Hidden Gems: Meet Jane Hopkins of Body & Grace and Midlyfe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Hopkins.

Jane, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

I first came to Colorado at seventeen in the early ’90s to attend Colorado College. After four years, I received a degree in Biology, but had little career direction (I definitely should have visited the career center more often). I was anxious to explore the world. My parents always encouraged me to adventure beyond the familiarity of home and in my 20s I traveled whenever I could – to Europe, Asia, Canada, Africa and Central America. I was also curious about other parts of the country and wanted to explore living in other places before I decided where to “settle down”. I spent time living in four different states on both coasts. Ultimately, I missed the Colorado mountains and sun. I moved back in 2001 and started working at a physical therapy clinic. I immediately felt at home working in a healing environment.

I considered DPT school but was uncomfortable with the amount of debt I would accrue and wasn’t sure I wanted to spend the next several years in school. I had a job that paid my rent and fed me which at the time was pretty great. The clinic paid for my training as a rehab Pilates instructor, as well as other courses in bodywork and exercise therapy. During this time, I also worked at Craig Hospital with my boss that treated patients with spinal cord injuries – para- and quadriplegics. I learned a lot about intensive rehab. I think that experience gave me increased confidence later as I began to work with more complex conditions. I met a Craig PT that had recently completed a massage therapy program at the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado in Denver, she highly recommended the program. Massage school was an affordable way for me to learn therapeutic skills in a relatively short amount of time. The following year I went to night/weekend school and continued to work at the clinic.

The PTs I worked for were NAIOMT (North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy) certified and instructors at the national level. Looking back, I know I learned a lot from observing and being treated by them. One of the most valuable ways to learn therapeutic touch is to receive it from skilled practitioners. To this day, I still use some of the soft tissue techniques I learned from them.

My focus has changed over time with changes in my personal life. After I had my beautiful (relatively large) baby daughter, my heart wanted to work with mamas. Pregnancy and birth took its toll on my body and for the first time in my life, I needed PT. I wore, not one, but two belts to stabilize hypermobility in my pelvis. I was swollen from head to toe and had steroid injections in my wrists three months after giving birth.  I also saw a pelvic floor specialist due to pain and scar tissue from an episiotomy, not to mention my pelvic floor and abdominal muscles needed some rehab as well. I discovered that these types of issues were fairly common in pre- and postnatal clients and suggested we market to OB-GYN clinics. It wasn’t long before we were getting referrals and I was seeing pre- and postnatal Pilates and massage clients!

After several years at the clinic, I decided I wanted more flexibility in my schedule and chose to work as an independent contractor. I was scared to be on my own, but determined to work for myself. I taught at both corporate and boutique Pilates studios and began to build my massage practice. Today, my company, Body & Grace, LLC (http://janehopkins.massagetherapy.com) offers massage therapy, individualized coaching, private rehab Pilates and yoga. One of the best parts of my work is creating long-term client relationships; many of my clients have been seeing me for 10+ years, some of them even remember when my daughter was born (she’s headed to college).

Last year I turned the big 5-0 and I was feeling the very real shifts of perimenopause. I was craving education that would add to my work and became certified as a Women’s Coach through Girls Gone Strong (https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/). I found the content incredibly useful and when I discovered they offered a Menopause Coach Certification, I jumped at the opportunity to learn about this pivotal time in women’s lives. Midlife is such a hectic time for many women and I felt the need to create something that was nurturing and supportive. I have always been a big fan of retreats and the idea that you have permission and encouragement to take a break from daily life to really tune into what feeds your soul. I began thinking of the kind of retreat that might be most helpful during this time.

I knew I needed help to make this vision happen and pitched the idea to some like minded professionals (Physical Therapist, Women’s Health MD, trainer and coach). We created a collaborative partnership (Midlyfe, LLC www.midlyferetreats.com) aimed at helping women navigate the changes in midlife, not only for our present lives, but also to prepare for our future (older) selves. I believe the greater the distance from daily life, the easier it is to disengage from work/home life. I have gone to retreats in Colorado and although they were worthwhile, there is something magical about traveling far and wide that creates the physical and emotional distance needed to retreat.

My path over the last twenty-five years has been full of twists and turns and serendipitous connections that have shaped my work. My heart is continually grateful and I look forward to what might surface next!

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?

There were times I doubted whether I was on the right path and wondered if I should switch fields or return to school. Thankfully, I’ve always felt that I was making a difference in my client’s lives and that has given me continued purpose. I love being a positive part of someone’s day.

Global pandemics, increased rent, and clinic closures have kept me on my toes. Listening to my intuition is a continual practice, but I think it’s paramount to success in any field.

Being a small business owner has its pros and cons. I like the flexibility it has given me with my family life, but it can be time consuming to take care of all the business aspects. I’ve learned a lot over the years about time and business management and I’m still learning.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I’m excited to highlight my most recent business and partnership. I am co-founder and partner of Midlyfe, LLC. https://www.midlyferetreats.com

Midlyfe is a collaboration between passionate experts in women’s health and wellness with a mission to prepare and educate women as they navigate the transitional changes that surround peri- and post-menopause. The hormonal drops in midlife affect everything – our brains, organs, joints, muscles, and bones. Our goal is to help women thrive by providing them with the education and tools that research and experience has proven effective. Midlyfe is the culmination of decades of combined experience and we are excited to share with others what we have learned.

My passion piece will be to help women connect to their bodies through yoga, therapeutic movement, and strengthening classes. Pelvic floor, core, and total body strength training helps prevent chronic pain issues, incontinence, prolapse, hernias, osteoporosis, and life altering injuries. Many of the older women I see are referred to me by their doctor or PT to help build strength. My hope is that we can help women better prepare for aging by giving them the right tools and knowledge to maintain functional, emotional, and mental strength to foster continued independence for decades to come.

If you need a getaway, are craving a reset, are struggling with symptoms surrounding midlife and menopause, want education and tools that will help your future self, love the ocean and picturesque views, check us out! www.midlyferetreats.com

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?

Hmmm, that’s a big question and I think it depends on the day.

Sometimes happiness is working in the garden, sometimes it’s a bike ride with my husband or a hike with my daughter or friend. Reading a good book makes me happy.

When a client thanks me or tells me I’ve helped them, that makes my heart happy.

Eating a good meal with family or friends makes me happy. Power snuggles – canine and/or human = pure happiness!

Sometimes happiness is solitude and quiet; other times it’s being surrounded by friends or family, having quality conversations and meaningful connections.

Learning makes me happy. Being creative makes me happy. When I see and feel acts of peace, respect, humility, and kindness – that makes me happy. I guess the answer is A LOT of things make me happy :).

Pricing:

• https://www.midlyferetreats.com/retreat
• https://janehopkins.massagetherapy.com/services-and-rates

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.midlyferetreats.com
• Instagram: @midlyfe_retreats
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569924186173

Image Credits
My hubby, Steve Hopkins.