Owner | Clarissa Shepherd-Hayes
Clarissa Shepherd-Hayes is a Nationally Certified Classical Pilates Master Trainer, performance coach, and the founder of Nova Pilates. Known as a “teacher of teachers,” she has certified and mentored over 60 instructors across the U.S. and supported the development of more than 25 instructors internationally.
Trained comprehensively through Peak Pilates and Club Pilates, Clarissa’s work goes beyond exercises—she teaches Pilates as a system rooted in precision, strength, and intentional movement.
As a HYROX & Spartan athlete and fit mom of two, Clarissa embodies the integration of performance and lifestyle. Her approach to training is grounded in real-life application—helping clients build strength, resilience, and control that carries beyond the studio.
She specializes in working with athletes, instructors, and women in all stages of life, including pre- and postnatal recovery. As an On-Care Postpartum Movement Specialist with Sanu Postpartum Care, she guides mothers through intelligent, restorative movement that supports long-term strength and function.
For the past three years, Clarissa has trained professional athletes for the Washington Commanders, applying classical Pilates to enhance performance, prevent injury, and develop total-body control at an elite level.
She is also the creator of the Shepherd Method Pilates, an education platform designed to help instructors refine their eye, deepen their understanding, and teach with clarity and confidence. Her philosophy is simple: true mastery is found in refinement, not reinvention.
In addition to her work in the studio, Clarissa is a children’s author of Sage Does Pilates, Babies and Barre, and an ABC-themed movement book—bringing strength, confidence, and body awareness to the next generation.
Based in Sterling, Virginia, Clarissa leads Nova Pilates as a space where athletes cross-train, instructors grow, and movement is treated as both a skill and a practice.
Outside the studio, she enjoys salsa dancing, studying Spanish, and spending time with her husband and two daughters—living out the same balance of strength, grace, and intention that defines her work.
