My relationship with Pilates goes back a long way, well over 25 years.

I started having one to one sessions and going along to classes in a desperate attempt to help with chronic back pain and headaches. I had read many success stories and had heard first hand from people who had benefitted immensely from Pilates. To my delight, over time, I started to become one of these success stories and Pilates became a very healthy obsession of mine. Rolling out my mat was and still is a daily ritual. Having something at my disposal to support my mind and body is tremendously empowering. I wanted to share this gift with others.

This was a major driver in me embarking on Pilates teacher training.

At this time I had been working in the field of Adult Mental Health and Addiction as a Social Worker and a manager of several community drug projects for 13 years and it, very much, felt time for a change.

I qualified as a Level 3 Pilates Matwork Instructor in 2009. I have been teaching classes ever since, initially, in bespoke Pilates studios and then venturing out to run my own classes in community settings and one to one sessions for people who want tuition around specific issues.

I never tire of learning and have completed a whole range of courses that enable me to continue enhancing my knowledge and skill base. These include:

• Pilates for pregnancy and the post-natal period (Pilates Foundation)
• Pilates for a range of orthopaedic conditions (Future Fit)
• Pilates and Osteoporosis (APPI)
• Pilates and the Menopause (APPI)
• Therapeutic Yoga (APPI)
• Mindfullness Meditation (FITT)

I love Pilates and I love working with people. Making Pilates accessible and safe for anybody wanting to give it a try is what I do. I am very experienced at creating the conditions for people to move and exercise at their own pace and to develop confidence to progress to higher level exercises. The results I see really are amazing and witnessing this really is a privilege.