How Brandy went from relearning to move after spinal surgery to working toward her first flip
"Start simple and stay consistent. You don't need to do everything at once - you just need to keep showing up."
Brandy had spinal surgery and had to rebuild her relationship with movement from scratch. For years, daily discomfort was just part of life - and even when she could move, parts of her body felt disconnected and out of reach. We chatted to her about what it took to stop just managing pain, and how she finally found a body that feels strong, connected, and entirely her own.
I live a pretty movement-centered life now, but it definitely didn’t start that way. I was diagnosed with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia and had decompression surgery years ago, which completely changed how I experienced my body—I had to relearn how to move and build strength again. For a long time, I was in pretty constant discomfort, so a lot of this journey has been about getting back to a place where my body actually feels good to be in. Now it’s a big part of my daily life.
Before Kaya, I had already done a lot of work on my own, but my body still felt inconsistent. I was dealing with a lot more daily discomfort, and even when I could move, it didn’t always feel good or controlled. There were still areas that felt disconnected, like I couldn’t fully access or trust them. It felt like I was close, but missing something.
What was the final straw that made you decide things had to change?
I think I just got to a point where I didn’t want to just manage pain or feel “okay” anymore—I wanted to actually feel strong, comfortable, and at home in my body.
Now I move every day with intention, and my body actually feels good to be in. I can squat, hang, run, and I’m starting to explore more athletic movements that I never thought I’d be able to do. I’m not constantly thinking about discomfort anymore—my body feels more connected and responsive, and I can build on it instead of working around it. I’m even working toward things like more dynamic movement and flips, which would have felt impossible before.
It’s carried over into everything, honestly. When you’re not in constant discomfort, you just have more capacity—for patience, for consistency, for everything. I trust myself and the process a lot more now, and that’s changed how I show up day to day.
Start simple and stay consistent. You don’t need to do everything at once—you just need to keep showing up. That small, intentional work really does add up.
I really like the mobility and control-based sessions, especially the ones where you’re building strength in deeper ranges. Those moments where something finally clicks are the best—they’ve helped me access parts of my body that used to feel completely out of reach.
