helping others

I realised I would like to help other people feel as good as I did and reap the many diverse benefits that pilates rewards with regular practice. I embarked on a comprehensive training programme in London, before going on to become an advanced mat instructor.  My personal experiences attracted me to helping pre and postnatal women, and this led to me becoming a specialist in pelvic floor and diastasis recti rehab, helping men and woman alike.

I loved learning about the way the body works – when people would ask me what I was reading at night I’d have to tell them it was mostly books on muscles and tendons. Keen to go even deeper in my knowledge I trained with Burrell Education, a niche training provider in women’s fitness, wellbeing and nutrition, and in the Franklin Method, a movement philosophy designed to help people of all ages and abilities move better through a mind body connection.

Exposure to these techniques transformed my own life – taking me from a cup half empty, to a cup half full person – as I realised the important role our mindset plays in our ability to restore and heal our body. I began taking this more holistic approach with my clients, witnessing their transformations too. Thus, Restorative Movement was born.

the world paused

Then came COVID. And Long COVID. I completely lost my sense of smell and taste. My love of food disappeared as all I could sense was texture. Zero flavour. I now understand that this loss switched off my Cephalic System: the very beginning of the digestive process. When we switch on our digestive juices (which carry all those wonderful enzymes and acids) as the smell wafts from the kitchen and our mouth waters at the anticipation of that first bite.

This led to my inability to digest and absorb fat. My memory became bad, my body covered in tiny white fat spots (as my body tried to secrete the fat it couldn’t absorb) and my poohs changed completely (I checked with my doctor as one must when bowel movements change suddenly). I didn’t want to go the allopathic route and take pharmaceuticals, and also very little was known of long covid at the time, so I worked with a Functional Medicine Practitioner. Together we tweaked my diet, added in radical self-care and some bespoke supplements and nutritional support. And it worked, over time. I committed completely as I desperately wanted to be well and enjoy food again. I had even stopped going to restaurants and my precious one daily coffee, as I just didn’t see the point. 

my next chapter

Inspired by my return to health using nutritional and lifestyle medicine, and by Petra, who had become a Transformational Coach, I wanted to combine these skills and discovered Health Coaching. During my course I had five student clients and so enjoyed working with them to transform not just their e.g. sleep, digestion, but other aspects of their life such as stress and goal setting. And so I embark on my Third Chapter which nicely coincides with my Third Age. Forewarned is forearmed, and I am arms-full of tips and tricks to live a long AND healthy life. Can I help you too?

WORKSHOP AND CONFERENCES

Inhalexale: back to Geneva to take part in an amazing conference where I became a student again, learning new techniques from some of the world’s most experienced instructors including Elisabeth Larkham and Michael King.  Great to expose myself to classical as well as contemporary pilates techniques.  Highlight was being taught by Lolita San Miguel who is one of only two people to have been certified by Joe Pilates himself.

Psoas and Core Awareness with Liz Koch: a healthy psoas facilitates healing, movement, strength, endurance and wellbeing.  During this two-day workshop I experienced practical ways of sensing the psoas and how to soften, lengthen and revitalise this core muscle; resulting in improved neurological proprioception and skeletal balance. 

MENTORS AND COLLABORATORS

I would like to thank my two amazing mentors: Jennie Tarsnane (who participated in the inaugural UK STOTT PILATES® training course over 30 years ago) and Sarah Rosenfield Hubert (who has opened my eyes to other styles of pilates).  Both have helped me enormously to develop my own style and put me through my paces when I attend their classes! They both teach Reformer pilates in Finchley (www.jtfitness.co.uk) and Belsize Park (www.sarahpilates.com) respectively.

Subsequently I have greatly benefitted by collaborating with, and learning from these amazing women:

• Elle Williams, www.ellewilliams.co.uk. Hard to put into words what the incredible Elle does but I do not think it would be Gilding the Lily to say…she is a miracle worker who changes people’s lives by helping them eradicate pain through better movement using Anatomy in Motion, What the Foot!, NK Therapy and NLP.  We met on our pilates training and became firm friends: we love working together and our energy blows clients away…we are a positive energy-force like no other.

• Dr Sophie Rumbelow, www.atlaschiropractichampstead.com. A qualified and caring Chiropractor, focusing on Upper Cervical-Specific Chiropractic care. She has shown me that I need to believe in myself and join the 21st century hence this new website and my social media platforms to help spread my message.

• Pieta Keane, www.circusbodies.com. Leads Suspension Training, Aerial Pilates and Circus Pilates sessions for people who want to move with strength, grace and fluidity. Pieta has shown me how to cut through the nonsense and do my thing.  She has been an integral part of my professional evolution and is always introducing me to new ways of improving movement (most notably the Franklin Method®).

• Elodie Poissenot, www.myfrenchphysio.london. Is my preferred Women’s Health Physio (WHP) for all things pelvic floor, diastasis, diaphragm, haemorrhoid and hernia. She also helps mums with other musculoskeletal aches and ailments but has helped countless women alleviate pelvic pain or incontinence. It is my personal belief that every women should have access to a WHP pre and postnatally as well as around the menopause.