My Pilates Approach: integrated, holistic and healthy
“Every moment of our lives can be the beginning of great things” Pilates
A guiding principle of Pilates is to learn to control your body, but a common mistake it to see it as just keeping fit, building strong abdominals or feeling the burn. It is an intelligent movement system in the hands of the right teacher. Truly, somatic movement in its origins - your mind is actively involved and you become very aware of your body, helping you to take care out it outside of class.
Regular Pilates practice very quickly develops greater strength and flexibility, co-ordination and mobility. It can correct imbalances and bring it back into improved posture, which is turn can alleviate many problems caused by overuse of joints and muscles. It is about helping you create a healthy body to last you a lifetime.
Many people come to Pilates with a clear goal in mind, but is a very intelligent system and has multiple benefits for both the mind and the body.
If you are serious about sport, dance or other movement disciplines as it can support what you do and drastically improve your performance.
It can help you if you are preparing or recovering from surgery, or for women going through the full spectrum of changes in your body: pre, post natal, peri menopause and post menopause.
It can help you manage a whole variety of conditions.
It can help you manage your busy lifestyle by giving you time out in your working week as it is rejuvenating for both the body and the mind.
Pilates really can change your body and give you a much-improved quality of life, This comes from my own experience and the experiences of my clients.
Pilates develops greater self awareness and some of the end results are not just physical but mental: self confidence often improves and people have a much better sense of wellbeing and calm. It is fantastic for body mind and spirit.
What my clients say…
“The sessions with Sarah have been invaluable and made a huge different to my emotional and physical well being. Most of all her classes are really enjoyable. She has sorted out my ongoing back and shoulder problems and given me the skills to develop my own practice at home.”
— J.W.
“I cannot recommend Sarah enough.
Having contacted her for a beginner’s Pilates session she quickly identified a knee issue that had been causing me problems for years. She worked through several movements with me over a number of sessions to try to correct that fault and I am pleased to say that I now have more movement in my leg than I have had for ages.
I have been looked at by several physios over the years (at substantial personal cost and temporary success) - but she has absolutely nailed it and I couldn’t be happier.”
— K.H.
“I’ve never done Pilates before but I was in really good hands! All the movements were explained really well and adjustments made as we went through it. It was gentle yet I could really feel the benefit of the stretching. I felt invigorated yet super calm and peaceful by the end of it! Really set me up for the day and gave me something to do for myself. Bliss! Highly recommend!”.”
— L.C.
Work with a Pilates and a Mind Body Somatic Specialist.
Joseph Pilates left a system of exercises and machines that are still in use and passed these ideas onto a group called the 'elders'. My teacher, Alan Herdman not only brought Pilates to the UK but learnt directly from two of the elders. My current teacher, Michael King, also came from Alan Herdman’s studio, but then went and developed his own style by working with different elders from the Pilates family tree! And so my Pilates comes from that direct lineage back to Pilates himself.
Comprehensive Pilates teachers are skilled professionals who have trained, been examined and qualified in a very different way to the Level 3 standard from the fitness industry (although I have a Level 3 qualification too!). Comprehensive teachers are experts in analysing movement and movement issues and teach a very different kind of Pilates from fitness based Pilates, which although valid, is something very different in its goals, approach and teaching style. My qualification with Alan Herdman includes a specialism in remedial exercise and I am very used to working with people who have encountered injury or are pre or post surgery. I also have advanced qualifications in women’s health and dancer health as well as thousands of hours of experience teaching in very specialist Pilates studios. I often work hand in hand with medical professionals to ensure the best outcome for my clients.
My classes are personalised and are somatic in approach because of my other specialist status as a Somatic Practitoner and Educator. As a result you will be working in a more thoughtful, sophisticated and gentle way with your body and one that brings lasting results. Expect to receive more understanding about how your body moves the way it does, which exercises are appropriate for you, as well as how to move your body in an intelligent and informed manner to make movement beautiful and efficient. You will be working but you will not be just trying to copy movement - you will coached to feel and understand that movement in your body as well as your mind.
Every journey is different, so please contact me to receive specialist guidance.
Group class or 1:1?
My group classes are semi private, and within them we form little communities which are lovely, as from the others you will gain a sense of mutual support. It also means you will be watched in a lot of detail to ensure you are doing the exercise correctly, which means you will also progress at a rate that is right for you. Drop in classes are not offered: your commitment to your health means committing to a time and place for yourself to bring your body into alignment. You simply cannot do that by attending infrequently. My clients are committed to their own practice and I am committed to their development - it is definitely a two way process.
1:1 sessions are essential if you are currently experiencing any issues in your body that need more attention before transferring into a group setting and every journey is very different. If you have advised by your GP or physiotherapist to start Pilates then it is most likely you need 1:1 sessions first. In your session I will take your case notes and assess your posture, movement quality and work with you on the basics before giving you a series of exercises to suit your body and help you bring yourself back into alignment and health. Working to resolve any issue takes commitment from you, there is rarely such a thing as a quick fix. So you need to decide if you want to really resolve the issues you have. If you are working with a medical professional, I will require clearance from them: between us we can work together to make the best outcome for you.
Contact me to find the best pathway for you.
