The San Miguel Wellness Movement: A Conversation with Abi Stage

I've been taking Pilates at SMA Pilates + Barre since I arrived in San Miguel four years ago.

Like many people, I tried a few different studios when I first moved here. Some were good. Some simply weren't the right fit for me. I always found myself coming back to SMA Pilates + Barre because it felt different. The instruction was exceptional, but there was also something else that kept me coming back: a sense of community, authenticity, and genuine care that can be hard to find.

As I've become increasingly interested in health, strength, longevity, and overall well-being, I've had the opportunity to meet some truly remarkable women working in the wellness space here in San Miguel. Abi Stage was one of the first people who came to mind when I started this series.

When I asked Abi what she does, she answered in a way that immediately made me smile.

"I watch people grow, heal, and rediscover themselves through movement."

It's probably the most beautiful description of Pilates I've ever heard.

What brought you to San Miguel, and what made you decide to plant your wellness practice here?

Abi's path to San Miguel wasn't part of some grand life plan.

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, she came looking for art classes. At the time, she was working in the fine jewelry industry, a career that looked glamorous from the outside but left her feeling increasingly restless and disconnected from her values.

While attending a trade show in New York, someone mentioned San Miguel's incredible metalsmithing community. Something about the city immediately captured her imagination.

"I didn't have any major life changes on my radar," she told me. "But the moment I heard about San Miguel, it was like I knew I would end up here somehow."

Looking back now, she sees that she may have been searching for more than art. Like many people who find their way here, she was searching for breathing room.

Movement had always been a constant in her life, and Pilates had already become what she describes as her medicine. As she began splitting her time between San Miguel and the United States, she completed her first formal certification through Merrithew STOTT Pilates in Denver.

What struck me most was what she said next.

"It was one of the few things I had come across in my life where I knew I would be a forever student."

What does a session with you actually feel like?

One of the reasons I've stayed at SMA Pilates + Barre is because it never feels performative.

Abi explained that while Pilates is rooted in precision and control, she's not interested in creating an environment obsessed with perfection.

"I know there are studios where that environment exists," she said. "What I love about SMA Pilates + Barre is the community, the support, and the chisme we get to share during footwork."

That line made me laugh because it's true. Guilty as charged.

Classes are challenging. They are thoughtful. They are highly personalized. But they never feel intimidating or rigid.

"You should expect a session to be challenging and targeted," she explained, "but you should never feel out of control or downright exhausted."

Who is your ideal client, and what do they usually walk away with that they weren't expecting?

"SMA Pilates + Barre has been serving the San Miguel community since 2017, and we've had the pleasure of guiding many different bodies through their Pilates practice. Joseph Pilates famously said, 'Pilates is for every body,' and I truly believe that. One of my biggest red flags is a studio where everyone is the same age, shape, or size. To me, that often means the teacher hasn't learned how to connect with and adapt to different bodies and individual needs.

My ideal client is simply someone interested in mindful movement. Maybe they've experienced a serious injury and are looking for ways to realign their posture and manage chronic pain. Maybe they struggle with body awareness and want to build a stronger connection with themselves physically. Or maybe they've been practicing Pilates for 20 years and are ready to deepen their practice.

We are not a commercial studio filled with rows of reformers and dozens of instructors. Everyone who walks through our doors matters. Helping people find strength, confidence, and support through movement is one of the deepest joys in my life.

What many clients walk away with that they weren't expecting is a deeper sense of connection, not just to their bodies, but to themselves. I genuinely believe we can heal ourselves, our pasts, and even generational trauma through mindful movement. How the body moves, stores tension, recalibrates under stress, retains elasticity, and ultimately heals fascinates me. In many ways, I think it's an underlying theme in all living things.

Getting to witness that transformation, and helping people discover the movements that support it, is incredibly powerful. I'm simply grateful to be part of the process."

Listening to Abi talk about movement, it's easy to understand why so many people find their way to her studio.

Which led me to my next question.

Why do you think San Miguel has become such fertile ground for wellness?

Abi believes it's a combination of several factors.

Part of it is that San Miguel has long been a destination city. Part of it is that wellness has become a global conversation. But she believes there's something deeper happening here as well.

"There is a very real energy here that's hard to explain unless you feel it," she said. "People come here to reinvent themselves."

As someone who moved here myself, I understood exactly what she meant.

Many people arrive in San Miguel during a transition. They're looking for a fresh start, a different pace, a healthier lifestyle, or simply a new chapter.

Wellness often becomes part of that journey.

What's one thing you wish more people understood about Pilates?

I loved Abi's answer to this question.

She explained that while Pilates is built on a century of methodology and tradition, she doesn't believe there is only one right way to teach it.

Two highly trained instructors might teach the exact same exercise differently, yet both can be absolutely correct.

"The feeling you get in your body is what should be consistent," she said. "Not necessarily how your teacher gets you there."

In a world obsessed with appearances, she believes Pilates has very little to do with how you look in a matching workout set and everything to do with how you feel in your own body.

"It's about finding a space where you feel seen," she told me. "It's about building a love for your body that grows mentally, spiritually, and physically."

Honestly, that's probably one of the reasons I've stayed.

And it's certainly one of the reasons I wanted to share her story.

This is the first installment in my San Miguel Wellness Movement series, highlighting the people helping make San Miguel not just a beautiful place to live, but a place where people can truly thrive.