Meet Ildi Bercak, Our Wellness Specialist

Ildi is a nationally registered yoga and Pilates teacher (soon to become internationally certified by Balanced Body), a personal trainer (ACSM) and a group exercise instructor (AFAA).

Ildi was one of the first introducing a foam rolling class to Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Fitness Center and the first to teach a Chinese Meridian Yoga Workshop with her husband DeWayne Baugus (Acupuncture Physician/DOM). Ildi and DeWayne own Maplebrook Acupuncture clinic together, where Ildi is also a hypnotist by The American Board of Hypnotherapy (ABH & ABNLP) helping clients with guided meditation and positive affirmations.

Her professional background includes:

• Hospital trained Yoga and Mat Pilates teacher at Healthfit Fitness Center powered by Sarasota Memorial Hospital, working together with the cardiac rehab personals and physical therapists, teaching with modifications for all populations for a variety of health conditions.
• Shoulder rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery with clients over 55 (at Lifestyle Fitness Center and Esplanade Fitness Center)
• Knee rehabilitation after knee replacement (at Esplanade Fitness Center)
• Weight loss clients from 10-35 lbs. with special populations (working with medical conditions: high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions and metabolic syndrome)
• Sports specific training to pass firefighter’s physical exam (at formerly known as Lifestyle Family Fitness Center)
• Balance and strength training with Parkinson’s disease (at Esplanade Fitness Center)
• Training clients with fibromyalgia and cancer patients (Esplanade)
• Gentle to advanced yoga classes (Yin yoga, Hatha yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, chair yoga, restorative yoga) at multiple yoga studios and fitness centers
• Postural re-alignment exercises through Mat Pilates and foam rolling, helping with kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis, and recovery after hip replacement at Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center and Healthfit Fitness Center

Ildi is from Budapest, Hungary. She is an ex gymnast and springboard diver. Some of her jobs before arriving in the US included, legal secretary for an international law firm (BBLP), realtor (TIPP Real Estate Agency).

Ildi came to the USA in 2001 as an Au Pair (nanny) to San Francisco, CA after completing an intensive childcare training (for ages: 1-12) in NYC. She took care of 2 boys for a year (age 1.5 & 4 yrs. old) while attended to a local community college taking English as a second language. Which later led to an early childhood teaching position at Flanzer Jewish Community Center in Sarasota, FL.

In addition to being a Fitness Professional in the Healthcare field, Ildi also has helped dozens of clients with nutritional counselling (including Ayurveda), confidence building through neuro-linguistic programming (hypnosis) and childhood learning.

Ildi is currently a business owner (Co-owner with husband)/Office Manager of Maplebrook Acupuncture Clinic as well as actively practicing as a personal trainer, yoga teacher and hypnotist.

She absolutely loves to teach people about how to make positive changes in their body, mind and spirit as a whole and learn new exciting ways to accomplish thighs they didn’t think were possible.

With humor and compassion, coupled with dynamic and creative sequencing, Ildi teaches Hatha, Vinyasa, Asthanga Primary series, Yin, Restorative and Chair Yoga for all levels, while challenging even the most seasoned practitioners, while using in-depth understanding of anatomy and alignment to lead students more deeply in their practice, with a variety of yoga styles. Her classes regularly create opportunity for students to grow and accomplish things that they didn’t think possible.

Her Motto is: Whenever we love what we do for living, we never work a day in our lives.