We recently connected with Karina Fernández Ross and have shared our conversation below.
Karina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents left me a legacy of: Trust, Curiosity and Freedom.
Growing up, my parents didn’t push me to be the best in the room – they encouraged me to be the best version of myself. It was never about competition or comparison. It was about showing up with integrity, heart, and effort. Striving to give every endeavor Karina’s best foot forward.
They didn’t obsess over perfect grades, although A’s and B’s were encouraged or there were consequences like earlier curfews, no phone after coming home from dance practice and no computer time in the evenings except for homework. They valued presence, intention, and joy. They nurtured my curiosity, honored my imagination, and gave me the space to feel, to move, to create.
They taught me that being sensitive wasn’t a weakness, it was a superpower. That intuition mattered. That dance parties in the living room were just as essential as homework at the kitchen table. They celebrated my quirks, embraced my ever-evolving passions, and never tried to shrink me into someone I wasn’t.
Because of that, I grew up knowing what it felt like to trust myself – my body, my voice, my timing. And when I stepped into the world of holistic health and wellness, that trust became my compass.
My parents let me explore, discover and evolve. They didn’t try to define me. They watched me unfold. So when I chose to dedicate my life to movement, healing, and community, it didn’t feel like rebellion. It felt like a continuation of what they started. A life where presence, joy, and soul are front and center.
I know now that the work I do – creating spaces for people to reconnect to their bodies, their breath, their rhythm is deeply rooted in how I was raised. My parents may not have used the language of “holistic wellness,” but they embodied it.
They lived it. And because of that, so do I.
Karina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a passionate movement facilitator with over two decades of experience in the wellness space. My love for movement began in 1997, when I first stepped into a Classical Ballet class in my hometown of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. That initial spark ignited a lifelong journey of self-expression through motion. One that evolved to include Yoga, Pilates, and a range of somatic practices from a young age.
As I grew, so did my devotion to the art of movement. I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University, where I deepened my understanding of movement as both an art form and a language of the soul. This path led me to perform on some of the world’s most beautiful stages, including The Kennedy Center and historic theaters in Lucca, Italy. I’ve also danced with local repertory and contemporary companies throughout Southern California.
Eventually, my relationship with movement shifted from the external rhythm of performance to the internal rhythm of the mat. It was there that I discovered a more spiritual, grounded, and self-reflective discipline – one rooted in presence and holistic practice.
I currently teach private Pilates and Group Fitness at Equinox in La Costa as well as private in-home Pilates and Yoga. Outside of that I enjoy hosting retreats, community events and activations and pop-up sound baths all around San Diego.
CASA SILKA is a brand that doesn’t just move bodies – it moves souls. I blend wellness, fitness, and creativity into immersive experiences where people can breathe, groove, and transform. It’s about building community around movement, magic, and self-expression.
It’s about asking bold questions, embracing change (even when it hurts), and not just surviving growth, but dancing through it. Wellness isn’t a product; it’s a practice and I’m inviting the world to practice with me.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Consistency and authenticity. I’ve never tried to be anyone but myself – and I think people feel that. I show up with heart, I lead with intention, and I bring meaning into movement. I’m not just teaching a class or hosting an event, I’m creating a space where people can reconnect with themselves and feel something real.
What’s helped me stand out is that I care deeply about how things feel not just how they look. Whether it’s a retreat, a class, or a collaboration, I infuse everything with joy, ritual, and presence. I treat people like humans, not clients. And I lead with my own story – my own healing, curiosity, and love for this work.
I think reputation is built in the moments no one sees. The way you follow up, the energy you bring into a room, the way you hold space, the way you treat people.
Over time, those small moments create trust.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the biggest mindset shifts I had to make early on was unlearning the belief that the wellness market is “saturated.” Yes, there are hundreds, even thousands of incredibly talented people doing work similar to mine. But none of them are me. That realization changed everything.
My story, my energy, my lived experiences, and the way I connect with people – that can’t be replicated. What I bring into a room, into a class, into a collaboration — it’s mine. And when I stopped worrying about what everyone else was doing (easier said than done), I started focusing on how I could serve with heart, with intention, and with presence. That’s when things started to expand.
People are drawn to what’s real. They feel when something is created from the soul, not strategy. And that’s what helped me build my reputation: I’ve always led with who I am. I didn’t try to mold myself to fit a market. I trusted that being fully myself – playful, deep, expressive, spiritual, grounded would resonate with the right people. And it has.
At the end of the day, this work is about connection. The reason people return, refer, and remember isn’t because I did it “better”, it’s because I did it as me. That’s what sticks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://casasilka.com
- Instagram: @casa.silka
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550616058419&sk=about
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinafernandezross
- Youtube: @casasilkastudio
