Smarty Moms: Lynne Ray and Christine Roper

Today, I am thrilled to feature two Smarty Moms, Lynne Ray and Christine Roper.  These two women are smart, fun, and inspiring.  They have found a way to do it all, and I believe it is because they are doing what they LOVE!   They have a truly special friendship spanning over 20 years.  Their interest in physical therapy is what brought them together, but their special friendship and vision is what has made them great business partners.  Here’s a glimpse into the lives of  these lovely ladies.

For starters, Christine and Lynne work together helping people everyday in their physical therapy practice, Roper Physical Therapy.

They help their patients increase function, restore motion and enhance their strength and energy. (How rewarding!) They also provide them with a whole-body wellness approach with their one-to-one customized care.  In addition to this, Christine and Lynne both saw a need for more care for their physical therapy patients and started Professional Yoga Therapy Approach, PYTA two years ago.

They realized that many people who practice yoga maintain their health & well-being, improve physical fitness, relieve stress, and enhance their quality of life. They both became very interested in this and became trained in this new professional yoga approach.  It is yoga, led and directed by physical therapists.  Now they can help their patients even more!  You don’t have to have an injury to attend, just know that if you do go to this type of yoga class, you are definitely in good hands with these trained professionals.

These ladies careers’ alone are impressive for two women, but we are only getting started.  These ladies are also dynamic, energetic, and caring moms.  They both are extremely involved in their children’s activities, schools, sports, and churches and with three children each, they are two very busy moms (and all of their children are very active and athletic!)!  I guess their children come by it naturally as Christine played Division II basketball in college and Lynne is very active in the triathlon community and even competed in two different Ironmans in years past.  Wow, ladies!!  However, I’m not done yet… Lynne and Christine both continue to make time for their own exercise and fitness activities so they remain fit and healthy. As I said earlier…these ladies do it all.  I am so honored and excited to present these Smarty Moms to you.  You will love getting to know these amazing, strong, interesting, and fun women.  They will inspire you and encourage you for sure!

Smarties, meet Lynne and Christine!

Smarty Moms Lynne Ray and Christine Roper

Smarty Mom Stats:
Lynne Ray:
Children: Jack 13, Claire 10, Clay 8
Years in Charlotte: 20
Hometown: Boone, NC
Neighborhood: Myers Park
Alma Mater: Appalachian State University (BS in Exercise Science) UNC-Chapel Hill (BS in Physical Therapy)

Christine Roper:
Married to: Bill Roper
Children : Kelsie 14, Lorelei 13, William 6
Years in Charlotte: Since 1993 and my husband is actually from here
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Neighborhood: South Charlotte
Alma Mater: Mercyhurst University in Erie PA and University of Miami, Florida for Graduate School

How did you become Physical Therapists?

L – I always knew I wanted to enter the medical field, I just didn’t know what discipline. After receiving excellent physical therapy for an injury I received while playing basketball at age 16, I knew physical therapy is where I wanted to be.

C – My undergrad degree is in Athletic Training and Business Administration.  The hours a trainer keep can be grueling so I look for something similar and Physical Therapy it is!

When did you start working together?

L – 20 years ago at Carolinas Medical Center, approximately 5 years ago at Roper Physical Therapy and started PYTA approximately 2 years ago.

C – Lynne is younger than me so it was in 1995.

What is the best advice you can give us about taking care of our bodies?

L – Do everything in moderation!

C – This has obviously changed throughout the years for me but right now it is a term called “ahimsa”…nonviolence. Right now, women in our age group are on a mission to prove themselves.  I have seen so many injuries from pushing so hard at any cost.  My advice, take a hard look at what you are doing for exercise and set a realistic goal, get sleep (yes, I am talking to most of you busy moms), eat well, drink a ton of water and come to PYTA. We can help you handle the rest!

What is something memorable that a patient has taught you?

L – My patients have taught me so many things, but most of all I would say their perseverance stands out the most. If someone wants to get better, they put the effort forth no matter what obstacles stand in their way. This has taught me that with the right attitude, planning and focus anything is possible.

C – My patients teach me every single day.  I have a 9 year old patient who has undergone 29 surgeries to date.  Her mom told me she was in the prep room for her most recent surgery and a man next to her was having surgery also.  He asked her is she was nervous because he was.  And she told him that he could do it if she could do it 29 times and she was only 9!  Everyone is wounded.  If you can only open your eyes and look around and be quiet long enough you will hear a story that will make you feel inspired.  My career is so humbling everyday.

When did you form PYTA and tell us a bit more about this?

L – Christine began her Professional Yoga Therapy studies in 2009, 2 years before I did. During this time my interest in a more holistic approach to healthcare grew as well as my passion for yoga. Christine knew I would enjoy the Professional Yoga Therapy program and encouraged me to begin my training. After my first on-site week long training session, at Professional Yoga Therapy Studies, I was hooked. The holistic, eastern medicine approach to healthcare that PYTS offered me combined with my western trained background was ideal. Christine and I felt that our patient population as well as the healthy population in this urban area needed biomechanically sound, evidence based yoga. Thus, PYTA (Pit-uh) Professional Yoga Therapy Approach was born in 2012.

C – This is a vision I has for a very long time.  Lynne and I being athletes have taken yoga classes since 2004 for various injuries.  The one thing she and I kept coming back to is “that all yoga classes are not for all people.”  I remember taking a class at a local studio where a patient of mine was also in attendance.  I didn’t know she was going to be there and I spent ½ of the class motioning to her not to do certain poses because it would aggravate her condition.  However, it wasn’t until 2010 that I actually acted on it and began my Professional Yoga Therapy Studies with Ginger Garner, PT.  Once I started, I knew the information would resonate with Lynne who is an amazing PT and athlete.  Thus, we both completed our training in 2013 and the birth of PYTA was born in March of 2013.  We were so supported by our awesome patients who really wanted the information and wanted to be in a place where their “condition” was understood and they could safely participate in a yoga class.

What is it about PT & Yoga that you love?

L & C –  We enjoy the relationships that develop. In both PT as well as yoga, the atmosphere is real, open, loving and fun.

What are some of the advantages of PYTA?

L –  PYTA classes are taught by physical therapists with over 20 years of experience. Our classes are limited to 8 students which allows us to evaluate, diagnosis and often treat in class. We can make adjustments as able and offer an abundance of education on biomechanically sound, evidence based yoga. Yoga should be healing not harmful.

C – There are other “yoga therapy” offerings in Charlotte but most are not lead by a PT.  We have spent 20 years of our life studying and working with the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. PYTA looks at you in a concept of addressing the Pentagon of Wellness where we address your physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and energetic needs.  Yoga really should be the blend of the mind with the body into Wellness.  That is what you will find with PYTA.

Now for the fun stuff…

What are your top 2 forms to exercise?

L- Running and yoga

C- Yoga and spin class

What is your favorite city in the US other than Charlotte?

L – Charleston, SC

C – Miami, FL

Name your best place to vacation with your family.

L – anywhere warm, surrounded by water, and a beach.

C – Cayman Islands, Sedona Arizona or Cabo San Lucas

What was the last thing you cooked for dinner?

L –  Caesar salad with grilled chicken, avocados, and boiled eggs.

C – Mahi, Mahi with “Olive This” white balsamic vinaigrette and chipotle olive oil, sweet potato fries and edamame.

What’s your favorite restaurant?

L – Good Food

C – Halcyon Restaurant

Last book you read?

L – “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown

C – I read all the time.  I just finished “Phone Calls from Heaven” by Mitch Album and I’m now reading “Quiet” –it looks at introverts and extroverts and our need for both.

Guilty pleasures?

L -Dark chocolate covered almonds and a glass of Cabernet

C – Dark Chocolate with sea salt

Best parenting advice you ever received?

L – Always let your children know you love them, no matter what, during good and bad times.

C – From my mom who had 8 children.  Children’s toys are the building blocks for life.  When buying a toy ask yourself “what is my child going to learn from this toy or game?”

What makes you laugh the most?

L – hearing my children laugh and giggle 🙂

C- ….Lynne – No seriously, I love jokes although I am horrible at repeating them because I forget the punch line.  A child’s giggle… My six year old’s funny faces, my 6 foot 13 year old girl who still tries to sit on her dad’s lap and my 14 year old’s many accents.

Coffee or tea?

L – Strong coffee!

C- This is an easy answer, My husband, Bill makes the best coffee in the world and most mornings greets with my cup as I walk down the steps.  However, I am the world’s worst coffee make so if he is not home, it is tea.  He and I also enjoy tea in the evening as we share our day.

PYTA
www.professionalyogatherapyapproach.com
Facebook at PYTA
(980) 298-6706,
301 E. Tremont Avenue Suite B
Charlotte NC 28203
Roper Physical Therapy
http://www.roperpt.com
301 E. Tremont Ave. 
Suite B
Charlotte NC 28203
(980) 298-6706

We were so excited that Christine and Lynne shared their story with us, and we have one last story of theirs we wanted to share. We love hearing words like these because it makes all of us here at CSP SMILE so big! Thanks, Christine! We feel exactly the same about you and the rest of our amazing readers!

I love the premise of Smarty Pants.  Personally, I am trying to raise strong girls who are leaders in my family and community. I am a Girl Scout Leader and I am trying to instill each one of those girls with self-esteem and a vision of leadership. I think it is important to support women- owned businesses.  I feel often that women tend to try and bring each other down instead of lifting up.  This is something I have tried to engrave in my girls upbringing since they were small.  We should try and celebrate each other’s accomplishments.  I love the high five from Smarty Pants.  Namaste, Christine.