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Welcome Natalie Petrulla to Our Yoga Team!

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We’re thrilled to welcome a new face to our yoga family: Natalie Petrulla, a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who brings a decade-long passion for yoga and a deeply intentional teaching style to our studio.

Natalie began her yoga journey over ten years ago as a form of stress relief and quickly found herself drawn to the physical aspects of the practice. But it wasn’t long before she discovered the deeper layers of yoga—pranayama, breathwork, and the power of mindfulness—and something clicked. Today, Natalie teaches vinyasa-style classes that feel like moving meditations, blending breath, body, and mind to help students find grounding and release.

Whether you’re new to yoga or deep into your practice, Natalie’s classes offer space to grow, pause, and reconnect. Her approach is inclusive, calming, and empowering—designed to meet you exactly where you are.

Spring/Summer Member Appreciation Weekend

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The weekend of June 14th and June 15th is Member Appreciation Weekend at MINT!

To celebrate our appreciation, we’ve created a special class schedule for you to enjoy, where you can bring a friend to any of these classes for FREE. All you have to do is register your buddy here and then sign yourself up twice to reserve a spot for your buddy.

In addition to our special class schedule, we have included weekend-only community partner goodies.

Class Schedule

  • BONUS CLASS: FRIDAY, JUNE 13TH
    • 12pm Rhythm Ride – Pop Divas (50 minutes) – Mara
      • Get ready to ride like a queen! Join Mara for a high-energy Rhythm Ride featuring fierce tracks from your favorite pop divas. Think Beyoncé, Britney, Gaga, and more – this playlist slays, and so will you.
  • SATURDAY, JUNE 14TH
    • 11am Yoga Hand Balancing Workshop – (60 minutes)- Seara
      • Take your practice to new heights! Seara will guide you through fun and empowering drills to help you master crow, headstands, and handstands. Expect hands-on-support, lots of encouragement, and a whole new view-literally.
    • 12:10pm Cardio Pilates – (50 minutes) – Meg
      • Pilates-but make it spicy. This fast-paced twist on classic mat Pilates adds quicker transitions and amped-up core work. Get your heart pumping and your abs shaking with Meg’s signature energy.
  • SUNDAY, JUNE 15th
    • 11:10 am Hot Pilates Summer: Ring of Fire – (50 minutes)- Sally
      • It’s getting hot in here! Sally is bringing the heat with a Pilates burner that uses the fitness circle to fire up your glutes, core, and shoulders. Feel the sizzle, embrace the shake, and leave feeling strong (and maybe a little sweaty).

Enjoy goodies from our community partners which include…

Why Your Knee Pain Isn’t Going Away – And What You Might Be Missing

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Knee pain can be stubborn. If you’ve tried stretching, strengthening, injections, or even surgery with little to no relief – it might be time to consider looking beyond your knee. Many people are told their pain is due to “wear and tear,” arthritis, or simply aging. But here’s the thing… There are plenty of people out there with these very same conditions who have no knee pain at all.

So, what gives?

It turns out that knee pain isn’t always a knee problem.
If you’re still dealing with persistent discomfort despite following every piece of conventional advice, one of these four lesser-known culprits might be the real reason behind your lingering knee pain.

1. It’s Not Your Knee—It’s Your Back

Did you know that nearly 40% of extremity pain actually originates from the spine – even if you don’t have back pain? The nerves that control your knee function start in your lower back. If they’re irritated, compressed, or not functioning properly, your knee could suffer the consequences.

A key sign that your knee pain is actually coming from your back is if your pain moves around, travels up or down your leg, or worsens when you sit for long periods. If your knee treatments aren’t working, it’s worth investigating whether your back is the real issue by talking to a mechanical back pain specialist.

2. Your Core is Weaker Than You Think

When people hear “core strength,” they usually think about back pain or six-pack abs – but your core plays a massive role in knee health, too. Your core, hips, and glutes work together to stabilize your lower body. If these muscles are weak, your knees pick up the slack, leading to unnecessary strain and chronic discomfort.

Signs of a weak core affecting your knees include feeling unstable on one leg, difficulty maintaining good posture, or knee pain that worsens after prolonged activity. The solution? Strengthening your core and hips can take the pressure off your knees and keep them moving the way they should.

3. Your Ankles Might Be the Problem

Your ankles act as the foundation for your entire lower body. If they lack mobility or stability – your knees will compensate – leading to stiffness, pain, and dysfunction. Poor ankle mobility can make everyday movements like walking, running, and squatting much harder on your knees.

If you struggle with ankle flexibility or feel unsteady during activities like hiking, running, or sports – your knee pain may actually stem from weak or restricted ankles. Addressing ankle stability and mobility could be the missing link to finally getting relief.

4. Your Knee Isn’t Moving the Way It Should

One of the most overlooked aspects of knee pain is mobility. There might actually be nothing at all wrong with your knee – but if it doesn’t move as well as it should – structures within and around your knee joint will slowly start to get irritated. Most rehab programs focus on bending the knee – but proper knee function also requires slight hyperextension – and this is where I see a lot of problems for people. If your knee stops at “just straight,” it may still be restricted, causing long-term dysfunction and discomfort.

Pro-tip: This is especially common after surgery, where full mobility isn’t always restored. If one knee doesn’t move like the other, it’s time to work with a mechanical knee pain specialist who can prescribe corrective movements to help you regain that lost range of motion.

What to Do Next

If you’ve been dealing with knee pain that just won’t go away – there’s a good chance you either have the wrong diagnosis – or the wrong treatment plan. You may need to stop focusing on the knee and start to look elsewhere in your body. The real problem might be coming from your back, core, ankles, or mobility restrictions somewhere leading to secondary stress on your knee joint.

A mechanical pain specialist who understands the bigger picture can help pinpoint the true cause of your pain and create a plan that actually works to finally get your knee pain resolved.

CLICK HERE to request a Back Pain Strategy Session from a back pain specialist at my clinic, or email at trupti@mmsspt.com, or CALL (202) 670 8874 for a FREE telephone consultation so we can ask you some questions and help you better.

Trupti Mehta PT, MS, OCSManual Medicine, Spine & Sports Physical Therapy, Washington DC

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Meet Emani: Our Newest Zumba Instructor Bringing the Heat & Heart to MINT

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There’s a new rhythm heading to the MINT dance floor—please join us in welcoming Emani Kelley, our newest Zumba instructor! Starting as a sub for our dance classes, Emani will be jumping in to lead Zumba whenever we can fit her into the schedule—and trust us, you’ll want to be there when she does.

Certified since 2023 and a longtime member of the global Zumba community, Emani brings contagious energy, thoughtful movement, and an inclusive spirit to every class she teaches. Her carefully curated playlists celebrate worldwide rhythms, including Latin, Reggaeton, Hip Hop, and Afrobeats, turning every workout into a full-on dance party. But don’t let the fun fool you—her classes are designed to challenge and uplift, encouraging you to move with joy, confidence, and freedom no matter your fitness level.

With a background as a competitive runner and lifelong lover of movement, Emani is all about building community through music and motion. She believes in meeting students where they are, helping them embrace new challenges at their own pace, and ensuring everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered.

Originally from Southern California, Emani made D.C. her home in 2024 after earning her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins. Her passion for wellness extends far beyond the studio—she works full-time in the Public Health space and lives by the mantra that “any movement is good movement.”

When she’s not dancing it out, you’ll likely find her baking something sweet, checking out a new restaurant, or hiking a local trail—all soundtracked by one of her signature playlists, of course.

We’re thrilled to have Emani join the MINT family and can’t wait for you to experience the energy and joy she brings to the studio. Keep an eye on our schedule—your next favorite Zumba class might just be led by her.

5 Expert Tips to Treat Back Pain on your Own and Avoid Surgery

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Guest Blog by Trupti Mehta, PT, MS, OCS

Back pain impacts approximately 31 million Americans at any given time, and our health care system spends $50 billion per year on low back pain treatment. It’s the single leading cause of disability, keeping people out of work, and it’s the second most common reason for doctor’s visits.

Back pain is a big problem in this country.
But the even bigger problem, in my opinion, is how the traditional medical system treats and manages those suffering from back pain.
Despite what you may have been told, getting rid of back pain on your own is entirely possible and preventing it can be even easier. But it starts with understanding what the true cause of back pain is for most people.

Eighty percent of back pain is “mechanical” in origin, which means it’s not due to any serious pathology like cancer, infection, or fracture.

Mechanical back pain is the result of abnormal or unusual forces occurring in the structures of your spine, like your ligaments, muscles, discs, and vertebrae. These abnormal forces can accumulate slowly over your lifetime or happen quickly in a single event, such as picking something up the wrong way.

The good news is that if abnormal forces can cause your back pain, then reversing those forces can get rid of your back pain.

Surgery and other medical procedures won’t do that. They only impact the structure or irritant that is aggravated, like when you remove a piece of your bulging disc.

The goal for true back pain recovery is to eliminate what is causing those structures to be aggravated in the first place – and the best way to do that is with healthy movement you can do on your own!

Here are 5 tips to help you minimize abnormal forces on your spine so you can avoid procedures and surgery and get back to being active, working out and doing the things you love!……..READ MORE HERE

Give some of these tips a try and let me know if they help you!

But if not, consider coming in and talking to a specialist at my clinic…

Last week, we announced the addition of Back Pain Strategy Sessions to our schedule.

And we are currently offering a very limited number of these strategy sessions

CLICK HERE to request a Back Pain Strategy Session from a back pain specialist at my clinic, or email at trupti@mmsspt.com, or CALL (202) 670 8874 for a FREE telephone consultation so we can ask you some questions and help you better.

Trupti Mehta PT, MS, OCSManual Medicine, Spine & Sports Physical Therapy, Washington DC
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Step Up to the Barre at MINT

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If you’ve ever taken a barre class, you know how deceptively hard the slow, repetitive movements can be. Barre is a fantastic form of exercise, blending techniques of dance, strength training, and stability into a total body workout that will leave you shaking and sore – in a good way! Whether you’re an experienced barre fan or totally new to it, barre classes at MINT will offer a safe and welcoming environment to learn, refine your form, and most importantly, have fun.

First the basics – what is barre? 

Borrowing elements of ballet, pilates, yoga, and other body-weight activities, barre classes are full-body workouts that typically involve repetitions of small movements that target and tone specific muscle groups. Most classes begin with a warm up, often low impact cardio like leg lifts or marching in place, to activate your core, lower, and upper body. The bulk of the work is done at the barre, though mat work is a part of many classes as well.  

What do I need to start?

All you need to practice barre is a flat surface and some kind of stable support at roughly rib cage height – in MINT’s studio this will be the barre, a free-standing horizontal handrail – but at home you can use a counter or chair. While some classes might use props like weights, a small inflatable ball, or resistance bands, these are always optional. It’s possible to get a great workout using only bodyweight. Good form is key to an effective workout, and most instructors will offer modifications so everyone feels comfortable and challenged at an appropriate level.

Who can do barre?

As a low-impact workout, barre is a great option for everyone. It will challenge and improve your stability and balance, flexibility, and strength. Because only bodyweight or light weights are used, it’s highly adaptable to all fitness levels, ages, and abilities. 

What are the benefits?

Like most forms of exercise, barre can reduce stress and boost endorphins. With its focus on repeated, precise movement, barre is a great way to improve focus and heighten the connection between your mind and body. Though the movements may seem small in the moment, they are incredibly effective, with nearly every muscle group activated over the course of a workout. Since form is so important, barre can even help improve your posture. 

MINT offers barre classes with two incredible instructors – Jeannie and Audrey – on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Find a class that works for you and check it out! Advance sign-up is recommended but not required.