Mia Gleason CMT, BCSI, Movement Educator
Short Bio-
I’ve been a bodyworker for nearly 30 years and a Pilates Instructor since 2010.I’m passionate about supporting folks to love and enjoy their bodies. Some things I love to focus on are spinal mobility, balance and anything that supports aging gracefully with ease, pleasure and power. I’m currently fascinated by working with women, especially in the postpartum and perimenopause seasons. Also with those who’ve experienced ruptures through the medical industrial complex. I continually follow my curiosity and learn new methods to explore the endless fascination of the human body and its ability to move. Since 2017 that has included spending time in Maine at Tom Myers ATSI school ( Anatomytrains.com) annually to “fill my cup” by bathing in the powerful earth medicine there & learning, practicing and communing with my peers and mentors. In 2024 the location of my “bodywork tribe” has shifted to Nevada County in large part thanks to TU, (tensegrityU.com). I spent 4 months teaching/demonstrating there. I’m so grateful to be in the company of LOCAL anatomy nerds/somanauts.
Detailed Bio
I love my work. I feel honored to support people in developing new awareness and leaving behind outdated patterns which change their bodies, and therefore their lives.Our bodies are the only things we truly have. They are the vehicles through which we experience all the pleasures, mystery and trials of our humanity. They tell our stories. Our stories are important. They shape our lives. They have the power to connect us with each other and with a greater purpose.
Our concepts of what we should be or do come from the outside. There is a way to navigate inside yourself, to sense your body and source what desire or need is genuine to the moment. I feel grateful to be in a position, and equipped, to support others in that inquiry. Towards that aim, I use tools like Structural Integration, user- friendly anatomy education, fascial based Pilates and Gestalt therapy practices. My students are curious, experimental, and hungry to express their original, creative selves.
Why does this all matter to you? Because people are ill at ease and that leads to reticence and disconnection. Multiply that by 9 billion and it’s no wonder we live in a world of injustice, greed and fear. It’s overwhelming to try to address these problems on a global level but we can address them at the personal, relational and community level. First we have to start with ourselves. For example- the client that came to me in pain, unable to do the things he loved and on the verge of shoulder surgery. ( 5 years later he still doesn’t need the surgery, is working a less stressful job and enjoying his life.) Sometimes our problems are more subtle, like the middle aged professional with some neck and hip pain, a family and community that she loved and was committed to serving but never felt like she had enough time, energy or money to “do it all”. (She’s now working a better job with a bigger salary, deeply in love, sexually satisfied and her kids are thriving.) I didn’t help them solve all those problems one by one. Our work together allowed them to get deeply in touch with their desires and develop a distaste for “settling”.
Like them, my first encounter with Structural Integration (SI) was life transforming. I thought I was the least likely person in the world to be a dancer. I took my 1st dance class on my 22nd birthday after finishing 10-weeks of Structural Integration – a truly uplifting experience that brought me home, into my body. I went from being an overly analytical, self-deprecating, indecisive, body dysmorphic, insecure lady to a juicy, empowered, embodied, passionate lioness at home in her own skin. That didn’t happen overnight but it started with me feeling fed up with not inhabiting my body. And that 10-week journey was the beginning of an endlessly fascinating exploration as a Somanaut ( Soma=Body- think astronaut but in the intimate inner space of the human body).
In Africa they say, “If you can walk, you can dance”. I consider it my vocation (in the professional and devotional sense) to make that true for as many people as possible. For me, dancing is what lights ME up. Everyone has their own version of that thing that makes them come alive. So, when I say “dance” insert your word for what that thing is for you. I see the act of dancing as moving through life in a juicy, passionate way — living your bliss without needing applause. Dance is a sacred and ancient prayer. Dance is joy, passion, expression, and connection. I believe that kind of connection begins by listening to and loving our bodies.
I started practicing SI in 1997 after graduating from the SOMA Institute, I’ve completed 2 other comprehensive SI trainings- Anatomy Trains with Tom Myers and Tensegrity U- where I am now the lead instructor. I was certified as a Polestar Pilates Instructor in 2013. And I bring 30 years of exploration and experience with living in intentional communities, personal growth and interpersonal communication skills, working with youth in the outdoors, living and traveling abroad and dance to my clients and students.
My practice is based in Nevada City CA. I love to travel and am delighted to offer one on one sessions and courses anywhere in the world. I teach individualized, life affirming movement, radical self acceptance, bodywork mentorship and self administered Neurovascular Release online.
