Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Murphy.
Hi Tammy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My love for pilates began in 2008, at Bodemotion in Phoenixville, PA. My mom had convinced me to try a private session with Andrea Littlewood, who she had been seeing weekly. I fell in love with the work and decided to go through Andrea’s comprehensive teaching program, alongside my mom, which was based off the Romana lineage. My first client/guinea pig was one of my best friends, Mary Schmidt, who I would practice with weekly on the floor in my bedroom. Becoming a pilates instructor allowed me to do something I loved while still raising my three kids at home. I used to say that I taught pilates so that I could pay for my pilates. After completing the program with Andrea, I continued my studies with the completion of the Ron Fletcher Program of Study in 2014 under Lisa Priebe, Marjie Foley, and Krista McCarthy. Shortly after I became a NCPT through the National Pilates Certification Program.
In 2018, I sustained an injury which stopped me from doing pilates, as I had constant nerve pain down my right leg. After looking into possible causes and trying different modalities with no relief, I started working with an Egoscue therapist, Kristen Thor, who explained and corrected the postural deviations that were a contributing factor to my injury. Experiencing first hand how this method restored my body back to its designed posture and function, I decided to pursue a certification in the Egoscue Method. In 2020 I received my Postural Alignment Specialist certified by Egoscue Institute.
I now teach a combination of both postural therapy and pilates and have taken my studio through various stages of life. Keeping with tradition, I introduced my daughter Hannah to pilates and she started teaching alongside me after completing the Drexel Pilates Teacher Training Program. In 2024, we renovated and opened our studio in a beautiful old church at 810 S. 23rd Street in Philadelphia, PA.
As a family business, the most important value of our studio is community. Outside of the teaching, learning & practice, our favorite part of the space is getting to know our clients. What often starts as a weekly form of exercise, quickly turns into celebrating wedding albums, attending gender reveals, sharing dinner, bringing spouses to the studio and more. We have supported many of our clients through the ups and downs of their lives and they have done the same with us.
When opening the studio, we had one goal in mind. Our mission was and still remains to be a light in our neighborhood through the intention within each session, the peace curated in the space, and most importantly through the genuine relationships built. Along with my daughter, and two other incredible teachers Melissa Franklin & Melissa Funtanilla, we are a small but mighty team of four trying our best to align, restore function and strengthen one body at a time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely not a smooth road. Some of the challenges I faced were:
-learning how to balance my family life with my new career
-continually recreating a space to teach in as the studio grew
-acquiring a commercial variance for my current studio (which took several months)
-getting approval from various local authorities and historic committees
-acquiring the various building permits
-integrating scheduling & billing software
-setting up and providing cohesive streamlined services for our clients
-managing a team of employees & setting/implementing a vision for the studio
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Refine Movement Studio?
As a pilates & postural therapy studio, we specialize in assessing posture and any limitations in movement. We are known for our detailed quality instruction & for the peaceful environment of our space. I am most proud of my team of instructors who are continually learning and implementing various techniques to align and restore function to our client’s bodies.
What sets us apart is our unique approach. We find it crucial to evaluate one’s posture to address any imbalances they may have before working their muscles against a weighted spring. An initial evaluation is required for all new clients in order to safely assess their alignment, mobility and strength.
How do you define success?
My definition of success is going to work everyday, loving what you do so that you can do it passionately and to the best of your ability while creating lasting & loving relationships along the way.
Pricing:
- Initial evaluation is $105-$115/75 min
- Private session $95-105/55min
- Semiprivate session $55 per person/55 min
- Triplet/quartet $40 per person/55 min
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Refinemovementstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refinemovementstudio?igsi=MWNnZTN3aGl2YThwcQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EfgQWTwav/?mibextid=wwXIfr
