Prism Was Built Through Decades of Listening, Learning, and Adapting
Before she built Prism Movement Studio, our founder, Amy, was a lifetime dancer and movement specialist. When she suffered a knee injury, she did exactly what she was supposed to do: she went to traditional physical therapy.
But instead of healing, the pain got worse…
Despite her years of professional movement experience and a degree in psychology, she found herself trapped in the standard medical loop—where the body is treated as a collection of isolated parts rather than a whole living system.
Everything changed when Amy discovered the Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics®.
She realized her knee pain wasn't just about her knee; it was a symptom of a nervous system stuck in a chronic protective state.
By shifting her focus from “fixing a joint” to “re-patterning her entire system,” the injury completely, organically resolved.
Prism was born in 2019 out of that exact realization. We built this studio to help others move past temporary surface-level fixes and find a smarter path to lasting, systemic change.
50+ Years
Experience
Combined movement education and teaching experience across the Prism team
260+
Clients Served
Since we opened Prism Movement Studio in 2019
30,000+
Client Sessions
Real-world 1:1 client sessions informing this work from Amy’s 20+ years as a practitioner of this method alone
You’re not broken. You’re just responding exactly as your body was designed to.
Most of our clients come to us after trying it all: physical therapy, targeted exercise protocols, chiropractic care, yoga, and mindset work.
They follow the rules, yet the chronic pain, work burnout, or deep-seated stress remains.
Through our own journeys, the practitioners at Prism learned why: traditional approaches treat the body like a machine with isolated parts. But when you only chase the local symptom, the root cause stays hidden, keeping your entire nervous system trapped in a state of high-alert.
True, sustainable relief requires looking at the whole picture.
When we address the nervous system patterns beneath the surface, your body can finally stop guarding and start healing.
Our Commitment To You
Every session, class, and interaction at Prism is an invitation to shift and to experience what is truly possible for your health. We design our entire space to validate your experience and ensure you leave feeling:
Commitment 01
Profoundly Seen & Validated
You aren't crazy, and your experience is real.
After years of being told your pain is “in your head” or “just part of aging,” we want you to finally feel the immense relief of being believed.
- Recognize and validate your real physical patterns
- Shift out of isolation and medical gaslighting
Commitment 02
Systemically Safe
A true, subconscious “dropping of the guard.”
Gentle movement out of daily hyper-vigilance and into a body that no longer views the world (or itself) as a constant threat.
- Down-regulate your baseline survival state
- Build genuine physiological ease from within
Commitment 03
Inherently Capable
Step into a grounded sense of worth and agency.
Move away from the heavy burden of not feeling good enough and build a newfound confidence to lead, parent, and create because your system is no longer tail-chasing for basic survival.
- Stop organizing your life around daily symptoms
- Reclaim energy for your higher-level goals
Commitment 04
"Un-Ruffled" Resilience
An empowered sense of internal calm.
Feel steady knowing that while you cannot control life's unexpected wrenches, you possess the internal mapping to navigate them without losing your peace.
- Adapt gracefully to physical and emotional stressors
- Return to baseline quicker when life happens
Commitment 05
Functional Sovereignty
The absolute liberation of owning your physical map.
No longer feel like a victim of your symptoms or beholden to a temporary “fix,” giving you the ultimate freedom of physical agency to move through life on your own terms.
- Understand what your body is asking for in real time
- Create long-term, self-directed physical freedom
What Makes Prism Different
A Whole-System Approach to the Body, Brain, and Nervous System
We understand that your nervous system is what’s driving everything—how you move, how you feel, how you respond to life. It’s not about pushing through the pain—it’s about finally understanding what your body has been trying to tell you.
We address your whole system, not isolated symptoms.
Instead of chasing isolated symptoms, we work with the nervous system patterns driving your pain, stress, movement, and emotional responses.
We bring the body and brain together.
We combine body awareness and movement with coaching and support—not just isolated physical therapy, talk therapy, or nervous system hacks.
We help you become the expert of your own system.
This work is designed to build awareness, capacity, and autonomy—so you’re not dependent on another temporary fix to feel okay.
Our Practitioners
Meet The Prism Team
Experienced movement educators and Holistic Biomechanics practitioners dedicated to helping you update your nervous system and reclaim your physical agency.
Founder & Nervous System Coach
AMY BONADUCE-GARDNER
Founder, nervous system coach, and movement educator with 30+ years of experience teaching everyone from preschoolers to Olympic athletes.
Specialties:
- Complex, multi-layered chronic illness, systemic fatigue, and neurological plateaus
- Resolving deep-seated, protective trauma responses stored within the physical tissues
- High-achievers, executives, and entrepreneurs navigating severe professional burnout
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Amy is a nervous system coach and the founder of Prism Movement Studio. She has been a movement educator for over 30 years and has taught everyone from preschoolers to Olympic athletes. With a degree in psychology and training in movement and dance, Amy has taught in both the public school system and in private practice. Her work focuses on the relationship between the nervous system and physical and emotional well-being, providing relief for clients with unresolved physical and emotional challenges.
Certifications
- The Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics® (2006)
- NASM Wellness Coach
- NASM Personal Trainer (Specializations in Corrective Exercise and Behavior Change)
- GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC® Instructor
- United States Twirling Association Certified Coach and Judge
Dance & Movement Training
Amy began dancing at age 3. During her studies at the Jefferson High School Performing Arts Dance program in Portland, Oregon, she trained in tap, jazz, modern, African, and ballet. She was a member of the Jefferson Dancers and the Modern Dance Lab (both youth pre-professional companies).
She received instruction from artists including Julane Stites, Elena Carter, Fred Locke, Keith Goodman, Mary Osland, Patricia Brewer-Jones, Terry Brock, and Barbara Remington. She has also worked with acclaimed teachers and choreographers such as Brenda Buffalino, Sam Weber, David Ward, and Lowell Smith. Additionally, Amy attended the School of Oregon Ballet Theater and the Alvin Ailey School in NYC, and has performed locally with Keith V. Goodman's modern dance company, Dance Gatherer.
Competition History
Amy is a three-time Grand State Baton Twirling Champion in Dance Twirl, has won several regional and national titles, and was a member of a nationally ranked baton twirling team. Since 1994, she has been a coach and choreographer for the Portland Kelly Kadet Corp, and is a two-time recipient of the Best Team Choreography award at the US Twirling Association National Baton competition.
Education & Continued Studies
Amy graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She has continued her education with coursework in childhood/elementary education and creative dance methods, including Anne Green Gilbert's Brain Compatible Dance Education. In 2012, Amy began belly dancing with Nemra Khan and currently performs locally as Andalee Khan and with Khan's Karavan.
Teaching Experience
Amy began student teaching at an early age under the mentorship of Shanon Barker and has been teaching independently for over 30 years in community schools and private studios.
- Dance Studios: Joined the staff at Stites Performing Arts Center in 1996 and is currently on staff at Classical Ballet Academy.
- Public & Charter Schools: Taught for Portland Public Schools at the elementary and middle school levels (2001-2005), and later at MLA Public Charter School for 3 years.
- Community Programs: Has been on staff with Portland Parks and Recreation, Corbett Children's Theater, Mt. Hood Community College, and summer dance programs at Beaverton's Arts and Communication Magnet Academy.
- Transformations Studio: Under the direction of Alicia Fajardo, the creator of The Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics®, Amy joined the staff at Transformations Studio in 2005 and taught Holistic Biomechanics and Pilates in both private and group class settings. Amy has also assisted Alicia in teaching the methods Foundation Courses and workshops.
Holistic Biomechanics Practitioner
KELLY MOON
Holistic Biomechanics practitioner with 12+ years of experience helping clients improve mobility, structural alignment, and system function.
Specialties:
- Improving functional mobility, joint mechanics, and structural balance
- Helping postpartum mothers reconnect with and gently stabilize their changing bodies
- Providing a calm, quiet, and deeply grounded space tailored for highly sensitive or reserved clients
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Kelly Moon is a certified Holistic Biomechanics practitioner at Prism Movement Studio, born and raised right here in Portland, Oregon.
She started taking dance classes at age 6 and has continued to dance throughout her life, currently taking classes at a variety of locations in the Portland area. Kelly graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012, where she double majored in International Studies and Economics, with minors in Political Science and Dance.
In 2014, she became certified in the Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics® and taught at Transformations Studio for 6 years. In 2019, she joined Amy at Prism Movement Studio, where she continues to use Holistic Biomechanics to help her clients achieve greater mobility and structural functioning. She currently lives with her husband, daughter and their cat Lilac.
Certifications
- The Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics® (2014)
- ACE Certified Personal Trainer with Corrective Exercise endorsement
Holistic Biomechanics Practitioner
ASHLEY BARTON
Holistic Biomechanics practitioner with 6+ years of experience supporting clients in physical health, resilience, movement education, and self-awareness.
Specialties:
- Supporting teenagers and young adults of all ages navigating physical challenges, emotional distress, or anxiety/depression
- Draws from a lifelong background in dance, movement, yoga, and Gyrotonic training
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Ashley is an independent contractor for Prism Movement Studio. She has always been drawn to anatomy and movement, graduating with a BA in Dance from the University of Washington. Dance remains her first love and passion.
Ashley has spent decades teaching movement and body awareness. She came to the Fajardo Method over 12 years ago while navigating unhealthy emotional and mental distress, addictive coping mechanisms, food intolerances, and chronic low-level injuries. She credits this method with consistently supporting her movement toward ever-increasing agility, ease, joy, and resilience on all levels—a path she finds challenging, deep, fascinating, and fun. Of all the mind/body and self-help modalities she has experienced, it has been by far the most consistent, lasting, and impactful practice to date.
Ashley became a certified practitioner of the Fajardo Method® in 2020 to share this work with individuals who are curious to bravely explore their structures and allow for change in their embodied experience. She is honored to witness and support her clients as they expand in physical health, resilience, and self-awareness. Ashley is dedicated to her personal practice, deeply grateful for this method, and currently teaches private sessions and group classes both in person and online in Portland, OR.
Certifications
- The Fajardo Method of Holistic Biomechanics® (2020)
- Certified Yoga Teacher
- Certified GYROKINESIS® & GYROTONIC® Instructor
Root-Cause Wellness
You Deserve More Than Temporary Relief.
Ready to Create Change at the Source?
You deserve to understand what your body has been trying to tell you. You deserve support that sees the whole system—not just the symptom.
Support that helps you stop chasing short-term fixes and start creating real, lasting change.
Start where you are. We’ll help you choose the support path that makes the most sense for your body, your life, and the level of guidance you need.