After graduating from Immaculata University with a degree in Art and Psychology, Susan M. Desiderio, BA, LMT, envisioned a life centered around creativity and healing. But life, as it often does, had a different plan.

Desiderio married, became a mother to three beautiful children and moved into what she believed was her dream home. From the outside, everything seemed picture-perfect. But behind closed doors, she was quietly unraveling.

She ran a licensed daycare from her basement, caring for infants and toddlers during the day. Upstairs, she looked after her elderly, physically disabled in-laws. At the same time, she managed the household, raised her children and struggled with mounting financial pressure. Though highly capable and constantly in motion, the toll was immense.

Self-care disappeared. Her social connections faded. Coping came in the form of food and wine.

The Breaking Point

Seven years into this demanding routine, she collapsed, fearing she was having a heart attack. It turned out to be her first panic attack. Lying on the cold basement floor, utterly depleted, she knew something had to change. It was a defining moment—one that made her realize she couldn’t continue this way. Her challenge was in how to begin this process when having forgotten her identity.

A New Beginning

Desiderio chose to start with her body—the part she had neglected for years. Yoga hadn’t resonated with her, so she looked for other options. That’s when she discovered a local wellness center offering Mat Pilates.

Nervous but determined, she called. The instructor offered simple advice: “Come. Breathe. Do what you can.”

That first class asked only one thing of her—lie down and breathe. Even that was a challenge, but it became a turning point. That single hour each week quickly became sacred. A quiet refuge. A place to start over.

Coming Back to Life

Week by week, breath by breath, she reconnected—with her body, her mind and her spirit. The fog lifted. Her strength returned. The woman she thought she had lost began to reemerge.

Pilates became her foundation. It didn’t just rebuild her physically—it restored her clarity, confidence and purpose. She stopped merely surviving and began to thrive.

She didn’t just find a form of movement. She found herself again.

Susan M. Desiderio, BA, LMT, is a Holistic Wellness Coach based in New Jersey. For more information, call her at 856-535-7478, email [email protected] or visit www.BlueHavenMassage.MassageTherapy.com.