We recently connected with Cynthia George and have shared our conversation below.
Cynthia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?
Healing Beyond Scars: A CP Warrior’s Journey with Cynshine®
At Cynshine®, my wellness studio in Gilbert, AZ, I have seen many inspiring stories. One that stands out is of a client with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy (CP), who showed incredible resilience and strength.
A Tough Start
Born 10 weeks early and weighing only 3 pounds 4 ounces, my client faced challenges right from the start. She turned blue from lack of oxygen, and doctors were not sure she would survive. But she did, and at age two, she was diagnosed with spastic diplegia CP.
As she grew, she underwent nine surgeries on her legs and feet to help her walk. She worked hard to walk independently, using canes or a walker.
Ups and Downs
By age 11, she could walk and run on her own but needed a cane for balance. In 1980, a big surgery on her left foot stabilized it but limited her movement. Despite this, she stayed active until an injury in 2017 slowed her down, and in 2022, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis in her hips.
Finding Cynshine®
Two years ago, we started working together using Assisted Active Isolated Stretching and the principles from The NeuroStudio®: Pilates for Neurological Disorders. I knew addressing her scars was going to be pivotal in her progress but I could not start until she was neurologically ready. Slowly, after establishing reflexive stability using the 4 Quadrant Stability Model®, she finally trusted me to work on her old scars, some well over 40 years old. This was huge, as in her mind these scars gave her “strength” and almost the “reason she was able to walk.” Clearly, this emotional attachment to her scars was not to be taken lightly. The first time I worked on her scars using the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release® Technique, her heels touched the floor for the first time and she literally cried with joy. We both did!
After subsequent sessions, her Achilles tendons did not hurt, and she could keep her heels down consistently while exercising. On Thanksgiving, she called to tell me that she stood in her kitchen without the usual pain, and in fact did not even think about it. This was a turning point moment for her.
A New Beginning
With each session, her balance and stability improved. She felt a stronger connection from her feet, to her hips and core, making daily activities easier. Her journey shows that with the right support and therapy, amazing transformations can happen.
Her story at Cynshine® is about overcoming physical challenges and living life to the fullest and in trusting the journey. We celebrate every milestone and look forward to more successes together.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
What Sets Me Apart
What makes Cynshine® unique is my personalized approach and the range of specialized treatments I offer. Each client’s journey begins with a 90-minute detailed evaluation, where I listen to their history and understand their needs. This helps me create a personalized treatment plan that addresses their specific challenges. My private clients, range in age from 12 to almost 91, and many are professionals like doctors, massage therapists and personal trainers. They come to Cynshine® seeking relief and improved mobility, often after unsuccessful treatments elsewhere.
When I am not seeing private clients, I am committed to advancing the health & fitness field through delivering continuing education workshops and mentorships. I am one of 20 International Instructors who teach the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release® Technique and out of those, I am one of only three in the United States. Additionally, I developed the NeuroMovement Therapist Scar Course in collaboration with MSTR® and the NeuroStudio®. My other workshops deliver Reiki and Active Isolated Stretching. These opportunities are available both online and in person, allowing me to serve therapist and movement therapists all over the world.
My workshops developed because other professionals were curious about how I was achieving such long-lasting results with my clients. I wanted to share these methods with other therapists so they could experience the same success using the variety of modalities and techniques I employ.
One of the things I am most proud of is the trust and progress I build with my clients and students. For instance, watching a client who was not able to get up and down from the floor due to knee replacement surgery to being able to do so with ease after one MSTR® treatment, or reading the incredible case studies from my MSTR® students with their clients and patients, are what drive me to continue my work and help more people.
What You Should Know
At Cynshine®, I believe in a holistic approach to movement. My number 1 goal is to help clients live pain-free, active lives. I remain dedicated to providing top-notch care and innovative treatments that make a real difference. If you are looking for a place where your needs are understood and addressed with care and expertise, or perhaps you are a therapist looking to up your game with proven techniques that work, Cynshine® is here for you.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and Cynshine®. I look forward to helping more people on their journey to better health and wellness.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Absolutely, I think Pivot is my middle name! A significant and major pivot occurred during the pandemic when I had to shut down my studio and figure out how to keep my business afloat. I had no choice but to shift from teaching group Pilates and yoga classes to solely working with private clients to remain in compliance with social distancing guidelines. This cut down on the number of clients I could see, but it also highlighted the need to serve a population that needed additional help, especially those with neurological conditions. This transition required extensive additional training and learning how to market my business to a new population. It was a challenging yet rewarding change that enhanced my practice and allowed me to contribute to the broader field of wellness and therapy.
As my MSTR® scar treatments started gaining traction, I transitioned from solely focusing on treating clients to also teaching healthcare workers and movement therapists online and in person. This shift began when I became one of the first 6 international Instructors worldwide for the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release® Technique. Since then we have grown to 20 worldwide and I developed the NeuroMovement Therapist Scar Course for the NeuroStudio®. These opportunities allowed me to expand my impact beyond individual sessions, reaching a global audience of professionals eager to learn and apply these techniques.
Interestingly, each pivot has led me down an incredible road, opening up more opportunities and each even more fulfilling. I look forward to evolving even more in the future!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One significant lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that business, especially in the wellness industry, is highly competitive, particularly among women, and that you cannot trust anyone or expect help. Unfortunately, there are indeed individuals who operate with that mindset and I suggest kindly walking away from those negative relationships. A word of advice that my “seasoned experience” has taught is a different truth, and that there is plenty of business out there for everyone. When you approach business from a place of abundance rather than scarcity, where sharing and lifting others up is the norm, it pays off, and everybody wins.
I have learned that fostering a supportive community and surrounding myself with people who share this mindset is incredibly rewarding. I refer clients to others and even cheer on my competition because I believe in keeping my ego in check. I embrace the motto, “You cannot compete with me – I want you to win too.” This approach has not only enriched my professional relationships but also enhanced my business, proving that collaboration and positivity lead to success for all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cynshine.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyndigeorge_cynshine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiCynshine
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndigeorge/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOu2Y9LUDywXeLiKTt8QXw
- Other: TIKTOK: tik.tok.com/@cynthiageorge33
Image Credits
Christine Lowell Photography