Today we’d like to introduce you to Christie Frisch.
Hi Christie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My bio:
A full-time local resident, Christie founded PRANA/LIFE STUDIO in 2023 out of a clear sense of calling to create the area’s first-of-its-kind space for group reformer pilates classes, elevated massage therapy and more diverse movement and wellness modalities than previously available nearby. She designed the environment and curated premium amenities to help make each visit an experience.
Christie’s been a devoted practitioner of yoga since 2007, pilates since 2014 and massage therapy and reiki since 2016. In 2020 she relocated with her family from Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood to the New Buffalo area. Few options existed at that time, and she began teaching to continue practicing in the styles she had always enjoyed.
Having completed over 1,100 training hours to date, Christie is a Balanced Body Certified Pilates Teacher, a 200-HR Registered Yoga Teacher, and Licensed Massage Therapist. As a teacher Christie eschews rigid ideas of the traditionally accepted “rights” and “wrongs,” instead offering a more intuitive, somatically guided and relational style of instruction, still firmly rooted in first principles. She cues for alignment, maximum engagement and breath-movement connectedness, weaving in challenges alongside self-massage and extra mobilization work to help you feel your best.
Christie sees her work first as service. She personally has experienced the transformational value of everything she offers at PRANA/LIFE, and she endeavors to authentically support each and every member of her studio community while sharing these resources. Wherever you’re at on your journey, know that you are welcome here and we so look forward to working with you!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A lot of people were skeptical about the viability of a Pilates and yoga studio in our location, which has a tiny full-time population. It took hard work to secure loans needed to create the studio, and continued creativity and flexibility to allow us to offer programming for the community seven days a week and about 360 days a year! But we’re doing just that in our second year open.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about PRANA/LIFE STUDIO?
We are the New Buffalo area’s first of its kind, locally owned and operated Pilates and yoga studio, offering the area’s only group reformer classes as well as heated classes in an elevated studio environment. Our instructors are classically trained in the Pilates method, as well as in more contemporary practices, including yoga sculpt and hot yoga. In addition to private instruction for individuals and groups, we offer spa massage, therapy services, Reiki therapy, and sound bath services and weekly community meditation class. We strive to help each guest enjoy greater freedom through movement, breath and the mind-body connection.
How do you define success?
I feel the greatest personal satisfaction in helping serve a previously unmet need for our services, and bringing a health-focused “third space” to our community. Receiving our guests’ kind words of appreciation of the value we add to their lives means the world to us.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.pranalifestudio.com
- Instagram: @pranalifestudio
- Facebook: Prana/Life Studio
