Milena Boasherlieva

Hello! My name is Milena Boasherlieva. 

I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and moved to the United States at the age of 6. In the US, I pursued artistic gymnastics on a competitive level under the training of former Olympic athletes. I reached level 9 before phasing out, due to burnout, and began to coach the sport shortly thereafter. Having the foundation of a practicing gymnast followed by an observer of physical activity put me in a unique position of conveying movement and identifying technique. Unknowingly at the time, this would all later serve me in my instruction of Pilates. An additional lesson was my relationship to physical movement. Intensity verging on injury is not the standard of a good workout and there should be pleasure in the necessity of exercise. 

Throughout my childhood, my family moved several times, from Savannah, GA, to White Plains, New York, to Houston, TX and we often visited family in Europe, all of which broadened my exposure to a diversity of cultures and taught me to relate with a variety people. In my adolescence, I developed an interest in international relations and public policy and went on to study Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. While a student, I maintained a job as a gymnastics coach and volunteered abroad in Latin America in the summer. I later transferred to the University of Tampa to pursue a specific program and graduated magna cum laude. Upon graduation, I began working in international supply chain, logistics, and sales, which allowed me to travel and meet a wide range of people in a professional setting.

My passion for fitness and exercise became my outlet and I regularly took boot camp, boxing, circuit training, Zumba, yoga, and barre classes. Witnessing the high incidence of injuries in an active lifestyle led me to further question the prevalent belief that high impact/high intensity training is more effective than a less vigorous form of exercise. Given my competitively athletic background in my childhood coupled with mainstream exercise in adulthood, I was inclined to reverse the ideology that killing your body meant you were committed to working hard. Finding a way to derive enjoyment and perpetuate longevity, while also satisfying the high achiever impulse of enduring a tough and challenging workout became somewhat of a personal mission.

My initial go at Pilates started with mat classes and transitioned to reformer, tower, and later chair. I became quickly enamored and began taking every class type available from classical to contemporary to athletic training to flexibility training. I was fascinated by the versatility of the practice and felt compelled to spread the message. Given my physical background and studious nature I sought resources on anatomy, history, and injury prevention and met with instructors and studio owners to get their experience. I had also taught physical movement to children via gymnastics for a long time, which required technical yet digestible explanations and felt that I had an edge on articulating exercise. Last summer, I pursued comprehensive Pilates training in Tampa under a 3nd generation master trainer in a 450 hour program. Through time, I became versed in teaching private/semi-private Pilates lessons and wanted to expand to group teaching. I undertook a mentorship with a boutique studio, passed my audition, and was hired only 3 months after beginning my teacher training program. I immediately felt that this was my calling and felt gifted with the opportunity of helping others nourish their health, strengthen and preserve their bodies, and find pleasure in movement through the beauty of Pilates training. I have since been employed in this Tampa studio, Pilates Krewe, and taught over 150 classes. The studio owner Sydney Soschin has opened 3 thriving studios since 2020, works for FitPro, and gave me the idea of applying to be a part of it. I would be a great fit to instruct vacationers from all over the world through a fun, customized, full-body Pilates class that adds to their trip experience and leaves them feeling accomplished, balanced, and joyful.