Meet your instructors!
Since 1999, Frog Temple Pilates Studio has been committed to providing a warm, inviting atmosphere for people of all ages, sizes and skill levels to come learn and enjoy the practice of Pilates. All of our clients are taught by deeply knowledgeable, creative & caring, instructors.
Randi’s WGN Radio Interview
Listen to Randi’s interview on WGN Radio where they discuss navigating small business life during this time of COVID -19, how it has affected business, as well as what her plans are for reopening.
Randi Whitman
OWNER & INSTRUCTOR
Founder and director of Frog Temple, Inc., Randi Whitman studied and was certified in the pure, classic Pilates form by The Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado. She is also a Certified Pre and Post-Natal Pilates Specialist™ through The Center for Women’s Fitness, as well as a Certified Massage Therapist by the Chicago School of Massage Therapy, in Chicago. Randi has a lifetime of experience in fitness and dance. She earned her BFA in Dance and Art from University of Wisconsin and danced professionally as both an apprentice with Joseph Holmes Dance Theater and as an original founding member of Chicago’s River North Dance Company. She has also taught various forms of dance and aerobics, was certified by IDEA and AFFA, and worked as a certified personal trainer for six years prior to teaching Pilates. Randi has extensively studied and practiced Iyengar, Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga for many years, and still does today. As owner of Frog Temple, Randi spends most days, when not driving and feeding her teenagers~ Cecily and Miles, in the studio working privately with clients, teaching a variety of classes including all levels of Pilates, Prenatal classes and YogaWall work. Over the years Randi and her staff has lead her successful and popular Frog Temple Teacher Certification Program, as well as taking care of all the ins and outs of everyday business responsibilities. Randi is always so inspired by her clients, staff and trainees, never tiring of teaching Pilates. She feels that every person brings such a new perspective to the work, always challenging her to dig deeper as a teacher, and as a mentor, guiding clients toward whole body health, inside and out.
Alison Aske
INSTRUCTOR
Alison first tried Pilates in 2003 and spent years taking classes before finally deciding to enter Frog Temple's Teacher Training in the winter of 2015. Alison spent many years performing as an actress and a dancer in Chicago area theaters, and continues to write and direct from time to time. Though she trained for many years in dance and yoga, it was through Pilates that she found the perfect medium which connected all the various techniques she had explored in her academic and artistic life. Alison believes that every body can benefit from Pilates and continues to expand her knowledge of the human body and how it moves in order to better help her clients achieve their goals. Alison is a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA)® Certified Pilates Teacher, and proud mom to her incredible son, the light of her life, Julian.
Jeanne Hunt
INSTRUCTOR
Jeanne’s interest in Pilates was sparked when she attended her first class at Frog Temple back in 2010. Inspired by the healthy and strong instructors and clients, Jeanne started taking Pilates classes regularly. She was impressed by the intense strength she gained, and the mental awareness Pilates gave her to navigate life with her husband and two adorable boys, Charlie and Simon. During her time with Frog Temple, Jeanne witnessed the physical and mental benefits of Pilates. At the suggestion of Randi Whitman, Jeanne enrolled in and completed Randi’s teacher training program at Frog Temple in 2012 and was certified in pre and postnatal Pilates in 2014. She was inspired by Randi and other Frog Temple instructors who were literally changing people’s lives, one body at a time. Jeanne is honored to be teaching at Frog Temple, where she continues to learn every day through Randi and the instructors she so greatly admires. Jeannes' goal through teaching this method of fitness and health is for her clients to connect their mind and bodies in order to move freely from a grounded center with strength and flexibility and confidence.
Taylor Marie Meheran
INSTRUCTOR
In 2006, Taylor began practicing true classical Pilates with Beth Elkins in Buffalo, NY. She was hooked on the exercises and it quickly became her primary method of fitness. After moving to Chicago in 2012, she continued her Pilates journey at Frog Temple where she found the same passion for the classical method. She decided to delve deeper into her practice and entered the Teacher Training program under the guidance of Randi Whitman at Frog Temple in 2015. During this time, unfortunately, she suffered from a herniated disc and other related injuries. This set back was a disappointing challenge during her training; however, it was a blessing in disguise. Using her new found deeper and evolving knowledge of Pilates, along with the help of physical therapy, massage, and cranial sacral therapists, as well as Feldenkrais teachers, she was able to avoid surgery and heal her injuries. These intensive studies into self healing and body work are evident in her teaching style. She appreciates the opportunity to work with each client's most sacred possession- their body- and aims to provide them with new options of movement to incorporate into their daily lives.
Ghienhel Speh
INSTRUCTOR
Ghienhel discovered Pilates in 2012. Prior to that, she dedicated herself to circuit weight training. While she enjoyed and achieved great results from weight training, her mind and body craved Pilates. In addition to the physical results, Ghienhel gained a deeper sense and appreciation for the strength of the human body. She joined the Frog Temple Teacher Certification program in 2012. Expanding and sharing her knowledge of the Pilates method is a true passion. She is honored to work with people who are committed to their health. Her mission is to apply Pilates to everyday activities, and to constantly move and breathe within the principles. Ghienhel firmly believes that the workout doesn’t just end in the studio, it has actually just begun! Ghienhel is also the proud wife and mama of her two beautiful, precious daughters, Rhea and Isabella.
Paula Tomek
INSTRUCTOR
Paula, a graphic designer, began her pilates journey fall of 2006. She came to Frog Temple studio looking to improve her posture and increase her overall strength. Instantly, she became a devoted fan of pilates, loving the mind/body connections that pilates established. It is her belief that core strength, flexibility and agility are essential to a healthier life. Paula became a certified instructor at Frog Temple pilates in early 2014. Client’s goals become her goals and she will strive to see that these goals are met. Her enthusiastic love of pilates comes through when she is practicing and teaching the pilates method.
Maria Xerogianes
INSTRUCTOR
After practicing Pilates under the instruction of Randi Whitman and Frog Temple for five years, Maria began the 750-hour teacher training program at Frog Temple. She initially sought out Pilates as a means to soothe chronic lower back pain. As her back condition improved, she developed a deep passion for Pilates. Her journey from student to teacher is fueled by Maria’s love for helping others realize their own potential; gaining physical strength and personal confidence. Maria is also a freelance producer and mother of her amazing teen son, Gabrielle.