Meet Ildi Bercak, Our Wellness Specialist

Ildi is a Comprehensive Pilates Teacher (Certified to teach on all Joseph Pilates’s equipment) by Balanced Body, a Personal Trainer Certified by (ACSM: American College of Sports and Medicine), a Group Exercise Instructor (AFAA: American Fitness Association of America) and Yoga Teacher E-200RYT (Certified through Yoga Alliance).

Ildi was one of the first introducing a Self-Myofascial Release or foam rolling class to Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Fitness Center combined with Mat Pilates 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.

Her professional background includes:

• Hospital trained Mat Pilates and Yoga 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; (HealthFit 2008-2017);
• Shoulder rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery with clients over 55 (at Lifestyle Fitness Center and Esplanade Fitness Center); – 2007-2017;
• Knee rehabilitation (increasing mobility through functional exercises and PNF stretching after knee replacement (at Esplanade Fitness Center) – 2014-2017;
• Weight loss clients from 10-35 lbs. for ages 45 and up (with medical release from physician for special population) – at Lifestyle Fitness Center, Esplanade – 2007-2017;
• Sports specific training for firefighter’s physical exam (at formerly known as Lifestyle Family Fitness Center – 2007);
• Balance, strength and flexibility training for Parkinson’s disease (at Lifestyle Fitness Center and Esplanade Fitness Center – 2007-2017);
• Stress & Anxiety Relief training for fibromyalgia and high stress clients at multiple Fitness Centers and Yoga Studios (Esplanade, Healthfit, Rosemary Court);
• Multi-level Vinyasa Yoga background (Ashtanga, Hatha) – 9 years at Rosemary Court Yoga Center and Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center – ;
• Foam Rolling combined with Mat Pilates for all – Healthfit Fitness Center – ;

Ildi is from Budapest, Hungary. She started as a gymnast then a 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 San Francisco, CA in 2001 as an Au Pair (nanny) after completing an intensive childcare training course (ages: 1-6) in Budapest for 6 months, where she was a nanny for a year (age 1.5 & 4 yrs. old), which later led to an early childhood care teaching position at Flanzer Jewish Community Center in Sarasota, FL 2002.

In 2003 She worked as waitress for several years. During this time she was taking art classes at Manatee Community College, Bradenton, FL, which opened the door for a graphic design position at Vista Products in 2005.

In 2007 Ildi started her Healthcare career as a Personal Trainer at Lifestyle Family Fitness Center training a variety of clients (weight loss, sports specific, core/balance, shoulder rebab). Following her passion of helping others she received her first yoga teacher certification (YogaFit) in 2008 and started teaching Vinyasa and Hatha yoga at Rosemary Court Yoga and HealthFit Fitness Center. In 2009 she started teaching Mat Pilates as Group Exercise Instructor and continued increasing the number of classes a week (14-18) to grow into full time Healthcare Professional by 2012. As Ildi became a CEU provider shortly after completing her second yoga teacher certification (200-ERYT) has hosted several workshops and mini yoga retreats with her husband DeWayne (Chinese meridian Yoga workshop, Yin Yang Yoga course) from 2015-2017. In 2017 Ildi started her journey to become a Comprehensive Pilates Teacher through Balance Pilates (movement specialist).

After moving to Tulsa, OK in 2018 Ildi and her husband started their own business together combining acupuncture, Pilates, yoga and personal training (East West Integrated Care Center dba Maplebrook Acupuncture Clinic). After almost 4 years of hundreds of hours of teaching Pilates classes in 2021 Ildi finished with her Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training course (over 500 Hrs. teaching) and on the way to become a teacher training facility for future Pilates students. Ildi also sits on the board as a trauma expert with St Clair Butterfly Foundation along her husband side.

Currently she teaches several Pilates Reformer classes at Balanced Pilates Studio in Tulsa and helping rehabilitate bulging disc, SI joint complains from patients at their clinic Maplebrook.