My Pilates Approach: Somatic, integrated, holistic, healthy, more like you.
“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 mindful movement system in the hands of the right teacher. Come and try Somatic Pilates which is my integrated approach to Pilates and Somatics - embedding the principles of both systems and with a Poly Vagal Approach to movement.
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. And with the somatic approach you develop not only a deeper felt sense in your body but also greater confidence that you take into many different areas of life!
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 taught in a somatic way really can change your body and give you a much-improved quality of life, where you carry less tension in the body and the mind, you feel strong, integrated and much more like yourself. There is no need to fight with your own body, and working somatically you will very quickly discover that lots of the aches, pains and niggles you may have had before, with practice, will drift away…
Somatic 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. The Polyvagal base of my Somatic Pilates ensures that you move with greater levels of comfort and ease in a supportive community that is focused upon your wellbeing and health in a holistic sense.
What my clients say…
Working with Sarah has been my first experience of Pilates, it has allowed me to understand that mindfulness is not just based on physical movements, but also on the mind-body connection. Sarah’s approach is incredibly holistic, she helps me tune into my body’s signals and identifies where subtle tension affects larger movements in my body (turns out I have a lot of tightness in my feet which affects leg work!) Her focus on mindfulness and breathwork has made me more aware of my body and its alignment, and her calmness is contagious! I always leave sessions feeling aligned and with a new sense of calm.
A.B.
“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.
Working 1:1 with Sarah has provided a level of care and attention that I have not found in previous group settings. All bodies are different and due to life events or even the monthly cycle for those who menstruate, operate at different levels every day. Every session, Sarah will first assess how I am feeling, ask about any issues that have cropped up with my health, physical or mental, and will then design our lesson based on first addressing any new issues causing discomfort, if needed, whilst also ensuring that we continue to work towards my long term goals that we have agreed upon together.
R.K.
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 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.
A Polyvagal approach to Somatic Pilates involves paying respect to our Vagus Nerve which is our key nerve that regulates functions of our body and is our nerve of wellbeing. In that sense a somatic polyvagal approach to Pilates is truly mindful, maintaining the principles of Pilates but merging with somatic principles. The vagus nerve is sometimes called the "wandering nerve" because of the many different parts of the body it interacts with. Stimulating the vagus nerve can have a calming effect on the body. That means that all aspects of the session are designed with keeping the wellbeing of you in mind to allow your body to access its optimum state which is known as the Ventral Vagal state in which we feel more aligned with us as people, more aligned, comfortable and supported in our bodies and have a much clearer mind.
And if you want to try my own Somatic Pilates within a group setting you can do so too - find out more from my journal
Every journey is different, so please contact me to receive specialist guidance.
Group class or 1:1?
My group classes are 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.
