About Clarissa Shepherd-Hayes

Clarissa Shepherd-Hayes is a Nationally Certified Pilates teacher & Provider.

She received her two comprehensive trainings from Peak Pilates ( 2016) & Club Pilates ( 2019)

She is a Master Trainer with Club Pilates & International Pilates Teacher Training with trainings spanning from Belize to Pakistan. 

Her advanced credentials include specialized training with Oh Baby! Fitness, TRX Suspension Training, and Master Trainer status with Barre Above. She also serves as an On-Care Postpartum Movement Specialist for Sanu Postpartum Care, guiding mothers through intelligent, restorative recovery.

For the past three years, Clarissa has trained professional athletes for the Washington Commanders, applying classical Pilates principles to optimize strength, control, mobility, and resilience at an elite level of performance.

She is the founder of Shepherd Method Pilates its a program designed to help current and aspiring Pilates teachers go beyond the exercise.  Her philosophy is clear: excellence is not found in reinvention, but in refinement. When the work is taught with clarity and intention, it transforms both body and teacher.



Clarissa is also a children’s author, writing Sage Does Pilates, Babies and Barre, and an ABC-themed movement book that introduces young children to strength, confidence, and body awareness through purposeful movement.

Based in Sterling, Virginia, where she owns and operates her studio, Clarissa continues to mentor instructors, develop specialized trainings, and build programs that bridge classical tradition with modern application.

Outside of her professional work, she enjoys salsa dancing, studying Spanish, and spending time with her husband and two daughters — a balance that reflects the very foundation of her teaching: strength, grace, and intention in every season of life.