We’re looking forward to introducing you to Nicola Geismar . Check out our conversation below.
Nicola , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first hour and a half of my day is about anchoring myself before I hold space for others. I start with a grounding ritual , 20 minutes of meditation and Then often some gentle spinal mobility to wake up my body. From there, I move into journaling to clear my mind and set intentions.
Movement is always a non-negotiable, sometimes that’s a Free Your Spine flow, other days it’s a walk or a short strength session. I keep my phone away during this time, so I’m not pulled into the noise of emails or social media.
By the time I open my laptop, I’ve already aligned my body, connected to my breath, and set the tone for the day ahead- grounded, focused, and ready to create.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Nicola Geismar, founder of Free Your Spine, a movement method I created after years of navigating chronic back pain, burnout, and the shifts of perimenopause. What began as a personal lifeline has grown into a practice that’s supported hundreds of people worldwide — blending alignment, empowerment, flow, and play to help people reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and access more freedom in how they move and live.
What makes Free Your Spine unique is that it’s not just about Pilates or exercise. It’s about culture, expression, and community. I see movement as medicine, but also as art — a way to connect people back to their creativity and vitality.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding Free Your Spine in new ways: developing a facilitator training to bring the method to more communities, writing a book that captures both the story and the tools of this work, and collaborating with studios, retreat centers, and organizations who are ready for a fresh, embodied approach to wellness.
At its heart, Free Your Spine is about more than posture — it’s about possibility.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks the bonds between people is often disconnection — when we stop listening, when we live in our heads instead of our bodies, when fear, comparison, or ego take the lead. It shows up in workplaces, in relationships, even in wellness spaces that become about status instead of substance.
What restores those bonds is presence. When we drop back into our bodies, when we allow ourselves to move, to feel, to play, to be real with one another — we remember we’re human first. That’s the heart of my work with Free Your Spine: using movement as a language for reconnection. Alignment, empowerment, flow, play — these aren’t just practices for the spine, they’re practices for how we relate to each other.
We restore bonds through embodied truth, compassion, and by creating culture together, not apart.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes — there have been moments where I almost walked away. Running Free Your Spine has taken everything: my creativity, my finances, my energy. There were times when I felt invisible, when the wellness industry seemed closed off to anyone outside its inner circle, and when I wondered if people really understood the value of what I was bringing.
But every time I thought about giving up, I’d come back to my own spine, my own body — and remember why I started. Free Your Spine wasn’t built as a business idea, it was built as survival, as medicine for myself when I was in pain and burnt out. And because it helped to save me, I know it can support others too. That truth has always been stronger than the doubt.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the wellness industry tells itself is that it’s inclusive, when in reality it often operates on gatekeeping and privilege — booking the same names, the same faces, the same circles of friends, instead of opening doors to fresh perspectives. Another lie is that wellness has to look perfect — the flawless body, the luxury retreat, the curated Instagram moment — when true wellbeing is messy, human, and deeply personal.
And maybe the biggest lie of all is that wellness is something you buy, rather than something you practice. You don’t need the fanciest equipment or a thousand-dollar membership to find alignment. You need presence, breath, movement, and community. That’s what Free Your Spine is here to shift — from wellness as image to wellness as lived experience.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, I’d stop doubting myself. I’d stop playing small, waiting for permission, or trying to fit into systems that were never designed for me. I’d stop saying yes to things that drain me just to survive, and stop wasting time in spaces where my work and my energy aren’t truly valued.
I’d pour everything into what lights me up — creating, traveling, teaching Free Your Spine in the most beautiful places, building community, writing, and loving fully. Because really, why wait until the clock is ticking to live that way?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freeyourspinepilates.com
- Instagram: @thefreeyourspinemethod
- Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nicola-cher-geismar-921b118
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@geismar30
