Q&A with Sophia Manassei: Finding Rhythm, Ritual & Connection in Montauk

There’s a particular kind of light that settles over Montauk in July, the kind that makes you want to move slower, breathe deeper, and trade your usual routine for something more attuned to the season.

At Ancient + Brave, we love sharing conversations with the practitioners, teachers, and creators who inspire our community to embrace modern wellness through meaningful daily rituals. 

This summer, we sat down with Sophia Manassei, one of The Class Montauk's beloved teachers. Originally from London and now based in Brooklyn, Sophia brings a rare blend of movement, mindfulness, and community into every Class she teaches. Known for her welcoming presence and deeply intentional approach, she creates space for people to reconnect not only with their bodies, but with themselves and each other. We spoke about her journey to The Class, the quiet rituals that shape her summers out East, and what living bravely looks like in this season of life.

Let's dive in.

Summer in Montauk has a rhythm all its own. How does this season shape the way you care for yourself?

Sophia Manassei:
Summer reminds me that not everything needs to happen at full speed.

Montauk has a way of bringing me back to the essentials. I spend more time outside, swim in the ocean whenever I can, walk instead of rushing, and let the daylight shape my day rather than the clock.

I've noticed that as I've gotten older, I care less about doing more and more about doing what genuinely nourishes me. Good food, enough sleep, movement, fresh air, laughter, and time with the people I love. Those simple rituals become the foundation of everything else.

What drew you to The Class, and what kept you there once you found it?

Sophia Manassei:
I was drawn to The Class because it didn't separate movement from the mind.

Long before I found The Class, I was fascinated by meditation, mindfulness, breath, and the body's incredible intelligence. The Class brought those worlds together in a way I'd never experienced before. It wasn't simply about exercise; it was about paying attention. It invited people to experience themselves more honestly.

Nine years later, that's still what keeps me here.

I've realized this isn't something we ever master. It's a lifelong practice of becoming more aware, more present, and more compassionate with ourselves. Every season of life reveals something different, and teaching within a community makes that journey even more profound.

There's something incredibly powerful about witnessing people soften, strengthen, and grow together. We often heal in relationship with one another, and I think that's one of the greatest gifts The Class offers.

Was there a specific moment when movement stopped being exercise and became something more?

Sophia Manassei:
I don't think there was one defining moment. It happened gradually.

Movement stopped being something I did to change my body and became a way of listening to it.

Meditation taught me that the body is always communicating if we're willing to pay attention. Some days movement gives me energy, some days it asks me to slow down, and other days it simply reminds me to be present.

Walk us through a Montauk morning before you step into the studio. What does it look like?

Sophia Manassei:
I'm naturally an early riser, so I treasure those quiet moments before the day begins.

I'll make a coffee, step outside, breathe in the sea air and, if time allows, go for an ocean walk before breakfast. I try not to fill the morning with too much input. No rushing. No unnecessary noise.

The ocean has a remarkable way of regulating my nervous system before I even arrive at the studio. By the time I step into the room, I feel grounded, grateful, and present.

At Ancient + Brave, we talk about living bravely—the small daily choices that add up to a life well lived. What does that phrase mean to you right now?

Sophia Manassei:
For me, living bravely has become much quieter than I once imagined.

It's choosing to stay open when it would be easier to protect yourself. It's changing your mind with curiosity. It's asking for help, allowing yourself to rest, and having the courage to be fully present instead of constantly reaching for what's next.

I think bravery lives inside our daily rituals: the way we care for ourselves, the way we speak to the people we love, and the willingness to keep doing the inner work, knowing there will always be another layer waiting to be discovered.

What's something about teaching in Montauk, compared to a city studio, that changes the energy in the room?

Sophia Manassei:
People arrive differently.

In New York, we're often carrying the momentum of the day with us—meetings, emails, deadlines, traffic.

In Montauk, nature has already begun the work before class even starts. People have watched the sunrise, walked on the beach, or simply allowed themselves to slow down.

There's a softness in the room that's unique to this place. People seem more available to themselves, and that changes everything.

When someone takes your class for the first time this summer, how do you hope they walk out feeling?

Sophia Manassei:
I hope they leave feeling more like themselves.

Not just physically stronger, but lighter, clearer in mind, and more connected to their body, their breath, and the people around them.

As summer winds down, what's one thing you hope people carry with them—on and off the mat—into the rest of the year?

Sophia Manassei:
I hope people remember that well-being isn't something we discover on holiday and lose when September arrives.

It's created through the small rituals we return to again and again: a walk outside, a nourishing meal, a conscious breath, movement, stillness, conversation, and laughter.

These moments might seem ordinary, but they quietly shape the way we experience our lives.

The seasons will always change. My hope is that the relationship we build with ourselves becomes the steady thing we carry through all of them.