Today we’d like to introduce you to Malina Murphy
Malina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been a physical therapist assistant since 2000, and I have worked in just about every setting you can think of. But for 15 years, I was in outpatient orthopedics at a large hospital in California, seeing a patient every 30 minutes, sometimes up to 17 in a 10 hour day. It was a grind. I loved helping people, but I could feel myself burning out big time.
The more time I spent in healthcare, the more I saw how the system was failing so many patients and therapists! Then a coworker, who was a physical therapist and certified in Pilates, introduced me to using Pilates for rehab. She acquired some Pilates equipment for our clinic and started teaching me how to use it. That changed everything! I saw people moving better, feeling stronger, and actually getting long term results. That was my lightbulb moment. This was how I wanted to help people. Through a whole body, whole person approach.
In 2022, my husband and I moved to Austin, and I knew it was time to take a leap. I got certified in Polestar Pilates, which focuses on rehab and movement science, and in 2024, I opened my own studio space in South Austin, where I teach private sessions. It has been the most rewarding shift of my career. Now, I get to slow down, give my clients the time and attention they deserve, and help them move through life with more ease and less pain.
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?
Nothing about this has been easy, but every challenge has been a lesson. Pilates teacher training at the age of 45 pushed my body in ways I never expected. I had to listen, adapt, and respect my body’s limits. Then came entrepreneurship, something I never saw myself doing!
The first three months in my studio were painfully slow. I had moments of doubt, wondering if I had made a mistake. But instead of giving up, I got to work, networking, refining my Google business profile, and optimizing my website. By month five, I had a waitlist! It turns out, there is an entire community of people looking for exactly what I offer, Pilates with a rehab focus, taught by someone who listens, adapts, and truly cares. Every struggle has been worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I feel incredibly lucky to be teaching Pilates at a time when it is absolutely exploding in popularity! My strength lies in truly connecting with people, helping them move better, trust their bodies, and build confidence in ways that go way beyond aesthetics. Many of my client’s come to me during their rehab with a Physical Therapist or after they’ve completed a course of rehab. Pilates helps them get back to running, jumping, climbing and just enjoying life!
Right now, I’m enrolled in a Pilates pelvic floor mentorship program, and it’s been so eye-opening. The pelvic floor plays a huge role in movement, pain and overall health. Yet so many women don’t realize how much it could be affecting them! Teaching Pilates through this lens has been fascinating, and I love helping clients discover how small adjustments can lead to big improvements in how they feel every day.
Teaching Pilates is 100% my dream job. I can’t imagine doing anything else, and I look forward to teaching Pilates for as long as I can. My clients are some of the most incredible humans I’ve ever met, and they teach me just as much as I teach them. We have so much fun in the studio, and it’s the most fulfilling work I could ask for!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Podcasts:
The health business builder show
Not your mother’s pelvic floor
What’s the Juice
Books I’m reading:
Principles of movement – Brent Anderson
The way out- Alan Gordon
Pricing:
- $85 per session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.minapilatesatx.com
- Instagram: @minapilatesatx
Image Credits
Personal photo.
