Ira Rodriguez
Entrepreneur, qualified massage therapist, personal trainer, Mobility & Movement instructor
Education:
| EREPS-actorised functional training personal trainer Spartan Academy | 04/2024 |
| Acupuncture (western medicine) Sports massage institute of Finland | 6/2023 |
| Mobility coach Exercisemaster Oy | 3/2022 |
| Pregnancy massage Flexus Terveyspalvelut (in-house training) | 2021 |
| Mastication muscle massage Sports massage institute of Finland | 1/2021 |
| Professional qualification of a trained massage therapist Sports massage institute of Finland | 7/2020 |
| Bachelor’s degree in business administration KEUDA | 6/2010 |
My background is in various street dances, but Caribbean rhythms are closest to my heart. I have already gained experience in teaching dance for several years. In 2019, I decided to quit office work and study to become a masseuse, because I wanted a better understanding of anatomy and the functioning of the human body. In the background were my own injuries and on the other hand I also wanted more tools for teaching dance.
The masseuse’s work immediately felt natural to me. One of the best parts of this job is noticing the mark of one’s own hand: the client feels relieved and leaves the reception with a smile. I meet each customer as an individual and try to help each one to the best of my ability. The well-being of the person arriving at my reception is my number one priority throughout the visit.
Another excellent aspect is the various additional training opportunities in the fields of healthcare and exercise. After studying massage, I wanted to develop my knowledge of mobility, because it is an essential part of dance. In addition, a good mobility improves a person’s ability to function regardless of the background. From that, as a fairly natural continuation, I became interested in functional strength training, and with that I decided to study as a personal trainer, specialized in functional training.
As a personal trainer, my goal is that my trainees discover new aspects of themselves, get to challenge themselves to the appropriate extent and be positively surprised by their own performance. I want to help my trainees to better understand the functioning of their own body, to improve functional capacity and overall strength.
Julia Sheveleva
Qualified massage therapist, physiotherapist, Hatha yoga instructor
Education:
| Physiotherapist Metropolia AMK | 12/2024 |
| Professional qualification of a trained massage therapist Samiedu | 6/2022 |
| Somatic movement basics Somatic Academy Berlin | 1/2020 |
| Yoga instructor YTTC200 Russian Yoga Federation | 11/2019 |
| Tourism Officer Undergraduate Degree Helmi Liiketalousopisto | 12/2013 |
I am a trained masseur and physiotherapist. I decided to change my career from tourism and office work to healthcare after travelling around the world. While travelling I tried different sports such as yoga, somatics and dance and gathered influences from different cultures and schools. While living in Berlin I started practicing yoga and contemporary dance, which gave rise to my interest in physicality and the body-mind connection. I studied yoga as a yoga instructor in Moscow and somatic methods such as Feldenkrais and Body-Mind-Centering at the Somatische Academy in Berlin. I wanted to create a fundamental foundation for these new knowledge and skills that I learned while travelling and living abroad, and I decided to move back to Finland and train as a physiotherapist. The learning journey took me along at a fast pace and I trained as a masseur alongside my physiotherapy studies. The qualification of a trained masseur has given me the opportunity to delve deeper into the theory of the musculoskeletal system and manual manipulation.
As a masseuse, I want to create a safe atmosphere where the client’s nervous system has the opportunity to relax. I want to offer the client a relaxing experience. Massage has positive effects on the muscles, blood pressure and immunity. Massage can relieve pain, symptoms of depression and stress. If necessary, I can advise on ways to take care of your own muscles between massage sessions.
Physiotherapy has fascinated me with its versatility and the fact that as a physiotherapist I am constantly learning new things and developing as a person, communicator and professional. As a physiotherapist, my strengths at the moment are the psychophysical approach, regulating alertness, treating anxiety with physical means, implementing lifestyle changes and drug-free management of chronic pain.
In massage and physiotherapy, I use techniques and methods based on researched knowledge. Supporting a person’s holistic health and well-being plays an important role in my work.
My favorite hobbies at the moment are various dance genres such as contact improvisation, contemporary dance and commercial. I use yoga movements in my own maintenance training and go to the gym to maintain muscle condition.
I serve my clients in Finnish, English and Russian!
Anette Laitinen
Instructor: Pilates and Mama pilates
Education:
| Pilates instructor Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI) | 2023 |
| Physiotherapist AMK | 07/2022 |
| Exercise and Health Sciences & Authorized Personal Trainer HEO | 5/2018 |
| Nutrition, basic studies University of Eastern Finland | 2018 |
| Sports Medicine, Basic Studies University of Eastern Finland | 2018 |
I am Anette, a pelvic floor physiotherapist, pilates instructor, maternity exercise coach and personal trainer. You can find me instructing mama and mat pilates at Balancia.
I am interested in holistic well-being and am constantly training so that I can offer versatile help in different areas and combine the knowledge I have gained from training.
I fell in love with pilates after my first time and I love planning and guiding classes, utilizing my physiotherapist training.
A warm welcome to all ages and fitness levels!
Hanna Hänninen
Instructor: Pilates and Yin yoga
I am a certified Pilates and Yin Yoga instructor. I have been teaching Pilates full-time since early 2023 and started teaching Yin Yoga at the beginning of 2024. Pilates and Yin Yoga as sports have become familiar to me many years ago. I have been practicing different styles of yoga since 2013, when I lived in Australia and fell completely into yoga. I have practiced various dance styles throughout my life, along with which I have also been introduced to Pilates. Pilates is a great way to both maintain and strengthen the body. Yin Yoga has also been a great way for me to maintain my body and mind.
I have a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and graduated from Haaga-Helia in 2019. I currently work as an entrepreneur and teach mat Pilates and Yin Yoga in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
Gaia Saarinen
Instructor: Vinyasa Flow & Restorative yoga
I am a Vinyasa yoga instructor and a trained sports massage therapist. I discovered yoga in 2008 when I was studying at Ypäjä Equestrian College and felt the need to stop with my body in a hectic environment. After years of practicing, I ended up in India in 2018, where I studied to become a yoga instructor. After this, the importance of yoga in my life has only grown and today I teach classes.
With the years and experiences spent abroad, I spice up my yoga classes with these collected teachings. My exercises combine the exploration and utilization of mental and physical resources. Breathing is always the core of Vinyasa practice and with that also comes playfulness – there is always room on the mat to experiment and explore!
In December 2024, I also graduated as a trained massage therapist and a deeper understanding of anatomy is now also visible in my yoga classes. Especially in restorative yoga, I use tools that we use to treat trigger point areas to relax our nervous system. We melt away stiffness in the muscles and open up the body through various exercises, not forgetting breathing exercises. I am very interested in physicality and our ability to be and rest in body-mind connection through movement.
In addition to yoga, I work as a film professional in the moving image sector and am also a passionate climber.
Alex Rodriguez
Instructor: Latin Vibes
In my home country of Cuba, I worked as a professional dancer, appearing in numerous music videos and concerts for local artists. Since moving to Finland, I have focused more on teaching and have already been able to share my dance knowledge in several different cities.
At Balancia, I teach a class called Latin Vibes, which focuses on having fun, good vibes, and enjoying the music instead of technique and choreography. It is important to me that those who come to class go home with a smile on their face!
I am still working on learning Finnish, so for now I will be teaching the classes in English.
Viivi Avikainen
Instructor: Body care
Education:
| Coach’s professional qualification | 5/2015 |
| Basic qualification in physical education | 5/2010 |
| In addition, there are many other courses and smaller training courses in the field. |
Hi, my name is Viivi and I have worked in the sports industry in various capacities since 2010. In addition to my professional career, I also have a competitive sports background in athletics, where I played at the national team level until adulthood, with my main sport being high-speed fencing.
Well-being has always been important to me, and my goal is to help my clients do the same. Body care contributes to well-being, which is why I have become interested in this area. I warmly welcome you to my classes.