BmoreArt

Manekin is not only a teacher and businesswoman; she is also a devoted mother and wife. She and her husband Thibault have two sons, and they live on a “small but vibrant farm where we share our lives with three Highland cows, two sheep, five snakes, two dogs, one cat, and two piglets.” That Manekin lives in a rural area with abundant life surrounding her makes sense. So much of her ethos involves harmony—within one’s own body, but also with other living things, and it seems that in her husband, she has found her perfect match: “Thibault is a master at transforming fear into courage, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, and making every person he interacts with feel like the most important human in the world.” I can’t help but think this could be a description of herself. 

Manekin’s own energy seems rooted in a belief in the abundance and generosity of the universe. In her view, it is movement that opens us up to greater possibilities. Manekin explains, “Growing up in Brazil, our lives always included music and movement and dance. The heartbeat and movement are part of who we are. I never had any training in dance. It’s always been something I’ve loved doing since I was little. I moved to the United States and that same pulse and heartbeat wasn’t here. I started going to the gym to do cardio and I hated it, but one day my sister-in-law came back from a retreat at Kripalu in New York and told me about it. Long story short, I entered the world of dance as somatic healing. Expression of this movement awakens your own unique expression of truth of who you are in the moment. You are connected to the moment. It is not linear.” 

Though Manekin claims no formal training, her lithe figure and confident demeanor could prove intimidating to less graceful students, but she reassured me that her classes are not complicated and require no previous dance experience. “My classes have a little bit of choreography, but it’s very simple. The steps keep you present.” Indeed, presence is an important component to all aspects of Manekin’s life, and as cliché as the idea of “living in the moment” may sound, this too finds its roots in ancient traditions. 

TRIBE is designed with the five elements of Chinese medicine as inspiration. The studios are dedicated to these elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water—and the range of practices TRIBE offers align to teach people how to harmonize their internal cycles and rhythms with the cycles and rhythms of nature. The unity of purpose is one characteristic that makes TRIBE unique.

Each week, the teachers meet and select a theme that connects to the current season, and each Sunday the community is invited to debrief, sharing how the week’s theme spoke to them. This kind of collaboration speaks to Manekin’s vision: TRIBE is not just a gym or studio; it is a school, and the attendees learn not only yoga postures or dance steps, but more importantly they learn about themselves through their practice.

In addition to the work she does at TRIBE, Manekin runs the Sacred Owl Retreat House, a sanctuary nestled in the woods of Sparks, Maryland. There she works with private clients on what she calls, “the sacred work of soul healing… Sacred Owl is a place where the veil between the seen and unseen becomes thin, allowing for profound transformation and alignment with one’s true essence.”

Manekin’s work is not limited to Maryland. In fact, she leads retreats and workshops around the world. In October, she will lead a retreat in Catalonia, Spain, helping students to “unravel the blocks and barriers that hinder the fullest expression of our spirit within this physical body, creating space for authentic, empowered living.” 

When asked what she would say to those skeptical about the benefits of the healing practices she teaches, Manekin says simply, “You don’t need to grasp the theory or the science behind it. The real understanding comes through experience—by feeling it in your own body.” She goes on, “Move your body, engage in breathwork, and immerse yourself in the transformative power of cold water. Notice how your body responds, how your thoughts shift, how your emotions flow. If you feel even the slightest change, you’ve opened a doorway. That’s your invitation to return, to dive deeper, and to discover the profound connection that exists within you.” 

Manekin’s colleagues at TRIBE echo this idea. Director Gary Grisham explains, “The way you move is the way you think. If we can move in creative ways, we can think in creative ways. Physical strength and flexibility translate to mental strength and flexibility, and if we use a variety of ways to get into our bodies, our minds will adapt more easily.”

The world moves so quickly, and forces vying for our attention can be overwhelming, but Manekin shows that we can find peace even amid the tumult. “I navigate the world by tuning into my inner compass,” she says, “experimenting with different practices, and observing the effects on my body, mind, and emotions.”

Perhaps if we take our cue from Manekin, we too can aspire to be athletes, stoics, warriors, and poets.