ABOUT
About Me
Welcome! I’m Megan, and I have a passion for movement. My mission is to empower individuals to feel their absolute best in their own bodies, which often involves shifting how we move and redefining our approach to movement itself.
Movement has always been a therapeutic haven for me. As a child, I immersed myself in dance and gymnastics, using these forms of expression as a way to process my emotions. In my twenties, my focus shifted toward shaping my body in a specific way. Now, in my mid-forties, I embrace movement as a source of joy, celebrating my strength and consciously training my body for sustained vitality and graceful movement well into my eighties and beyond.
After years of dancing and completing two marathons, I moved to New York City in my late twenties to further pursue my passion. However, during my first winter in the city, I encountered a challenge when my knees began to fail me. Confused and concerned, I consulted a dance injury specialist who informed me that knee degeneration was common among dancers and runners, suggesting that I return only when I could no longer walk. Unwilling to accept this fate, I delved into understanding the physiology of my body and sought a second opinion. To my relief, I learned that my knees were structurally sound; I had simply overtrained my quadriceps while neglecting my hamstrings. Through three months of dedicated fascia release and muscle balancing, I corrected the issue, and with ongoing maintenance, I have remained pain-free.
As I continued my dance journey, old hip pains resurfaced, pains that had previously halted my dancing in my late teens. Empowered by my past experiences, I was determined to uncover the root of this discomfort. This quest led me to pursue my Pilates certification with the remarkable Teri Steele. During this transformative journey, I realized that while I maintained good form, I had been using the wrong muscles for years, resulting in imbalances that caused pain. Over the next six months, I delved into studying anatomy and retrained my body to move with more balanced alignment, strengthening underused muscles, releasing tension in tight areas, and lengthening those that were shortened.
What began as an intention to educate myself quickly blossomed into an undeniable passion for empowering others.
I am now a certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, Myofascial Release Specialist, Pre/Post-Natal Exercise Specialist, Pilates Instructor, and Health Coach. Through personalized, one-on-one in-person and virtual sessions, and cultivated workshops, I guide individuals in unlocking their bodies' full potential. My holistic approach integrates myofascial release, core strength, functional movement, joint mobility, balance, and alignment to alleviate pain, prevent injury, and cultivate intuitive body awareness. I delve into fundamental movement patterns, how we breathe, walk, sit, work, and even sleep, to gently rewire old habits and build lasting, healthy foundations. With a background in health and fitness since 2004, my deepest satisfaction comes from witnessing my clients reduce their pain, develop a profound love and appreciation for their bodies, and truly revel in the effortless flow of movement.
My Philosophy
Human beings are inherently designed for movement. However, as society has rapidly evolved, the necessity for daily physical activity has diminished. Yet, our bodies have not adapted at the same pace. We thrive when movement is integrated into our daily lives, yet many of us struggle to cultivate this vital habit.
In our modern existence, we often fall into unbalanced patterns and routines. We tend to carry belongings on one side of our bodies, engage predominantly in a single type of exercise, be it cycling, running, swimming, or walking, and spend hours hunched over screens, neglecting the need for counterbalancing movements. Many of us breathe shallowly, experience inadequate sleep and poor eating habits, have unprocessed physical and/or emotional trauma stored in our bodies, and keep our minds racing without taking the time to connect with ourselves and process what our body is telling us. This can result in our bodies and movement patterns being out of balance, with certain muscles and fascia tightening and overworking while others weaken.
When the muscles and fascia surrounding our joints are imbalanced, it can hinder proper movement. Pain often serves as a signal from our body, indicating this imbalance. Left unaddressed, these issues lead to compensatory behaviors that result in stress and ultimately injury. Many of us have learned to ignore our discomforts, believing that pain is normal or that it cannot be alleviated. However, this belief is a misconception.
Through intentional movement, we can retrain our bodies to release what no longer serves us, restore proper movement patterns, and achieve optimal alignment. By using myofascial release and then focusing on fundamental movements, such as breathing, walking, sitting, and engaging the inner core, we can align our bodies in a way that fosters ease and fluidity in every aspect of movement.
Our innate qualities of agility, flexibility, and strength can be reclaimed.
My goal is to help individuals rediscover and nurture their happiest, healthiest selves.
My Method
Over the past twelve years, I have continuously refined my instructional approach by integrating the latest research and the most effective practices observed through my work with clients. My method synthesizes a diverse array of modalities—including Pilates, functional movement, corrective exercise, Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Yoga, Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs), bodyweight exercises, resistance training, balance work, kinesthetic awareness, and my proprietary Myofascial Movement Method—to optimally retrain neuromuscular patterns.
Through slow, deliberate movements synchronized with mindful breathing, we retrain muscles and fascia that have become tight or dysfunctional, guiding them to move fluidly and efficiently through their full range of motion.
When I first encountered myofascial release, the technique was simplistic—often reduced to "push where it hurts." Over the past six years, I have meticulously honed the Myofascial Movement Method to release tension within the fascia and musculature, restoring alignment and functional mobility. Today, we possess a far richer understanding of the body's complex interrelations—the intricate neuromuscular patterning, fascial networks, and the pivotal role of the nervous system. As we age, our movement patterns become deeply ingrained—both physically and mentally—making early intervention at the onset of pain all the more critical.
I empower clients to locate and release areas of tension through intentional movement, while consciously calming the nervous system through focused breathing and heightened body awareness. To facilitate this process, I employ various tools such as foam rollers, myofascial release balls, tennis balls, spiky balls, and rubber balls to precisely target tight fascia and muscles across the body. Maintaining breath awareness supports activation of the parasympathetic nervous system—promoting rest, digestion, and healing.
Movements are performed with mindful intention and measured pace, allowing the brain and body sufficient time to communicate and integrate new, healthier movement patterns. The goal is not to maximize range of motion, repetitions, or load, but rather to cultivate profound brain-body awareness of how joints, muscles, and fascia move cohesively. Through this process, the body regains a sense of safety and trust in its movement, reducing dependence on compensatory muscle recruitment or overly tight fascia. Once these foundational patterns become entrenched and automated, we can progress to more complex movements executed with greater speed and resistance.
Research suggests that retraining motor patterns typically requires approximately 4,000 repetitions, though this figure varies depending on the complexity of the movement, the duration of compensatory habits, and the consistency of practice. Accordingly, an essential aspect of my method is embedding these new movement patterns into everyday life. We examine factors such as your work and desk setup, sleeping posture, sitting and standing habits, walking mechanics, and breathing patterns. By seamlessly incorporating one or two targeted exercises into your daily routine, we accelerate the process of creating enduring, positive change.