Ando & Aston Physical Therapy

Ando Studio - alternatives for fitness

Ando & Aston
Physical Therapy

Meet Our Staff

Elizabeth Ando, Ando Studio Founder, COO/CFO Ando & Aston

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration/Marketing from California State University, Fullerton, and her Master of Business Administration in International Business from the University of California, Irvine in 1998.

Desirous of a career change, she opened the Ando Studio in 1999. Elizabeth received her Pilates Certification in from the PhysicalMind Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1999. Elizabeth completed the mat and equipment certification training with Stott Conditioning in 2001. She actively manages the Ando Studio as a division of Ando & Aston Physical Therapy.

Arthur Ando, Clinical Advisor, Owner

Art earned his Master of Science in Physical Therapy at USC in 1982, was trained in PNF at Kaiser Vallejo, is a Certified Functional Manual Therapist, and has been in clinical private practice in Anaheim Hills since 1985. He has been an instructor for the Institute of Physical Art since 1985, teaching nationally to physical therapists in the area of spine rehabilitation, including joint and soft tissue mobilization, exercise, posture and body mechanics. He was the Lecturer in Orthopedics in the Chapman University Physical Therapy program for 4 years.

In 1997, Art and his co-owner, Gary Aston PT, spearheaded the rehabilitative use of the special knowledge and skills of Pilates instructors in their physical therapy clinics. In order to better understand the Pilates conditioning method, Art completed the mat and equipment certification training with Stott Conditioning in 2001.

Sue S. Okuda, Certified Pilates Instructor

Sue holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from UC Berkeley, a Master of Arts in Music History from California State University, Fullerton, and a law degree from Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley.

Sue is the lead exercise specialist at Ando & Aston. Drawing on her knowledge of Pilates, movement imagery, ballet and yoga, Sue combines her gifts for words and images to help her students find new movement and freedom in their bodies, whether the students’ goals are artistic performance, recovery from injury, or just a desire to feel and look their best. Sue’s clients say she is a great teacher who takes time to listen to their issues, learns what their goals are, and personalizes the session to achieve those goals. They leave the session feeling accomplished, like they have changed their body in a positive way, so they feel good about themselves.

Sue’s life-long passion for movement led her to study Pilates at Studio du Corps, the first Pilates studio in Orange County. Pilates is a system of exercise created to improve not only strength, but also body awareness, flexibility, dynamic alignment, and balance. It uses specialized equipment designed by Joe Pilates to develop smooth flowing movement, with concentration and focus on specific movement muscles.

Sue believes that your body speaks your mind, so that what we think about ourselves shows up in how we move. She studies movement imagery with Eric Franklin, a world-renowned dance medicine specialist, author, and director of the Franklin Method ® Institute in Ulster, Switzerland. The Franklin Method combines dynamic imagery, experiential anatomy and movement to safely optimize performance in disciplines such as dance, athletics, and acting. It is used by professional ballet companies and elite athletic teams to achieve top performance, reduce injury rates, and prolong careers. Sue is excited to be among the first Franklin Method® teachers certified in the U.S. by Mr. Franklin.

Sue is also a certified teacher of Gyrokinesis®, a movement method which emphasizes organic movement from not only the spine but the body’s deep muscle tissue, building energy through the body and refreshing the mind.

This all adds up to a teacher who can help her students see what is happening in their bodies. From that understanding, Sue works on finding options in the body to make the movement easier, so that it flows through the muscles, bones and joints. The result is a stronger, more balanced and toned human being.

At Ando Studio, a division of Ando & Aston Physical Therapy, Inc., Sue specializes in Pilates rehabilitation exercise and holds weekly classes in Gyrokinesis®. She also teaches dancers movement imagery and conditioning at the DeFore Dance Center in Costa Mesa, California.

Ryoko Sawaichi, Certified Pilates Instructor

Ryoko received her certification in Pilates Core Dynamics Plus Techniques, which evolved from the work of Joseph H. Pilates and Eve Gentry, in 1999. She studied with Virginia Nicholas in Phoenix and with Michele Larson in Santa Fe.

A native of Japan, Ryoko started dancing at age 5. She moved to New York in 1982 to pursue her career in dance. While in New York, Ryoko studied with the Joffrey Ballet School, Alvin Ailey Dance School and Finis Jhung ballet studio. Ryoko danced in “The Wizard of Oz” at Radio City Music Hall in 1989 and in the National tour of “The King and I” starring Rudolph Nureyev in 1990.

Ryoko moved to Arizona for love in 1991, where she joined the Center Dance Ensemble & Desert Dance Company. She taught Pilates, Modern & Ballet class at Mesa Community College and at Mary Mo Adams Ballet Academy. Ryoko simultaneously taught Pilates at Moving Breath Studio and the Phoenician Resort Hotel. Since moving to Orange County in 2001, Ryoko has been teaching Pilates at Ando Studio, the Recreation Center in Corona del Mar and Academy of Dance in Tustin.

Barbara Nelson, Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified Yamuna Body Rolling Instructor, Reiki Level II

Barbara Nelson came to Ando Studio as a private client in February 2000, searching for a solution to twenty-five years of chronic back/hip pain. In Pilates, she found this and more, joining the scores of women who rediscover body awareness in mid-life, after years of working and raising families. In addition to achieving sacroiliac joint stability Barbara realized improvements in balance, flexibility, mobility and over-all health.

She became an enthusiastic certified trainer in both Pilates and Body Rolling, in order to share the joy of mind-body exercise with others. Barbara specializes in Pilates “for the rest of us” pain-free exercise that relieves pain, restores function, and brings new vitality to life.