Today we’d like to introduce you to Xander Psathas.
Hi Xander, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been interested in health and fitness and really started my journey during the pandemic. I had been working in retail and real estate and was ready for a change. When the pandemic hit and i wasn’t able to leave the house, I had a group of friends that I would Zoom with daily and we would practice yoga together. When things started to open back up and I went back to the studio, one of my friends who is an instructor said to me “you know, you practice all the time and seem to love what you have found, have you thought about teacher training? Even if you don’t teach, it can help you further your practice.” I ended up applying and completed my teacher training in the winter of 2021. From there I ran 5 yoga studios in the greater Boston area and started teaching not only in Boston but all over the world. I have led retreats in Morocco, Bali, Greece, France and have more planned for the future. Yoga has been an amazing way for me to connect with myself and others. When looking at careers beyond real estate and retail, I wanted to give back and help people. I may not be the most flexible person so I teach from a place where yoga should be for everyone, whether you can perform a perfect wheel pose or barely touch your toes. Being able to learn about the body and how each person moves differently and making it accessible for everyone from utilizing straps, bolsters, chairs, blocks, etc. makes everyone feel welcome. From there I ended up moving to Austin and found my way to Stretchlab. I set a goal for myself at the beginning of this year to work more on stretching and somehow that manifested into working for a place that specializes in that! Being able to continue educating clients on their body and assisting with their range of motion, mobility, strength control, etc, and bringing in my yoga background has been wonderful. It’s amazing to see people come back and getting excited with the way they are improving and being able to educate clients with what is going on with their body and seeing their reaction when they make the connection and things click is very rewarding. I also work with Meredith Evangelisti, an amazing Boston based yoga sculpt instructor. She has a business called Hotdrop Apparel where I am the Director of Sales & Operations. We specialize in custom logo yoga apparel for yoga studios, gyms, specialty boutiques and more. Most of the yoga apparel I wear is Hotdrop and we pride ourselves on being able to provide custom logo apparel for local studios to further their brand outreach and who doesn’t love repping their favorite studio!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It would be great to say that everything has been a smooth road but for most people it isn’t. My mother passed away in February 2020, about 3 weeks before the world shutdown and everything changed. Not being able to process all of that was especially difficult and it was very easy to sit at home and wallow. Coming into the yoga world the way I did, practicing with friends and seeing the evolution from student to teacher to managing multiple studios and traveling the world was not something I ever saw for myself. The people that I have met from this endeavor have changed my life. Working through the pandemic, selling my home, taking time to travel the world and find myself wasn’t easy and I am still working on finding who I am as we are always evolving, but my trajectory completely changed in 2020. It’s interesting to imagine where I would be if all that didn’t happen. That struggle shaped who I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I work for Stretchlab in Westlake. The biggest thing to know about Stretchlab is how we are able to change lives for the better. The easiest way to describe what we do is personalized, one-on-one stretching. We assist clients with injuries, improve their range of motion, flexibility, posture, body symmetry, achieve their wellness goals and more. Our methodology was designed to help clients through customized, assisted stretch sessions. No two bodies are the same, so neither is a session at StretchLab. We start with identifying tightness and imbalances, and end in improving mobility and flexibility. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF for short) is the method we use in our one-on-one stretch sessions. We put clients in position and ask them to contract specific muscles and hold the contraction for a few moments. This advanced form of stretching is beneficial in increasing range of motion and experiencing maximum benefits. Static stretching involves holding a stretch in a specific position for a period of time, aiming to lengthen the muscles, help relax the muscles and ultimately improve flexibility over time. Dynamic stretching involves active movements that stretch the muscles to their full range of motion without holding the position, preparing the muscles for activity by increasing blood flow and mobility, warming up the body, and improving performance. There are many other techniques we will utilize such as active release, nerve flossing and bringing in products like Hyperice massage guns, stretch bands, neruosticks and more. What sets us apart is how personalized everything is. As I mentioned, no 2 bodies are the same and we take pride in getting to know our clients, understanding their goals, their bodies and how best we can assist them with whatever brings them in. We offer many ways for clients to come in from single sessions to packages of sessions to monthly memberships. I take pride in tailoring recommendations to each person. Some people I recommend once a week or some three times a week but the biggest thing I stress is that we are here for them and are going to do what makes sense for them and their goals.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I had so many interests growing up. From taking dance classes to teaching the recorder to elementary school students, I always liked to try new things (and still do) I’m a classically trained oboeist and have played in symphonies and orchestras in Boston. My dad, my brother and myself all took Tae Kwon Do and we all got our black belts. It was such a great experience to be able to share that with my family and was such a special moment when we all received our belts and swords. I was a theater kid in high school and was in many musicals and plays from Anything Goes to Big the Musical. One of my favorite moments was having one of the lead roles in Merrily We Roll Along my senior year. I got together with a group of friends and we actually produced it ourselves for the school. I credit my grandparents with helping me experience so many different things starting when I was young. They were always taking me to dance classes, ballet performances, the MET in NYC to see operas such as Carmen and Rigaletto and telling me about their travels around the world. I think that’s why I love traveling so much and my family and I were always taking summer vacations to places all over the world. I’m also a huge sci-fi nerd and have met every cast member from Star Trek The Next Generation. To this day I still go to Star Trek conventions to scratch that nerd itch! I grew up in the late 80’s/early 90’s and watching Star Trek shaped my vision of how the world should be. A place where everyone is able to live as they are, a society that’s moved past money and greed and wealth and stands for the betterment of humanity.
Pricing:
- $29 for 25 minute intro stretch
- $49 for 50 minute intro stretch
- $99 for two 25 minute stretches per month (monthly membership)
- $199 for four 25 minute stretches per month (monthly membership)
- $379 for four 50 minute stretches per month (monthly membership)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stretchlab.com/location/westlake
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stretchlabwestlake/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stretchlabwestlake/
