Hi everyone!
I hope you're all finding ease and comfort in these unique and undefined times and are embracing compassion and grace for yourself and loved ones. In that spirit of change, I want to take a moment to share something important about the evolution of my practice and the journey we’re all on together.
Movement Is a Partnership, Not a Passive Experience
Over the years, as many of you have experienced my work has developed into something deeper than just stretching—it’s a process of empowering you to create change from within. There’s no doubt that hands-on work plays a role in what I do, and I’m not doing away with it. However, the most profound, long-lasting results don’t come from what I do to you, but rather from the movement we create together.
I can passively stretch muscles all day long, but unless your body actively engages in the desired movement, no permanent changes occur. True progress happens when we work with the body, not just on it. By practicing curious, mindful, intentional, movement we increase our body awareness to how we move, breathe, and ultimatley the skills we develope to manage our bodies.
Slowing Down to Tune In
As we continue forward, expect sessions to feel slower, more intentional, and more breath-focused. This doesn’t mean we’re doing less—it means we’re doing more of what actually works.
Breath is essential to movement. No breath = no stretch I often say to ya'll. If we’re not consciously expanding our lungs while moving, we’re missing the connection between the two. By breathing deeply and intentionally, we allow our bodies to release tension and move in sync, rather than fighting against ourselves.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
As we move into unfamiliar positions, different thoughts and emotions may arise. Maybe you think, “This is too hard,” or “I should be more flexible,” or even “I used to be able to do this.” These stories shape our relationship with movement, but we don’t have to accept them as truth.
Ask yourself:
Is this thought helping me or hurting me?
Does it lift me up or hold me back?
Am I assessing the movement or judging myself in it?
Am I using negativity as motivation when I don’t have to?
Some stories may even carry shame—shame for not stretching more, for not being as mobile as you’d like, for feeling discomfort. But shaming yourself won’t encourage movement; it discourages it. Instead of reacting to these thoughts, let’s observe them, question them, and choose to move forward with compassion rather than criticism. Movement is a gift to yourself, recieve the data your collecting in the movement(s) as knowledge to visit those postures again rather than harshly judging yourself for the difficulty you may experience in them. Kindness is always more impactful tool to use and prove more benefical for growth in the long run. Trust me, I'm preaching to the choir here- my internal narative used to be very unkind- but with practice both the internal narative and the physical discomfort that comes with stretching has improved dramatically and your's can too!
Your Body, Your Unique Journey
Every single body I work with is different. You all have unique experiences, movement histories, challenges and successes! There’s no finish line, no point where you’ll have “arrived.” This is a practice we're building cause Gravity is always at play. Change is constant and our central nervous systems are always aiming to keep us erect. The compensations are necessary to keep up bipeds! Movement is a lifelong skill to develop —not a destination, but a tool for managing our pain and imbalances.
That’s why I'm shifting my approach just a little. Manual work will always be part of what I do, but I’m placing a greater emphasis on floor work, breathwork, and movement exploration—so that you can better understand your own body and how to move with freedom.
Moving Forward Together
This shift isn’t drastic, but it will make a huge impact. You’ll feel more connected to your body. You’ll move with more ease. You’ll own your movement rather than relying on me to create change for you.
I’m here to guide, support, and empower you—but ultimately, you are the expert in your own vessel. I can’t wait to keep exploring movement with you all.
Let me know if you have any questions—I’m always happy to chat (even if we’re chatting less during sessions 😉).
See you soon!
With love, Mandi