At 25 years old, I thought I had it all – dream job, great boyfriend, optimistic attitude and a body that looked and felt like it could do anything. I spent my free time lifting weights, running, surfing, salsa dancing and planning outdoor adventures. THIS was the life I had imagined for myself. Then, several millimeters changed it all. I was working as a firefighter/paramedic, “throwing ladders,” where you carry a 24-foot ladder on your shoulder and then throw it into a vertical position, to enter the second story window of a building. Super cool move and really fun training – until my back decided, “no más” (no more.) Years of training to be a bad-ass, and all it took to knock me down were two little discs in my spine moving a matter of millimeters out of their proper position. I had learned to revive patients from cardiac arrest and to identify brain injury, but I didn’t know a thing about the discs in my spine. This incident became the greatest motivator to learn everything I could about my spine – and would set me on a life-long journey exploring the many facets of the human body and mind-body connection.

As a paramedic, I was accustomed to witnessing doctors save lives in the emergency room. Naturally, I thought seeing a doctor for my back injury would lead to a clear and quick solution. Not the case. It became a nightmare trying to find safe, long-lasting ways to reduce my pain. The medical solutions offered included staying medicated beyond function, cortisone injections for temporary pain relief (which didn’t work), nerve blocks and removing the discs altogether. Each of these “solutions” only addressed pain management (not the root cause) and came with their own set of negative side effects. After months of pain, and several doctors, I became severely depressed. My life was starting to take the tune of one of those old country songs: I’m gonna lose my job, my boyfriend left me, feeling so alone and all I can do is drink this pain away. I probably would have written my own song if it didn’t hurt so much to sit down. I felt like I was in a deep, dark hole and couldn’t find a way out.

Finally, I met a progressive neurosurgeon who recommended that I do Pilates, to not only treat my back pain, but also to prevent further injury in the future. He explained that I needed to create balanced muscles to support my spine and everything attached to it. It was 2006. I had never heard of Pilates and no one was talking about “balanced muscle development” – at least not in my circle. I signed up for my first Pilates class through my local gym (where I used to lift weights.) My resistance was strong. The women in the class were twice my age and doing tiny movements that my body couldn’t seem to understand. I was frustrated with myself and with my body. What was I doing here? But, by the end of the class, I felt better than I had in six months. And, THAT made it worth it. In fact, it changed everything. I became a Pilates regular. I started creating my own “physical therapy” routines from the Pilates moves I learned in class. I devoured books on movement education. I was dedicated to practicing twice a day. I could feel my body changing with the practice. And, as my body began to change, so did my mindset. I started to feel the pre-injury version of myself return, the me that I actually liked. Enter the real core strengthening power of Pilates!

I’m now almost two decades older – and, I’m healthier in both mind and body than ever. My training to become a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher, Integrative Movement Specialist and yoga teacher have provided me with deep knowledge to care for my own health and to help others to do the same. I’ve returned to an active, healthy and happy life. Blending Pilates, yoga, dance, corrective exercise and mindfulness into both my personal practice and my movement coaching has produced amazing results! I’ve consistently practiced mindful movement for so many years that it has become my natural way of being in the world, whether I’m trail running, swimming or just walking down the street. I’m passionate about teaching others how to move mindfully too. It is the most natural and holistic way to maintain a healthy, active life.