We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julie Blamphin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Julie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

I’ve been teaching yoga since I was 12. Raised in a school of gymnastics with my mom as my coach, my childhood consisted of school, playtime, chores, and practice. I was in the gym every day from the age of six to sixteen.

“The Farm” was nestled in a sprawling green valley on twenty-three acres in Caledonia, New York. When my parents bought the property, there were three horses, six hens, one old dog named Dixie, and a bantam rooster who would chase me around when I was a toddler.

The gymnastics school plan began when a lady up the road asked my mother to teach her daughter a cartwheel. My mom received her college degree in physical education, and word spreads quickly in a small town. Soon there was a group of girls practicing cartwheels in our living room. Before long, the farm animals were sold, and my parents created and maintained the most successful school of gymnastics in western New York.

We were very involved in the community. Mom (aka. Coach Bon) would take us to the local schools for the blind and deaf for gymnastics demonstrations and we’d spend time connecting with the students. On top of that, the kids in the Special Olympics would come to our gym to practice their routines. This is how I began my career.

In 1980, my first teaching experience was with a 4 year old with spina bifida. She was paralyzed from the waist down, so not able to use the bars and beam. We’d sit on the floor exercise mat and practice yoga – stretching, strengthening, and heightening her awareness of her body.

Currently, I’m an entrepreneur known for teaching “yoga in real life” — unconventional strategies that help women feel joyful, stable, and sexy through quick and easy wellness wins. My work often touches on taboo topics, always highlights hope in healing, and is certain to tickle your fancy.

Julie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a speaker, author, retreat leader, yoga pro, and the founder of Stretch Your Spirit.

My recent speaking gigs include The Leading Lady Podcast, The Dr. Kinney Show, Midlife Rise and Thrive, the 2023 and 2024 WE LEAD Women’s Conference, Embody Your Body, and a long list of top podcasts and YouTube channels. I’m co-author of We Lead: Building Connection, Community, and Collaboration for Women in Business; Hot Mess to Hot Mom: Transformational Tools for Thriving After Childbirth and Beyond; and a contributing writer for AARP The Ethel, LIVESTRONG Magazine, Baltimore Banner, and Pelvic Health Support Canada.

I can whistle like a champ, am obsessed with cartwheels and alone time, and love to dream in Spanish.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Quit doing Kegel Exercises a thousand times a day!

I love educating women on how to stabilize the muscles of the core / pelvic floor to reduce symptoms of leakage, urge, pain, pressure, and disconnection. When I tell them pelvic floor wellness means more than using lube and doing Kegels, they look at me like I’m nuts.

Kegel Exercises were created by a gynecologist in the 1940s to encourage women to squeeze the vaginal wall and increase strength and decrease leakage. But the bad news is that Kegel exercises could be doing your body more harm than good.

As it turns out, my core has been clenching way too much and way too often ever since I was a child. Talk about tightness – after an entire childhood in a school of gymnastics, I then pursued even more adrenaline-rushing exercise and sports like soccer, track, cheerleading, swimming, diving, weight lifting, kickboxing, and skiing (water and snow). On top of that, I’m a doer. I love to get shit done. If I complete a few tasks before bedtime, I’ll sleep like a baby. Check one more thing off the list? Yesss.

Here’s the thing. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

As a certified teacher of Pelvic Floor Yoga™, I’ve made a number of compelling discoveries. Through intentional vulnerability, chakra work, fascia release, and restorative yoga poses, we can manage our symptoms and give our body a freedom that changes everything. This is real life! Now I share this with as many women who will listen.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I truly practice what I preach.

If you’re keeping your pelvic floor concerns a secret, that puts you among millions of women who do the same.

Your pelvic floor is at the bottom of your torso but should not be at the bottom of your priority list.

Pro Tip: Listen to your body when she whispers because you don’t want to hear her scream.

Research suggests that most women wait six years before doing something about these concerns. Some choose to live with it forever. These are the women who spend approximately seventy thousand dollars on pads, panties, then diapers instead of doing the work necessary to stabilize their muscles. 

Again, this is real life we’re talking about! We women need simple strategies. We don’t want to take extra time or buy fancy yoga pants. We want accessible poses and practices for quick wellness wins. 

Trust me – it’s easier than you think.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.StretchYourSpirit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stretchyourspirit
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stretchyourspirit
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieblamphin/
• Other: Freebie: http://www.stretchyourspirit.com/top3tips

Image Credits
Maureen Porto Studios