Movement is Medicine: My Story
I was four years old when I first stepped into a dance studio, and from that moment on, movement has been one of the biggest parts of my life. Dance quickly transitioned from a recreational practice to full-time competitive by age eight, travelling across North America to compete in group dances, solos, duets, and trios. In my first year of competition, I performed my “Mary Had a Little Lamb” jazz solo in Chicago - a moment filled with joy, nerves, and the thrill of stepping into the spotlight.
Even with all the excitement, I often felt a constant undercurrent of anxiety. Nerves before competitions, the pressure to perform perfectly, and the need to meet expectations sometimes overshadowed the joy of dancing. While I loved the art of movement, I was learning early that physical practice alone doesn’t always ease the mental and emotional tension we carry.
Early Dance Years…
My dance career ended before senior year of high school when I decided to focus on academics and future career paths. During this time, I started practicing yoga and revisiting my mom’s “a.m./p.m. Mat Pilates” videos, mainly to keep in shape after losing the daily structure of dance. These practices gave me something I hadn’t experienced in years: a sense of calm and control in my own body.
Discovering Pilates…
By university, the draw toward mindful movement grew stronger. In my fourth year, I discovered Pilates - not just as a workout, but as a method that helped me reconnect with my body, quiet my mind, and manage anxiety in a way dance hadn’t. I knew immediately that this was something I wanted to explore deeply, not only for myself but eventually to share with others.
Years later, I expanded my movement practice to include Qi Gong, which brought a whole new layer of awareness to energy and breath. It deepened the sense of flow I first loved in dance, while teaching me the importance of stillness and grounding. Eventually, this path also opened the door to working with dogs through massage therapy—another way of blending movement, healing, and intuition.
“Dance may have been where I started, but what I learned through its loss was even more valuable: that movement can be a lifelong tool for healing, resilience, and connection.”
Today, whether I’m guiding a Pilates client, teaching Qi Gong, or supporting a dog through massage, I carry with me the same truth I discovered in that transition—that movement has the power to restore us, body and soul.
