About

From my own healing journey to helping others find strength, mobility, and freedom from pain.

About Be Well My Body™

If you're ready to release chronic tension and pain, restore mobility, and build lasting strength, Be Well My Body™ is here to help.

My mission is to empower you to move with strength and flexibility, pain-free. I’ll guide you where needed, using a unique blend of Pilates, mobility work, fascia release, energy healing, and lifestyle techniques—giving you a complete toolkit to Be Well for years to come.

These practices were essential in my own recovery from chronic pain—and they continue to keep me strong and pain-free today. I’m here to support your journey toward a body that moves with strength, freedom, and ease—for life.

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About Me

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I’m a retired professional dancer turned movement and wellness guide. After overcoming an autoimmune disease and years of chronic pain, I rebuilt my health through mindful movement, nourishing food, and energy-based healing. That journey inspired me to dedicate my life to helping others do the same. Over the years, I’ve earned more than two dozen certifications—including Pilates, Fascia Stretch Therapy™, CranioSacral Therapy, Quantum Energy Healing, and Reiki—each one deepening my understanding of how the body and energy system work together.

I blend science, movement, and energy work as one integrated system rather than separate tools. I see the body as intelligent and adaptable, the mind as powerful, and the energetic self as the thread that ties it all together. My focus isn’t on “anti-aging” but on longevity — feeling alive, mobile, pain-free, and capable as the years go on.

What matters most to me is helping people feel at home in their bodies again — strong, flexible, balanced — and reminding them that true wellness comes from within — it’s something you build through consistent care and connection, not something you have to pursue or find outside yourself.

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Shannon Hershman sitting on a reformer at Centered on North Pilates Studio.

My Journey

Early Passion & Professional Dance Career

I graduated high school a year early to attend La Roche University in Pittsburgh, PA on scholarship. I earned my B.A. in Biology, graduating summa cum laude, with minors in Performing Arts and Psychology. While still in school, I danced professionally with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet for five seasons.

After graduation, I continued dancing, became certified in Pilates Mat through PHI Pilates, and worked as an ABA therapist for children with autism. In 2007, I moved to Chicago—turning down a company position with GroundWorks Dance Theater—to train with River North and Giordano Dance Chicago. I went on to perform with Cerqua-Rivera Dance Theater and Inaside Chicago Dance, where I completed my professional dance career in 2013.

The Turning Point: Living With Chronic Pain

In 2001, I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoimmune disease that doctors told me was incurable. I was told I’d be on medication for life and risk spinal fusion or even blindness if left untreated. Movement and pain management techniques helped me continue dancing—but I knew there had to be more.

In 2013, at age 30, I made a decision that changed everything. I began researching root-cause healing and adopted a low-fat, whole food plant-based diet. Within weeks, my symptoms disappeared. I was off all medications within a month—and I’ve stayed in remission ever since with the exception of brief bouts that returned postpartum for 2 of the 3 pregnancies. I was able to put those back into remission through cold therapy, breathwork, and energy healing.

A Deep Dive Into Healing Modalities

My experience ignited a passion for helping others find lasting, natural relief from pain. I completed the BASI™ Comprehensive Pilates Program in 2014 and was named runner-up for the Kathy Grant Scholarship. Since then, I’ve earned over two dozen certifications, including:

Fascia Stretch Therapy™ Level 3
Holy Fire® Reiki Master
CranioSacral Therapy
Quantum Energy Healing
Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from eCornell

I’ve also trained in TriggerPoint Foam Rolling, Yamuna® Body Rolling, and Yamuna® Foot Fitness to support movement, posture, and healing from the ground up.

Today: Helping Others Heal

I now help clients release tension, restore mobility, and build strength for a body that moves well and feels good. I believe that everyone has a Master Healer within and that true wellness happens when we treat the mind, body, and energy system as one.

Most recently, I was interviewed on SoulSearch TV by Darren Starwynn and awarded the “Pilates for Menopause Scholarship” from The Center for Women’s Fitness. I'm proud to be a lifelong student, always seeking new ways to grow and better support your healing journey.

Teaching, Mentoring, and Family

Alongside my healing practice, I’ve taught dance for over 25 years. I currently serve as the Director of the Hinsdale Dance Project at Hinsdale Dance Academy in Westmont, IL. My choreography has earned numerous awards across Chicagoland and was selected for the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in 2025.

I'm endlessly grateful for the love and support of my husband, Alex, and our three amazing kids—McKenna, Strider, and Brody.