So, what does M8 mean?
Many of you have heard our story and decisions we made when opening up the Pacific Grove M8 Wellness location. It’s funny how we take “familiar” for granted and go with the flow when it comes to the name, “M8”. But every now and then someone will ask me, “What does M8 stand for?” and I am totally thrown into a complicated explanation that usually has me trying to tell our life story. I guess I never did get the elevator pitch down.
So, here we go.
First. We opened our first Pilates Studio in La Jolla, CA in 2003 (twenty years ago!) and named it “Kore Pilates”. Kore with a “K” because it seemed more masculine, for real, Pilates was a new concept to many and we didn’t want to eliminate our male population with the name.
The business grew, our family grew, the world of Pilates grew, and our interests grew. All to the tipping point of wanting more, but not feeling like our Kore studio would be able to fulfill beyond where it was…So we let go after thirteen years and explored our interests in other wellness arenas.
While Pilates remained a cornerstone of our wellness path, we expanded our business into food and nutrition, yoga and meditation, travel and group retreats, martial arts and fitness, and lifestyle choices. We allowed many opportunities to join us on our journey; working with hospitals and large corporations, becoming an Amazon retailer for organic juices and herbal remedies, travelling to instruct Pilates education around the country, all while our family matured.
By mid 2020 we were enjoying the mountains of Colorado when life changed for all of us. We decided to take the opportunity to spend time as a family embark on a new journey. We crossed the country down to the Florida Keys and back to CA, finally landing in Monterey by Spring of 21. We immediately felt like we had found our home and began planting seeds for a life on the peninsula.
When we first found the space for M8 Wellness, we had chosen our past name of “Kore” and felt like we were just relocating a studio we had begun so long ago. I had actually kept the name while I was travelling to teach and still had a website. But soon, as I was putting the details of what I really wanted together, I knew we needed a new name.
For me, I wanted the studio to offer the community many modalities for well being. I know we are still in our early phase of implementation for fulfilling my desires as a wellness studio and I can see the manifestations for future where we become a healing place for people to gather and feel good in their bodies.
The name, then, needed to be general enough to expand and not pigeonhole our ability to offer more. Over the summer I had offered our first local Monterey retreat that I titled M3 - Mindful + Movement + Monterey…but 3 is NOT my number, numerology anyone?
8 is my number.
Turned on the side it is the infinity sign. The decision was made. I called Pablo and said, “How about M8?” and for those of you that know my husband, he would say “She’s the boss”…so there was no question. My kids however let me know that M8 was a BMW.
Whatever.
Okay everything else fell in place = 8 stations for Pilates, 8 limbs of yoga, 8 principals of the Pilates method. But what did the “M” stand for then?
Finally, here you go!
Movement
Mindfulness
Mastery
Maintenance
Meditation
Meaning
Moment
Moksha
Moksha is a Sanskrit word for freedom. When I studied Ayurveda at the Chopra Center I came to understand that freedom was my purpose in life. In my belief, my desire, I teach so others can feel the joy of freedom in body and mind. In freedom, we find our wholeness…This is M8.
