About Sarah Pritchard, MSMT MSME.
Sarah Pritchard is an ISMETA regulated Master Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator and EMD UK and SPM Regulated Comprehensive and Remedial Pilates Teacher taught by Alan Herdman, specialising in female health and dancer wellness. She is a a recognised One Dance UK Healthcare Practitioner dedicated to elite dancer health and is the Pilates Tutor for Fabric Dance and Fabric West Midlands Centre for Advanced Training. Additionally she holds a Postgradute Certificate in Education (Level 7). As an Expert Level 4 Franklin Method Educator, Soma Soul® Somatic Therapist and Buff Bones® Faculty, Sarah is an international embodiment educator and expert in somatics. She provides evidence-based movement, movement therapy and Somatic Therapy in Birmingham, Shropshire, and virtually worldwide.
(Credentials and association status are verified as of July 2026).
Sarah Pritchard holding Eric Franklin’s 'Dance Imagery for Technique & Performance' after guest teaching in the International Franklin Method® Studio.
Returning Home to Yourself
Powerful movement, deeply felt.
Integrating the whole person - physical & emotional body through embodied Somatic Pilates. Using the two incredible Somatic works of the Franklin Method® & SomaSoul® Somatic Therapy.
Coming Full Circle: From Injured Mover to Master Somatic Movement Educator & Therapist
My journey began as a dancer striving for perfection - until severe injury and two reconstructive surgeries stopped me in my tracks. Overnight, I went from a body that could do everything to a body that couldn’t move.
Rebuilding my physical and emotional self from scratch led me to Pilates and Somatic Movement, where I finally found the answers I had been searching for. The turning point in my recovery came when I discovered Eric Franklin’s work as it provided solutions to my blocks in movement, and later Dan Leven’s work in integrating the emotional body.
Over a decade later, my path came full circle. Here I am holding that very book (Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance) after guest teaching a session for dancers in the International Franklin Method® Studio. To go from relying on these principles to rebuild my own body, to holding Level 4 certification and teaching them to the next generation of dancers, is a gift I never take for granted.
My passion is guiding women and dancers who feel disconnected from their bodies, helping you move past limitations and rediscover deep, integrated joy in movement and life. It’s a promise I made at the ISMETA Conference last year where the professional somatic community from all over the world declared who they ran for. Well, I run for you.
When I say I understand your journey, I truly do.
Sarah xx
“Let go of your assumptions and let your body teach you”.
Eric Franklin
An incredible journey from beginner to teaching on the Franklin Method® International stream from my virtual studio in 2025 on the enteric nervous system, bridging biomechanical precision with deep somatic nervous system regulation. I am so proud to be an Expert Level 4 Educator and ISMETA Registered Master Somatic Movement Therapist and Master Somatic Movement Educator (MSMT/MSME).
My Journey into Embodiment & Somatic Movement - what I do and my teachers.
So here is a longer version…
I am Sarah Pritchard, a somatic movement and therapy specialist dedicated to helping women and dancers reconnect with and create a body and movement that lasts for life. As the UK Faculty for Buff Bones® and an Expert Level 4 Franklin Method® Educator, I bridge the gap between clinical science and the joy of healthy embodied and sustainable movement. I also work deeply with the body to produce profound change emotionally as a Soma Soul® Somatic Therapist. Whether in Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Shropshire or Virtually, my mission is to help you feel whole, resilient, and confident in your own skin and more like you.
My Somatic Movement & Therapy Studio is a dedicated mind - body somatic space for personal and professional growth. I am an Internationally Regulated Somatic Practitioner, Registered Master Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator (MSMT / MSME) with ISMETA, a Comprehensive and Remedial Specialist Pilates Teacher with EMDUK and the Society for the Pilates Method, and a Dance UK Healthcare Practitioner. Every aspect of my work is fully regulated, offering you assurance of my qualifications, continuous training, and teaching expertise.
My work is available in-person in Birmingham, virtually worldwide, and through exclusive retreats in Shrewsbury Shropshire. I also guest teach for dance companies and schools internationally. I guide clients of all levels, from those with limited movement experience or post-injury recovery to professional dancers and movers including principal dancers of Birmingham Royal Ballet, professional composers, artists, movement professionals, those already in the field of somatics and movement, those on stage and screen and a premiership footballer! But your job is just one aspect of what makes you, you. I work primarily with you the person, and I invite you to take your labels away and just meet yourself as you too! My approach enhances body-mind integration, supporting each individual person’s journey toward embodiment in movement and life. So I want to emphasise I work with all kinds of women, from all walks of life!
My principal somatic practice is the Franklin Method®, and I am one of the few Expert Level 4 Franklin Method® Educators in the world. I’ve studied directly with Eric Franklin for over a decade, bringing his transformative principles directly into my work. In March 2025, I was a lead educator in the Franklin Method® Level 4 “Tuning into the Senses” stream, teaching advanced embodiment on the enteric nervous system and movement awareness to a global audience and am a guest teacher within Eric Franklin’s Virtual Studio for February 2026 teaching Heart Centered Presence and this July teaching Spiral and Suspend for Dancers. I am a qualified SomaSoul® Somatic Therapist, having completed my training and clinical supervision at the Leven Institute for Expressive Movement under the mentorship of Sage Brodie and Daniel Leven. Additionally I have studied Integrative Somatic Parts Work, and have completed post graduate studies with the Leven Institute in Bioenergetics, Character Structure and the work of Alexander Lowen. Being a Somatic Therapist allows me to hold space for the 'whole' person and see the big picture in every respect. This work goes beyond the physical structure to explore the story held within the body. By integrating somatic dialogue, deep listening, and expressive movement, I help you navigate the intersection of your physical sensations and your emotional landscape - into a profound journey of self-discovery and healing.
In Pilates, I am a Third Generation Pilates Teacher. This means that I have direct lineage back to Joseph Pilates himself. I trained with the internationally renowned Alan Herdman in London and have taught across his affiliated studios. I have taught clients of every age, skills level and ability and my Comprehensive Pilates training under Alan includes a specialism in remedial exercise. As a teacher for movement specialists I emphasise dancer health and wellbeing, supporting performers of all ages and levels to optimise and preserve their bodies. I am proud to serve as Pilates and Dance Wellbeing Tutor at the Centre for Advanced Training for Contemporary Dance (Fabric) in Birmingham, and at Yuva Gati, a centre specialising in South Asian Dance. I am also a member of Birmingham’s Dance Leaders Group and a OneDanceUK Healthcare practitioner for Pilates, Somatic Movement and Franklin Method®.
Having also deepened my understanding about bone and joint health with Rebekah Rotstein I became an Advanced Buff Bones® Instructor. I am also Buff Bones® International Faculty, for virtual trainings worldwide and in person trainings in the United Kingdom. I train and mentor other instructors, focusing on somatic embodiment and movement intelligence. My additional studies include Pre and Post Natal Pilates with Carolyn Anthony and dance health with Dr. Suzanne Martin, as well as multiple specialised courses in anatomy, physiology, and somatics. My teaching uniquely integrates the work of Eric Franklin and the Franklin Method®, Somatics, the work of Daniel Leven, Polyvagal Theory, and interoception to support remedial work, chronic conditions, and high-level movement optimisation.
My own movement journey - from dancer to rehabilitation after complex surgery - led me to discover the profound joy of Pilates and somatic movement. This personal experience fuels my deep understanding of embodiment, body-mind integration, and transformative movement. When I’m not teaching, I continue exploring movement through diverse modalities, deepening my knowledge of the body, mind, and psyche.
As a teacher, I am gentle, calm, and trauma-informed, with extensive safeguarding, inclusivity, and sensitivity training (including BAID). My studio is a safe, evidence-based, inclusive space where movement is never just exercise but a holistic practice for the individual.
I work with women and dancers who are committed to improving movement and wellbeing, whether online, in-person in Birmingham and Shropshire, or at international movement retreats. My mission is to help you discover the endless potential of your body and mind, integrating both to achieve your goals with joy, confidence, and lasting results.
I look forward to supporting your unique journey.
Sarah
xx
Don’t forget your roots, my lineage in Pilates & Somatic Movement & Somatic Movement Therapy.
A Tradition of Embodied Wisdom.
I call them my incredible teachers because I know the journey each one of them has taken me on as a human being, moving person and teacher /educator/ therapist. Movement is a living heritage and is passed down through direct transmission, it evolves and changes and in my work synthesises primarily between the work of these three giants in the movement field. My practice is built upon the work of Alan Herdman, Eric Franklin and Daniel Leven. It has been passed down to me directly by these giants in the field of movement and therapy, and I know how lucky I have been to have three incredible teachers and mentors. When you work with me, you are receiving decades of refined Pilates and Somatic wisdom and direct lineage and I love sharing what I have learnt and continue to learn from them. This ensures the integrity, depth, and safety of every movement we practice together. But more than that, its about the how you move, the quality of movement and the embodiment of their combined wisdom.
Alan Herdman - Comprehensive and Remedial Pilates training with the teacher who introduced Pilates to the UK. Lineage: Joseph Pilates → Bob Fitzgerald / Carola Trier → Alan Herdman → Sarah Pritchard, 3rd Generation Comprehensive Pilates teacher.
Somatic Lineage - 4th Generation via Two Converging Lines - Mabel Todd & Bonnie Bainbriadge Cohen / Anna Halprin
Eric Franklin - Over a decade of direct study leading to Expert Level 4 certification and an active international teaching relationship. 1st Generation Franklin Method® Educator. Lineage: Mabel Todd → André Bernard → Eric Franklin → Sarah Pritchard.
Daniel Leven - SomaSoul® Somatic Therapy founder. Direct training, clinical supervision, and ongoing post-graduate study and mentorship, including the work of Alexander Lowen and Bioenergetics. 1st Generation SomaSoul® Somatic Therapist. Lineage: Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen / Anna Halprin → Martha Eddy / Alice Rutkowski → Daniel Leven → Sarah Pritchard. Synthesising Body-Mind Centering, Life Arts Process, and Gestalt psychotherapy.
Sage Brodie - Deputy of the Leven Institute for Expressive Movement. Ongoing mentorship and continuing professional development in SomaSoul® Somatic Therapy practice.
My Key Credentials in Movement are
Alan Herdman Pilates Specialist: 3rd Generation Comprehensive and Remedial Pilates teacher training with the UK’s Pilates pioneer.
Buff Bones® International /UK Faculty: Training and mentoring instructors in medically-endorsed bone health.
Expert Level 4 Franklin Method® Educator: One of a select few worldwide teaching advanced embodiment, with experience guest teaching for Franklin Method®.
ISMETA Registered Master Somatic Movement Therapist and Registered Master Somatic Movement Educator MSMT MSME: Regulated professional support for mind-body health.
SomaSoul® Somatic Therapist: Practitioner in somatic healing, integrating movement, expressive arts, and deep nervous system regulation to support emotional and physical wholeness.
Find me in person & online:
Birmingham (The Jewellery Quarter): Specialist remedial Pilates and dancer health. Buff Bones® Franklin Method®
Shrewsbury & Shropshire: In-person boutique somatic day retreats at Newton Meadows for Pilates, Remedial Pilates, Franklin Method®, Somatic Movement sessions and Buff Bones® sessions. Somatic Movement Therapy and Soma Soul® Somatic Therapy are currently limited.
Virtual Studio: Working with clients and movement professionals worldwide. Pilates, Buff Bones®, Franklin Method®, SomaSoul Somatic Therapy.
Recent Guest Teaching & Speaking
Buff Bones Community: Somatic Movement & Embodiment (July 2026)
Speaking to Buff Bones members on why embodiment matters for bone health - specifically how nervous system organisation impacts stability, balance, and confidence in midlife. This talk positions somatic awareness as integral to bone health work, not separate from it.
“Teaching this work is deep and very personal… it requires presence, vulnerability, precision and your own embodiment so you can help others understand what this work can do. Real people doing real work, witnessing each other, moving through it together - that’s what community means to me.”
Franklin Method® Virtual Studio: Guest Educator (2025–2026)
Teaching advanced embodied movement and dynamic neurocognitive imagery to movement professionals and dancers globally. Featured sessions include
Heart Centered Posture & Presence (February 2026)
Discovering effortless posture and quiet confidence from the inside out. Exploring how the heart relates to the lungs, diaphragm, sternum, and spine, and how heart-initiated movement supports upright alignment without holding. Movement, breath & imagery combine for presence, balance, and ease in sitting and standing.
"Your imagery and delivery is splendid, such mastery. I really felt so reconnected to myself after, and the heart embodiment is just magic."
F. B.L. Franklin Method® Educator & Pilates Professional
Spiral & Suspend: The Art of Effortless Turns (July 2026).
Creating the illusion of weightlessness in your dancing through spinal spirals, oppositional pull and dynamic balance, explored through Franklin Method® imagery and dynamic ball work, for professional and pre-professional dancers.
Beyond my private practice
I serve as a guest educator for movement professionals and dance companies including Fabric Dance, Fabric Centre for Advanced Training (Contemporary Dance), Yuva Gati National Centre for Advanced Training for South Asian Dance, So What Now Artist, Dancing Strong Movement Lab & Buff Bones® faculty, as well as more local projects for Shropshire NHS & am available for global teaching, somatic residencies and guest sessions.
My Ethos
Movement is a reconnection & a homecoming…
In a world that has conditioned us to use the thinking brain and to become more, do more and be more, often our bodies get left behind - we prioritise doing, and can lose sight of what really matters. We become time poor and go for quick fixes, scrolling for answers and view our body as a collection of parts to be "fixed" and "managed”.
I invite you a different way of moving thinking and feeling that is deeply honest.
My work is centred on the profound process of returning back home to yourself.
To move somatically is to stop looking at the body from the outside and to start inhabiting it from within. When we bridge the gap between our internal felt-sense and our physical structure, something transformative happens. We stop moving out of lack or fear - fear of fragility, fear of aging, fear of not looking a certain way, or fear of a diagnosis -and we begin moving from a place of integrated resilience.
Teaching the Whole Person I work with you the whole person as movement is not about moving a collection of parts of us but about full integration of mind and body. The true result of this is not found on the Pilates mat or in the Studio; it is found in the way you inhabit yourself and live your life. It is the confidence to reach, to walk, to dance, and to breathe with ease.
When you are whole and reconnected with your body, you become free to experience life and living again, deeply and with joy.
One movement at a time. One breath at a time. Back home to you.
I know that journey because it is one that I have taken myself and am still on, and the joy it has brought to my life is priceless. If this sounds like a journey that is aligned, then welcome, I’d love to meet you.
Sarah xx
Learn more about my studio and what I teach both in person in Birmingham as well as Virtually across the world.
Read about how my clients feel
Discover many different transformations on my Testimonials page and a little taste you will find below…
“I have been working with Sarah since being diagnosed with osteoporosis. Sarah has been able to ease my associated fear of movement, especially falling…Sarah …gives me both motivation and hope for the future”.
J.W. Artist, Birmingham, Personal Training Virtual & In Person Buff Bones® / Remedial Pilates / Somatics
“I chose to work with Sarah because of her depth of experience, skills and holistic approach…I feel more balanced, stronger and aligned, both physically and mentally… It has given me a much deeper connection with my body and consistently lifts my mind, helping me navigate the physical and emotional stresses of everyday life”
P.B. - CEO, Comprehensive & Remedial Somatic Pilates Studio.
“After I injured my back, I was often in discomfort, and my body felt weaker and quite limited in its mobility… As a person who was previously glued to my laptop, living a fairly sedentary life, Pilates with Sarah opened up the door to movement which has allowed me to become more active and improve my overall health”.
R.K. Executive, Personal Training with Comprehensive Remedial Studio Pilates and Somatic Repatterning.
Let’s start a conversation with your body.
Available for in-person studio work in Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham (B1) and Virtually worldwide.
Everyone’s journey through movement is different and I understand how sometimes taking that first step can be challenging for different reasons, but you will find a welcoming, friendly and supportive reply.
