Meet Pamela Johnson of The Bridge Mind Body Movement

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Johnson.

Pamela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was about 7 or 8 years old sitting in my room completely confused as to why I was able to straighten and bend my finger without having to do anything other than think about it. This spark of interest catapulted my desire to find out everything about the body and how it works.

In high school, I would read medical journals and annoy my friends and family by giving them a diagnosis of what was going to happen to them if they did or had X,Y,Z… I was convinced I wanted to be a doctor. I have always made my decisions based on intuition, I didn’t know exactly why I was called to dance but after my first year as a Biology major, I switched schools, changed my major and got my degree in Dance at Cal State Univ. Long Beach. Upon graduation, I was well aware that even with the amazing dance training I received, I was mediocre at best. The one thing that did resonate with me was Pilates. Back then, the Pilates Method was still trademarked. The certification I received was the classical, original exercises that Joseph Pilates created. I fell in love with it and till this day is my most noted modality, but my insatiable desire to learn more about the body didn’t stop. I felt like the more I learned, the more I didn’t know, and I wanted to know!!

I proceeded to get my certification in GYROTONIC®, study functional movement with a biomechanical scientist, and get a massage license specializing in Sensory Repatterning. I had been approached over the years to open my own studio, but it was not in alignment with my life until about six years ago when I was presented with the offer to buy out an already existing studio. Caught in this crossroad, I did the most logical thing I could do… I asked the Universe to send me a sign. The sign came when a giant Coopers Hawk flew into where I was and perched itself on a beam above my head. I understood at that very moment that I needed to see the bird’s eye view, spread my wings, and take flight. I signed the lease and decided to open the first Monday in January, which coincidentally landed on my birthday.! January 4, 2016, The Bridge Mind Body Movement was born and I now have double the reason to celebrate!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest challenge as an instructor is also my biggest blessing, raising a family. I have three amazing children, with the youngest and the oldest being 12 years apart. Fortunately, both my husband and I had flexible enough schedules to be able to stay home with them and have our family nearby to help, but juggling a schedule of clients on the opposite end of town while exclusively nursing a baby was not easy. I remember the days when I would nurse my baby, leave her with my husband, drive to a clients’ house to teach for an hour, drive back home to nurse again and then turn around and see another client… I might actually have a picture somewhere of me stretching a client while carrying my youngest in a baby bjorn haha! There were times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore, but somehow I did and it was so worth it. I feel that being a movement specialist for almost 25 years has allowed me to actively create balance, not only in the body but also with my life. I tend to look towards the brighter side of things. I don’t handle stress very well, so changing my perspective on what would be perceived as a stressful situation to seeing it as a blessing or a life lesson helps me to not get frazzled by it but to embrace it instead.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a fully equipped Pilates Studio in the Arts District of Downtown LA. We offer Private one on one sessions, semi-private sessions, small group Reformer classes, and Springboard classes. Our second location is at The Hotel Figueroa in the South Park district of Downtown LA. There we offer outdoor Pilates and Yoga classes on the Terrazza above the pool. You can also find one of our instructors teaching at Two Bunch Palms resort in Desert Hot Springs every weekend.

I teach classes and private sessions and am also co-directing and teaching a Classical Pilates Certification course. I have partnered with Whole Body Method Pilates Education. It is a comprehensive program that certifies those wanting to become teachers and/or those who just want to get a deeper understanding of their Pilates practice.

I think that what sets me apart from others is that a session with me is more than just Pilates, I pull from the multiple modalities I have learned over the years and carefully create an experience specifically catered to each individual.

What I am most proud of is the community that has been cultivated. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that they have to get a little more fit or a little stronger before they feel comfortable enough to walk into a class. I understand how intimidation walking into a new studio could be. I myself have walked into a studio and immediately felt unwelcome because I didn’t fit the mold of their demographic. I made a conscious effort early on that if I ever had my own studio, I would do my best to make it a judgment-free, ego free zone. I feel very fortunate to have such encouraging, well-rounded instructors that help convey this. It makes my heart burst when I see the friendships that have formed. It truly feels like a family, a beautiful community where locals and commuters can feel safe to know that when they walk in, they fit, they are welcomed, and they are in good company.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think a little bit of blind faith with a sprinkle of crazy and a huge splash of passion and motivation. I love what I do. There has never been a question about it. I love it so much I want to never stop learning more. I feel like a perpetual student. I not only learn from my mentors and master teachers, but I also learn from my clients as well. When my oldest child was about five years old, he asked me what I wanted him to be when he grew up. I told him that I want him to be someone who wakes up everyday happy to go to work because he loves what he does. I told him that if he authentically followed his path with whatever he was truly passionate about, then everything else will align when it’s meant to be. I can confidently say that I am happy because I love what I do and that is what makes me successful.

Pricing:

• 2 weeks unlimited Springboard/Hotel classes: new clients $59
• 3 Private Sessions: new clients $250
• 3 Reformer Classes: new clients $90
• Reformer Class: 8 classes per month: $312 a month with 3 month commitment
• unlimited Springboard/Hotel class: $168 a month with 12 month commitment

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.thebridgembm.com
• Instagram: @thebridgembm
• Facebook: The Bridge Mind Body Movement
• Yelp: The Bridge Mind Body Movement