We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristen Iuppenlatz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristen below.

Kristen, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

It started at the kitchen sink….

Dusky light streamed in the window. I focused on the snap of the green beans and the scent of garlic from the stove. In the living room, my sweet kids wrestled playfully and I heard the muffled sound of my husband’s beloved baseball game. Even the cat was purring blissfully nearby. Everyone was relaxed and content but me.

Pain was ripping down the right side of my neck and upper back as I tried to chop vegetables. My brain was screaming, “I don’t give a sh*t what you all need, it feels like there’s a knife plunged beneath my shoulder blade!”

I tried to hold in my bitchiness and speak kindly through gritted teeth as my son and daughter attempted to help me out in their clunky, childish way.

Mealtime was a disconnected mess, there was a stupid fight and the requisite mom nagging.

I wish I could go back to that time knowing what I know now and offer myself comfort. I could’ve been a better, more present mother and wife. I would’ve had an easier time standing in the kitchen preparing food and listening to my kids.

This night was years after my car accidents but I was unintentionally holding on to the patterns that kept me in pain.
The embarrassing thing was that I was already a Pilates teacher helping others feel better. Still, an invigorating workout, while it helped strengthen my core and keep me flexible, almost always left me with neck strain that led to a stiff neck which wouldn’t let go for days. I suffered from numb hands everyday too which didn’t hurt so much, but left me deeply concerned. How would I fare when I got older if my body was such a wreck in my 40’s?

Luckily, I had wonderful coaches and teachers along the way to help me undo the tension in my nervous system – I give them so much credit for my healing.

But it was the lightning that struck that evening as I suffered at the kitchen sink that made all the difference. I was suddenly aware of my posture in a way I hadn’t been before. My feet turned out, my knees hyper-extended, my hips pressed against the sink, my ribcage thrust forward, my shoulders up by my ears and my head drooping dangerously forward in the classic Exhausted Mom Pose.

How could I spend so much time in the Pilates studio, building awareness of my body and the way it moves and never realize how little of that information made its way into my home life? I was flabbergasted.

As soon as I became aware of how I was holding myself at the kitchen sink I was able to make small adjustments. Align my feet, relax my knees, draw my hips back, lower my ribcage, release my shoulders and allow my head to bobble happily back on top. Suddenly I could breathe fully and my pain diminished almost immediately.

Of course, it took some time to create a new pattern but every time I felt the pain in my shoulder blade instead of grimacing and tensing in agony I was able to take a deep breath, scan my body and release back into my new, better ‘standing at the kitchen sink’ softness.

Kristen, 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?

When I moved from San Francisco to a small town in wine country 25 years ago I needed a new career. I’d been a voiceover actor and musical theatre soprano with a part time job in the tech industry. I’d found Pilates a few years before after a couple of car accidents in 2 years and knew that I needed to have it in my life to stay pain free. I decided to become a Pilates teacher which I thought would be a good flexible job as I began my journey of becoming a mom to my two kids.

As I progressed as a movement coach I gravitated toward helping people with chronic pain become aware of their compensation patterns and the bracing habits they were holding on to unconsciously. I love working with students who want to incorporate the movements from the Pilates studio into their daily lives.

I love analyzing posture and use an app to show my students how releasing tension can affect the way they hold themselves. I’m a foot and gait specialist and recently got certified as a Neurosomatic Intelligence Coach. In addition to changing physical habits and correcting imbalances I realized that my students were holding on to patterns that were no longer serving them because it felt safe to their nervous system. Adding nervous system drills to affect change has been a powerful addition.

I call integrating more ease and joy into your daily movements Kitchen Dancing to encourage fun and fluid exploration in even your most mundane tasks. I post goofy videos of myself dancing in my kitchen to social media. People tell me all the time that I’ve inspired them to dance in their kitchen! I’m so glad.

I think exercise can be too serious which makes us feel like we have push ourselves to be good at it right away. Why don’t grown ups get to play? It’s the best way to learn. Sometimes we feel like we have to go to a gym or join a class to stay fit but I believe the most important place to practice physical fitness is in your everyday activities.

Joseph Pilates encouraged us to bring “spontaneous zest and pleasure into our many and varied daily tasks.”

My website is: Pilates Home Practice and my tagline is: Feel So Good You’ll Dance in Your Kitchen

I have a free opt-in – 7 Really Good Reasons to Dance in Your Kitchen and an 8 week group coaching program that explores each student’s unique patterns in all parts of the body and applies the newfound information into simple exercises that can be done at the kitchen sink (or anywhere you find yourself). Ultimately, moving through your day should feel like a pain-free, joyful dance.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve been working in the Pilates field for 24 years so longevity plays a part. I began my exploration of the Pilates method by studying with the elders in my community so that I could learn as close to the source as possible. The most important piece that has helped my reputation build is referrals from students who got out of pain by working with me. They tend to sing it to their communities and give me glowing testimonials.

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

Results for your clients. Word spreads organically. Of course, it’s also important and helpful to share testimonials through an email list and social media. The thing that has gotten me the most attention is videos of me dancing in my kitchen. It shows my joy of movement and my naturally exuberant vibe.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pilateshomepractice.com
• Instagram: pilateshomepractice
• Facebook: Kristen Iuppenlatz Grech
• Linkedin: Kristen Iuppenlatz Grech
• Youtube: @pilateshomepractice1
• Other: Instagram: pilateshomepractice TikTok: @kitchendancing

Image Credits
Caroline White Photography