{"id":17734,"date":"2020-01-31T14:06:05","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T19:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/how-pilates-helped-me-connect-with-my-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/"},"modified":"2021-02-08T09:21:59","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T14:21:59","slug":"how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/","title":{"rendered":"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is a story about hope, determination, strength, mixed in with a tiny bit of miracle.\u00a0 When I first met Justine she seemed like any other 20-something year old looking to learn and live and gain experience.She was bright and present and confident.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>But I would soon discover that she was anything but a regular 26 year old.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>LIFE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Let\u2019s begin this story a little earlier to Justine as a healthy, athletic 16 year old.<\/p>\n<p>Like many teens, Justine was sporty and loved gym class. Her favourite sports and activities included volleyball, water-skiing and snowboarding, flag football and cheerleading. Growing up with two brothers, you had to be tough, and she considered herself a bit of a tomboy.\u00a0<strong>Not only was Justine a natural athlete, she was also very good in math, very ambitious, organized and responsible.<\/strong>\u00a0You could sometimes find her organizing her brother\u2019s finances and helping them with their homework! She even talked about going to business school in university. This girl was on her way up![\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-819109\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-819109\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17707&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-524051\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-524051\" >\n            [vc_column_text]On weekends she often went to the family cottage to practice her favourite water and winter sports and relax with family. She wasn\u2019t one to party it up and get silly drunk at bars every weekend (most of her friends already had fake IDs so even though the legal drinking age is 18 in Quebec a lot were getting in younger than that).\u00a0\u00a0<strong>She much preferred just chilling with friends and having parties in the comfort of her home.\u00a0<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]However on July 10th, 2010 she decided to use a fake ID for the first time to go to a bar with her good friends.\u00a0 Once in the bar they all started dancing and partying and having a good time.\u00a0 Justine however maintained a certain level of control and didn\u2019t drink much. They met up with other friends and eventually started thinking about heading home to one of the girls\u2019 place for a sleepover.<\/p>\n<p>They were going to take a taxi, they had the money for it, but an acquaintance offered them a ride. They didn\u2019t know this guy very well, he was a friend of a friend, but they thought, hey if it\u2019s gonna save us a few bucks why not![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]\n<blockquote class=\"mkd-blockquote-shortcode\" style=\"width: 80%\" >\n\t<span class=\"mkd-icon-quotations-holder\">\n\t\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon_quotations\"><\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n    <h6 class=\"mkd-blockquote-text\">\n        <span>She was 16 and what she didn\u2019t know was she was about to get the greatest lesson of her life.<\/span>\n    <\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The boy driving the car, who was 18 at the time, was a bit of a show-off and tried to impress the girls by driving really fast. As she says this I have flashes of when I was 16 and boys were often acting macho in front of girls trying to impress us by driving recklessly to seem cool.<\/p>\n<p>Justine sat in the back seat behind the passenger seat, her long-time childhood friend Evelyne sat in the passenger seat and their other friend Claudia behind the driver.<\/p>\n<p><b>Suddenly, the speed became too fast to handle and the car smashed into a tree on the front driver\u2019s side. The car was totaled.<\/b>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]\n<blockquote class=\"mkd-blockquote-shortcode\" style=\"width: 80%\" >\n\t<span class=\"mkd-icon-quotations-holder\">\n\t\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon_quotations\"><\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n    <h6 class=\"mkd-blockquote-text\">\n        <span>On July 10, 2010 life would change forever for Justine and her friends.<\/span>\n    <\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One girl\u00a0<strong>suffered a head trauma, another suffered injuries to her ankle, femur, lumbar spine and hip<\/strong>\u00a0and the driver\u2026well he got only minor injuries.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Justine however was crushed in the abdomen by the\u00a0<\/strong><b>seat belt<\/b>\u00a0which caused excruciating pain in her stomach.\u00a0 She remembers thinking:\u00a0<strong>\u2018\u2019The car is going to explode! I gotta get away, far away and now!\u2019\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She ran out and was in such extreme shock she didn\u2019t even realize that her ankle was broken, her right clavicle and left elbow were fractured, her sacrum was fractured, and her intestines had just been severely crushed and injured.<\/p>\n<p>She was just beyond scared. \u2018\u2019I just wanted to call my mom\u2019\u2019, she remembers. Her stomach hurt so badly that she even started hallucinating and having odd visions.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>THE SCARY REALITY<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she lost pulse twice on the way and was in and out of consciousness. The worse injury of all was her\u00a0<strong>crushed intestines<\/strong>\u00a0which eventually turned into necrosis of the small bowel and colon.\u00a0 At first, she was in a real coma for a few days but then she was plunged into an artificial coma in order to perform the daily operations and to allow her body to heal. \u00a0I always tell my clients (and my kids) that sleep is one of the best healing medicines![\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-827618\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-827618\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17636&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-738559\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-738559\" >\n            [vc_column_text]<strong>They kept her open for 10 days because for some unknown reason she kept having continuous hemorrhage and small portions of her intestines kept dying which is why they had to keep cutting the dead part of the intestines with daily operations.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>She got to the point where she only had 30cm of her small intestine left and \u00be of her large intestine!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the average healthy human the small intestine is about 6 meters long and the large intestine is 1.5 meters long!<\/p>\n<p>By now, Justine was missing quite a bit and it was getting crucial![\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]While in hospital, the doctors started to worry that Justine wasn\u2019t mentally there.\u00a0 So one day, while in her artificial coma they asked her a question and she had to squeeze someone\u2019s hand to respond.\u00a0 By some miracle she did![\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-594587\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-594587\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17638&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-601264\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-601264\" >\n            [vc_column_text]<strong>Afterwards, she had to be fed intravenously<\/strong>\u00a0because the food she was ingesting wasn\u2019t giving her enough nutrients, she got jaundice and eventually had to be transferred to another hospital that specialized in intravenous nutrition.[\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<br \/>\nShe got an ostomy bag which is a prosthetic device to collect waste. Stool drains from the stoma into a bag attached to the abdomen and it is often put after bowel surgery or injury.<\/p>\n<p><strong>She stayed in hospital for about 7 months.<\/strong>\u00a0She had to do lots of physio and learn how to change her ostomy bag and hook herself up to a catheter to feed herself all night intravenously. She was fed this way for 5 years!<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>IN NEED OF A TRANSPLANT<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Time was not on her side and she desperately needed a bowel transplant. Her veins often got infections from the catheters and she was slowly running out of veins to prick her catheter in. She even had to use her jugular at one point!<\/p>\n<p>She was put on the top priority for a bowel transplant.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>And in 2015 she finally got the news she\u2019d been longing to hear!\u00a0 She had the transplant in 2015 and was finally able to get rid of the catheters and the ostomy bag!\u00a0<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-420723\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-420723\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17676&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-798054\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-798054\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17642&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]But her struggles were not over.\u00a0 She was left with an<strong>\u00a0abdominal hernia<\/strong>\u00a0due to her abdomen staying stretched open for 10 days straight. And to add to everything she\u2019d already been through,\u00a0<strong>post operation she developed cancer!<\/strong>\u00a0This cancer was specifically linked to and caused by the operation \u2013 they call it a post transplant lymphoma disease and it\u2019s linked to the EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus).<\/p>\n<p>She had to do 3 months of chemo, lost her hair, got\u00a0<strong>chemo injections in her spinal cord<\/strong>\u00a0and from 2015-2018 was continuously on her period.\u00a0 She was forced into an early temporary menopause. And she also rejected the bowel transplant twice. Holy geez!\u00a0 That is a lot to handle![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>JUSTINE\u2019S WILLPOWER AND INNER STRENGTH<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But throughout all of this trauma and set-backs Justine remained strong and courageous.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>She even went on a 3-week trip to Europe in 2014 with her friend Evelyne and her other friend \u2018\u2019Mr.Ostomy bag\u2019\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 besides the essentials like clothes and toiletries, she was also carrying 2 ice coolers for her food bags and one hockey bag with all of her equipment (bandages, catheters, tubing, etc).[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-790161\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-790161\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17722&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]They sometimes had to walk up 3 flights of stairs with all this baggage!! \u00a0It wasn\u2019t easy but together they managed and had the trip of a lifetime!<\/p>\n<p>She was determined this wouldn\u2019t stop her from enjoying life and living it to the fullest![\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-886843\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-886843\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17723&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0ENTER PILATES !<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>Justine, having been very physically active and driven learned the hard way that you only have one body so you better take care of it.<\/strong>\u00a0 Her father\u2019s wife happened to have a pilates reformer in their home and kept telling Justine that she should try it.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-447031\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-447031\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17632&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-974899\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-974899\" >\n            [vc_column_text]<strong>And so in 2012 her passion for pilates emerged!<\/strong>\u00a0She started slowly, working privately with a STOTT PILATES\u00a9 instructor (Genevieve Bolla-Studio Set) and gently built up her strength and mobility.<\/p>\n<p>She worked on the mat and Reformer to improve mobility and strength in her right ankle as well as for back pain and pelvic pain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>STOTT PILATES\u00a9 is so versatile and known throughout the pilates community as one of the top approaches for rehab and recovering from pain and injury.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can adapt it to pretty much anyone.\u00a0 I love the precision of this method and how you can follow your client\u2019s pace and needs.[\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]With regular pilates 2-3 times per week, massage, physio and osteopathy Justine was able to get stronger and more mobile. She found that pilates offered her a deeper connection than just regular gym work.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>She developed her deep core muscles, she connected with her breath, she felt taller, stronger in her legs and appreciated the progression of each exercise.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today she pushes herself and is able to do group classes and many of the more complicated exercises while always listening to her body.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-184141\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-184141\" >\n            [vc_column_text]<strong>She loves that pilates offers her a moment to be in the present.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She learned the beauty of being present when people came to visit her in hospital.\u00a0 She felt as though she spent real quality time with the people she loves most.[\/vc_column_text]\n<blockquote class=\"mkd-blockquote-shortcode\" style=\"width: 80%\" >\n\t<span class=\"mkd-icon-quotations-holder\">\n\t\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon_quotations\"><\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n    <h6 class=\"mkd-blockquote-text\">\n        <span>I\u2019ve gotten much closer to my mom and dad since the accident, they\u2019ve become my best friends.<\/span>\n    <\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text]Now she lives one day at a time. She lives in the present moment.\u00a0 Sometimes it scares her to see far into the future.\u00a0 You just never know what it holds.\u00a0 Be here.\u00a0 Be now.[\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-575712\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-575712\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17652&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>TIME TO TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]And so here we are are in\u00a0<strong>October 2019 and she winds up in one of my STOTT PILATES\u00a9 MATWORK certification!<\/strong>\u00a0I always do a check in with all my students at the beginning of class to see if they have injuries or limitations that could affect their performance.<\/p>\n<p>Justine casually mentioned she was in a car accident years ago that still hinders her at times but she was good at listening to her body so no need to worry.\u00a0 And so that\u2019s what I did.\u00a0 I watched her throughout the course make modifications, take breaks, change sitting positions and push herself while being mindful.<\/p>\n<p>One day I decided to ask her to tell me her story.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>It blew me away and as a mother of young children I just can\u2019t imagine what she went through and also the pain and fear it caused her parents.\u00a0 <\/strong><strong>I sit here with tears in my eyes, some of sadness but some of joy and awe at this young girl who overcame so much already, at such a young age.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>She told me she wanted to become a pilates instructor so she could help others like she was helped.\u00a0 She feels like she got to know her body through pilates and she wants others to feel this too.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-three-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-642023\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-642023\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17650&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-239532\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-239532\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17654&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-828455\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-828455\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;17648&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text]<span style=\"margin-top: .2em; font-size: .8em;\">Justine today, her scars remind her of life\u2019s fragility. During her STOTT PILATES Reformer and Matwork certification courses<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The body is powerful. The mind is powerful.\u00a0 Pilates helps you connect with your mind and body in order to have ease in your vessel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u2018\u2019Your body is your motor, it takes you everywhere and follows you your entire life. We need to take care of it\u2019\u2019 , she says.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When she goes to bed at night she tells herself that if can share her story with love and joy to those around her and inspire them to live and love fully, then she can die anytime without regret.\u00a0 She loves life.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>She never stopped fighting because she wants to live, she doesn\u2019t want to take anything for granted, she wants to enjoy, love and accept.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]\n<blockquote class=\"mkd-blockquote-shortcode\" style=\"width: 80%\" >\n\t<span class=\"mkd-icon-quotations-holder\">\n\t\t<span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon_quotations\"><\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n    <h6 class=\"mkd-blockquote-text\">\n        <span>\u2018\u2019Don\u2019t ever forget that time is precious\u2019\u2019 Justine, 2020<\/span>\n    <\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]<div class=\"mkd-separator-holder clearfix  mkd-separator-center\">\n\t<div class=\"mkd-separator\" ><\/div>\n<\/div>\n[vc_column_text]<em>*The driver of the car was charged with careless driving and spent some time in prison. Since this happened Justine and the other girls\u2019 fathers created <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cpcdit.ca\/cool-taxi\/\">Cool Taxi<\/a>\u00a0in Montreal, Quebec, a coupon system to pay for taxis when you don\u2019t have money.\u00a0 You just buy it online and then give it to your child to use when short on cash or stuck and scared. Justine has recently completed the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.merrithew.com\/\">STOTT PILATES\u00a9<\/a>\u00a0Matwork and Reformer certification courses at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/formations.connexionpilates.com\/education\/\">Connexion Pilates<\/a> and has slowly started teaching classes in Laval and Montreal. <\/em><em>She hopes to share her passion about getting to know your body, healing through movement and using your mind to become strong and connected.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text]<div class=\"mkd-separator-holder clearfix  mkd-separator-center\">\n\t<div class=\"mkd-separator\" ><\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>Author : Brigitte Robitaille<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;]<div class=\"mkd-elements-holder mkd-two-columns mkd-responsive-mode-768\" ><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-964667\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-964667\" >\n            [vc_single_image image=&#8221;16129&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; add_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item mkd-vertical-alignment-top mkd-horizontal-alignment-left\" data-item-class=\"mkd-elements-holder-custom-286451\" >\n    <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-inner\">\n        <div class=\"mkd-elements-holder-item-content mkd-elements-holder-custom-286451\" >\n            [vc_column_text]<em>Brigitte Robitaille has been teaching pilates\u00a0for over 15 years and loves sharing her passion about the human body and mind connections.\u00a0 She\u2019s been training the next\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.merrithew.com\/\">STOTT PILATES\u00a9<\/a>\u00a0instructors for over 10 years and is passionate about sharing her knowledge to keen students looking for something deeper. She teaches in Montreal and Rosemere, Quebec and focuses on prenatal, postnatal, kids and clients of all ages with specific needs and injuries.\u00a0 She hosts retreats for women and workshops on the pelvic floor and diastasi recti in Montreal and the North Shore. She also practices massage therapy, Brain-Gym and EFT\/Tapping because if she can help people connect to the vessel that carries them everywhere all day long, she\u2019s happy\u00a0\ud83d\ude0a\u00a0When her girls reach about 16 years of age, she plans to contact Justine so she can tell them her story!!!<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<em>Breathe, grow and let go,<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Brigitte xx<\/em>[\/vc_column_text]        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At 16, Justine&#8217;s life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[234,267,200],"tags":[319,326,250,277,275,276,320,325,247,324],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At 16, Justine&#039;s life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. Read more...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At 16, Justine&#039;s life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. Read more...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inspire Mouvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-31T19:06:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-02-08T14:21:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/justine_reformer_1200_630_2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brigitte Robitaille\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/\",\"name\":\"Inspire Mouvement\",\"description\":\"Sp\\u00e9cialiste du mouvement\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/justine_reformer_1200_630_2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/justine_reformer_1200_630_2.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/\",\"name\":\"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-31T19:06:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-02-08T14:21:59+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/2507ebe280aca0cc54f7cf3a915fe5ab\"},\"description\":\"At 16, Justine's life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. Read more...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/2507ebe280aca0cc54f7cf3a915fe5ab\",\"name\":\"Brigitte Robitaille\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd5435617a824f4d837eca38d82ed31?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd5435617a824f4d837eca38d82ed31?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brigitte Robitaille\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/author\/brigitte\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident","description":"At 16, Justine's life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. Read more...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident","og_description":"At 16, Justine's life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. Read more...","og_url":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/","og_site_name":"Inspire Mouvement","article_published_time":"2020-01-31T19:06:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-02-08T14:21:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/justine_reformer_1200_630_2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brigitte Robitaille","Est. reading time":"16 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/","name":"Inspire Mouvement","description":"Sp\u00e9cialiste du mouvement","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/justine_reformer_1200_630_2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/justine_reformer_1200_630_2.jpg","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/","name":"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2020-01-31T19:06:05+00:00","dateModified":"2021-02-08T14:21:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/2507ebe280aca0cc54f7cf3a915fe5ab"},"description":"At 16, Justine's life was turned upside down after a terrible accident. Through pilates she reconnected with her body and learned to be present. Read more...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/how-pilates-helped-her-connect-with-her-body-after-a-terrible-accident\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How pilates helped her connect with her body after a terrible accident"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/2507ebe280aca0cc54f7cf3a915fe5ab","name":"Brigitte Robitaille","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd5435617a824f4d837eca38d82ed31?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd5435617a824f4d837eca38d82ed31?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brigitte Robitaille"},"url":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/author\/brigitte\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17734"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17734"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17754,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17734\/revisions\/17754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testim.weblibre.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}