Wow! What a lovely year 2018 was! I hired new staff, spoke at several conferences, and–perhaps most notably–moved to a new office. Let’s start with the new space.

New office location

In December I moved my physical therapy practice a few blocks away from my former location. Now located at 262 Beacon Street, the new office is adjacent to the Charles River and offers space for teaching individual and small group yoga classes. There is also a second treatment room which allows us to offer additional appointment times.

New office space with treatment table

Who is “us”? Great question. Read on…

Staff updates

Alex Papale, PT, DPT joined Flourish Physical Therapy in October. We met when I was l guest lecturing at Simmons College. We then worked together with other pelvic health specialists on creating a transhealth course for providers.

Alex has a doctorate in physical therapy with a passion for pelvic health. It’s a lovely partnership!

Course creators for the transhealth course

Course creators for the transhealth course. Pictured L to R: Kristina Fitzgerald, Alex Papale, Holly Herman, Judy Perlman, Christy Ciesla, Pamela Klein, Dustienne Miller

I also hired an assistant in July named Leo. His special skills include walking over my keyboard, jumping into the sink, and singing for his supper.

My cat, Leo

Lectures, events, and workshops

Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society

I was a guest speaker at the 50th anniversary conference for the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society. It was an absolute joy to present my session “Yoga for Pelvic Health: An Evidence-Based Approach.” I’m very much looking forward to returning next year for part two!

International Pelvic Pain Society

It’s always a pleasure to teach yoga workshops to my friends and colleagues at International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS). No one grabbed a photo of my yoga class, which is a good sign that we were all very mindful!

The American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Section on Women’s Health (SOWH) hosted a lovely networking event and here is a fun pic with superstar pelvic health leaders in the field: Pat Wolfe (former SOWH president), Carrie Pagliano (president of SOWH), Secili DeStefano (president elect of SOWH), and Tracy Sher (a must-follow on social media for anyone interested in pelvic health).

Group picture at APTA with IPPS presidents and Tracy Sher

Yoga for Pelvic Pain

I continued to teach my two day course for professionals, Yoga for Pelvic Pain. This year I taught in Kansas City with my friend Sarah Talley (@carolinapelvichealthcenterinc) assisting.

Yoga for Pelvic Pain workshop

(Check out the blog Sarah wrote about how she modifies Downward Facing Dog to suit her needs as someone who experiences a lot of tightness and stiffness in her hamstrings.)

Pelvic Floor 1

This year I taught Pelvic Floor 1 in three cities. This means I had the honor of helping train 120+ people in pelvic health! In this photo I’m teaching at my alma mater Russell Sage College.

Pelvic Floor 1 workshop

Ireland workshop

I finished off the year traveling to Europe for the first time. My gracious hosts, Michele Lyons and Alwyn Thornton, sold out my 5 hour workshop and provided tea, scones, and mince pie as the most delightful refreshments. The room was filled with beautiful Irish accents and lovely fellow pelvic physiotherapists–the perfect kick start to the holiday season.

Dustienne Miller and Michelle Lyons

Other events not pictured included my annual attendance at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting, local pelvic health workshops, guest lecturing at local colleges, and guest speaking at the APTA’s state chapter meeting.

2019 schedule

So far, here is my teaching schedule for 2019:

Keep your eyes peeled for the chakra guided meditation series unveiling in early 2019!

Thank you as always for being a part of the Your Pace Yoga community. Your feedback and ideas for content are always invited and appreciated! If you are interested in bringing me in to your local yoga studio for a workshop, please reply to this email.

Best wishes for a flourishing 2019!