Meet our Instructors
Every instructor at Sagrario Pilates brings a lifetime of movement experience — from professional dance to martial arts, from traditional Chinese medicine to international Gyrotonic training.
Founder & Director
Sagrario Castilla
Founder · Pilates · Gyrotonic®
A professional dancer, Pilates pioneer, and the heart of this studio for over 30 years.
Born in Mexico, Sagrario's dance journey began at Liceo de Arta in Bucharest. She danced with the Compañía Nacional de Danza in Mexico City and with Taller Coreográfico under UNAM, before continuing her career in Canada with le Ballet de la Jeunesse in Montreal.
Her Pilates lineage is exceptional — she trained in Contrology with Gloria Contreras, herself trained by Carola Trier, a protégé of Joseph Pilates. In 1998, she became a student of Ron Fletcher, one of Joseph Pilates' original eight proteges, and studied with him until his passing in 2011.
Sagrario opened her Toronto studio in 1994 and continues her education with leading movement figures worldwide. She is also certified in the Gyrotonic exercise method.
Markham Garth
International Gyrotonic® & Gyrokinesis® Instructor
An internationally certified movement specialist with over 30 years of experience teaching across the world.
Markham holds advanced Gyrotonic specializations including Therapeutic Applications of Pelvic Lumbar, Scoliosis and Shoulder Girdle, as well as the Gyrotonic Breathing and Scrubbing modules — bringing deep, clinical precision to every session.
Thu 4 pm Gyrokinesis · Fri 2 pm Advanced Gyrokinesis
Luca Spaziani
Certified Pilates Instructor
A lifetime athlete who brings an intuitive, sport-informed understanding of how the body moves and heals.
Luca's background spans basketball, hockey, baseball, wrestling, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu — giving him a rare perspective on movement across disciplines. He tailors every session to the individual, from slow-paced restorative work to high-intensity training for advanced movers.
Mary R. Espiritu
Pilates Mat · Reformer · Personal Training
Two decades of practice across two continents — with credentials as deep as her care for each client.
Mary is certified in Pilates Mat and Standing Pilates through Physical Mind Institute, Reformer through Body Harmonics, and Personal Training through CanFitPro. She practiced in the Philippines before bringing her expertise to Toronto, and continues to expand with certifications in therapeutic massage, lumbar assessment, TRX, aging populations, and nutrition.
David Surman
Traditional Chinese Medicine · Tai Chi · Qigong
A holistic healer who approaches the body as a whole — mind, energy, and movement as one.
David is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, using shiatsu, tuina, Thai massage, herbal medicine, and acupressure alongside needling. He is also a skilled Tai Chi and Qigong instructor, bringing Eastern movement wisdom and energetic understanding that integrates beautifully with Pilates practice.
"We are here not just to exercise the body, but to awaken it."
"Every instructor brings something irreplaceable to the room."
"Movement is medicine — and teaching it is a lifelong practice."
Become a Pilates instructor
Sagrario Pilates Studio offers teacher training for those who want to share the practice they love.
Our program draws on over 30 years of teaching experience and a lineage connecting directly to Joseph Pilates. If you are a dedicated practitioner ready to take the next step, we would love to hear from you.
Fletcher method
Stott method
Alexander technique
