Correct alignment for the individual body and less on traditional yoga alignment

In this post we meet Founder, Kim Munro from Empower Studio in Wellington.

So how did Empower Studio come to be?

When two people get together and one of them is a Sport and Exercise Scientist and the other has a raft of historical injuries and health issues it could be a recipe for disaster or the basis of a health and wellness business with a focus on functional movement, intelligent nutrition and improved lifestyle. Meet husband and wife, Andy and Kim Munro.

In, late 2012 Kim suffered from Thunderclap Headaches and was hospitalised. She was told to make some serious lifestyle changes. So, she went back to yoga and just three classes later started to regain the feeling in her arms and legs, and the headaches started to subside. As a young gymnast, she broke a bone in her lower back and in 2002, fell 15 foot onto concrete and had her face reconstructed. The old injury issues in her neck and spine also starting to ease substantially. Together, Andy and Kim, decided very quickly to make yoga an integral part of their lifestyle and looked into starting a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training programme.

Eight months later, as qualified teachers, Empower Studio was created with a vision to Inspire, Empower and Support their community of members. 

Andy and Kim focus on correct alignment for the individual body and less on traditional yoga alignment (no two bodies are the same and one size does not fit all). There is a strong emphasis on finding a healthy balance between strength and a healthy degree of flexibility, with an aim to help others develop a great sense of body awareness and a strong healthy functional body. In this very busy world that we live in all too often, people turn off from the sensations and feed back of their bodies and ignore clear signs and symptoms until they reach crisis point. When Kim was hospitalised with Thunderclap headaches she had ignored symptoms for four months which included; violent headaches, the slow and continual loss of sensation from the elbows down to the hands and her knees to feet along and a constant sense of malaise and difficulty holding a train of thought. So she understands completely how people can switch off to their physical bodies, carry on and ignore clear symptoms to the detriment of their health.

Kim and Andy canvased hundreds of people on the streets of Wellington as to whether they had ever practised yoga if they would like to and what if anything stopped them. Over and over they heard the same response which was that people were interested, intrigued and could see value in starting a practice but what held them back was ‘all that weird shit puts me off’, so the decision was made to deliver yoga in a style for those new to yoga, that they would not find confrontational or weird.  They have also expanded their timetable to include TRX, Barre, Animal Flow and Myofascial Trigger Release. Meditation will be added shortly as Andy has just returned from the Gawler Centre in Australia, an establishment recognised the world over for their delivery of Meditation Practice in the treatment of cancer.

What does Kim have to say about Courage My Love?

Courage My Love Legskins are simply amazing. They really are a high-quality product. The fit is nice and high in the waist (no muffin top or butt crack issues) along with double stitched seams; prove the attention to detail is fantastic. I love the design of my Badass Bunnies, very funky, yet understated enough to take me from day wear to a night out. They really make a statement and look fabulous with a dress or tunic.

The bra top is perfect because the neck is high enough that there are no cleavage issues for me in my forward folds and inversions. The band is super comfortable and does not dig in.

The mesh tank has a fitted cuff at the bottom so no more losing it over your head in downward dog, it stays in the right place. I love that the products have been designed with ‘Real Women’ in mind, you know those of us with bodies that have had babies and no longer have washboard abs.

I feel fabulous and full of confidence in my ‘Courage My Love’ garments.

Kim Munro

Empower Studio, Wellington