy body for a healthy mind.

Fitness Instructor
Ahlia Biondi

Ahlia is like sunshine in a tiny human body! With 13 years of experience as a Yoga instructor, Ahlia holds a 200-hour E-RYT (2000+ hours taught), is a Certified Meditation Instructor, certified spin instructor, and is CPR & AED trained. Her passion as an instructor led Ahlia to create a 200-hour yoga teacher training curriculum that is currently licensed and accredited by Yoga Alliance. Ahlia leads workshops, classes, retreats, and teacher trainings both locally and globally.

Ahlia’s goal for every class is to uplift and inspire each of her students. She provides encouragement, fluidity, and creativity throughout the class by providing simple flows that can be made more challenging depending on where participants are that day. Her students love that she has a soothing, calm voice, and offers a wide range of variations throughout her classes so that all levels feel safe and comfortable practicing. There is always unique music to coincide with the energy of the class and Ahlia always appreciates feedback and requests to truly tailor the class to each individual.

As a spin instructor, Ahlia loves creating energetic playlists to go along with challenging rides. She’s called “tiny but mighty” for good reason and will encourage you to keep putting one foot in front of the other both in and out of the saddle. Ahlia’s personality shines on the bike where she blends strength with stamina. If you’re taking spin with Ahlia, prepare to sweat!

Outside of her class schedule, Ahlia hosts “What’s Wellness with Ahlia Yoga”, a weekly podcast where Ahlia infuses her yoga teachings into podcast episodes with added inspiration from her vast array of life experiences. Ahlia loves to serve the community and is a prominent volunteer for community service projects.

Fun fact- In 2015 Ahlia was ranked 5th in the World as a Professional Tandem Surfer! Unfortunately, that same year, Ahlia suffered a traumatic brain injury at the world championships and was forced into early retirement. She applies her fighting spirit and ability to overcome challenges of the mind and body into her teachings on the mat.

To learn more about Ahlia, you can visit www.ahliayoga.com or check out @AhliaYoga and @WhatsWellnessPodcast on Instagram. Ahlia is delighted to connect with you, serve you, and practice together at Rancho Valencia!

Fitness Instructor
Lindsey Jacobs

A San Diego native, Lindsey returned to sunny SoCal after graduating from the University of Miami with a dual major in Communications and Psychology. Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training solidified Lindsey’s calling to become a yoga teacher and she hasn’t looked back since. She completed over 500 hours of additional training as an Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher for adults and for children.

Lindsey is known as a passionate, outgoing, and nurturing teacher whose classes engage and inspire her students. Her overall goal is to set her students up for success. She teaches all of her classes to the midline and adds progressions and regressions throughout the class to help cater to all skill levels. Regardless of what she may be teaching, students can expect to get a challenging workout or practice that leaves them feeling successful, not defeated. There is always a smooth balance of strength and surrender.

Her personal journey with yoga has allowed her to integrate and heal her own wounds in a beautiful, positive, and constructive way which has resulted in feeling connected, empowered, and more fulfilled. She recognized the importance of shining this work on young women during their formative adolescent years and has made it her life’s purpose to guide and empower them.

Outside of the studio, Lindsey enjoys volunteering with kids, running on the beach,

Fitness Instructor
Dee Boukouzis

Dee Boukouzis has been in the fitness industry for over 33 years. She teaches multiple formats from cycling to sculpt, yoga to stretch. She is known for her informative coaching style and ability to teach to a wide range of levels.

Dee holds a master’s degree in Sport Psychology, the NBHWC certification for Health Coaches is certified as a group exercise instructor through the American Council on Exercise and holds her 500- hour yoga instructor certification through Yoga Alliance.

Dee educates her Yoga students by guiding them through postures with clear and concise breath and alignment cues. Her teaching style encourages students to delve deeper into understanding the “why” behind the practice itself.

She prides herself on creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere that caters to the needs of all participants. Personalized attention and care are given to each student to foster a safe learning environment for the beginner or seasoned yogi.

Dee currently teaches and leads retreats online as well as maintains several private health coaching and yoga clients. You can enjoy her weekly blog, “Monday Mantras” by subscribing on her website at www.DeeBWellness.com.

When Dee isn’t teaching, you can find her walking her dogs, at the farmer’s market, gardening, hiking, cycling, or skiing. She is a mother of three grown daughters and two doodles. She is also fluent in Spanish after living and studying in Madrid her senior year of college and continues to teach and tutor.