Heal Your Body, Mind & Spirit With Pilates – Ep #031 Interview With Kristin Mann

0 (1s):
Welcome to the Soul Science Nutrition Podcast, where you’ll discover that when it comes to your health, you’re so much more powerful than you’ve been led to believe. And now your host, she’s a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, chef author, and Yogi, Christine Okezie.

Christine Okezie (23s):
Hello, and welcome to the soul science nutrition podcast. I’m Christine Okezie.. Thanks so much for listening in today. So when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, it’s essential that we seek out self-care practices in our lives that support true wellbeing. See when it comes to exercising our bodies, we have to navigate the same dogma that pervades the nutrition world, where the obsession with diet and weight loss dominates the conversation. The impetus for moving our bodies needs to go way beyond calorie burning, thinner thighs, or having six pack. Abs. We need to embrace the depth of benefits that comes when we learn to coordinate and control our bodies in ways that activate the full healing capacity of this incredible organism that we occupy.

Christine Okezie (1m 16s):
I’m speaking about traditional systems that consciously employ working with the mind body connections, such as yoga Xi, gong, Tai Chi, but specifically today’s topic focus is going to be Pilates. Now the Pilates method was created by Joseph Pilates in 1883. He was a sickly child. He had asthma and rickets and rheumatic fever and a young age. He made the bold decision to dedicate his entire life to becoming physically stronger. He studied bodybuilding and gymnastics even went on to learn, earn a living as a boxer and circus trainer and teaching self-defense.

Christine Okezie (1m 58s):
Well, he and his wife Clara would go on to open a studio in New York city in the 1960s, where they taught and developed a method that created a strong following in the dance and performing arts community. He called the method control ology in their viewpoint. It was the complete coordination of the mind, body and spirit. So you know, that popularity of Pilates is ever-growing and it’s practice now around the world by the general public, as well as athletes and dancers and fitness professionals. Well, today I am so excited to speak with Kristin man. She’s the owner of mankind, Pilates in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Kristin has over 18 years of experience instructing students of all levels, and she continues to study with well-respected classical master instructors and other industry specialists.

Christine Okezie (2m 53s):
Kristen was classically certified through the keeping the method pure and has trained and taught for over 800 hours under two direct apprentices of Ramana. Chris who studied directly under Joseph Pilates. As you listen in today, you’ll see how Kristen really is one of the top in her field. And she’s incredibly passionate about the deep and comprehensive healing benefits of the Pilates method. You’ll learn genuinely what Pilates is and how it might be exactly what you need to create your best health. And if you love this episode, please leave a rating and review. It helps me keep the podcast growing.

Christine Okezie (3m 34s):
Thanks so much and enjoy the show. Hey, Kristin, welcome to the podcast. So lovely to have you here today.

Kristin Mann (3m 41s):
Thank you so much, Christine, for this opportunity,

Christine Okezie (3m 45s):
Kristin, I, I just think we have so much to talk about. I am so excited for our listeners to learn, you know, the real deal when it comes to Pilates and you bring so much depth of knowledge and experience that I think it’s going to be a wonderful kind of eye-opening discussion. So before we dive into Pilates itself, I would love if you would share your journey that led you to discover the healing benefits of Pilates

Kristin Mann (4m 12s):
For yourself. Okay. And that’s a, that’s a long healing journey. It was a process, but I’ll try to make it a little bit short. I actually had a girlfriend when I was working in corporate finance that time I was at either UBS PaineWebber, or it was Morgan Stanley. I had a girlfriend that was getting into Pilates and she was studying the old Joe Pilates with somebody that trained with Ramona crisen and ASCA. So she was always interested cause I came from a very athletic background. I played field hockey, ice hockey. I played softball. I dove in the summers and I always exercise through college, but I found something different with Pilates.

Kristin Mann (4m 55s):
So she took me to a workshop. And if anybody knows from the classical world, Michael and tone, we’re having a workshop someplace in New Jersey and she took me to it and I enjoyed it, but I noticed some things with this, from that particular workshop. And from that workshop, I started to go into something called tower classes. They invited me into do, do a little bit smaller group. What I noticed was that Pilates, there was an intelligence to the exercises. It wasn’t just mindlessly working or habitually working in exercises.

Kristin Mann (5m 35s):
There was an, an intelligence to the movement and that I feel made me feel like nothing else in my life did. Wow. So all that exercise in the past, all my hardcore running, I trained in marathon. I trained for marathons. I ran the big Sur marathon. That was my one and done major running. And we can talk about that at a certain point, but nothing made me connect in my body like Pilates did and brunch changes, but it isn’t just, everyone thinks core, core core with Pilates. There’s so much that it brings to a body that, I mean, I knew Joe has realized it, but once everyone makes it a way of life, then you realize, Oh my gosh, this really is amazing work.

Christine Okezie (6m 26s):
So how, how did you, how did you make it a part of your life?

Kristin Mann (6m 29s):
So what’s funny. I started like in dribs and drabs, I got kind of into a rhythm of going into that tower class and my body was actually craving it more and more and more. And I started to notice, Hey, my issues from my running weren’t bothering me anymore. Hey, my kyphosis from sitting at my Morgan Stanley desk was lengthening and I was getting like less, my anxiety was decreasing. I was getting more focused, not only like within my work and training and Pilates, but in everything else around me. And I just had more control, more ease my stress and anxiety lessened.

Kristin Mann (7m 12s):
I came better connected that they talk about that mind body connection. And yes, there is a mind body connection. And that’s what in my, in my belief is the fountain of youth. You keep that going through your movement and there is your true fountain of youth, whether it be through yoga, which you love Pilates, if it was an intelligent movement and that’s where I started. So then I started to like, feel better. And I’m like, yeah, I want to read about this more. I want to do more in my own body. So this woman was offering Ramana, cruise, and Elsa blessed this woman to be able to train a small group of people.

Kristin Mann (7m 53s):
And it was a 600 hour course. I was working full-time at Morgan Stanley, but I took 800 hours. It took me just under two years to learn the method. And I was just learning the method. I split my time between a studio and the Marinette New York. Thank you. Tracy theory at fury Pilates, she let me study AF after work at her studio. And then I’d also study weekends in New Jersey, back and forth and back and forth. And it took me under two years, but that was just learning the method. Now I’m, I’m being taught by the people I teach. They teach me so much about the method to this very day. And that’s, what’s amazing.

Kristin Mann (8m 33s):
Whereas like, yes, you learn the method, but then there’s so much more than just the method. So it just, from there, it grows and grows. Your body starts to crave it. Your mind starts to crave it. And I was in a workshop once and someone said, right at the beginning, what is Pilates? And it took, one person said, it’s a way of life. It’s a lifestyle. And gosh, that one thing really resonated with me because I made it unintentionally. I was in corporate finance unintentionally. I made it my lifestyle because it helped make everything in my life better. Whether it be sitting, whether it be my running, I attacked my runners that I teach, tell me, I attack Hills better in my races because I do Pilates.

Kristin Mann (9m 16s):
Of course you do. Yeah. And my running in my, it helped me prepare for birth from my two babies. I had fractures from my first baby. It helped me with pelvic fractures rehab after birth. So, and this method is more than just core. It is. It’s the one method. And I think yoga shares this, you know, Joe Pilates did study yoga as well in creating his method. It, she, it, it, it, it, it shares it, it shares so much with yoga, but then it’s completely different. Yeah. Yeah. It’s, it’s, it’s just, it’s a method that becomes part of you and ingrained in you.

Kristin Mann (10m 1s):
And someone once told me Pilates once a week makes you body aware a lot of these three, four or five times a week, and you don’t have to do it for long periods of time makes creates these beautiful changes in your body, incredible once a week, your body aware. And that’s awesome. My pelvis in space, where’s the weight in my feet. How’s my spine. How’s my posture. But if you make it a way of life, then you there, you will see the benefits are manifold to amazing.

Christine Okezie (10m 30s):
Beautiful. Thank you so much. What is it designed to do then when you say there’s an intelligence, you know, what are the key principles? I guess that Joseph Pilates,

Kristin Mann (10m 40s):
What’s funny. And it took me a while. And my journey of researching with the history, they talk about the principles of Pilates being centering, concentration control, per precision breath and flow. And Joseph Pilates didn’t come up with that saying that was created by two ladies later on through history. Got it. But basically the intelligence was behind how he designed it. So I can speak to this by talking through the benefits, I think best. Absolutely. Whereas he created it to work the whole body. And I know everyone thinks core, core, core, core core, but it’s the whole body integrated into this method.

Kristin Mann (11m 24s):
And I had to write a couple of these things down. So if we have a friend, cause the list is endless, like the benefits is probably where the intelligence to backtrack intelligence comes from. They talk about it, improving posture and balance. Of course it does. I’ve seen in two weeks people, I train completely do a, you know, a three 60 with their balance just by doing and concentrating on little bit of homework that I give them. Flexibility. Flexibility is amazing. Yes, everyone thinks, Oh my gosh, men are so rigid and tight. Guess what women are too. And what our bodies are doing in this day and age is unfortunately demanding a method like Pilates.

Kristin Mann (12m 9s):
We were not meant to sit at desks, drive cars, you know, be in forward flection all the time. We were meant to hunt and gather and squat and hang from trees and climb. That’s how our bodies were designed. But unfortunately we’re in a world that is creating, I believe a need for the method of Pilates. And I think more and more people are starting to discover that. And I work in tandem with several doctors, chiropractors OBS, you name it. And they’re discovering how this is kind of like that next level for many of their patients or clients, or it’s amazing. So to get back to the benefits and it’s intelligence, it’s a mind body connection.

Kristin Mann (12m 53s):
You can no doubt you can do palladium holidays mindlessly. But that to me is the fitness Pilates that we spoke about earlier. Okay. We recorded, yes. Mindless Pilates. Then you have the Joe, what I call the Joe Pilates, change your body Pilates. And that is that mind body connection. I’m working with a woman now who is coming from those fitness Pilates classes. And you know what she said to me the other day, she said, Oh my God, I feel like I’m learning Pilates all over again from scratch. And I said, you are, you aren’t, but we’re just connecting your movements and you want changes in your body while your mind has to demand it. And it will come.

Kristin Mann (13m 33s):
That’s what is great. It improves your focus and your concentration. How does it do that? How does it do this? Well, posture ties into creating space in the body and posture increasing or finessing that mind, body connection changes your adaptability in your focus and your concentration. And I read an article years ago that said they put those stability balls in classrooms for children at their desks. So they’d be sitting on those stability blank, lengthening their posture. And they said their attention spans increased dramatically.

Kristin Mann (14m 16s):
Yeah, it makes sense. Just working, connecting their feet to the floor and lengthening up. And their attention spans really had their focus and concentration increase. That’s amazing, amazing blood circulation. You want blood circulation, you want joint mobility. You want spinal health. It brings all of those completely. It boost your stamina and one breath, your lung stamina, that’s all body stuff. But one thing that I like to talk about it increases your immune system. And I am an because I had Lyme disease. Wow. I contracted Lyme from a vaccination back in 1999 and I was miserable, but it was Pilates that actually helped me get out of what was happening in my body.

Kristin Mann (15m 8s):
From that line. I believe from further study, I believe that the movements of the spine specifically extension extension with rotation really helped my immunity increase it. And I wasn’t sick so much. That’s when I started increasing Pilates into my practice. And now I just want to also mention Pilates can be done by anybody. There are modifications. And that’s a great benefit of studying the method where you can be pre postnatal. It is used now for injury prevention. You have a sports teams.

Kristin Mann (15m 48s):
I believe the New York Mets and the Chicago bears were two of the first athletic professional teams that integrated Pilates into their training protocols. Wow. So it’s injury prevention. It is also injury rehab. You have this hospital for special surgery, created a P a Pilates ward, HSS and Manhattan as a Pilates work. So, and many PT realized once physical therapy ends your clients many times, aren’t ready for that regular world. There’s another gap that bridges that you have Pilates bridging the gap between the end of PT and the start of, you know, being back to regular mobility and functionality.

Kristin Mann (16m 33s):
And then, then you have just to go on and on. Then you have there’s studies. Now that, how do I approach this? There are studies now with Pilates that are continuing with helping Alzheimer’s patients. Oh my goodness, ms. Patients, Lyme patients like me line patients on lowering blood pressure, help helping with insomnia. So the studies continue in and around surrounding the Pilates world, which I love, I love reading about. And I love hearing about

Christine Okezie (17m 6s):
That’s so amazing. So, so there’s a meditative quality to it. As you said, there’s a deep, you know, focus and awareness and awareness for your body, which, you know, to be honest with you, you know, in modern day living is, is kind of a blind spot. You know, we’re living above the head and connecting to that sensory awareness in the body I’ve found is so profound in terms of the benefits. There’s the spine, as you mentioned, right? In terms of all the movement and flection, that, that it’s connecting to our nervous system, our immune system health. That’s amazing. What specific conditions do you work with?

Kristin Mann (17m 43s):
Oh gosh, I think I’ve seen the gamut and I’ve almost gone 18 years. I, a specialty in prenatal, postnatal and diastasis recovery rehab. So I, I taught for Valley hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey for five years and enjoyed every minute. I’m still teaching moms through three babies from the first baby to the third baby. I teach gosh for everything from Maya, senior gravis is an autoimmune disease. I have ms. I have two people would never placements one with a double knee replacement. I have some heart condition people.

Kristin Mann (18m 25s):
I have every spinal thing out there. Spondylosis disc herniations, cervical disc herniations. What has haven’t I seen foot, lot of foot issues. Really? You have the neuropathy, you have the hammertoes, you have the plantar fasciitis.

Christine Okezie (18m 48s):
You mentioned stress and anxiety. Like, do you do, do you see that, you know, people coming in looking for stress relief?

Kristin Mann (18m 56s):
Oh, I will admit we’re in the middle of a pandemic that first week we were in the pandemic. I had a handful of people reach out to me and say, I want you to teach me virtually. I need to keep to my schedule. This helps me with my stress. And I got everybody as soon as I could, I got online and I got them moving, even though it was virtual, they all knew my queuing. I knew their bodies so well, I could see them on a big 48 inch screen TV. And it is, as I mentioned in the benefits, it does help reduce anxiety and stress. And I think because it almost, even though you’re working so hard in and focus in, in your sessions or your classes, it’s the one modality.

Kristin Mann (19m 41s):
I feel you come out feeling elated from your exercise. Whereas you focus, you work hard, you’re sweating what you come out feeling great. Not defeated After running like a half marathon like I was doing, or yeah.

Christine Okezie (19m 59s):
New level of energy. And you level of vitality, I guess. So

Kristin Mann (20m 3s):
Can, can I share one thing? It’s actually from a book called the voices of classical Pilates. It’s collected essays. There’s 28 classical Pilates teachers write down about their lives and work. And Christine, I want you to read this, the stories about Joe and Clara, Joe and his wife were a major part of my apprenticeship, as well as my time with Ramana. After becoming certified, I learned how they struggled so hard to get the general public, to adopt control logy for Pilates was originally called and how they were disappointed when it did not catch on as much as they wanted. But now I thought I would not let this opportunity pass me by.

Kristin Mann (20m 45s):
I knew there would be a sacrifice because I took close to a thousand hours out of my law practice to finish the teacher training program. But this would be my fountain of youth. And I could pass it on to many more people. It gave my life a new sense of accomplishment while I help people as a lawyer, Pilates would be different, much more visceral and rewarding. I truly believed I would be happier. And at the same time spread the work. There were clients in their eighties with the vitality of 40 year olds, there were athletes, actors, business professionals, dancers, and everything in between. Although their bodies differed greatly, their lust for a more vibrant life was evident.

Kristin Mann (21m 27s):
It was this quest that propelled them forward. They made Pilates a part of their lives, not an exercise program, but a way of life. One designed to make them live longer and lead an active life. One need only look at Ramada, walking up the stairs to her apartment in Manhattan. During her seventies as a prime example, I kept thinking, this is how I want to grow old and remain vitally alive. And that totally resonates with should resonate with everybody that it’s like, this is why I teach. This is why no matter the body said, what do I teach? What’s my expertise. I make every type of body coming into me, my expertise, because I have to, I want to help that individual person live a better life.

Christine Okezie (22m 14s):
Mm that’s so beautiful. I love that way of life now compared to comparing it to, you know, the approach of fitness and the approach of looking good and, and, and trying to preserve the body in, in some, I dunno, societal cultural standard, everything, it kind of just cuts right through all of that. Doesn’t it

Kristin Mann (22m 33s):
Completely. So, yes. And it’s what is in return to life. They’re controlled. he talks about control. Energy is the complete coordination of mind, body, and spirit people forget that aspect of what is going on in our bodies today. They have, what are they talking about? Self care and bringing in meditation, it’s important to help with stress and anxiety. Pilates can be very meditative for people. You know, it, you need to keep that spirit alive. Not only within my teaching, which I try to, but I’m just for living an active and healthy life.

Christine Okezie (23m 12s):
Yeah. So do you teach mat and individual sessions on the reformer or group on the reformer? Or tell us a little bit about, you know, and, and what’s a good routine for people.

Kristin Mann (23m 24s):
Okay. So when I originally first moved to Ridgewood, I had little babies. I had one little, little one, and I knew we’d put trying for another one. And I knew I still wanted to share this method. So I tried to figure out a way how I could still teach through pregnancies and I got babysitters. So I could up and breastfeed and go up and down the stairs. So I created a space and I wanted to create a space where Joe himself would feel comfortable coming to and moving. So I created a space in my house. I mean, it’s nothing huge, but I wanted to focus on more personalized work. Cause the changes come in the body. When you, you really learn the method by yourself first, you have to have it resonate in your body, privates and duets.

Kristin Mann (24m 12s):
I teach mainly privates and duets sessions. I have seven, I have left to say, I kind of whittled it down in the pandemic. I do teach some math classes right now with the pandemic. I allow two people in the studio, masked rest are still virtual coming into there’s some even individuals that don’t want to come back to the studio. And they prefer me to teach them privately, virtually. So I’m happy to do anything, but the majority of my work is private sessions, duet sessions. And then I do have people that come to very small mat classes is about maybe at most six people. Cause there’s a lot for me, it’s a lot of bodies for me to watch, to keep safe and to queue.

Kristin Mann (24m 58s):
But yeah, so I try, I try, I try to offer what I can in between also raising my family.

Christine Okezie (25m 5s):
Of course, of course now the, the mat classes and working on the reformer, you mentioned once a week, you know, is, is yield some benefits twice a week. So for someone who’s trying to figure out like, well, can I just start with mat or do I, at some point need to do the reformer to get the full benefit

Kristin Mann (25m 24s):
I advise, always do at least one or two individual sessions first on the, just with an instructor. And it’s, for me, it’s a little bit on everything. It depends on the body coming in. I’m going to definitely get them on the reformer, but I might need to see them do a couple of things on the mat. I may need to see them do something on the Cadillac. It depends on that body coming in and what they’re coming in for and their goals. Yes. Okay. So I always want to know what their goals are and then I always want to improve on that even more, but for a weekly routine, I’d recommend at least three times a week.

Kristin Mann (26m 9s):
But that being said, Joe Pilates created his said he created the apparatus to perfect. The mat work. He created the mat work first. The mat work is hard. Okay. Okay. The apparatus work is hard. It’s all hard. If it’s not hard, it’s not Pilates,

Christine Okezie (26m 27s):
But,

Kristin Mann (26m 28s):
But he, but I feel like I don’t want to, I love both. I think both benefit each other. I, when I hear somebody just does reformer classes. Yeah. It was big, huge fitness classes. They don’t experience any of the barrels, the ladder of arrow, the small barrel, the spine corrector that I’m right now running a workshop, a very small workshop with five of my clients on the spine corrector. It’s the whole month of November. There’s the beauty and the spine corrector work. The one to chair, you’ve got the pet, the pet a pole. You’ve got the tower or Cadillac. So you can’t just do. I have some people that I only teach Matt too.

Kristin Mann (27m 8s):
But every once in a while, they’ll sneak in for a small series of like power work or former work. They play off each other. And I feel like there there’s a benefit to doing both, but at home, everyone doesn’t have these pieces. So I give homework and I give homework through the mat work. That’s super important because if you come once a week, I want to know between the next time I see you. And that time you’re doing homework so I can continue to progress you. I have a chart for each person that I teach and I am checking off where they are, what they need to work on. Well, we can’t move. She’s not ready for that exercise. Let’s move back it up. And let’s break this exercise a little bit down more until it’s safer for her to go into that next exercise.

Kristin Mann (27m 50s):
So for the average person, I say, make it a I, what do I have always told my clients pepper in your Pilates, whatever you have to do, you’re watching TV, do your psychic series, but do the mindfully, you know, get out that foam roller, move that spine. So I say once a week, you’ll become more body aware. But if you want all of the wonderful benefits of bodies, you really need to make it a way of life, a practice. But Hey, if you’re a huge golfer, intermix it into your, it will make your golf game better. I’m exhibited my golf game. Got awesome. Cause I was going through my certification at that time, but it makes your running better. It makes your paddle or tennis, better everything.

Kristin Mann (28m 32s):
So if there’s a way even start to integrate it slowly, but I feel as you age, I’m noticing as people get into their forties and their fifties and their sixties, they’re realizing there’s an intelligence to this work. Like I did way back in the beginning. That’s awesome. There is an intelligence to this work and it is the fountain of youth. As I’m realizing it has healed me through running injuries, pregnancies, shoulder issues, you name it for issues.

Christine Okezie (29m 4s):
Can you share with us maybe something that happened working with a client in your program that you didn’t expect?

Kristin Mann (29m 15s):
I actually had a wonderful thing happened for a client Jesse, the other day, I’ve worked with her through three pregnancies and she’s 10 weeks out of her third right now. And she’d been practicing Pilates all through each pregnancy, prenatally and postnatally. And she was able to do at 10 weeks at a birth, a beautiful pull up on the one to chair and she surprised herself. And she was so excited that she actually was able to have that strength at that point to do that exercise. And it’s a safe exercise for that pose. That postnatal time period. That’s amazing.

Kristin Mann (29m 55s):
That was a wonderful aha moment. But anytime a client can tackle an exercise that you’re breaking down and that is your goal. That exercises your goal. That is a wonderful moment just to see in their face. Oh my gosh. Look what I did. I can, I can do this now. And I remind my clients, remember that first day, remember day one, when you came in here and your balance was just, God, awful, look at now, look at you. Look we’re don’t don’t think you can have bad days still, but always go back to that first day. And remember when you started your Pilates journey and now look where you are to this day. And they’re like, yeah.

Kristin Mann (30m 36s):
And it just like, it makes them feel so good once they really truly recognize that moment. And she had one, she was just like, Oh my gosh, this is why I worked so hard while I was pregnant with you. I can do this now. And when do you think I can go back to my regular Pilates class?

Christine Okezie (30m 54s):
It’s so empowering. It’s so, so empowering.

Kristin Mann (30m 58s):
Yeah. Like I said, you come out feeling elated. You do, there are certain exercises. I do say now doesn’t that exercise feel very empowering. Like, yeah, you’re right. This one and this one. And they’re like, Oh my gosh. You know? So it’s, it’s, it’s a feel good. It is, it is tough. It is not an easy people, many people, unfortunately don’t have the patience and they don’t give it a chance. And I actually want to tell people if you’re thinking about trying Pilates, don’t just do it once or twice research, a good instructor. Okay. How do you notice

Christine Okezie (31m 31s):
What’s a good cause you said there are different methods. There’s different certifications, but what should people really be looking for?

Kristin Mann (31m 39s):
Well, first of all, you got to find an instructor that you like. And I recommend talking to people. However, there are boards that you can go on. Also. You can go on to even town boards too. A lot of people will find me by talking to people within the town or surrounding towns. And it helped, I also work at Valley hospital, but a lot of doctors and chiropractors and OBS and physical therapists refer to me now. So I have, I’ve created very symbiotic relationships with a lot of the physical therapists in the area and doctors. So that’s how, you know, you want to train with somebody that spends time studying that has taken the time and still studies to this day.

Kristin Mann (32m 24s):
Cause if you’re a teacher and you’ve stopped going to workshops, you’ve stopped going to seminars on your not practicing yourself. Something’s not right. Yes, yes. Things not. Right. Right. But I, I would talk to people, look, and some of them have expertise. You, you asked me prenatal postnatal, some spinal issues I have expertise on. So do your research, especially because it’s your body, you’ve got one body. You want the right person handling your body and you want the right person teaching you about how to connect into your body.

Christine Okezie (32m 58s):
I couldn’t agree more. I couldn’t agree more. And so, yes, as we were talking about earlier, you know, if you’re gonna really be interested in receiving the full benefit of the method and of this practice, it’s probably not a great idea to kind of go for a huge group class and a sort of, you know, commercial setting these days.

Kristin Mann (33m 20s):
Not at the start. Yeah. I mean, if you’re lucky in one of those places, you may be able to find somebody that was classically trained with Ramana or one of Romanos, you know, first-generation second-generation instructors, but you really have to learn it individually within your own body first. And that’s why I recommend you get your privates in and then Ooh, guess what do it, and then go into, but many people join the mat classes first. That’s fine. But it’s not what I recommend to really get the benefits of all the whole method.

Christine Okezie (33m 53s):
Yes. Yes. Thank you. Okay. I always ask this question, Kristin you’re you’re so passionate about the work you do. And so knowledgeable about the benefits that this practice offers when it comes to kind of your health or where the, at the topic of health, you know, what is one thing that you kind of say it, you find yourself saying your clients over and over again, to improve their health, to improve their wellbeing. Do you have a mantra or a personal kind of saying that resonates with you?

Kristin Mann (34m 27s):
Well, pepper in your Pilates is little side ones all the time. And I get it in. I don’t care what you do. I’m so busy myself with my little boys and the world that we live, but pepper it in take the time which we don’t do in our every day in life. Take the time to really connect into your body. I was working with someone this morning. She never thought about her feet. Like what? She’s in high heels. She never, she never thought about her feet. And I, I have a side passion for feet and people with foot issues, but I’ve taken a whole entire year to study the foot amazing.

Kristin Mann (35m 7s):
But connecting to connect into your body, people are not doing it anymore. And that is your fountain of youth. You want, you want to have that mindful connection with your body. You don’t want to disconnect. I love this book. It’s called Tuesdays with Morrie and Brie. It’s a very famous coffee table. Book of mine for years. And he would say, when you’re in bed, you’re dead. And that was, and it’s like, yes. It’s like get out and move. Our bodies were to move. Yes. You were given one body. I guess I say you were given one. Daddy, why wouldn’t you take care of it on the feet to the spine, to the fingertips.

Kristin Mann (35m 47s):
Take care of it

Christine Okezie (35m 48s):
Inside out. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well thank you, Kristin. I think everybody’s raring to go. And are you taking you clients right now?

Kristin Mann (35m 58s):
I am. So where can we find you? I’m at mankind, pilates.com. I’m also, I have a Facebook page. My Instagram isn’t hipped up yet to it, but it will be over time. But our mankind Pilates is where you can find me. I post some interesting articles, all classically based. You’ll see a lot of the classical repertoire. Yeah. So you can find me there. I am taking, I have very limited availability. I’ve opened up. I’m now teaching seven days a week, which shame on me. I should not be, but when a doctor needs me to see somebody, I say yes, because I know the benefits that that person can get.

Kristin Mann (36m 41s):
How can I say no when I say that?

Christine Okezie (36m 44s):
Oh, thank you. This is wonderful. So I think lots of people have learned so much. I know I have deepened my knowledge and my appreciation and renewed my appreciation.

Kristin Mann (36m 54s):
Glad to hear that we got to get you back in common. I’m coming infuse some Pilates into that yoga.

Christine Okezie (37m 1s):
Well, it’s just, it could be a beautiful partnership. All right, Kristin, thank you so much. And have a good one.

Kristin Mann (37m 8s):
Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me and letting me share my passion to Pilates. And hopefully someone listening will, will take the step and start their Pilates journey.

Christine Okezie (37m 17s):
Absolutely.