Karina (00:03)
You're listening to Thriving Dancers Podcast, a space for moms who believe that dance should build our kids up, not break them down. I'm Karina, your host, an integrative health educator, researcher, and dance mom. And I'm on the mission to bridge the gap between holistic wellness and the dance world. Because our dancers deserve more than rest and ice. They deserve full body, full heart support, so they can thrive for years to come.
Karina (00:34)
Hello Dance Moms and welcome to Thriving Dancers podcast. I'm Karina, your host and founder of Thriving Dancers. I'm also a health educator, a doctorate student in integrative health, a dance mom of 13 and a half years, and a strong proponent of using holistic and integrative approaches to helping your dancer thrive, not just in the classroom now, but also in life. And this podcast is for dance moms who want
their dancers to be healthy, happy, and also strong, not just now, but for a long run. So just a little brief disclaimer, I am not a doctor and I am not a clinical professional. So all the information I give you is for, of course, health education information only. Always consult with your medical professionals, with your licensed medical providers on each individual case, because
Let's face it, every single case is actually different. So you have to take a lot of things in consideration, which we clearly cannot do on the podcast. Okay? So let's dive in. Why this podcast? So ever since I remember myself, I have been integrating holistic medicine in my life, even as a small child. My great grandmother used to use herbs for various elements.
from buckthorn for cough syrups to ⁓ calendula and chamomile for skin type of issues. And that's when I realized that actually all of these elements are part of our wellness. They're part of the medicine of nature that we can use to help our well-being. So as I grew up understanding that nature gives us what we need to support our bodies,
I kind of grew away from that when I moved to United States and was away from homegrown and natural remedies that my grandparents and my great grandma used to make. And then I dove deeper into conventional medicine because that was the practitioner I wanted to be. I wanted to be a medical provider. And as I attended medical school, after my two years of ⁓ health volunteer stint in Africa,
I realized that the values that I held that had to do with well-being and ⁓ what health really meant for me and my four-month-old child at the time did not quite align with what I was learning in school. And especially when my daughter got ill during my first semester of medical school,
I realized that the way that I approached her illness and the way that I had taken care of it successfully did not align whatsoever with the way that the conventional providers were approaching it. So quickly after that, within about two years, my discontent and my gap of the values that I held to the education that I was getting ⁓ continued to grow.
and I ended up leaving conventional medical field. So after I left medical school, I chose to return to what I knew worked and I spent years studying integrative and holistic health, blending tradition with evidence-based research. So about that time, my daughter was two and a half years old and she started experiencing severe joint pain and inflammation. She couldn't run, she couldn't climb or play like other kids. And so,
I took her to her pediatrician like any other good parent would. However, to my surprise, pediatrician's response was, yes, there's something wrong going on, but why don't we just wait and see? Maybe she'll grow out of it. That was not a good enough answer for me. My two and a half year old cannot play, climb, and do things that a normal two and a half year old should be able to do. And that did not sit well with me.
So naturally, I found the best alternative provider in my town who understood both holistic and conventional approaches. And together we found solutions. And we found them pretty quickly. Within months, she was pain-free and started to dance. At three years old is when she began dancing. And that's when I officially became a dance mom. And our story doesn't stop there. In fact, it just starts. Years later...
she broke her toe practicing for an audition. And once again, I used integrative approaches. Her recovery took just five weeks instead of the typical five months. So naturally, other moms started asking how we did it. Then I realized how little access most dance moms have to this kind of information. These moms were doing everything right, yet their dancers were still exhausted, injured,
burned out and in constant pain. In fact, these were the dancers who were about to quit every single day. And this wasn't just physical. I began to see much the mental and emotional environment, the toxic studios, constant comparison, pressure to perform, how all of that affected dancers. And moms didn't know how to support their kids through it all. So then in 2024,
My daughter decided to stop dancing. She told me she was quitting dance for good.
I was heartbroken. She was overwhelmed. She was discouraged and just done. I gave her space and then we focused on rebuilding and not just with more classes. In fact, the option was you can just take one class a week and don't do any more than that. Just as long as you stay in the dance. Well, guess what? That actually worked.
That was in the summer of 2024. Within less than a year, she auditioned and got accepted to a pre-professional program with Joffrey Ballet in New York City. She spent summer studying with Broadway stars and high-end performers. She learned so much. This was the most life-changing experience for her, not just as a dancer, but as a person.
That experience could not have happened had she quit ballet for good from burnout and injuries.
And that experience changed everything. It confirmed what I already knew. When we support our whole dancer in a holistic and integrative way, physically, mentally, and emotionally, the results are extraordinary. And that's why I created Thriving Dancers. I want to help moms understand that supporting their dancer isn't about doing more. It's about doing what's right, what's balanced.
and what's aligned with how the body and mind truly work. So what thriving really means? Thriving is far beyond simply escaping injury. It encompasses joy, resilience, longevity and balance. Not just in dance, but in life too. It's about fostering healthy bodies, embracing vibrant hearts, developing emotional intelligence and celebrating
the art of dance for a lifetime without experiencing burnout. Here's one truth I want you to learn from the start.
well when their moms support them with integrative and holistic approaches and not conventional only methods. This belief is the lens through which I build every episode, every tip and every practice that I recommend.
It is the belief I've lived by for the past 13 and a half years as a dance mom, and let's face it, about 45 years as a person. And if you accept that belief, then making changes we talk about here is going to just make sense. So here's what you can expect from this podcast. Some episodes will be conversations and interviews with other experts, such as training experts,
hormone experts, women's health experts.
other dance moms and even dancers themselves. Other episodes will be solo episodes where I bring in short actionable lessons on things like healthy foods that support your dancers energy in a healthy way, evidence-based holistic modalities that show benefits with certain injuries, stress support, training balance, mindset and of course a lot more.
And occasionally I will do a question and answer session where I answer questions that you send to me. I cannot answer, of course, individual case-by-case basis, but I can definitely provide feedback on some of the things that you're doing, some of the experiences that your dancer is having, and we can all come together and support each other as a community in that. So my goal of each episode...
is that it leaves you with at least one thing that you can try each week to support your dancer in the most whole and holistic way. So who is this podcast for and who is it not for? So this podcast is not for someone who believes that dancer wellness is just about ice rest and pushing through. Okay, this is not for you.
And it is not for someone who thinks that conventional providers always know the best without question. Okay.
So if you're looking for a quick fix, a new product, another conventional checklist, this space is probably not for you. And this is because I believe that every dancer deserves to feel strong, supported, and inspired. And that starts with an empowered mom who knows how to care for the whole dancer. And my mission is to guide moms in using integrative and holistic approaches so that their dancers
thrive in dance and in life. And that's why my podcast is for you. If you're a mom of a serious dancer, you know, the ones who take a lot of classes, doing intensives and maybe even doing some competitions. It is for moms who want to support their dancers, total wellness, physical, mental, emotional, and maybe even spiritual, and who are open to holistic approaches.
because they either don't want their kids to become statistic or because they want to know that they truly did everything they possibly could to set their dancer wellness right. So if you're excited by this, this is what I recommend. Subscribe so that you never miss an episode. Share this with another mom who you think may benefit. And come back for the next episode where we will dive deep into
why injuries are happening even when you're everything right and how to break that cycle. And we'll reveal some patterns that lead dancers to having more injuries and constant strain. And it is not what you think it is. You'll also get some actionable tips and tools that no one talks about, but every professional dancer uses to prevent their injuries and a lot more. And before I go, I just want to say that I see you.
I know the fears, the late nights, the questions that never end. But just remember that you're not alone. That I am here to help you find calm, confidence, clarity and strength as you support your dancer's journey. Thank you for tuning in and I can't wait to hear your stories of thriving success. I'll see you at the next episode. Bye for now.
Karina (13:03)
Thanks for listening to Thriving Dancer's podcast. If today's episode gave you a new perspective, share it with another dance mom who wants better for her dancer. Remember, Thriving Dancers start with supported moms. I'll see you next time. Bye for now.
