My Wellness with Christina Maningo
“I think it’s more important that you connect with your coach than their specific area of focus as most health coaches can coach on health and wellness overall.”
Exactly one year ago we invited Manila based, My Wellness founder Christina Maningo to Taipei to host a one day MyoYoga workshop. This 8 hour lunch included workshop was filled with in depth rich introductory lessons to understanding our fascia and how to release these tensions in our body so our energy channels can flow, bringing more awareness to our mind and body. Many left the workshop with tools they took home and continued to practice with till this day! We caught up with Christina recently to see how she has managed to pivot her business and health coaching online since covid hit earlier this year and what she hopes to grow in this new decade.
Curito:
For those who don’t know you, Christina tell us a little about yourself!
Chrisitna:
I’m an American who is half Korean and half Swiss born and raised in Southern California. My unique background is probably why I love to travel and explore the world experiencing different cultures.
I’ve always lived an active lifestyle filled with all types of body movement/sports then focussed solely on gymnastics from age 11 onwards. Gymnastics shaped my physique, my mind and my soul so it was a natural evolution for me to go from doing gymnastics to practicing yoga. I practiced yoga for many years before it became a profession as it was the one thing that kept me sane during stressful periods.
I am always looking to learn something new, stretch my mind, build my knowledge base because that’s what makes me tick. The old school mentality is to find one thing and stick to it, career-wise. I could never find that one thing that I was so passionate about that I was willing to drop everything for. Not to say I wasn’t passionate about things, just not one thing. In the past this made me feel unsure of myself, questioning my passion for said career and challenging my confidence. I have recently come to find out that there is an actual name for this type of person, a multipotentialite, someone with many interests and creative pursuits. This term stems from the word multipotentiality–a psychological and educational term used to describe people who display aptitudes across multiple disciplines. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to know that I wasn’t the only one and that this idea of having multiple passions wasn’t a bad thing.
Curito:
How did you go from a gymnast, events manager to yoga teacher, fascia educator, and now focusing on health coaching?
Chrisitna:
I studied the human body in university as I found that quite interesting and relevant to my sporting pursuits as a collegiate gymnast. I planned to be a physical therapist, but the idea of not using creativity bothered me so I decided to enroll in fashion school. I stayed in the fashion industry for 7 years then ventured into hospitality as fashion was getting a bit boring for me haha. I spent 8 years in the hospitality industry from catering assistant to Director of Events in Shanghai, China. All that time I had been practicing yoga on and off, but more intensely in China to help deal with the stress of the job. After 8 years I quite hospitality to take care ME. I dove into yoga, did my teacher training to learn more about yoga and just started teaching yoga for fun. Soon after, this became my career as I was so passionate about teaching others what I had learned and how yoga had transformed my life. I realized how important mind, body, soul health was to my overall well-being which led me to additional studies of the fascia (internal soft tissue framework) as it relates to eastern and western medicine and nutrition.
Finally at almost 50 it’s all coming together for me! I now realize how my multipotentialite ways can all come together to fuel my multiple passions and help others. As a health and wellness coach I have the pleasure of guiding my clients on their path to finding their optimal well-being by balancing out all facets of wellness: mind, body and soul.
Curito:
How would you describe a "My Wellness" client?
Chrisitna:
A woman who wants to feel energetic and full of life, but is extremely busy, stressed and overwhelmed by where to start. She has tried many “lose weight quickly” diets, health food trends and workout plans, but nothing seems to stick. She is looking for an experienced professional to help guide and nurture her to best self and is ready to live the vibrant life she desires!
Curito:
You teach MyoYoga classes, is that different from a regular yoga class?
Chrisitna:
MyoYoga incorporates myofascial release techniques along with functional movement yoga to not only release physical tension, but also open up energy channels and bring awareness linking body and mind. Myofascial release is self-massage using various tools such as a foam roller or soft rubber balls (my preferred mode). We specifically target the area of focus to enhance the practice. It’s life-changing!
Curito:
You have so many offerings on your platform what do you like to offer the most, and what is your main focus?
Chrisitna:
I’m always looking for ways to best serve my clients. I always have 1:1 health coaching on offer as that’s the most customized way to guide someone on their health journey. However, I am putting together a group program that will be more affordable for those who find 1:1 coaching outside their budget. Group programs are also a great way to encourage accountability and camaraderie. I personally love the combo of the group program along with 1:1 coaching so you get the best of both worlds! I also work 1:1 with people in a therapeutic setting for physical ailments using Yoga Medicine® and MyoYoga techniques. I have clients that see me for both health coaching as well as movement needs.
“MyoYoga incorporates myofascial release techniques along with functional movement yoga to not only release physical tension, but also open up energy channels and bring awareness linking body and mind.”
Curito:
There are many health coaches out there, how would you recommend someone who wants to become a health coach to look for a mentor and a program to begin their journey?
Chrisitna:
I would recommend searching social media and follow those people whose ideas and concepts you resonate with. There are many programs now for health coaching with varying levels of competency and focus so I wouldn’t jump into a program right away until you understand what you are passionate about. There are many health coaching groups as well where you can connect with health coaches and get their individual perspectives. That’s a good place to start. I am of course always willing to chat with anyone.
Curito:
What's the difference between they kind of health coaching you provide and what others are offering in the market? Is it a competitive space?
Chrisitna:
Each health coach usually has a specific target market, but that doesn’t mean that if you’re not in that target market you can’t work with them. I think it’s more important that you connect with your coach than their specific area of focus as most health coaches can coach on health and wellness overall. There are some health coaches, however, that coach only a specific demographic like cancer patients, for example.
I think I have an advantage in the market because I’ve had a lifetime of focusing on my own health along with physical and mental wellness knowledge I gained with my yoga and fascia practice. My coaching addresses the three main points well-being, mind, body and soul looking at the complete picture of each individual person. This strategy ensures a client is working towards and finding balance in all critical areas at the end of a coaching program.
Curito:
In the last decade what were some of the biggest challenges you encountered and what did you learn from it?
Chrisitna:
The last decade, probably the biggest challenges came from aging. As women, we experience a whole host of changes in our 5th decade of life. Your body doesn’t bounce back the way it used to: body aches and changes never felt before, digestive issues never encountered before and emotional rides never experienced before. Having ridden this ride, I tried anything and everything to understand what was happening to my body. I eventually realized that one size doesn’t fit all. It wasn’t all my fault and that I only needed to educate myself in order to know what to do.
That is why I’m so passionate about what I do. Over my lifetime of understanding my own health and wellness, I have learned so many tips and tricks and I know what works for women, especially aged 35-55. What works for men does not work for women! What works for one woman may not work for another. We must first understand ourselves and our bodies to be able to get to where we want to be.
Curito:
With Covid19 and the drastic change in our global environment, what kind of predication will you have regarding the entire wellness industry and how do you see yourself being (already) part of this evolution?
Chrisitna:
The wellness industry has made a big shift in the last year. Everything has moved online and people are being forced to be more independent and disciplined. This is a great opportunity for fitness and health coaches as they are needed more than ever right now.
People are becoming more conservative with their money as there’s so much unpredictability, however. This is where pre-recorded and group programs have become popular. The sale of these type of mini programs have soared. I have found that many still need a 1:1 coach as you really need that special attention during the early stages of establishing your personal wellness routine.
As for me, I am adding different offerings to suit the needs of more people so I can reach more people.
The bottom line is, though, I don’t believe in quick fixes, but I do believe in doing it the easy way, finding things that resonate with you so you can establish a healthy happy lifestyle that works for you!
Curito:
In this new decade what do you hope to achieve?
Chrisitna:
I hope to reach the masses with my philosophy. Being healthy and pain free doesn’t have to be hard. I believe that everyone has the ability to be healthy and happy and I want to lead that movement.
Curito:
Christina, thank you for sharing your journey into yoga, nutrition, physical and mental health with us. We had hope to do another workshop you with out here in Taipei this year but like everywhere else we shall wait till travel resumes to normalcy! You can check out My Wellness and follow Christina on IG and FB to find her latest offerings and reach out to get 1:1 consultation or to collaborate with her! Looking forward to seeing you lead the healthy and happy movement in this next decade and join you along on that journey!
First published on October 22, 2020
