About Christopher:

Hello, I’m Christopher, I’m a yoga, Pilates, and Barre teacher, Wellness Coach, former esthetician/makeup artist/hair stylist, and current skincare junkie who is currently living his best Southern Coastal Grandmother life in Florida.

My mission is to help people over 40, especially those who have had major life shifts like divorce, burn out, or maybe starting over in a new chapter, to take a look holistically at wellness through physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness to create calm and balanced lives through healthy routines, self-care, and mindset shifts, so you can find JOY in the everyday & become your HEALTHIEST and most RADIANT self.

I share on Fitness, Wellness, Healthy Living, Beauty, and Lifestyle. It is my hope that this blog will inspire, uplift, and educate others through informative posts on:

My Experience and Expertise:

I am a licensed Cosmetologist, who has worked in the Beauty Industry for 20+ years as a hairstylist, makeup artist and esthetician. I have worked with some major beauty brands including Aveda, Paul Mitchell, Goldwell, Redken, MAC, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Elemis, Shiseido, Dior and more. I have also done makeup for special events, fashion shows and print work.

I’m currently on a clean beauty journey to remove toxic products from my life and focus on clean and natural beauty products that nourish my skin and help it to look it’s best.

I have also taught Yoga and Pilates in the Boston and Central Massachusetts areas for several years in many local area studios and gyms such as YMCA, H.Y.P. Studios, Pilates by Gwen, The Core Connection, Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Fit Studio 28 and had several corporate and private clients. I owned my own studio, Worcester Pilates, before moving back home to sunny Florida in Summer 2018. I currently teach Pilates privates and group classes at Winter Park Pilates.

I am a comprehensively trained & certified Pilates teacher, gaining certifications through both Power Pilates and Peak Pilates. I have over 600 hours of training and experience on all of the Pilates apparatus including mat, reformer, tower, chairs, barrels and all auxiliary equipment. I have been teaching yoga and Pilates for almost 20 years now.

I am also a 200 Hour certified yoga teacher and mostly teach Vinyasa and Gentle Yoga, as well as workshops on Spinal Mobility, Back Health, Meditation and the Chakras. I am also a certified Barre, Spin, Aerobics, and TRX teacher as well. In addition I am a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Coach.

My Story:

I personally struggled with negative body image and my self-confidence for decades. I punished my body with an eating disorder in my teens, twenties, and early thirties. The truth is that I never felt comfortable in my body and used dieting and intense exercise to try to feel better about myself. However, even at my thinnest, I still hated my body.

I recently turned 50 and at the same time my almost 20-year marriage ended. At first, I felt unsure of my future and what my life would look like after divorce, being on my own, and starting my life all over again. In truth, my divorce left me feeling not so confident in myself and I began to doubt everything about my worth in this world. In addition, the darkness and toxic relationship that my marriage had become left me overweight as I was using food to self soothe.

My life’s purpose in this second chapter of my life is to be of service to others. Instead of trying to create a perfect life or being sad about losing the life I had during my marriage, I am instead focused on creating memories (instead of collecting material things), finding the JOY in the everyday (instead of looking to outside sources or other people to bring me happiness), and helping others on their own Health & Wellness journeys.

Now I use my experience to help others on their personal wellness journey to learn to love the skin they’re in. I help guide others to make healthier choices to achieve their goals and to find the best versions of themselves. It isn’t about a number on the scale or fitting into a smaller size at lululemon. This is about meeting your body where it is right now, accepting and loving your body, and moving for the sake of moving so that you may find strength, flexibility and ease in your own body, and reducing pain. Exercise and movement should be a way to celebrate your body, not punish it.

I am first and foremost always a student. I am constantly learning about the body and movement through extensive study, personal lessons, continuing education sessions and workshops. In my personal life I’m a father to my rescue dog, Harley, an anatomy geek, avid reader and book lover, lover of all things pink, Jesus lover, Disney nerd, and Francophile. In my free time, you can usually find me at Walt Disney Word, reading French books while listening to Edith Piaf, or sipping a crisp glass of Sauvy B on the beach.

A Few of My Favorite Things:

I am currently trying to live my best Southern Coastal Grandmother (your Coastal Uncle or brother if you will) inspired life. I try to find life’s little pleasures throughout every day and cultivate Joie de Vivre (or the Joy of Living) into everything I do.

Favorite Beverage: Coffee, Matcha Lattes, Diet Coke, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Rose wines, or a crisp glass of Sauvy B (Sauvignon Blanc) or a Bourbon cocktail.

Favorite Color: Pink, but now I’m getting into more neutrals like the Pantone color of 2025, Mocha Mousse. My ideal color palette is inspired by being near the ocean: the pale and rich blues of the water, neutral beiges of the beach sand, and cotton candy pinks of a setting sun.

Favorite cities: Mazatlán, Mexico, Charleston, South Carolina, St. Augustine, Florida and Savannah, Georgia. As a Francophile, I’m obsessed with everything French including Paris and the French Riveira/South of France, but as of current, I have yet to visit. I just know that France is where my heart lies.

Favorite pastime: A beach day – some of my favorite Florida beaches are on the West Coast in the Tampa, St Pete, Clearwater area. I love a day on the beach, setting up a little tent for me and the dogs, having a glass of Sauvy B, and eating from a charcuterie board I prepared.

Favorite Author: Oscar Wilde or Anais Nin. I mostly read non-fiction books, but I do love a good beach read.

Favorite Movies: Breakfast at Tiffanys and Pretty in Pink

Favorite Workout: I really do love everything as far as movement and I will try anything once. I have done workouts such as Pure Barre, F45, step aerobics, rowing and more that were fun. Obviously, as a yoga and Pilates teacher, those are very important workouts to me. I absolutely LOVE Pilates and recommend everyone try it. I just picked back up running after ten years of not running and am currently training for a Half Marathon in 2026.

My Dream: My dream life would be to live in small cottage by the sea in the South of France. I would have a small Pilates studio where I would hold classes in the morning. My days would be spent baking and writing my next bestselling book. The nights would be spent on the beach, with a bonfire and good friends. Or in my garden surrounded by roses and jasmine, as I sip on a glass of Sauvy B or champagne.

Contact Me:

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to send me an email or contact me via social media, whether that be for PR reasons or if you would like to ask me a question. I’ll respond as soon as I can.

Email – christopher.ian0430@gmail.com