Habits of a Healthcoach

Stronger Every Session: The Full-Body Strength Benefits of Pilates

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:22:23 GMT

Pilates - an alternative approach to traditional strength training?

This article is for interest and information only and is neither advice nor instruction

Pilates offers an alternative approach to traditional strength training—one that focuses on control, consistency, and using our own body weight to develop strength in a gradual, balanced way. While it may look gentle from the outside, Pilates can be surprisingly effective at helping improve strength across the whole body.

One of the defining features of Pilates is its emphasis on controlled movement. Rather than rushing through repetitions, each exercise is performed with precision. The slower pace can increase the amount of time that muscles spend under tension, which can help build strength in a steady and manageable way. It also encourages members to notice how their body is working, rather than simply trying to complete a set number of repetitions. This is aided by careful instruction including verbal cueing, demonstration and gentle correction.

Pilates is often associated with core strength, and for good reason. Many exercises involve the muscles around the abdomen, lower back, and pelvis working together to support movement. Instead of isolating these muscles, Pilates integrates them into a wide range of exercises, helping participants to develop a sense of stability that often carries over into other activities. However, this doesn’t mean the rest of the body is ignored.

Katie’s Pilates sessions also aim to challenge muscles in the legs, glutes, arms, shoulders and back. Movements may appear simple, but when performed with control, they can feel demanding in a different way to traditional strength training. Over time, this can contribute to a more balanced sense of strength, where different muscle groups work together rather than isolating the effort to a small area of the body.

Another important aspect of Pilates is its focus on alignment. One aspect of strength relates to how effectively the body is organised during movement. By encouraging good alignment, Pilates helps muscles to work more efficiently. This can make everyday tasks, like lifting, carrying, or even sitting for long periods, feel a little easier and more supported. Rather than focusing solely on one type of movement, Pilates encourages strength across different positions and ranges of motion. This can help class members to feel more capable and confident in their everyday activities, and also in their other forms of exercise, such as running, racket sports, dance, or weight training.

Breathing also plays a role in how strength develops during Pilates. Coordinating breath with movement can help reduce unnecessary tension and support smoother, more controlled exercise. For many people, this creates a sense of rhythm and flow, making strength work feel less strained and more connected.

One of the reasons Pilates appeals to a wide range of people is its adaptability. Exercises can be adjusted to suit different levels, whether that’s beginners or those more experienced. Small changes—like altering the position of our limbs, making movements bigger, or slowing the tempo—can significantly change how demanding an exercise feels. This means that strength can continue to build over time without needing to continually change the routine, whilst also allowing people of varying experience levels to participate in the same class.

My personal view is that Pilates would ideally form part of a varied movement diet, one that also includes some form of cardiovascular training, as well as resistance work. However, many people do not enjoy gym training or traditional cardio training such as running, and therefore Pilates may provide an accessible entry point to exercise for them. It may also be a fantastic addition for those already doing a more strenuous, or perhaps repetitive, exercise programme, by adding a session of controlled, aligned and core-focussed exercise to their movement diet. Katie’s Pilates doesn’t aim to push people to their limits in a single session; indeed, the classes positively promote self-awareness and listening to the body. Instead, I hope to support a gradual, consistent approach to building strength. With regular practice, my goal is for my class members to gradually feel more stable, coordinated, confident, and stronger – session by session.

How Pilates Helps Improve Flexibility and Mobility

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:13:57 GMT

How Pilates helps improve flexibility and mobility

Many people come to Pilates hoping to feel a little less stiff and a little more comfortable in their bodies. Whether it’s tight hips from sitting at a desk, shoulders that creep up after a long day, or a general sense of reduced mobility, stiffness is something most of us recognise. Whilst Pilates is often known for its focus on core strength and control, it can also play a helpful role in supporting suppleness and ease of movement.

Unlike stretching routines that may focus on holding positions for a prolonged time, Pilates approaches flexibility through movement. Exercises are performed slowly and with control, encouraging joints to move, through a comfortable range of motion, while muscles lengthen and strengthen at the same time. This combination may explain why people find that Pilates feels different from traditional stretching classes.

A key feature of Pilates is the emphasis on alignment and awareness. Rather than pushing into a stretch, Katie’s Pilates members are guided to notice how their body is positioned and how it feels as it moves. This can help us recognise where we tend to hold tension and where movement feels restricted. Over time, paying attention in this way can help improve our body awareness, and therefore make it easier to release habitual tightness and start to move with more freedom.

Pilates also focuses on balanced muscle use. Tightness can develop when certain muscles are overworked while others are underused. For example, if we only strengthen the muscles at the front of the hips, the muscles at the back may become less active, which can contribute to a feeling of stiffness. Many Pilates exercises gently encourage different muscle groups to share the workload more evenly, which can support a more comfortable range of motion. Additionally, Katie’s Pilates sessions aim to involve the whole body during each class, utilising a wide range of positions, movements and stretches.

Breathing plays an important role in improving flexibility too. In Pilates, the breath is coordinated with each movement, helping to avoid bracing or holding excess tension during the exercises. Learning to breathe smoothly whilst moving can create a sense of ease and rhythm, making stretches feel less forced and more natural.

Another reason Pilates can help with tightness is that movements are often performed in multiple directions. Instead of stretching a muscle in just one way, Pilates moves might involve bending, rotating, and lengthening through different planes of motion. This variety can encourage joints and muscles to explore a larger range of motion, whilst staying within what feels comfortable. Within Katie’s Pilates classes, movements can be made smaller, slower, or supported with props so that exercises are kept within a range that feels safe for each individual.

Whilst many people join a class to try and improve their flexibility, many also fear that they won’t have enough flexibility to join a class in the first place. The main pre-requisite for joining Katie’s Pilates is the ability to safely and independently get from standing down onto the mat and back up again (using a chair for assistance if required). Exercises are typically performed in standing, lying on our side, back, or front and resting on hands and knees. From these positions the movements themselves can be modified to suit varying levels of strength, flexibility and experience.

Over time, many people notice that everyday movements start to feel smoother and less restricted, such as reaching, bending, and turning. Although Pilates doesn’t offer any guarantees, or promise dramatic overnight changes, it can offer a thoughtful way to explore movement and release tension at a pace that suits you. By combining control, awareness, and steady movements, it can support a sense of ease in the body that carries beyond the mat and into daily life. Practising Pilates can support us in many of our activities of daily life, and I believe that we do Pilates to get better at life, not better at Pilates! If you’re interested in giving it a try, feel free to get in touch, I’m looking forward to hearing from you. All my class details can be found here .

Where Pilates Began: A discussion on its history and how it compares to yoga

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:33:17 GMT

A discussion on the history of Pilates and how it compares to yoga

Pilates is a familiar feature in today’s gyms and health centres, but its roots trace back to Joseph Pilates, who created the method in the early 20th century. His personal approach to exercise gradually evolved into the Pilates practice we know today. While it’s often compared with yoga, barre, and other mind–body classes, Pilates has its own distinct style and focus. In this article, I’ll explore where it began and how it compares to similar exercise options.

After developing his approach, partly during World War 1 where he assisted the injured and sick with their rehabilitation, Joseph Pilates began sharing his method when he moved to New York in the 1920s. He and his wife, Clara, opened a small studio where dancers, performers, and athletes amongst others came to learn his exercises. An appealing feature of this form of exercise may have been the focus on the mind-body connection that perhaps felt different from the more vigorous fitness trends of the time. Over the years his method evolved and eventually spread around the world.

Although modern schools of Pilates vary, most approaches still focus on the guiding principles of concentration, control, centring, alignment and coordinated breathing. These principles shape the way the exercises are performed. Instead of rushing through movements, Pilates encourages people to slow down and move with purpose. My Pilates classes, like many others, also emphasise use of the core, a term often used to describe the muscles around the centre of the body that help support stable balanced movement.

How Pilates Evolved Into Modern Practice

Over time, the original Pilates exercises have been adapted to include large equipment such as the reformer or small props like rings, balls, or foam rollers. We often use resistance bands in Katie’s Pilates. Some classes, like mine, lean towards mindful mobility, whilst others feel more athletic and dynamic. This range allows people to choose a style that suits their fitness level, health goals, and physical limitations.

One of the reasons Pilates remains popular is that instructors can tailor the approach to different experience levels within the same class. Beginners usually start with simple smaller movements, focusing on coordination, control and awareness, whilst more experienced participants might progress to flowing sequences. I love teaching the basics to beginners and then providing harder options of the same movements to those seeking a stronger challenge.

How Pilates Compares with Yoga

Pilates is often compared to yoga, and whilst the two share some similarities, they also feel quite different. Both focus on mindful movement and breathing, and both are typically taught in a calm, structured environment. However, Pilates tends to be more exercise-focused, using repeated movements to build control and stability, while yoga typically incorporates more stretching, flowing postures or held postures. Neither is inherently better than the other—many people, including myself enjoy both for different reasons. My one-hour classes incorporate a ten-minute mindful relaxation session to promote a peaceful and calm end the class.

 Choosing the Right Class for You

Ultimately, the best choice depends on what type of movement you enjoy and need at this stage of your life. For those drawn towards slow, controlled, mindful exercises with a strong emphasis on alignment, technique and body awareness, Katie’s Pilates might be a great fit. If you’re curious to try a session, you're welcome to come along as a one-off before committing to a block of classes. As we're fortunate to have such a variety of exercise options in and around Hook, there’s plenty to explore. I look forward to hearing from you if you’d like to try my warm and welcoming weekly sessions in Hook Village Halls. Booking is required in all classes, so feel free to reach out and book in. All my class details can be found here . Start by emailing me to enquire and book in today!

Pilates for beginners. Answers to 6 common questions

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:56:12 GMT

Answers to 6 common questions about Pilates for beginners

This month I thought I’d write an article sharing my thoughts on some of the most common questions beginners ask about Pilates. Whilst Pilates has become very popular, it may feel a bit daunting for beginners, so I hope this article helps if you’ve been considering giving it a try. These responses are based on my own teaching style and experience, which will vary from one instructor to the next. This article is for interest and information only and is neither advice nor instruction.

1. What is Pilates, and how is it different from yoga or other workouts?

Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on controlled, mindful movements, often emphasizing core strength, posture, and stability. Whilst it shares some similarities with yoga—like mindful breathing and body awareness—Pilates tends to use repeated exercises to build control and alignment rather than holding or flowing through poses. Additionally, each exercise tends to target specific muscle groups.

2. Do I need to be fit or flexible to start Pilates?

Pilates is designed to be accessible for beginners. In mixed-ability groups, such as mine, exercises can be modified to suit different fitness levels, flexibility, and experience. The focus is on moving safely, slowly, and with control, which makes it suitable for many people. To join Katie's Pilates the main physical pre-requisite is that you can safely and independently get down and up off the floor, using a chair if required.

3. What equipment do I need—can I do it at home or only in a class?

You can start Pilates on a simple mat at home—no equipment is required. Many exercises just use body weight, whilst others may use small props like a resistance band, Pilates ring, or foam roller. We often use a resistance band in Katie's Pilates, but this is always optional. Many people prefer the social contact of being in-person in a group whilst under the watchful guidance of the instructor to help them correct their technique when required.

4. How often should I practice Pilates?

Consistency matters more than intensity. Many beginners start with 1–2 sessions per week. You can adjust the frequency as you become more comfortable and familiar with the exercises, and as you gradually build strength and stability. Katie's Pilates classes are either 45 or 60 minutes long. The longer sessions include a 10-minute relaxation at the end of the class.

5. What are the main benefits of Pilates for beginners?

Pilates is often appreciated for helping people feel more aware of their body and their movements. Beginners may notice improvements in posture, balance, core control, flexibility, and overall body coordination. Many also enjoy the calm, focused pace of classes, which can make exercise feel less rushed or intimidating than other workouts, as well as more mindful.

6. What if I have back pain, injuries, or other physical limitations?

Katie's Pilates can usually be adapted to accommodate back pain, injuries, or mobility issues—but it’s important to consult a healthcare professional prior to starting if there are any existing conditions. I also recommend a brief phone call with me before the first class to discuss any concerns. Additionally, participants should listen to their body throughout each class to avoid worsening any symptoms or conditions.

Pilates can feel welcoming for beginners because it’s adaptable, mindful, and structured in a way that encourages learning at your own pace, with a focus on control, awareness, and consistency. If you'd like to give Katie's Pilates a try, simply email me to enquire and book your place in a warm and welcoming regular weekly class in Hook. The first session can be taken as a one-off before committing to the rest of the block. If you have any further questions, check out the FAQs page on my website here, or get in touch and we can arrange a call.

Reflecting on 2025

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:22:58 GMT

My reflections on my health habits this year

I thought I would write this month’s article discussing some of the tweaks I’ve been making to my diet and lifestyle over the past year. This article is for information and interest only and is neither advice nor instruction.

Having suffered with SI joint pain (very lower back area) on and off for the past few years, likely the result of years of gymnastics as a child, I decided to change an element of my regular exercise to see if that would help to reduce it. Having started jogging twice a week a few years ago, I experimented with switching that up for some low impact high intensity interval training (HIIT) instead. Thankfully the switch seems to be having a positive impact on my pain, which is now markedly improved. I'm also enjoying the change of activity, though sadly missing the weekly catch up with friends! As these sessions are relatively short, I’m also managing to spend some time in the sauna afterwards. I’ve come across lots of information on podcasts and books suggesting that regular saunas can be very helpful for our longer-term health, so I hope my future self will be pleased that I’m building this habit now! Plus, I love the feeling of warmth during these cold winter months.

Although I’ve been a regular gym user for many years, I realised I wasn’t keeping track of my weight-training sessions. This meant that I'd regularly perform one or two sets of a movement at a weight that was usually too light. The simple act of taking a notebook and pen around the gym now means that I record the weights, reps and sets for each exercise. My workouts have subsequently become more time efficient and effective, because I start each set with the appropriately challenging resistance. I’ve also been able to see some significant progress because I've written it down. I heard a quote that says 'what we measure gets better' (apologies, source unknown to me) and it certainly seems to have been the case in this instance.

This year I've been learning about the various health and well-being benefits of spending time in natural daylight. As a result, I'm trying to modify a few behaviours to maximise this benefit. I try to step outside as soon as it’s daylight, which is often a while after waking up in the winter months. However, when I realise that the sun has come up, I try to take my cup of tea in the garden, even just for a few minutes. The light exposure to my eyes may be supportive of my sleep/wake cycle (or circadian rhythm), and I also hope to gain from the wider health benefits of the full spectrum light we get from the sun. As we can't always expect to see the sun in our UK winter, I've invested in some full spectrum lightbulbs which mimic natural daylight. These are adjustable to mimic the dimmer evening light too, and I’m hoping these tweaks will support not only my sleep but my overall health as well.

During the summer, I was finding myself giving in to cravings for chocolate bars and chocolate covered ice cream bars. I do have a sweet tooth and love a bar of chocolate, however, a meditation session during a soundbath has helped me to curb my cravings for chocolate. In fact, for the last four months, I haven’t eaten a chocolate bar. Not only do I think this is helping my blood sugar levels, but I've noticed my energy levels becoming more stable. I don’t know for how long I will be able to avoid eating chocolate bars, especially with all the festive treats in the house, but I’m pleased that I’ve at least had a bit of a break from it! Right, off to drink a cuppa in the morning daylight!

I'm back from my brief outdoor coffee break and into my final reflection! I’ve been getting some inspiration from a couple of Instagram accounts that share ideas for stretches and mobility exercises. As I've mentioned here in the past, I like to spend lots of the evening sitting on the floor because it prompts me to change position regularly, so I've started incorporating some of these new movements and stretches. I also try to integrate mobility work into those times when I’m already being active, such as whilst picking up tennis balls from the floor during my weekly tennis lesson, or walking amongst the trees!

If you’re looking to make a tweak to your exercise routine in the New Year, you may want to consider joining a regular weekly Pilates class. All adults are welcome in my warm and welcoming groups, from beginners and beyond. Booking is required in all groups, the new term will begin on 7th January, and you can book in now! All class details are here.

Click the button below to email me and enquire.

Preparing for the festive period

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 06:59:30 GMT

My plans for the festive period

As we’re rapidly approaching the festive season, I thought I'd discuss a couple of my intentions for staying as healthy as possible, whilst maintaining a sensible and realistic balance. My goal is to enjoy some of the delicious festive offerings over the next couple of months without feeling like I'm letting go of all of my established healthy behaviours.

I made the decision to give up alcohol in the spring of last year and whilst I don't know if this will be a lifelong change, I am happy to remain alcohol-free for now. This can prove quite a challenge during the festive period. One way that I plan to approach this is to make sure that I have a plentiful supply of enjoyable soft drinks at home, which I can bring with me if I’m invited to a festive gathering. I especially like a sparkling fruit juice that comes in a bottle with a champagne-style cork. This helps me feel like I'm still joining in with the celebrations, particularly if I drink it from a special glass!

Daily-ish movement is a really important part of my life and I hope to continue this throughout the winter months. The darker mornings and evenings can increase the challenge and decrease the motivation, but I’m fortunate to have an exercise bike which I'm using a little more often instead of walking or running in the dark. I’ve recently increased the amount of high intensity interval training (HIIT) that I do and have now built this into my regular weekly routine, often using the exercise bike. However, on a recent weekend away, I had to adapt my HIIT training. Our eighth-floor hotel bedroom gave me the perfect opportunity to use the stairs for a quick HIIT workout!

Since the summer, I've cut right back on my consumption of milk chocolate because I find it very easy to over-consume it. My willpower might become rather tested once we open the annual tub of Christmas chocolates! Therefore, I’ve decided to make some choices in advance to help me manage my intake of chocolate, but to still enjoy it as a treat now and again. This might include a rule that I won't eat any chocolate that I’ve purchased for my family– but I will enjoy a treat if somebody else buys it for me as a gift! Let’s hope I'm not gifted too many bars of milk chocolate! I also love dark chocolate, and I'll enjoy a square of this on most days. Thankfully, a small amount is usually enough, and I almost never feel a craving to overconsume it.

Whilst I do have perfectionistic tendencies in some aspects of my life, I'm also keen to be flexible and balanced, so that I can enjoy an extra treat or two, whilst maintaining many of my long-term healthy habits. Whatever your health goals and intentions are over the festive period, I wish you balance, strength and flexibility! And if you’d like to work on your actual balance, strength and flexibility in the New Year – feel free to email me to book your place in a regular weekly Pilates class in Hook Village Halls for the next block, starting in January.

Lessons from a monastery - part three things that surprised me

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:58:10 GMT

Things that surprised me!

In my two previous articles, I've discussed some learnings I experienced during a summer visit to a Tibetan monastery in Scotland. This is my third and final article in this series, this time reflecting on some of the more surprising elements of my stay.

Whilst observing the prayer and teaching sessions at the temple, I was amazed to see how mobile the monks were. Many of them were in their 'autumn and winter seasons' of life and some had marked restrictions in their mobility. However, at the start of the prayers and teachings they would perform a bowing ritual which involved getting down onto their hands and knees and tapping their forehead towards the floor. They repeated this, standing up and getting back down to the floor, a few times. As I watched one of the older monks, I was reminded of the phrase 'to use it or lose it' as this monk had clearly practised this physical and spiritual movement many times daily, which allowed them to maintain this physical ability. It has provided me with even more motivation to continue with my own mobility and flexibility practices on a daily-ish basis.

The whole complex at the temple was very surprising. I felt as though I had arrived in Tibet, whilst still being in Scotland! I have never been to Tibet, but it felt like I had been transported to a far-away land. The buildings were ornately decorated and there was a beautiful pond with a statue of the Buddha in the centre, monks and nuns walking around in their traditional red robes, and stunning planting of flowers all around. One evening, I noticed a small group of monks walking in circuits around the grounds, talking as they walked, much like I do regularly with my friends around Hook!

I was quite surprised that the prayer sessions were filled with joy and music. I suppose I was expecting a more serious and solemn vibe. However, the prayers were chanted in a semi melodic and repetitive rhythmic fashion that felt very energising and uplifting. These were punctuated with periods of loud symbols and drumming which felt very joyful and playful. A kind lady took the time after the session to discuss briefly what the prayers were about, and explained that play, music and joy were part of these particular prayers.

I was also surprised during one of the Buddhist teaching sessions, led by a senior monk, to hear references to breathwork. Even though I’m aware that meditation and breathwork have their roots in many ancient religions and spiritual traditions, it still somewhat took me by surprised to see a Tibetan monk speaking about breathing! He was discussing how the breath and the mind are closely interlinked, such that when one becomes agitated so does the other. We can calm the mind to calm the breath, or we can calm the breath to calm the mind.

If you're keen to learn more about breathwork, drop me an email or join my newsletter to hear updates on any future breathwork or mindfulness courses. We also practice breathing techniques throughout my Pilates classes. Get in touch to join us in a regular weekly class in Hook's Village Halls. The next 6-week block starts 5th November 2025

Lessons from a monastery - part two is the grass greener?

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:10:04 GMT

Lessons from a monastery - part two is the grass always greener?

In my previous article, I discussed how I benefited from some time away from my digital devices during my recent stay at a Buddhist Monastery. One of the benefits I noticed when less connected to my phone, was a deeper sense of connection to nature. The monastery was situated in a beautiful location on a river and the grounds of the monastery were planted with beautiful colourful flowers. I really enjoyed taking the time to just sit and look at the river, the gentle flowing water was calming and the nature surrounding me was restful and restorative. It was calm and peaceful and undisturbed by notifications from my phone.

With some of my free time I enjoyed a beautiful walk following a marked trail which took me off road along a track up and down on a winding undulating path. Along this path were wild flowers and grasses full of birds and bees. Often as I walked along, a flurry of little birds would fly out. The sounds of the river accompanied my walk as I enjoyed looking at the hilly views and at the path ahead.

When I was looking up ahead, I noticed how beautiful and curving the path looked as it rose up into the hillside and thought it looked much more beautiful than where I was currently standing. However, when I reached that part of the path, I turned around to look at where I’d come from, and the path I'd just walked along looked equally beautiful from my new vantage point. I stood and had a little chuckle to myself because I found it amusing that I could have imagined it would be so much more beautiful here than where I'd been just a few minutes before!

This made me think about the saying that the grass is always greener, and how it's often untrue. With the brain's natural negativity bias it can become our default to complain, to feel jealous of other's good fortune, or to focus our attention on the negatives in life. I've been using a gratitude practice for a few years now, and I'm sure it's helped to shift my focus towards the little wins, joys, or glimmers in my daily life. This gentle reminder on my walk has bolstered my intention to be content with what I have, rather than to be constantly wanting more - my overflowing wardrobe is one area that still needs work! A goal for the upcoming change of seasons is to de-clutter my wardrobe and take unwanted items to the charity shop.

During recent Pilates classes, we’ve been using the image of a gently flowing river to help guide our relaxation session at the end of class. I'm grateful to have a new river to visualise, thanks to my stay at the monastery!

If you’re looking for a gentle mat-based low-impact class with a beautiful relaxation at the end, feel free to get in touch as I have a few spaces available at the start of this new term. New starters are welcome to join at any point in the term, spaces permitting, and I look forward to hearing from you if you’re interested in joining us at a regular weekly Pilates class held in Hook Village Halls. The full timetable can be found here .

Lessons from a monastery - part one - Digital Distancing

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:39:18 GMT

Lessons from a monastery - part one - Digital Distancing

Over the summer break, I had the privilege of staying, for two nights, at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery (in Scotland though, not in Tibet!). It was a unique, interesting and very peaceful experience and I thought I'd share some of my learnings from my stay over the next few articles. My goals for going on this solo adventure were to take some time to reflect, to do some journalling and meditation and to witness the monks in the temple, as much as visitors are allowed.

I initially I felt rather isolated, as on my arrival there were very few people about and I had neither phone signal nor Wi-Fi. As this was a rather unusual solo adventure, I was keen to let my family know that I'd arrived safely after my long drive north. Unfortunately, the mobile network was down, and I couldn't access the limited Wi-Fi without the password. Fortunately, I was able to get in touch a couple of hours later, after I'd checked in with a welcoming and kind female monk. Throughout my 2-night stay the mobile coverage and Wi-Fi remained very limited. This meant I left my phone in my room most of the time and only went to the café to access the Wi-Fi a couple of times to check that there were no urgent messages from home.

This enforced distance from my smart phone felt initially somewhat alarming. Knowing that my family couldn’t reach me at any given moment of the day filled me with a slight sense of panic and anxiety when I first arrived. However, this feeling soon settled, and I felt comfortable with just checking in now and again. The rest of the time though, it felt very freeing not having my phone physically on my person every minute of every day, like I often do in my normal daily life. This lack of connection with the outside world helped me to look inward; to reflect and journal on recent events, and on the year so far; to sit peacefully and meditate by the river; and to enjoy the company of others staying, like me, as guests for a couple of nights.

Since coming home, attachment to the phone has somewhat become the norm again. However, I have made a point of leaving it on airplane mode more often, especially when I want to focus on work, family, being mindful, or writing articles like this one. I've also made one simple change which has significantly reduced my consumption of social media. All I did was move my Instagram app from the front page of my mobile phone screen to the last page, which means I have to swipe across about five pages of apps before I find it. This has, surprisingly, drastically reduced the amount of time I’m spending mindlessly scrolling on Instagram each day.

I hope to continue and extend my habits to reduce or limit my screen time and may potentially even step this up to having a screen free day now and then. I've enjoyed some solo walks in nature leaving my phone at home, and I try to keep my business email communications to office hours, so that I have a boundary to the start and end of my day and don't allow work to filter into my personal time too often.

If you're keen to have even an hour of digital distancing from your phone each week, to allow space for inner connection and more mindfulness, you could consider joining my 5-week beginners mindfulness course. It will be held in Hook on Thursdays at 5.30-6.45pm from 25th September until 23rd October. If this sounds good - just drop me an email or visit my mindfulness page

here . I can't wait to hear from you.

Breathwork or mindfulness?

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:45:52 GMT

What's the difference between breathwork and mindfulness?

As I'm about to run workshops in both breathwork and mindfulness, I thought it might be helpful to explain a little about these practices and the differences between the workshops that I run.

Both these practices can help us with things like our stress levels, energy levels, sense of connection between our mind and body and also improve our sleep. Click below to claim your free guide to better sleep and sign-up to my email newsletters and read on for more detail about my upcoming breathwork and mindfulness workshops.

Breathwork

These are typically 4-hours in total, and usually run as 1-hour sessions across a 4-week period. I usually run them at the same day and time for the 4 sessions and prefer to use a room in one of Hook's many community buildings.

The type of breathwork that I teach is meant to be an everyday type of practice. The breathing techniques taught are gentle and have a subtle impact on the way feel, by nudging our nervous system to be slightly more awake, or slightly more calm depending on the type of practice. There are many different types of breathing practices out there, some are quite extreme hyperventilation techniques, but that's not what I teach on these workshops. Whilst breathing is a topic that I cover in the 5-week mindfulness course, it is covered in more depth in the breathwork workshop, with more variation of breathing practices. Breathwork can be a lovely gentle way to start practising sitting quietly, as it requires some focus on the breath, this may then lead naturally into other mindfulness practices.

Why do we need it?

Many of us are living our daily lives in a slightly heightened state of readiness for action. The brain wiring that saved us from the saber-toothed tiger is still present in our modern day brain, but now we are likely to be reacting in a similar way to an over-flowing to-do list, or a difficult email we need to send. This can result in us living in a constant state of heightened alert, which can be damaging for our overall health and our ability to live our best life. Altered breathing patterns can be one of the unhelpful consequences of this heightened state.

What do we cover?

Each week on the breathwork workshop we will cover a teaching topic, such as-

week 1 - breathing tests
week 2 - mechanics of breathing
week 3 - science of breathing
week 4 - breathing and the nervous system

In each of the sessions I will lead us through three breathing practices together -

a technique to help us feel more alert and focussed
one to help us feel more balanced
one to help us to feel more calm, settled and promote better sleep.

Following each session, the participants will receive an email providing access to videos of me teaching the exact same practices that we covered in each session. These techniques are progressed throughout the 4-weeks to provide participants with a range of practices to choose from when continuing after the course.

Bonus content

We'll also cover some extra topics along the way, such as-

how to make new habits stick
what is stress and how it shows up in our lives
how stress and breathwork can impact our sleep.

If this sounds like the workshop for you, check out the full course content on my website here and then simply email me to book in, or to ask any questions.

Course details

Thursdays 5.30-6.30pm on August 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

Venue the Life Church building on Elms Road, Hook.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness and breathwork are fairly closely linked, however, whilst my breathwork workshop is much more focussed specifically on the use of the breath, my mindfulness course includes some breathwork, but primarily focusses on the mind, and the mind-body/ body-mind connection.

The mindfulness course runs for 1 hour 15 minutes weekly for five weeks. During each session I will guide participants through 4 mindfulness practices, 2 short ( 2mins) and 2 longer (10mins). In between these guided practices we will cover a teaching topic each week.

The topics

Each week we will discuss a different topic around mindfulness, including -

What is mindfulness
Body, breath and stress
Dealing with our thoughts, being mode vs doing mode
How to deal with our emotions
Kindness and self-compassion

Practising mindfulness can help us to become more aware of our thoughts and help us notice and recognise unhelpful thought patterns. We can then begin to create new ways of thinking. It can help us to become kinder to ourselves and to others. It can boost our sense of compassion and help us to find more gratitude and awe in our daily lives. It helps us to become more aware of the present moment, helping us to feel more connected to ourselves, to others and to the wider world around us.

The guided practices are aligned to the teaching topic each week and participants receive access to audios to help them practice at home after each session.

If you feel like you've been living on autopilot and want to get back in the driving seat of your life, check out the full mindfulness course details on my website here and then simply email me to book on.

Course details

5-week mindfulness course

Thursdays 5.30-6.45pm September 25th - October 23rd.

Early bird price of £135 ends on 31st July (full price after this date £160)

Pilates and driving a car

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:35:20 GMT

Pilates and driving a car

Driving a car may seem like a relatively static or sedentary activity and whilst it is a seated activity, there are certain movements that are required in order for us to safely get into and out of, drive and manoeuvre our car.

Whilst our mirrors and reversing cameras have made driving a car far easier, we may still need to rotate our body and our head for example prior to changing lanes on a motorway, or when reversing into a parking space.

An exercise that helps to maintain range of movement in our neck is simply to stand with a good posture and gently rotate the head from left to right and then to gently tip the head from left to right. We usually include some neck mobility exercises in every class to support and promote range of movement in the upper part of our spine.

We may also benefit from good thoracic or upper back mobility when driving, in particular our rotational range of movement. An exercise we do regularly on our side helps to open the chest and rotate the upper back -and I call it the book opener. This involves opening one arm towards the ceiling and then rotating the chest as far back as is comfortable, with our lower body remaining relatively still. This is primarily a mobility rather than a strengthening exercise and can be modified to make it more comfortable for those with shoulder complaints. It’s also a very gentle, slow and calming movement.

Of course, to drive or even be a passenger in a car we also need to be able to get into and out of the vehicle. For this we benefit from maintaining the strength in our larger muscles of the legs and hips.

We usually do some form of leg strengthening exercises in standing after a warmup. This may be a simple squat or lunge, or variations such as the curtsie lunge, all of which help to strengthen the muscles of our lower body in various different positions, because real life isn't always perfectly aligned. Maintaining strength in these larger leg muscles is really essential as we get older, and weakness here can become noticeable when we find it more difficult to get into and out of a car.

Are you looking for a gentle weekly class that aims to improve spinal mobility, lower body strength, general mobility, posture, breath, core stability and relaxation? If so, start by dropping me an email using the button below. My classes are all held in Hook and booking is required as spaces are limited – looking forward to hearing from you. New starters are welcome any time, spaces permitting.

Click here to see my Pilates Class details.

This article is for interest and information only and is neither advice nor instruction - join my classes to have full instruction in these and many other exercises that promote independence in our activities of daily life.

Pilates and Hair washing

Sat, 24 May 2025 06:47:27 GMT

Pilates and hair washing

To wash our own hair (in a typical fashion such as when taking a shower), requires a certain level of mobility in our elbow and shoulder joints as well as the strength and stability in our shoulders to support our hands above and behind our head for the time it takes to wash and rinse out our hair.

During a typical warmup in my Pilates classes, we’ll often use big general arm movements to get the body moving and the blood flowing but also to gently mobilise our shoulder joints. Later in the class we might do a move whilst lying on our back, involving lifting an arm overhead while maintaining our neutral spine position. This primarily works to challenge our core muscles, but as a secondary benefit also works on our shoulder range of motion.

An exercise that improves shoulder stability as well as challenging our shoulder mobility is all fours swimming, or superman. During this move, the body weight is taken on one hand and the opposite knee whilst the other arm and leg lift up and away from the body, keeping the spine and pelvis in neutral. This challenges the stability of the arm taking the weight and also the stability of the pelvis and hip. It provides an excellent opportunity for weight-bearing through the wrist and upper limb, which may help to support and promote bone strength in the arm. The mobility of the moving arm is also being challenged as it lifts up in front, without hunching of the shoulder towards the ear. As always, each move is carried out with good form, and within a comfortable range for each person, closely monitored and corrected as required.

This exercise can be modified to add various options of movement for both the arm and the leg which can further challenge the strength and range of movement in different directions. This can include movements out to the side or involve shoulder rotation movements.

We also work on our shoulder mobility and strength in our shoulder rotator muscles when we perform the dumbwaiter exercise. During dumbwaiter the elbows are bent and kept close to the waist while the hands move outwards to the sides, palms facing upwards, maintaining a 90° bend in the elbows. When we add a resistance band to this movement, we add extra strength work to these rotator muscles. This outward rotation of the shoulders is important when attempting to reach the back of our head with our hands, as required for independent hair-washing.

These exercises, and many others that I teach, could help us maintain the shoulder joint range and muscle strength required not just for hair washing, but also for other activities of daily life such as: reaching for objects from a high cupboard or shelf; putting on a seatbelt in the car; getting dressed; gardening; or car washing.

If you're finding that your shoulders are becoming stiffer or weaker and that certain activities such as those listed above are becoming more of a challenge, feel free to get in touch. Simply drop me an email and book into a regular weekly Pilates class at Hook Community Centre or Elizabeth Hall Hook. The new term begins on Wednesday 11th of June so why not contact me today to book your place for the new term. Full class details are available on my website. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Check out my class timetable here

Pilates and Walking

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:56:23 GMT

Pilates and Walking

It's perhaps easy for people without disabilities to take an activity such as walking for granted, until it becomes an effort as we age or sustain an injury. As we typically now live much more sedentary lives than in the pre-industrial era, it’s all too easy to move our body less and less. We can do so many things at the click of a button that used to require physical activity, such as sourcing our food or finding entertainment. In fact, we now have to work against our natural instincts (to conserve energy) in order to get ourselves to exercise and move our body intentionally.

Unfortunately, if we stop providing our body with enough stimulus, through our conscious efforts to move, balance, and stay strong, then the opposite begins to occur over time. These negative changes can reduce our functional independence in activities such as walking, climbing stairs, rising from a chair and more. However, the good news is that we can use exercise and physical movements to provide the body with the appropriate stimulus to support the health of our muscles, joints and bones and therefore improve our ability to carry out activities of daily life.

Katy Bowman's incredible book 'Move your DNA' goes into great detail on how the body responds to the stimuli placed upon it. She explains the benefits of weight-bearing exercise on our bones, and how our muscles and tendons respond to the forces placed on them when we move a load. She discusses the importance of moving the body in a variety of different ways, to maintain range of motion and to place forces on the various structures in multiple planes of movement. I try to incorporate this idea when I'm lifting weights in the gym, by varying the angles that I move in, to provide a greater variety of stimulus to my musculoskeletal system. I also incorporate this concept when teaching Pilates, building plenty of variety into the classes, therefore increasing the range of forces placed on the body.

When our range of movement decreases, particularly in our toes, ankles and hips, we might notice some changes in our gait pattern – that is the way in which we walk. Our mobility in our hips, ankles and toes is particularly important in maintaining a decent stride length, and to cope with stairs, inclines, declines and uneven surfaces.

We also rely on stability and strength, especially around our hips and pelvis, so that we can confidently transfer our weight from one foot to another. If we lose this stability and strength our gait pattern can begin to alter, becoming more of a sway or a shuffle.

How can Pilates help us to maintain our balance, stability, and stride length as we walk towards older age? Typically, my classes include exercises in standing that promote both strength and mobility in our hips, leg muscles, and feet, which are key components to maintaining a good walking pattern. We will usually do some specific exercises that challenge our balance too, such as the clock circles.

Clock circles

During this exercise the weight is transferred onto one leg while the other leg draws an imaginary semicircle as if from 12 o’clock to 5 o’clock. This not only challenges the balance on the standing leg as well as control of the knee, ankle and foot but also challenges hip mobility and strength in the circling leg. All of this can help support a good walking pattern and posture.

We usually also do some exercises lying on our side to strengthen our hip muscles. These can include various adaptations of lifting our leg up and down or swinging the leg forward and back or making circles in the air – all of which work to strengthen the muscles in our hip which are needed for pelvic stability. We can also vary the resistance to these muscles by adding a resistance band, which adds extra load to the moving muscles. An example is the clam, shown here.

There is a common misconception that Pilates classes are particularly hard and that most exercises are aimed at strengthening the core muscles. Whilst we do engage the core muscles, many of the exercises I teach are aimed at improving function, not just core strength. I love getting people started on their Pilates journey, so my classes are not necessarily for you if you’re looking for an advanced class.

If your walking pattern is changing as you get older, or it's getting harder to balance, for example when putting on your shoes, please get in touch to join my gentle weekly Pilates classes in Hook. Drop me an email and book your place in the new term beginning on 23rd of April. New starters are welcome to start at any time, spaces permitting, and I'd love to see you back in class if you've been taking a break! This article is for information and interest only and is neither advice nor instruction.

'Side-effects' of Pilates - mental fitness

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:49:11 GMT

Another positive 'Side-effect' of Pilates - mental fitness

When questioned about the benefits of doing regular Pilates classes, several of my participants mentioned improved mental well-being. Although mental well-being is not a direct focus of my classes, I believe that blocking out an hour in our busy days can really help. By gently moving our body we often notice a reduction in the stress and overwhelm caused by our busy modern lives, which is often felt in our muscles.

We commonly find ourselves living in a state of chronic low-grade stress for much of the time. The stress response evolved to keep us safe from imminent threat to our survival, and as such is still a vital mechanism. It is meant to be a short-lasting state that returns to baseline once the immediate threat to life has passed. In our modern life this might be felt when we see a bus heading towards us when we're in the middle of the road or hearing a strange sound just as we're falling asleep, or perhaps when being woken from deep sleep by our alarm clock. However, stress has too often become something that is brought on by everyday experiences, such as a bursting email inbox, never-ending to-do lists, or a tricky situation with a work colleague. When we're in a state of chronic low-grade stress, it can be difficult to think logically, or to respond calmly to our day-to-day events, or to our loved ones.

Our stress levels typically reduce after physical exercise. One theory for this is that, because the stress response stimulates us for fight or flight, we become primed for action. We're expecting some form of movement, thus much advice on stress management includes an element of enjoyable physical activity.

One of my participants mentioned how, after a busy stressful time at work, an hour of Pilates would just allow their mental well-being to reset. Another mentioned that, with lots going on in their personal life, within 20 minutes of gentle movement and tuning into their body, they felt much calmer and more able to cope with the situation when they left the class. They felt that this gave them a brief but important respite from the difficult times that they've been going through.

We know from science that any muscle contraction can release certain beneficial feel-good chemicals into our bloodstream. I personally love to run in nature and swim outdoors in a lake, which helps me to let go of some of the stress and overwhelm that builds up in my body through day-to-day life. I also believe we can feel better through doing gentle movement and stretches.

The positive effects can be boosted by moving in synchrony with others, coined 'collective effervescence' by Daniel Lieberman in his book 'Exercised - The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health'. Although we usually move at our own pace in the class, we often find ourselves moving in time with each other!

By focussing on our own body, our breath, and our movement we can give our mind a little bit of breathing space. A chance to experience our mind and body as one whole and incredible system.

One participant also mentioned that they particularly like exercising in person, as opposed to online, because it holds them to account and makes it much more likely that they'll show up and do the class. So, if you're looking for a sense of accountability and the opportunity to give your mind and body an hour of respite from your busy daily life, feel free to drop me an email and book your place in a regular weekly gentle Pilates class in Hook. Check out all my class details here.

'Side-effects' of Pilates - movement variety

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:25:17 GMT

Second 'side-effect' of Pilates - more variety of movement

When I asked my participants about the benefits they've experienced from attending a regular weekly Pilates class, another common response was related to the physical movement within the body. Improved range of movement and flexibility in general has been recognised by some of my participants and this has translated into improvement in their ability to carry out tasks and activities in their day-to-day lives.

Many of our daily life activities require a certain range of movement within our body, even driving a car requires a certain physical ability in our arms, legs and neck. During a Pilates session we will do a range of different movements and stretches to encourage our bodies to move and stretch in a multitude of different ways.

Movement variety was also picked up on by another participant who is a regular runner. In this case, they are regularly performing repetitive movements during running and have recognised the benefit of attending Pilates because of the variety of movements involved. They've also noticed activation and improved strength in muscles that they were previously unaware of.

This movement variety is discussed at length in Katy Bowman's fantastic book 'Move your DNA - restore your health through natural movement'. She explains how the movements we do are feeding our body with information that then informs the body of how it should respond. An example of this might be that when we lift heavy weights, the body responds to that stimulus by improving our strength and boosting our lean muscle mass. When we do movements with impact, such as tennis, the body may respond with the laying down of more bone mineral mass, helping to strengthen our bones and potentially protect us from fractures. I like to think of having a varied movement diet, much like I also aim to eat a varied diet too. I'll try and incorporate a few different movements by sitting on the floor in the evenings, or perhaps by reaching or stretching in novel ways. Have you thought about how varied your movement diet has been recently?

Whilst Pilates can be fairly gentle, we can still use these principles to help boost our movement variety, and bone and muscle health. It can also be a fantastic addition to a weekly routine that includes other regular exercise such as running, cycling. swimming or tennis. It provides an opportunity to move and challenge the body in a guided and supportive environment, whilst also adding in an element of core muscle activation in combination with postural awareness and balance challenges and of course the much-deserved relaxation session at the end of class!

If you've noticed that your movement variety has decreased as you’ve got older and would like to start a gentle Pilates class each week, feel free to check out the details here and email me to book your place in a class at Hook Community Centre, or Elizabeth Hall.

'Side-effects' of Pilates - Quiet-time

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 17:08:36 GMT

The first 'side effect' of Pilates

Quiet-time

I recently asked my Pilates members if they had noticed any unexpected positive benefits of attending a regular weekly Pilates class, other than the obvious ones, such as improved flexibility or core strength. A number of people gave a similar response which could be described as quiet-time, or me-time.

They talked about how their lives had become very noisy – both in the sense of the actual soundscape of our modern environments, but also in terms of that feeling of general busyness.

They felt that having an hour booked in their diary each week gave them the opportunity and the motivation to leave the noise behind and spend an hour listening inwardly rather than outwardly.

A large focus of my classes is to encourage people to listen to their body. Our senses are bombarded by so many different external sensory inputs during a typical busy day, that it can become difficult, if not impossible, to tune inward to the sensations and feelings from within the body. It's interesting to note that the largest nerve in the autonomic/automatic branch of our nervous system carries more information up to the brain from the body than it carries down from the brain to the body. This Vagus nerve connects to all our major organs. When we take the time to slow down and listen inwardly, we may become aware of our rapid shallow breathing, or sense that our heart is racing. We can use techniques such as breathwork to send signals to the brain to help dial down the stress-response and help to calm our breath.

At the beginning of each class, we spend a few moments checking in with our posture and our breath. Then we'll take a moment to mentally scan through the body to notice how we feel before we begin the class. We'll check in with our general health, our energy levels, note how our sleep has been, and also how our aches and pains feel in that moment. Throughout the class participants are reminded to continue tuning inward, allowing them to also focus on using the correct muscles and maintaining good form. Participants are advised on modifying and adjusting the movements when necessary and to stop and rest whenever a rest is needed.

A common reason for starting Pilates is to strengthen the connection to the core muscles, however, you may get the added 'side effect' of an improved connection to your inner self too, along with a much-needed break from the noise, and hustle and bustle of every day modern life.

If an hour of quiet time sounds like something you’d like to look forward to each week, feel free to get in touch and enquire about my Pilates availability at Hook Community Centre and Elizabeth Hall Hook.

If possible please check your junk box for my reply, and include your mobile number in your email as my email replies sometimes don't come through, in which case I can text you to help with your enquiry.

Thriving in the festive period

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 14:07:06 GMT

My Pilates framework for the festive period

This month I thought I'd describe how I hope to approach the bust festive period. I've decided to use the principles of Pilates as a framework for life! So, here's my Pilates principles, modified for my health and mindset over the next few weeks. Whilst this is not a list of suggestions or instructions, I hope it might prove an interesting and inspiring read.

Breathing

Each Pilates move is combined with an accompanying breathing pattern, to co-ordinate with our core and with the movement itself.

I've noticed that when things get hectic my breathing becomes quicker and shallower. Using this insight, I intend to use my calm breathing techniques more regularly, even just taking 10 slow steady breaths while the kettle boils to help keep my stress and anxiety levels in check. I include breathwotk techniques as part of my mindfulness courses and hope to run my next 5-week course in January/February, check out all the details here and email to reserve your place.

Feeling Grounded

Whilst not strictly a Pilates principle, we always start the class in standing, and connecting to our feet on the mat.

I love walking barefoot in my garden and plan to continue doing this even in the colder weather as it really helps me feel connected to nature. I've also started doing a simple tai chi routine or some walking practices that I've picked up from Lawrence Van Lingen's YouTube videos. I find this quick and simple practice helps me to have gratitude for the new day, feel connected and move my body in the morning daylight.

Alignment

During Pilates we focus on the alignment of various parts of the body.

Over the Christmas period, I will aim to keep alignment in mind in relation to my values and beliefs. One of my values is kindness, and I will therefore keep this value at front of mind when, for example, someone cuts me up in traffic. I can focus on kindness towards the other person, and kindness to myself by not feeling overly angry at the situation. I'll also make a point of smiling and being thankful to anyone serving me in shops, cafes or restaurants too, even if I've had to queue!

Flexibility

Pilates often helps people boost their flexibility.

However, I'm using the concept of flexibility to help me keep a flexible mindset. As with all plans, mine are subject to unforeseen changes over the course of the next couple of weeks, and I would like to keep my mindset and my reactions as flexible as possible. I'll keep in mind the analogy of the flexible tree that is able to withstand all weathers, whereas the strong rigid tree is more likely to be blown down. So, taking my value of living healthily, I'll accept that even though I may not be able to get to the gym so frequently, I can still manage a 10-minute kitchen workout!

Posture

Many Pilates moves can improve our posture, however I'm aware that over the cooler months my posture tends to become more hunched (or curled up like a prawn!) So, I intend to take time to regularly stand tall and stretch out in order to counteract some of this cold weather tendency to curl up.

Strength

Many Pilates moves help to maintain and improve our muscle strength, throughout the body as well as in the core.

Whilst my regular exercise routines help to keep my muscles strong, I intend to keep my mind strong too. Thus, I plan to stick to my regular daily meditation practice to help me stay tuned into myself and allow for some extra self-care where required. I'll also remain flexible in this goal, knowing that on certain days this may be harder to fit in, in which case I'll take the opportunity to be mindful whilst doing a household task, such as washing up.

Centering

During Pilates there is a lot of focus on activating our core muscles.

Over the next few weeks, I want to focus on another of my core values, which is really all about quality time with family and friends. So, I'll be taking some time away from the computer, getting out in nature, and enjoying board games, and chats with people close to me. I'm also looking forward to our Pilates end of term social. I love getting to know my clients a little more at these gatherings, and seeing the connections being made between my class members is truly heart-warming.

Balance

We practice various balancing exercises as well as movements to improve hip stability and strength to improve functional balance during each class.

However, the concept of balance is also important as I go through the next few weeks. I hope to be able to balance all the social events; shopping; maintaining a clean and tidy home; eating healthily; staying fit and active; having some quiet reflective time; and enjoying quality family time. I also know that this is totally unrealistic, so I'll refer back to my thoughts on strength and flexibility when I inevitably lose my balance!

Much like in my Pilates classes, all these principles are interlinked, and as I re-read this article, I've realised how interconnected they are in my Pilates framework for life too.

I hope you've found this interesting, and I'll return to my topic of 'the positive side effects of Pilates' in the new year.

If joining a Pilates Class is on your wish list for the new year, simply drop me an email here or check out all my Pilates class details on my website here - looking forward to hearing from you.

Wishing you strength, flexibility and balance!

Benefits of Pilates

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:53:16 GMT

Why join a weekly Pilates Class?

I am currently enjoying the fantastic book by Dr David Hamilton called ' the five side-effects of kindness '. I was inspired by his title and thought I might write a series of articles on the positive side-effects of Pilates. Having had that idea, I decided I would begin by writing the first article on the more well-known beneficial effects of Pilates. These typically include, amongst other things: improving core muscle activation and strength; flexibility; mobility; posture; balance; coordination; breathing; and relaxation.

What is Pilates?

People often ask what Pilates is and how it compares to yoga. Pilates exercises mostly involve slow, continuous movement whereas in yoga a pose might be held for a longer period of time. Perhaps a bigger difference is the focus on the core muscles in Pilates through both conscious connection to these deep postural muscles and also through movements that specifically target and challenge them.

The exercises that I teach are quite broad and involve movements aiming to provide many of the benefits to my participants as listed earlier. Sometimes the benefits of each movement however, may not be immediately apparent, so I try to explain them during the sessions.

One example is an exercise that I call the book opener. During this move, we are lying on our side and we open one arm up towards the ceiling and then rotate the body backwards to gently twist the upper spine and open up the chest muscles. This exercise may not appear to relate to postural improvements, however as we get older (and gravity has it's effect on our spine, chest, and shoulders), it is common for the muscles in our chest to tighten and our shoulders to hunch forwards. This book opener exercise helps to stretch the muscles in the front of the chest, opening up the chest and shoulders in a way so as to counteract the postural changes that often occur with age.

The ABC of Pilates

It's common to assume that to improve our balance we simply need to practice balancing, by standing on one leg for example. However, this is only one element of optimal balance, and so I also teach exercises that help to: strengthen the hips and glutes; improve overall leg strength and power; and improve mobility throughout the body. I may also add movements that involve side stepping or lunging - all of which may contribute to improvements in functional balance. There are many more examples of exercises that can improve certain elements of our daily function that I build into each one-hour class, often with somewhat hidden positive side-effects!

Additionally, each exercise that I teach begins with the ABC...

A – alignment

B – breathing

C – centering/core.

Each exercise starts in a particular position e.g. lying on our back, then we check and adjust the alignment of the body. This important part of the set up includes alignment from our feet, up through our knees and hips, to our pelvis, spine and rib cage, and into our collarbones, shoulder blades, arms, neck, and head. Once we are aligned (to the best of our capability) we focus on breathing into our lower rib cage before connecting with our core muscles. All of this occurs before we even begin the actual movement itself. No wonder people often find Pilates to be a very mindful form of exercise!

Are you ready to join a Pilates Class?

We not only perform Pilates specific movements, but also lots of gentle stretches to help lengthen muscles and improve flexibility throughout the body. The one-hour classes end with a 10-minute mindfulness or relaxation session.

I plan to write my next article on one of the positive side-effects of Pilates and will be using my participants feedback for inspiration!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you here next month. If you'd like to join a regular weekly Pilates Class in the new year simply send me an email and enquire. All adults are welcome, from beginners and beyond. Classes are held at Hook Community Centre.

Wishing you strength, flexibility and balance on the run-up to the festive period!

Noticing kindness

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 07:42:28 GMT

On giving, receiving and observing kindness

I've written on the topic of kindness before, but it's come up again recently in talks and books, and as it's World kindness day in November, it feels appropriate to revisit the topic.

It’s a common misconception to think that kindness is simply being soft or weak, but the positive impact of kindness can produce huge impacts on both mental well-being and physical health. Incredibly these benefits appear to affect not only the receivers, but the givers, and the observers too. Dr David Hamilton has written various blogs and books on the topic of kindness, and I had the pleasure of hearing him give a live talk this summer (see the photo below). In his blog entitled 'small gestures – big impact', he discusses the concept that small acts of kindness, such as a smile, spread like ripples from a pebble thrown into in a pond. The kindness impacts many more people than just the one person you smiled at. He suggests we make it a daily mission to perform at least one act of kindness. This can set up a positive reinforcement cycle because these kind acts remind us of our own self-worth and our capacity to make positive change, and so we're likely to do more positive things.

Oliver Burkeman makes an interesting point (in his book 'meditations for mortals') regarding gift giving, which I think also relates to this idea of small acts of kindness. He's noticed that, in attempting to give in the 'right' way or in a more 'perfect' way, we often miss the opportunity to give at all. The example he writes and talks about is when walking past somebody asking for money on the street, we might hesitate and refrain from giving money directly to that person, because we've heard that that's not the best way to help that person. Instead, we're told, we should consider supporting a charity that helps people living on the streets. But, by the time we get home, and life gets in the way, we forget to donate to that charity and so in the end we've helped nobody. I know I've experienced a similar situation when I've felt the urge to donate to a good cause, but something held me back and then I'd missed the moment and the donation didn't happen. He feels that we might be better just to get out of our own way and simply stop resisting those moments when we feel a natural urge to give. I think this is rather similar to the concept of doing and noticing small acts of kindness. Rather than planning a grand gesture of kindness, we can simply get out of our own way, notice the urge to be kind, start small, and start today.

There's a lovely concept in mindfulness called noticing the glimmers. We often tend to be very good at noticing the negative, the doom and gloom, but we're not so tuned in to the positives around us - the glimmers. But when we consciously turn our attention to spotting the glimmers - which could include small acts of kindness - our brain starts to seek them out and we realise there are many small acts of kindness happening all around us every day. Maybe you've experienced this phenomenon of turning your attention towards something and then noticing it everywhere? For example, if you're contemplating buying a new car, say a red mini, suddenly you start to see red minis everywhere you go. The same thing can happen when we make a conscious choice to notice small acts of kindness.

The mindfulness course that I'm teaching in November/December includes mindfulness practices around kindness and self-kindness. Sometimes we can be our own harshest critics, and our inner voice can be very loud and persistent with its critical commentary. Mindfulness can help us to press pause on this negative cycle and help us learn to acknowledge and accept, with compassion, whatever we have going on in our mind. If you’d like to press pause and boost your sense of self-acceptance, calm and kindness, check out the details about my next mindfulness course here and email me to enquire or book in.

I recently attended a mental health for small businesses day which was a great opportunity for discussions and conversations around mental health, and kindness was a topic that came up on that day too. One lady I met has a mission to help people notice more acts of kindness and to share these experiences with more people.

I've experienced the phenomenon of feeling better myself simply by observing or hearing about kindness within my family. One example was when my niece told a story of how she helped a young woman in distress, who was new to the area and didn't know her way home. Having looked up the address on her phone and realising it was a long walk, she offered the young lady a lift back in her car. She described the warmth she felt inside after taking this young lady safely home and I felt the warmth in my heart when she told me the story. Another moment happened when my daughter stopped to speak to a person living rough on the streets, and offered to get them a hot drink. She felt a sense of warmth for giving them the coffee, I'm pretty sure the recipient felt better for both the act of kindness, and for the hot drink on a cold day, and I felt it too as the observer of this simple act of kindness. I'm even feeling it now as I re-tell these heart warming stories, with a hand instinctively placed on my heart.

With World kindness day approaching on 13th November, I'm on a mission to notice more glimmers and to spread the word about small acts of kindness with more people, hence the 2 personal stories above - because I believe kindness is all around us, if only we paid attention to it, are you with me?

Changing my eating habits

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 11:31:10 GMT

My attempts to eat less

ultra-processed food

I’ve recently read Chris van Tulleken’s fantastic book 'Ultra-Processed People - Why do we all eat stuff that isn't food...and why can't we stop'. He delves deeply into the food industry and the manufacturing processes involved in producing many of the foods filling the shelves in our supermarkets.

He explains and simplifies the science around the effects these ingredients and processes have on human health.

He describes his work to try and inform government policy and decision making at a high level, with the aim of improving health outcomes for everyone.

I found the book very informative but also somewhat unsettling, and as a result I've tried to make a few changes in our household since reading it. I appreciate and feel grateful that I have the choice and the resources to be able to make some of the following changes and hope I can stick to them in the long-term. I imagine this book will become one of the few that I'll read many times over, to help prevent my old habits from creeping back in.

Here's what I'm currently working on

Utilising the concept of behaviour change science that says it's easier to stop doing a habit if you make it harder to do, I now try to resist buying the ultra-processed treats and instead buy more fruit, so there are fewer unhealthy snacks available in the house.
I now have a clearer understanding of some ingredients that I want to avoid eating, and have started reading food labels in more detail when shopping.
I’ve started to allow additional time to look for recipes and make my shopping list so that I can make more meals from scratch.
Some online grocery websites now have meal planning tools, which I’ve found useful in helping me increase the variety of meals I plan and helps ensure that I have all the ingredients required to make them.
When I’m peckish for a snack I’ll try and eat something like nuts & fruit first, which makes it less likely that I’ll eat chocolate! And if I've managed item one, I should have less chocolate in the house to start with!
When I can afford it, I’ll try and buy better quality ingredients.
I’m trying to cook vegetarian meals more often, which means I’ll eat a wider variety of whole plant foods such as beans and lentils.

Junk food advertising is soon to become more strictly governed, according to recent news, which may be a sign that higher level decision making is looking at this issue too.

It’s certainly not easy to avoid all ultra-processed foods, but I’m trying to reduce my consumption of them. I feel grateful for the knowledge and the resources that allow me to make a few personal choices to help improve my health outcomes and I like the way Chris refuses to blame individuals who struggle to make healthier choices. I hope that he, and others like him, can help those struggling on lower incomes to have improved health outcomes too.

If you're keen to change your movement diet, and introduce some gentle mobility, strength and core work check out my Pilates details here.

Movement as we age

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 09:59:40 GMT

How are we aging?

I’ve been enjoying reading (and doing) Katy Bowman’s book ‘Dynamic Aging’. This is a great reference book including lots of explanations around the benefits of movement, especially as we get older, and it also includes plenty of exercise ideas.

I thought I would highlight some of her quotes and describe how I try to use this knowledge in my own life.

I recently taught my mum some simple exercises to help her to strengthen her leg muscles and improve her balance. During a discussion with her husband, he mentioned that we often don’t realise we should be doing these things until it’s too late. Whilst I don’t agree that it’s too late, it sadly often takes for us to fall or sustain an injury to prompt us to work on our strength, mobility, flexibility and balance. However, I do believe that we can still make a difference, even if we wait until our golden years before we get started.

It appears that our muscle mass starts to decline from around the age of 30 and that it’s important to carry out strengthening exercises in order to counteract this natural decline in muscle mass as we age.

Katie Bowman recommends that we ‘put more movement back into the daily tasks you’re already doing’. Which recognises the fact that many of us cannot find lots of extra time in which to do 'exercise' – but we might be able to ‘put more movement into our existing tasks.’

Here's a few examples of how I try to do this

Whilst brushing my teeth, I will often do some calf or leg strengthening exercises, or simply stand on one leg.
We have a pull-up bar attached to the utility room doorway, and when I walk underneath it I usually take the chance to hang from it for a few moments. This helps strengthen my grip and stretch my whole body out!
In the evenings whilst watching television, I will often do a few squats or lunges, and then spend a fair amount of time sitting on the floor. This gives me a chance to sit in many different floor sitting positions, and also to stretch in various ways.
I keep a lacrosse ball in the living room so that I can do some foot mobility work and stretches whilst watching TV too.
While playing tennis, I’ll take the opportunity to practice my full squat when picking up tennis balls from the floor.
When catching up with friends, we'll often go for a walk and a chat rather than sitting in a coffee shop – or even better we'll walk to a coffee shop and walk back again!
I use a wheelie trolley which enables me to walk to my Pilates classes with all my kit rather than having to drive.

I even wrote the outline for this article whilst enjoying a nature walk! I spent the first part of the walk just taking in the natural World all around me, and then on my way home I dictated the first draft into my phone. I felt inspired by the movement, fresh air, nature, or perhaps a combination of all three!

Finding the time for movement

Ready to join a Pilates Class?

If you do you want to set aside an hour a week to focus on your movement and are looking for a gentle Pilates class, please click here to check out my class details and email me to book in. You can even get your first class free when you sign-up to my email newsletters using the button below.

I can also highly recommend ‘Dynamic aging’ by Katy Bowman if you’re looking for an excellent written resource on this important topic. This article is solely for information and interest and is neither advice nor instruction.

Reflection on rivers

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 14:20:19 GMT

Lessons from the river

I was fortunate to have spent a lovely afternoon strolling along the river Thames in Henley recently with my Dad and it occurred to me on that sunny afternoon, that there are many lessons that I've learned from rivers. I find rivers to be a great metaphor for life in many different ways and I thought I’d explore some of those in this article.

Rivers have a winding nature with lots of twists and turns which is very often how our lives flow. They also have lots of tributaries and streams which might represent the tangents that our lives sometimes go off in. My career has been full of twists, turns and tangents. I decided at age 15 that Physiotherapy was going to be my career. So I took a fairly straight forward, though not easy, route for a while getting through my A levels and Physiotherapy degree and fortunately into a junior Physio position straight from university. However, a few years later family life became my priority and so the tangents began. I was fortunate to be able to train as a Pilates instructor soon after becoming a parent, which gave me a different direction for my career. Further tangents followed, including violin teaching for a few years, training as a health coach and then studying to become a breath work and mindfulness teacher. I’m excited to see where the next bend in the river takes me!

I love this quote by Heraclitus “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” I really find this an excellent metaphor for life too, in that each and every moment is different from the moment before. And therefore the only moment in which we are ever truly living is the present moment. I also love that rivers are changing too, picking up minerals and salts as they travel across rocks and river beds much like we pick up knowledge and experiences as we go through life.

During the visit with my Dad, we discussed the physics of saltwater versus freshwater and how there can be times in a tidal river where the heavier saltwater from the sea is travelling upstream below the lighter freshwater that’s flowing downstream from the mountains. Life can sometimes feel as though some aspects are almost going backwards while other aspects are flowing freely forwards, much like the water in the river.

I also noticed a huge variety of different boats sharing the river – it happened to be a traditional boat festival day - and it reminded me of the huge variety of life sharing this beautiful planet at the same time. What a privilege it is to co-exist on this planet with so many wonderful beings, human and otherwise, during my precious time here.

And then there are the man-made locks which artificially control the flow of the water. These make it easier for the boats to travel uphill without having to work so hard against the tide or the downhill flow. These could represent moments in our lives where we feel that events are out of our control or have stopped flowing so well. But they could also represent the moments or people in our lives that give us a helping hand. I'm so grateful to my guides whether teachers, authors, family or friends that help me on my way through life.

A regular practice that I started during Covid lockdown, was to walk to a stunning spot on the local river, and sit on the little wooden bridge watching the river flow away from me. I'd take a moment to consider the thoughts or limiting beliefs that were getting in my way and imagine them flowing away down the river. I'd then turn around to face the water flowing towards me and imagine the positive feelings and thoughts that I needed to hear flowing towards me on the river. I found this to be a really empowering and simple practice that helped me through those difficult times. I use a similar visualisation during the relaxation session of my Pilates classes and will offer various different versions of this in my mindfulness course that starts in September.

I loved sitting with an ice cream in hand in the sunshine while watching the boats travelling up and down the river and hope this article has given you some food for thought! If you’d like to join me in a Pilates class or in my new mindfulness course, click below to email me and enquire. Full details about Pilates can be found here and mindfulness here.

My latest Mindfulness habits

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:54:05 GMT

How I've added mindful moments into existing times of my day

This month I’m reflecting on some of the mindfulness habits I’ve changed so far this year. I’ve started using small moments of ‘dead time’ in which to fit new habits, so I don’t have to find any extra time in my day - which is of course an impossibility anyway!

I’ve also introduced a habit during my morning cup of tea. I love the lighter mornings and so I’ll often take my green tea outside into the back garden. You may have come across the idea of the ripple effect, where one small positive change can ripple into various other benefits, and I believe this is true of this habit…

1- The green tea itself could have health benefits linked to the healthy compounds found in green tea.

2- I’ll usually take a moment to mindfully tune into the natural world around me: the trees; clouds; warmth of the sun; breeze on my skin; and bird song for example which is thought to be beneficial for our mental health.

3- I might stroll around my garden with bare feet which helps me to feel more connected to the earth and more grounded in my body.

4- The natural daylight that enters my eyes early in the morning is thought to help stimulate the circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle) which may have a positive impact on my sleep later on that night.

5- I often notice little things whilst I'm in the garden, so my garden often benefits from a little extra watering or weeding, and I benefit from the movement this requires, so it's a win win! Plus, my back-to-basics coffee press leaves me with plenty of coffee grinds which I’ll add to the soil, another win for my plants!

If you feel as though you’re often living on autopilot, or just not quite living your life to the full, and want to feel more present, positive or peaceful, join my new mindfulness classes. During my Reflect & Reset classes you’ll not only learn some seated mindfulness practices, but you'll also be taught how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily tasks. This means that in our busy modern lives you can begin to layer mindfulness on to your existing activities, taking up no extra time, yet boosting your focus and attention whilst doing those tasks.

This is a beginners course and is suitable for those just starting their journey into mindfulness and meditation. These classes are not suitable however, for anyone with a moderate/severe mental health concern and are not a replacement for talking therapies or medication.

However, if you're essentially doing fine, but feel like you want to get out of autopilot and start thriving again this course could be for you.

I’m starting a new 5-week Reflect & Reset mindfulness class in Hook in September, full details here .

Just start by emailing me, or arrange a call to enquire or to book in, I can't wait to hear from you.

Benefits of connection

Wed, 29 May 2024 07:21:49 GMT

Benefits of connecting with others

One of my favourite moments of every class I teach is those few minutes before the class starts. I love seeing people arrive, welcoming them into the hall, and then observing the interactions between class members as they check in with each other and catch up on their latest news. I also love the concern they show when someone is absent from their usual session. Connecting with others is such an important element of our happiness and I’m so grateful that I get to experience this nine times a week and that's just at work!

I've also observed this human connection, often between strangers, whilst sitting in the sauna at the gym I go to. There’s often supportive conversations going on and I've noticed what a positive experience it can be to connect with people I don't yet know. At the tail end of a nasty virus recently I was sitting in the steam room, and the steam was causing me to clear my throat. A conversation then ensued with a man that was also struggling to shift the dreaded '100 day cough' and we proceeded to have a lovely chat with mutual understanding and support for each other in dealing with this irritating persistent cough. I felt much better afterwards, no doubt benefitting from both the steam inhalation and the human connection too.

Sometimes these conversations happen with a cashier at a supermarket or with a person sitting next to us on an aircraft, but sadly in our modern lives these conversations seem to happen less often, especially as people are regularly engaged with their mobile phones. This is one of the reasons I love the opportunity to sit in a sauna or steam room because, generally speaking, technology is left outside and so we instinctively begin to connect with the people around us. I love lake swimming partly for this reason too and often have a lovely chat with people I don't know as we swim in the beautiful lake early on Sunday mornings!

Dr Chatterjee hosted a fantastic conversation on his podcast 'Feel better live more' with Vivek Murthy where they discuss the huge health benefits of social connection which include mood, mental health, sleep and obesity and you can find the podcast on your app - it's episode 114 back in May 2020.

Futhermore, an interesting article online explains that social connection is important for our health and wellbeing. The authors note that social support and feeling connected can have a positive impact on various aspects of both our physical and mental health.

The Connection Prescription: Using the Power of Social Interactions and the Deep Desire for Connectedness to Empower Health and Wellness, written by Jessica Martino, Jennifer Pegg, and Elizabeth Pegg Frates, MD states that

' Incorporating social support and connections is critical for overall health and for healthy habits to be sustainable'.

They suggest human connection could be considered as a vital human nutrient much like the way we consider vitamins and minerals. You can read the full article here

In her book, 'The gifts of imperfection', Brene Brown. describes human connection as 'the energy between two people when they feel seen, heard and valued'. If you’re looking for chance to connect with a warm and welcoming community of like-minded people in either a Pilates, Breathwork, or mindfulness group, please email to enquire about availability. Check out all the details on my timetable here , and email to book your place. If you sign-up to my Newsletters you'll receive a voucher for a free Pilates class too! Click the button below to receive your free voucher.

Lessons from long-haul - Adaptability

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:53:36 GMT

Being Adaptable

As you may know from my previous article, I recently had a privileged opportunity to travel overseas to visit family. In this article, I’m discussing how this presented me with opportunities to practice being adaptable.

In my normal daily life at home, I have structured some daily routines for myself. I am a very routine-based person, and having trained as a health coach, I have attempted to create various daily habits to try and support my health and well-being. One of these regular daily habits, which I started about seven or eight years ago and manage to do on an almost daily basis ever since is a mindfulness meditation practice. When I’m at home, this usually takes the form of sitting on a comfortable chair, usually early on in my day and giving myself 10 to 20 minutes to sit quietly with my thoughts. Often with the aim maintaining awareness on my breath or on a mantra. This daily practice has been incredibly beneficial for my anxiety levels.

During an incredible trip to Australia, I needed to adapt my daily practices because we were often staying in a family home or in an environment where I was unable to find my own space. Sometimes the plans for the day didn’t allow for my 10-minute meditation practice first thing in the morning. Although I do prefer to keep my routine similar every day, I found I was able to adapt during the trip and actually really enjoyed the opportunity of finding 10 minutes here or there during the day to have a moment of mindfulness. In this way, I still manage to practice pretty much daily, albeit not always at the same time of day that I would usually like to sit and meditate. I particularly enjoyed the moment, sitting at the top of a shrine of remembrance in the Melbourne botanical Gardens, which felt like an extremely peaceful and spiritual place. I was able to meditate with eyes open, gazing into the skyline of Melbourne and this is a definite highlight from the trip. Another similar moment happened when, during exceptionally hot weather, we were relieved to pop into a beautiful church to escape the heat and sit quietly and breathe gently, which was another lovely peaceful moment of mindfulness.

I’ve learned that even if my routine is disrupted and I’m unable to carry out my usual morning routine this doesn’t mean I’ve failed and that in fact taking the opportunity at different times in the day, particularly in some different settings, proved to be a really lovely pause and time to reflect and reset. If mindfulness is something you’re keen to learn more about check out this page on my website or send me an email as I’m hoping to run a six week workshop in the near future in Hook

lessons from long-haul acceptance

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:03:39 GMT

Practising acceptance

I was fortunate to have recently travelled to Australia to visit family that I haven’t seen in eight years. It was truly a gift to get to know my niece and nephew in particular who have become adults since I saw them last!

I find travel an interesting opportunity to observe people's behaviour, and to observe my own responses and reactions. In this article, I’m going to focus on my observations around patience and acceptance when travelling across the world.

As you may know, I'm a qualified mindfulness teacher and have plans to teach mindfulness workshops in the near future. I’ve personally practised (almost) daily meditation for the last few years, which has helped me to become more aware of my choices and my automatic behaviours. One regular practice I use during daily life, as recommended by the wonderful monk Gelong Thubten in his books and live talks, is to practice acceptance and mindfulness during times when we have to wait for something. So, in my daily life, I try and use these opportunities as a chance to practice being mindful. Times such as when we're waiting in a queue at the supermarket or sitting in a traffic jam. He suggests that these are fantastic opportunities for practising mindfulness because our natural instinct is to become irritated or frustrated by having to wait. They are not typically a highly challenging time, and so they provide just enough of a challenge to practice moving away from feeling anger or frustration and instead moving towards being present in the moment and eventually towards enjoying a sense of peace and stillness. I can highly recommend Gelong Thubtens' books 'Handbook for hard times' and 'A monk's guide to happiness' which both contain lots of guided meditations. He's also contributed to many of Ruby Wax's books on mindfulness too.

At times during my travels I became aware of a sense of resistance to what is happening amongst the people around me. One particular moment was at the boarding gate where there appeared to be a delay in the boarding process and everybody had already jumped up to join a very long queue to board the aircraft. There were no announcements, and nobody appeared to be moving. I could hear people around me becoming very frustrated by this delay - tutting, shuffling, huffing and puffing, looking around to try and find the cause of the wait, or criticising the airline staff. I noticed that I was not feeling the same level of frustration and was able to stay present in the moment and able to accept the situation for what it was. I chose to use the opportunity to stand, stretch and move a little before boarding the plane.

I also noticed this sense of irritability when, after a very long flight, our plane was unable to go to the parking bay because it was blocked by another aircraft. We had an additional hour sitting in the plane, having landed at our final destination, but not able to get off. I could sense a lot of people becoming irritated and tense, and I began to feel the same way. However, I was able to tune into my feelings, took a few calming breaths, realised that there was nothing I could do to get off the plane any quicker, and used the opportunity to challenge myself on the Solitaire card game on the in-flight entertainment screen while I waited!

In these specific scenarios, there was nothing I could do to change the situation, and so being able to foster a sense of acceptance was really helpful. Even better was being able to go beyond acceptance and use these small challenges as an opportunity to enjoy practicing mindfulness. The techniques of mindfulness and Breathwork have been really beneficial during this recent long-haul travel, as well as in my everyday life. If you are interested in learning more about how these tools could help you to find more moments of calm in your busy life, check out my next workshops for Breathwork here or mindfulness here

How I use sound to boost focus

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 14:35:30 GMT

Using sound to boost focus

In my article last month, I focussed on calming sounds and in particular on birdsong. In this article I'm focussing on how I consciously use sound to improve my focus. One of the key words here is consciously. Many of us rely on our automatic habits for many of our daily choices and that may include the sounds that we routinely expose ourselves to. We might allow music streaming services to choose all our music for us, and I certainly benefit from listening to ready-made playlists, however I try to chose them consciously, to support me in carrying out whatever activity I'm doing. Julian Treasure's work on sound is excellent including some inciteful TED talks on Youtube.

I've discovered that I find it harder to focus, especially if I'm writing content such as emails, or these blogs, if I'm listening to music with lyrics. I've found that I can focus much better if I listen to music with a nice steady rhythm and dynamics (loud and quiet), and have recently experimented with baroque music. I find it calming, but it also helps me concentrate. I'm listening to a baroque playlist as I write this article.

Another type of music I listen to when writing is film scores. I have a particular playlist that I love and find my concentration kicks in as soon as the first track starts. I love the melodies and the energy but because there are no lyrics, I'm not distracted whilst writing.

I came across other forms of sound in a fantastic self-discovery workbook called 'How to meet yourself' by Dr Nicole LePera. These are:-

1 - Binaural beats - which is an auditory phenomenon whereby 2 sounds of different frequencies are played at the same, one through each side of the headphone, creating a third tone that is perceived by the brain. It's thought to be calming whilst helping to synchronise brainwaves.

2 - Solfeggio frequencies. These use specific ancient tones or frequencies that can have different effects on the brain such as to improve sleep, or boost creativity.

I've found playlists featuring these unusual sounds on my music streaming service and find them really useful to help me to focus, or to relax.

Sounds for motivation

If my goal is to exercise harder at the gym, I'll listen to uplifting music, with a steady regular beat and uplifting lyrics and melodies. I find it difficult not to move in time with the music and so if I chose the right tracks it can help me to train harder or run faster! Kelly McGonigal has done some amazing work on this - her book 'The joy of movement' is an excellent resource.

Music can have really profound effects on our body and mind. For example, if you were to think of the theme tune for the movie 'Jaws' - I expect you could immediately hear the familiar duuuh, dum, in your mind and perhaps felt a slight increase in muscle tension or heart rate. I hope the opposite response is true when my Pilates relaxation music starts playing! Email me if you'd like to join a regular weekly Pilates class in Hook.

Sound and the benefits of birdsong

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 18:05:47 GMT

Benefits of birdsong and how I try to benefit

Having recently read the amazing book 'How to be Heard: Secrets for Powerful Speaking and Listening' by Julian Treasure, I've become much more aware of the sounds around me and of how to utilise sounds to help me in various aspects of my life. I can highly recommend the book, or the audio version, which is how I 'read' the book! I also recommend his TED talks which you can easily find on YouTube and his interviews on various Podcasts too. You can read a blog he wrote on the way sound affects us here .

This article explores some of the habits I've changed related to sound, and some of the potential explanations for this.

Birdsong

I've always enjoyed the gentle sound of birds singing from my garden and in our local area. I recently walked along the Basingstoke canal and stood listening to incredible chorus of the birds for a few minutes. I found the sound generally very calming and relaxing, but I also felt focussed and alert. There are experts and articles that suggest this calming effect is due to an evolutionary mechanism - when birds are singing we feel safe, but when the birds stop singing we may have cause for concern. To read more on this check out this article from 2022 in the Guardian.

If you've read any of my previous articles you may have come across some of my daily habits already. One that I enjoy, especially on mornings like today (I'm writing this on one of the first brighter days after many days of January rain), is to take my green tea into the garden for a few minutes and tune into the sound of the birds. I feel gratitude that I have a garden, and one that many small garden birds like to visit. I take in the morning daylight - which helps to strengthen my sleep-wake cycle and may improve my sleep later that night. I tune into the nature around me, the plants and the trees, the sounds, the wind and the sky. In this way I'm doing what's known as 'habit stacking'. I'm layering up the benefits of my green tea, with the sound of bird song, the morning daylight and the wider connection with nature, and it only takes a matter of a few minutes. There's another interesting article supporting the benefits of connecting with birdsong and more widely with nature in an article on the natural history museum blog here .

Whilst listening to the birdsong, I like to pay attention to the different calls and melodies, which ones are louder and quieter, which is coming from far away and which is closer. Which is coming from my left, or right, in front or behind me. One technique I use, is to imagine each birdsong as a different fader/volume control on a mixing desk, In this way, I can notice all the different sounds at the same time in their varying volumes. Then if a man-made sound occurs such as a passing train, or aircraft, I imagine the fader for that sound being lowered while turning up the faders for the birdsong.

This can be a useful technique for my Pilates participants to use during the relaxation, when there are often other sounds coming from within the building. If they can mentally lower the volume on the mixing desk for those sounds, they might be able to reduce distraction and tune into the relaxation music more clearly - although this does take practice! I'll talk more on how I use music to support various aspects of my life in my next article.

If Pilates, mindfulness or Breathwork is something you'd like to explore in 2024, please visit the various pages on my website and email me if you have any queries or to book a place.

Credit for final photo - Ewa Jones Photography

The blood sugar rollercoaster

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:26:52 GMT

Blood sugar

I thought I'd write this article, as we approach the New Year, about my recent relationship with sugar! This article is for information and interest only and is neither advice nor instruction.

I’ve been feeling recently like I've been riding the blood sugar rollercoaster and have decided to write this article about how that makes me feel and what I’ve tried to do to help me pause the rollercoaster and get off the ride!

When my blood sugar rises and falls regularly throughout the day my energy levels often dip, and I feel lethargic and lack motivation, especially in the mid-afternoons. I crave more sugary foods, find myself snacking more often, I notice worsening anxiety, and I have less patience with myself and with those around me.

Changes I'm trialling

These are some of the things I’ve changed...

1 - Avoiding eating sugary foods on an empty stomach – So, if I fancy an afternoon snack, such as crisps or chocolates, I’ll have a piece of fruit first, often combined with some protein such as nuts or cheese.

2 - Having vegetables first - I’ve been trialling some of the glucose goddess hacks, including starting my meals with the vegetables. When it’s convenient I’ll eat my vegetables first and my carbs towards the end of the meal. Then if I fancy something sweet, I'll have it as my pudding, and not as a separate snack.

3 - Movement - Another of the glucose goddess tricks is to utilise our muscles soon after a meal to help remove some of the additional glucose from the blood. So whilst watching television after dinner, I might do a few simple exercises like calf raises or squats, or perhaps dance around the kitchen while clearing up!

Whilst it’s impossible know which specific changes are having an effect amongst all my other daily habits, I do feel an improvement in my energy levels overall, and I’ve eaten fewer sugary foods lately. However, I'm writing this in early December, so time will tell if I'm able to stick at it over the festive holidays!

Resources

An interesting online article on the Healthline website discusses 11 reasons why sugar isn't good for you and can be found here

In summary, it explains that consuming high levels of sugar, especially those found in sodas and sugary drinks can have an impact on our risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type II diabetes, obesity, acne, low mood, liver issues, cellular ageing and more.

If you're thinking of changing your diet or lifestyle to try and improve both your short and long term health outcomes, I recommend seeking advice from a qualified professional such as a health coach, doctor, or nutritional therapist, and perhaps checking out the resources listed below. You can find out more about health coaching at the UKIHCA website here

Are you already subscribed to my monthly emails? If not, why not sign up using the button below and choose a free Pilates class voucher to use at your first class, or instead claim a free guide to better sleep.

Books

The glucose goddess method - Jessie Inchauspé and New River

The Four Pillar Plan - Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Changing with the seasons

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:49:59 GMT

The habits I change as we approach winter

I thought I'd write this article, as we approach the end of the year, about some of the habits and behaviours that I've changed as the seasons progress towards winter. This article is for information and interest only and is neither advice nor instruction.

Sleep - As mentioned in my point on light, I think my sleep is negatively affected by the reduced natural daylight, but in other ways I think the darker evenings and cooler temperatures actually help me to sleep better. I think it's about adapting to the seasonal changes and not expecting to feel the same way all year round.

Exercise - I'll try to continue with my weekly running, and adjust my clothing to suit the weather, and I'm hoping to continue lake swimming for as long as I can manage it! I've already had to resort to wearing my wetsuit boots and gloves but I'm hoping to avoid wearing the actual wetsuit if I can! I'll continue to lift weights at the gym, and go for regular walks, digging out the walking boots and raincoat when required. I love the quote, 'there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!'

Mindfulness and Breathwork - The darker evenings tend to have a negative impact on my mood, and so I find myself leaning more into my mindfulness and breathing practices. This helps me to stay more present in the moment and to minimise the likelihood that I'll spiral into anxiety about a mind-made scenario that hasn't happened yet!

If you’re interested in mindfulness, why not join my next 6-week in-person mindfulness workshop and uncover the incredible advantages of mindfulness for your overall well-being. Discover how this quick, simple, and accessible practice can help you to stay more present, reduce stress, and foster a greater sense of gratitude. Start the new year by joining our warm and welcoming community and make mindfulness a part of your daily life - drop me an email today to enquire and book your place. Check out further details on my mindfulness page here

The connections between mindfulness and Breathwork

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 10:36:54 GMT

A discussion on Breathwork and mindfulness

In this third article on Mindfulness I'll focus more on breathing. I'll discuss some ideas about the connections between body-mind-breath, our breathing patterns, using the breath during mindfulness practices and also how our breathing patterns can influence our mobility more generally.

Many of us are aware of the connection between our mind and body - for example between the brain and the digestive system - that familiar feeling of butterflies in the stomach before an important meeting or sporting event. Our breathing system is also impacted during stressful situations. For example, we might notice how our breath becomes short, fast and shallow when we're about to do something out of our comfort zone such as public speaking or initiating that difficult conversation with a relative. But it's important to remember that the communication is not only travelling downwards, from the brain to the breathing system, but also travelling back up to the brain from the body. This two-way communication is one of the key ways that we can influence our feelings and our stress levels, through consciously changing the way we breathe.

We may also take for granted the fact that our breath is under dual control. Our breathing system operates mostly automatically, AND we can take conscious control and choose how to breathe intentionally. This ability to take control of our breath gives us the opportunity and the power to influence our nervous system, to calm ourselves down, to reduce stress and to improve sleep.

The Breathwork exercises that I teach are very simple, gentle, and accessible, and harness this two-way communication between the body and the brain, and also the conscious control of the breath. If we can practice intentionally breathing in a calmer manner, we can influence the information travelling to the brain, and dial down the stress response, which in turn helps to slow the breathing even further. If we can learn to practice these breathing techniques during calmer moments in our day, as a regular daily practice, then we'll become more efficient at it, and better able to utilise these skills when we feel more stressed and anxious.

Breathing and mindfulness

During mindfulness sittings we commonly use the breath as a point of focus. It's one of the simplest and easiest starting places for those new to mindfulness. Without consciously altering the breath, we might simply use the breath as an anchor to return to when we notice our mind has wandered. The breath provides a physical process to invite our awareness back to, allowing us to focus on the physical movement in the body, or the sensation of the air entering and leaving through the tip of the nose. Some people are more visual and might imagine the journey of the air as it moves in and out of the body, or perhaps that they are breathing in a colour. Still others, like myself, are more auditory and prefer to repeat a short mantra with each breath such as 'I breathe in calm', 'I breathe out chaos'. Others might simply like to count their breaths from 1-10 and then repeat. In all these cases the breath is not being altered as such, just noticed, observed, and followed, and then returned to whenever the mind has wandered. When we notice our mind has wandered and mange to bring our awareness back to the breath, we are practising mindfulness meditation.

Perhaps counterintuitively the diaphragm contracts when we inhale and relaxes on the exhale. We might be able to utilise this information to encourage more calm in the body by focussing on releasing some muscular tension during the exhale, you could even try that now! I use this attention to the exhale during the relaxation part of my Pilates classes, and of course in Breathwork and Mindfulness too.

As well as carrying out the crucial role of gas exchange in the lungs, breathing is also a movement pattern. An interesting article by David Jackson in a recent edition of Fitpro magazine got me thinking about breathing as a movement pattern, like any other. He explains that, due to the sheer number of breaths we take every day, if our breathing movement pattern is sub-optimal, we'll be repeating this altered pattern many many times every day. Our main breathing muscle - the diaphragm - is not only attached to the rib cage, but also to the lower back, and therefore it might have an impact on the lower back as well as on the pelvis. Due to the position of the shoulder blades on the back of the rib cage, our breathing patterns might also have an influence on our shoulder function. So, to encourage better mobility of not only the ribs, but of the body as a whole, we might want to consider whether we are breathing optimally. This might in some way explain the improvements in my tennis serve which I discuss later.

How Breathwork has impacted my life

I've been reflecting on how Breathwork has impacted my life both before and after I formally trained in teaching it - here are my thoughts...

I love lake swimming, but as the temperature drops (it was 14 degrees on Sunday), I have to really work on controlling my breath as I get into the water, otherwise I start panting and potentially panicking. Calmer breathing helps me relax into my swimming and acclimatize to the water more quickly. Please note that I'm not advocating doing breathing exercises in the water - I've just recognised how important breath awareness and control becomes when entering cold water to help avoid panic setting in.

I also love to sing, both in my teens, and now as a member of the fantastic Choir Effect. I'm grateful that I learned how to use my diaphragm efficiently when I was young. But it's not too late to learn and I'd love to teach you!

As a competitive gymnast, I recall controlling my breath throughout those nerve wracking one and a half minutes on the beam. This helped me avoid panic, or breath holding entirely. I never liked the beam! But I did love doing my floor routine and still practice handstands regularly in the gym even now!

My current read is the fabulous David Hamilton's 'The contagious power of Thinking: How your thoughts can influence the World. I love his work and had the pleasure of hearing him talk at a live event in London. When discussing how to resist emotional contagion, he recommends bringing attention to our own breathing. He says this may help bring the attention back to us and help us dissociate from the negative feelings and situation that’s provoking the other person. In this way, he says we might even feel compassion towards the other person instead of picking up on their negative emotion.

During my recent attempts to learn how to serve a tennis ball with a little more oomph I've come to realise the power of the breath yet again. I've learned to consciously exhale as I strike the ball and this seems to have changed my serve quite considerably - I still don't serve many aces and I'm no Federer, but I'm pleased with the results so far!

Join my Breathwork workshop

If you'd like to explore and improve your breathing patterns and learn how to use your breath to balance your energy levels, improve your sleep, reduce your stress, and boost your digestion - book into my 4-week Breathwork workshop on

Times - Thursdays 5-6pm

Dates - 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th November

Venue - Life Church, Hook.

This journey is more fun with friends! Join our warm and welcoming community and explore the amazing benefits of Breathwork. Share your experiences, learn from others, and support each other as we grow stronger and healthier together - can't wait to hear from you. Email to enquire and book your place today. Full details available here

Subscribe to my monthly email Newsletters to get more insights like these direct to your inbox - sign-up here and receive a free guide to better sleep when you subscribe!

Mindfulness and our thoughts

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:13:57 GMT

Mindfulness series - part two - Mindfulness and our thoughts

During mindfulness, we have the opportunity to become more aware of our thoughts. A 2020 study published in Nature suggests that we could have around 6000 thoughts every day. When the mind is full of racing thoughts, it's very easy for it to spiral from one thought to another, or perhaps to go off in complete tangents like the branches of a tree, or maybe instead, leaving us stuck on one particular thought and caught up in rumination. This often leaves us feeling exhausted or anxious and lacking in focus and creativity.

What are our thoughts? We could consider them to be mental events of the mind. If we ask the question 'what are you going to think next?' we likely don't know the answer! Thoughts are transient and many of the techniques used during mindfulness sittings focus on noticing the thought, and then intentionally letting it go, acknowledging the transient nature of them.

There appears to be a 2-way connection between our thoughts and our feelings. Consider the scenario - a friend hasn't arrived on time for a coffee date - this might prompt us to think 'they could at least have called', and that thought might lead to the feeling of annoyance. However, having the thought 'this is unusual, I hope they are OK' might lead to the feeling of worry or compassion. Feelings can also have an impact on our thoughts. If we're feeling in a sunny disposition and our plans are disrupted, we're more likely to find a positive solution and maintain a positive mindset in the moment, than we might do if we were feeling upset before-hand.

Mindfulness can help us to notice these connections, and prompt us to ask questions about our thoughts and feelings, to help us better understand them, to recognise our habits around thoughts and feelings, and to begin making positive changes. There are many tools we can use during daily life and during mindfulness sittings that can help us to notice and release our thoughts, which we'll cover during my mindfulness courses. Once we become a more skilled observer of our thoughts, we can start to apply some self-compassion and self-kindness. We can begin to reduce judgement and comparison of ourselves and of others and become more accepting of what is.

Many of us spend much of every day in our 'doing mode'. We're often busy, busy, busy, from the moment we wake until the moment we go to sleep. When we're stuck in 'doing mode', we are not in 'being mode'. We are, after all, 'human beings' and not 'human doings'. Mindfulness allows us to take a step back from 'doing mode', and helps us to reset and revive, even for just a few minutes, or for a couple of mindful breaths every day.

If you feel as though you’d like to spend more time in 'being mode', to press pause, and take a breath or two, get in touch by email and enquire about my mindfulness courses. You might also experience more calm and mindfulness during Breathwork or Pilates so drop me a line if either of those interests you too - you can find out more by using the buttons below to view more details

Misconceptions about mindfulness

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:59:01 GMT

Common Misconceptions about mindfulness and meditation

The first in this mindfulness series aims to dispel a few common misconceptions about meditation and mindfulness.

I believe we're living in a time of information over-load. We seem to be constantly bombarded by images, sounds, adverts, and people trying to get our attention, and it's working - but many of us are, as a result, feeling over-whelmed, exhausted and less focussed on the things that really matter the most to us.

We seem to be so busy these days, always on the go and often attempting to do more than one thing at a time. This may result in us not completing tasks to our best ability, or losing focus and taking longer than we'd like to get back on track. Sometimes we may struggle to recall doing something, or lose the thread of a conversation. We might lose our place in a book, or have to re-read sections over again, or perhaps struggle to recall the journey we just took, because our attention was elsewhere. Does any of this resonate with you? I know it has, and continues to do with me, although I'm becoming more aware of it now.

Mindfulness gives us the opportunity to choose what to focus our awareness and attention on, to notice when it wanders, and to invite it back. It also helps us to become more intentional with the way we live our lives, including the content we allow into our awareness. Even something as quick and simple as taking one single purposeful deep breath can help give us a moment of quiet and stillness in our busy daily lives.

Questions and answers about mindfulness and meditation

Here are a few common reasons why people might not start practising mindfulness, or sadly give up on it before they've realised the impact it could have:-

Q - I can’t sit cross-legged and bolt upright on the floor, so it’s not for me.

A- Thankfully, comfort is key and many of the mindfulness meditations can be done seated in a chair, or even lying down - especially during those designed to encourage a deep and peaceful nights sleep afterwards.

Q - I can’t clear my mind, I’m always thinking of my to do list or trying to solve the problems that are going on right now.

A - Mindfulness for our busy modern lives is not about having to clear our mind, or push thoughts and feelings away, but rather to notice our thoughts, acknowledge them and peacefully let them go.

Q - I don’t have time for mindfulness meditation.

A - Luckily, it doesn't need to take very long and in fact, some the meditations I teach only take between two and ten minutes. Mindfulness is also something we can practice during the activities we're already doing – simply practising being present in the moment, which doesn’t take us any extra time in our busy lives.

Q - I think I’m doing it wrong - my mind kept wandering and I zoned out for half of it.

A - There is no right or wrong way to practice – taking the time and doing the practice is the practice!

Q - I don’t like the idea of just acceptance - it feels defeatist, like giving up, but I want to feel in control.

A - Mindfulness is not about feeling powerless or weak, but by accepting 'what is' we can reduce the resistance to our reality, whilst focusing more clearly on our responses and reactions to it, helping to put us back into the driving seat of our own lives.

I’m so excited to now be a qualified mindfulness teacher, and I’ve really enjoyed my training over the past couple of months. I’ll be offering some new mindfulness courses and a membership club soon.

If you’re not already receiving my email newsletters, sign-up below and claim your free sleep guide as a thank you. I’ll keep you updated with information and dates for my new mindfulness courses, and of course details about my Pilates classes and Breathwork workshops too. Find out more using the buttons below

4 ways Breathwork has helped me recently

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:17:49 GMT

Breathwork comes to my rescue!

As I lay in the dentist’s chair recently during a check-up, I noticed after a few minutes that my whole body had tensed up. Even though the dentist was being gentle and not causing me any pain, I still found myself tensing up both my arms and legs in anticipation of something bad! So, I took a moment to consciously try to release some of the tension in my body, and then began to focus on slowing down my breathing. I started to breathe through my nose and make my out-breaths a little longer than my in-breaths. This really helped me to get through the appointment with less tension, stress and anxiety. Are you aware of any un-necessary tension in your body as you read this? You might like to consider joining my regular weekly Pilates classes, where we spend the last 10 minutes enjoying a relaxation session ( 1-hour classes only), check out all the details here and email me to reserve your place.

The other da y, I was sitting in a café, having pre-ordered takeaway sandwiches, which I'd ordered in advance, as I knew I'd be pushed for time on the way to visit a friend for lunch. On paying for the order, I was informed that it hadn't been put through yet, and so they only started preparing the food after I'd got there. I politely paid the young barista at the till, who'd explained how busy they'd been, and I sat, and I waited. Initially, I was pretty frustrated because having been organised in pre-ordering, I hadn't allowed for this additional time that it was now taking to prepare the food. So, I texted my friend to explain the delay, and then I decided that I could either sit here and quietly fume, or I could use this time as an opportunity to practice using my breath to calm myself down. I just did a few gentle, slow, balanced breaths through my nose and noticed my stress levels coming down. Like many self-care techniques, especially those that help influence our nervous system, I find it helps if I practice them when the conditions are calm, so I am more skilled and therefore more able to utilise them when circumstances become more intense. This moment proved to be a great opportunity to hone my skills in a mildly stressful situation. If you're interested in learning some simple, gentle and effective breathing techniques to help you to dial down the stress in your body, check out my Breathwork workshop details here . By the way - the picture below was not taken at the venue in question, and I found myself feeling very tranquil as I enjoyed this particular cup of coffee with such a spectacular view outside! An ideal opportunity to practice mindfulness and Breathwork in calm conditions!

During the four months that my son was travelling at far-flung countries on the other side of the world, I would occasionally notice my thoughts spiralling into 'what if's'. When I was able to recognise this re-curing thought pattern, and the associated tension in my body, I remembered my regular daily breathing practice and used it a little more often. It would have the effect of bringing me back to the present moment and allowed me to recognise that my body was responding to my own thoughts that I was ruminating on, and not on the actual truth of the situation. However, when I chose to re-focus on my breath instead, I gave myself the 'breathing space' to recognise the thoughts for exactly what they were, and come back to the present moment. I also use Mel Robbins' fabulous mantra at times like these and exchange my 'what if_____' ( insert the worst case scenario that's popping into my head) and replace it with 'what if it all works out'. I find the combination of slow gentle breathing, coming back the present, and using a positive mantra, really effective at bringing me out of my negative thought spiral. If you're interested in these ideas - you might like to subscribe to my bi-monthly email newsletter, where I'll soon be sharing details of my new mindfulness courses! Click the button below and claim a free sleep guide too!

One of my morning habits - especially in the summer when I’m teaching less, and when the sun is up early - is to take a few minutes to walk around the garden and get some natural daylight as early as I can after waking. I also use this opportunity to feel more grounded by doing this in bare feet. The cold dew on the grass and the cooler air has made this a less comfortable experience lately, and so I’ve been leaning into my Breathwork practice. This helps me stay calm and able to tolerate the less comfortable sensations of cold feet and cold skin, whilst still enjoying the experience of the fresh air, birdsong, daylight, and grounding into the earth. This early morning daylight practice also helps support my circadian rhythm and therefore supports my sleep.

If you haven't yet claimed your copy, you can claim your FREE guide 'Simple ways to get better sleep!' when you sign-up to my bi-monthly 'Email Newsletters' by clicking the button below. It only requires your first name and email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time, your details are not shared. Until next time...keep breathing!

The benefits of connection

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:55:15 GMT

Lessons from a retreat

I was fortunate enough to have recently attended a '100 Human' weekend retreat run by Tony Riddle. The main focus was on connecting inwardly to our own bodies, feelings and emotions, but also on connecting outwardly towards the others on the retreat and to humanity in general, so it seemed apt to write about connection this month. It's also World Welbeing Week as I write, and connection is a pivotal part of our wellbeing.

Dacher Keltner describes how the actions of other people were most likely to bring their study participants everyday awe - I highly recommend the book 'Awe - the transformative power of everyday wonder'. Dr Rangan Chatterjee also discusses connection in his book 'The four pillar plan' - where he discusses the potential health impact of feeling socially unconnected, which can also stimulate our stress response system. He also notes that levels of a stress hormone cortisol tend to be higher in lonely people.

I regularly practice tapping into the connection between my mind and body during my Breathwork practice, and whilst doing my yoga, Pilates, or stretching. The more I practice this inward connection, the easier it becomes. I encourage all my Pilates participants to tune into the feelings in their body throughout each class, not only to help them to move within their comfortable range of movement, but also to support their mind-body connection. Many have told me that the relaxation section at the end of the class is their favourite part, which gives them the opportunity to lie still, and tune into their breath and their body for a few minutes.

The connection between people is heart-warming to observe and those few minutes of connection and catching up with each other before classes begin are just one of the multitude of possible benefits that comes from attending a regular weekly group such as Pilates. I personally get this sense not only from teaching my groups, but also from attending regular groups myself, such as tennis lessons and choir.

The social benefits of attending Pilates were recognised by my participants in a recent survey where 37 percent, of participants who responded, noted the social benefits of attending a weekly Pilates class. If you're keen to increase your sense of connection to others, and to yourself, whilst being led through some gentle movements and exercises for both your body and brain, then drop me an email and book into a regular weekly Pilates class at Hook Community Centre. Or if you're interested in becoming more connected to your breath, and to learn how to use the breath to balance your energy levels, reduce stress, boost digestion, and improve sleep, do contact me about my next Breathwork workshops . Plus watch this space for some NEW mindfulness groups coming soon too!

Another way I try to connect is through food. If I remember, I take a brief moment before starting a meal to be thankful to the people involved in getting the food to my table, or perhaps to take a moment of gratitude for the sun and the rain for helping the food to grow. This can have the effect of helping me remain more mindful as I eat and therefore more aware of the tastes and the textures, increasing my enjoyment of the food and slowing myself down as I eat.

A fantastic podcast called 'Feel Better Live More', hosted by Dr Rangan Chatterjee and featuring Dr David Perlmutter, went into detail on how the connections between certain areas of our own brains can become temporarily disrupted, particularly when under stress or when in a state of chronic inflammation. Dr Perlmutter's closing remark on how to live better was to connect with ourselves more, and with our day to day present moments. I can highly recommend giving episode 368 a listen.

Connect with Katie

If you're keen to connect with a warm and welcoming group of people in a regular weekly Pilates class , or in a Breathwork workshop in Hook, send me an email and book your place. You'll find answers to frequently asked questions here and I'll happily answer any questions you may still have.

What is Pilates?

Tue, 23 May 2023 16:53:59 GMT

Who created Pilates?

Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates after the first world war, during which time he experimented with helping bedridden patients to exercise, using pulleys and springs attached to hospital beds! After some time, the system became adopted by the dance world, and eventually by celebrities and finally by mainstream fitness.

Each individual Pilates instructor will have their own teaching style based on the training they have received and their own background not to mention their individual personality. My classes are influenced by my background in Physiotherapy and my calm and compassionate nature. My training in Pure Stretch also impacts my classes, and many of the exercises focus on general mobility, and flexibility.

The eight principles of Pilates are–

Concentration
Breathing
Control
Centring
Precision
Movement
Routine
Isolation

1-Concentration

This comes from the level of focus involved during the exercises, not only are we focussed on breathing wide and full, but also on the connection to our core muscles, our postural alignment before, during and after the moves, which muscles are working, whether we are aiming to move or stabilise our spine, and also tuning in to the feeling in our body and working within our comfortable range. As you can imagine there isn't much brain band-width left to be worrying about things, or making plans, therefore Pilates can be a very mindful form of exercise. But don't let all this talk of focus put you off - we do have a good laugh too!

2-Breathing

We are all breathing all day and all night, however, we use the breath in a particular way during a Pilates class, to encourage good air flow into the lower lungs, but with minimal expansion into the belly, so that we can also connect with the transverse abdominals as we engage our core muscles. We also use different breathing techniques during the relaxation section of the class, to promote more calm. I offer separate Breathwork workshops, which you can check out on my website here too.

4-Centring

This is a term used to describe the connection and engagement of the core muscles in our centre. We use these postural muscles on and off throughout the class, to enable more control and stability to our centre as we move.

5-Precision

This is important during Pilates because certain moves aim to stabilise an area of the body, but move another, and sometimes to focus specifically on which muscles are involved in creating a particular movement.

6-Movement

Movement is improvement!

I love this phrase! Our bodies are meant to move and many of the exercises I teach are primarily about getting the body to move. I have attended training in stretching and so I also include plenty of gentle stretches, indeed a recent survey of my participants revealed that better flexibility was the most common benefit my participants had noticed since starting my Pilates classes. Read to the end to see the full results!

7-Routine

At tending once a week to the same class at the same time provides weekly routine. We also follow my class plans that include strengthening, stretching, stability, movement, and breathing - all planned in a routine that I teach, demonstrate, and explain all the way through the class.

Survey results!

A recent survey of 68 of my Pilates participants asked them to tick which of the following were the main improvements they had noticed since starting Pilates.

These are the incredible results…as a percentage of the 68 replies

Better flexibility – 78%
Improved mobility – 56%
Fewer aches and pains – 47%
More relaxed – 50%
More energised – 31%
Less backpain – 40%
Better posture – 40%
Better sleep – 18%
Improved breathing – 18%
Social benefits – 37%
Improved mood – 30%
Reduced need for Physiotherapy/Osteopathy – 19%
More confidence in physical activities – 31%

I'm delighted to see that my participants are noticing such a wide range of benefits!

Ready to join a Pilates Class?

If you’re thinking of starting a gentle exercise class and are keen to learn from an instructor with a Physiotherapy degree, email me to enquire and book in. Full details are on my Pilates page here . Drop me a line and try a class soon!

How are you breathing?

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:46:38 GMT

Why learn Breathwork?

As a qualified health coach and Breathwork coach, I’ve decided to focus on the topic of breathing, and specifically how Breathwork can impact stress.

A common response, when I mention learning Breathwork is – I’ve been breathing all my life, why do I need to learn how to breathe now? This is an excellent question because breathing is indeed an automatic process, and you must be breathing, or you wouldn't be reading this! When we're focussed elsewhere, or when we're sleeping, our breathing system continues to function automatically. Many of us will be in automatic breathing mode for much of the time. However, this leaves the breathing system at the mercy of our feelings, emotions, and stress levels, which can all have a negative impact on the way we breathe. This impact is often unnoticed as we go through our day, like many of our automatic habits we don't have full awareness of them unless we pay mindful attention to them.

If you feel like you're in a fairly continual low-grade state of stress, anxiety or worry; if you struggle to switch off your thoughts at night-time; or perhaps you wake up feeling anxious before even forming a conscious thought, Breathwork might help.

As I discussed in my body/brain connection blog in January (which you can read here ), the body is constantly communicating with the brain. This communication can, in some cases, create a vicious cycle, for example, we feel a little stressed about a challenging situation we're facing, so the brain initiates the stress response system in the body which, among many other things, alters our breathing, making it faster and shallower. The breathing system then sends information to the brain that we are in fight/flight mode, so the brain continues to maintain the stress response system and the cycle goes round. What comes first, the stress or the shallow fast breathing? I don't believe it matters because either can start this vicious cycle flowing.

Our modern way of life may have had an impact on the mechanics of our breathing. Many of us have adopted more of a seated and flexed posture, perhaps reducing the mobility of the rib cage. There are also many societal pressures e.g. to look a certain way, to have a 'flat' stomach, and to wear tight fitting clothing that restricts the movement of our abdomen and therefore our ability to breathe using the diaphragm. A fact I've just become acutely aware of, as I type this in a seated position with a tight waist band on my jeans!

Our modern lives often pull us in so many directions at once, or involve many small stressors every day, from waking up late and being late for work, to caring for an elderly relative, to worrying about a difficult conversation or email we need to face. These small stressors can build up across the days and weeks, and have an impact on the overall stress levels in the body. As already mentioned above, when we become stressed, we tend to breathe faster and shallower, which starts the vicious cycle of stress and shallow breathing.

Our bodies are not designed to be in a prolonged state of stress, which can contribute to the development of many long-term chronic health conditions. Ideally, we would respond to stressors and then return to a calm state again afterwards, which is where Breathwork can come in and help us nudge the nervous system back towards calm.

Also, when we are in a fight or flight state of chronic low-grade stress. We often find our energy levels depleting because the body is functioning in a high alert state for much of the time. By learning how to use simple calming breathing techniques during the day, you might find you are more able to manage your energy levels and occupy a state of calm for a few more minutes of each day.

There are various other reasons why it is better for us to breathe slower and more deeply.

Our breathing is much more efficient when we breathe using the diaphragm. This is the main breathing muscle which helps to take air lower into the lungs. It's thought that these lower lobes of the lungs are more connected to our thrive state and may be one of the reasons that diaphragmatic breathing can be so calming.

We can improve the uptake of oxygen into the blood when we get more air into the lower part of our lungs because these areas are also better served by the circulatory system.

The body is constantly sending information to the brain about the state of the systems in the body. When we breathe fast and shallow, information gets sent to the brain confirming that we are under threat, keeping us in fight or flight mode. Therefore, by breathing in a manner that mirrors what happens naturally under stress, we create a vicious cycle and continue the cycle of circulating stress hormones. However, when we breathe in a way that is calm, we send those calming signals to the brain instead and shift our nervous system towards rest and digest.

Breathing fast and shallow also has an impact on our ability to digest food. For optimal digestion the body needs to be in a calm state, often called the rest and digest state. Aeons ago, if being chased by a predator, the body would shut down unnecessary bodily functions and divert energy towards the heart, lungs and muscles while escaping the imminent threat to life. This includes the digestive system. You may have noticed that your digestive system is impacted by high stress events such as going into an uncomfortable social situation, or making an important presentation at work or on stage. We can utilise the conscious side of our breathing system and calming breath techniques to nudge our nervous system away from fight and flight and towards rest and digest before eating a meal. By doing this, we are more likely to be able to digest the meal and get more nutrients out of the food we eat.

Another consequence of almost always breathing fast and shallow is that we might have altered the levels of carbon dioxide in the body. Breathing fast and shallow tends to blow off carbon dioxide, reducing the amount circulating in the blood. This can impact the pH of the blood and have a negative impact on the oxygen delivered to the body. We need a balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide, and slower calmer breathing can help maintain that balance.

Breathing through the nose provides further benefits to those already mentioned, such as boosting nitric oxide, which helps open the airways and blood vessels, and also helps the delivery of oxygen to the cells that need it. Nasal breathing also enhances the calming effect of slower deeper breathing, not to mention the 20 or so other functions that the nose carries out for us such as humidifying, filtering and warming the air that we breathe.

If this blog has led you to reconsider why it’s important to learn how to breathe slowly, deeply, efficiently, and calmly then I would love to invite you to my in-person Breathwork workshops running in Hook. The next available dates are available here . Send me an email to book your place and I can’t wait to meet you in a Breathwork workshop soon!

How movement benefits the body and brain

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:42:32 GMT

Benefits of Exercise

Movement, is described in Dr Chatterjee‘s book, 'The 4 Pillar Plan' as one of the four key pillars of health and is one of the key pillars of health for me too. Exercise offers many benefits to us, across various aspects of our health and well-being, not just for our cardiovascular health (such as our heart and blood vessels) but offers many more wide-reaching and lesser-known benefits too.

A recent webinar hosted by the UK & International Health Coaches Association went into detail about the host of benefits we can experience, of exercising more. Benefits such as reduced chance of falls, depression, back & joint pain to name just a few. The Physical Activity Guidelines produced by the government are really positive, indicating the huge benefits of just doing a little more movement in our day - every minute counts.

In the fantastic Matt Walker podcast, you can learn how the benefits of exercise extend to improving our sleep. He cites various research projects, demonstrating the improvements in sleep, linked to exercise. As we age it appears that the amount of exercise required in order to enjoy the sleep benefits reduces. When we are younger a more intense exercise session might be needed whereas in our later years, more gentle sessions may be enough to positively impact our sleep. This is reassuring, and if you’re looking for a gentle way to start introducing some movement into your regular weekly schedule then perhaps consider joining a Pilates class.

Brain health

Neuroscientist Dr Wendy Suzuki, author of 'Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better', explains how moving the body produces chemical structures such as dopamine and growth factors, which can improve our brain health. Such substances may improve our focus, productivity, happiness and boost our mood as she explained in a fantastic episode of the 'Feel Better Live More' podcast a few months ago.

Muscles and bones

By exercising in certain ways we can, not only stimulate muscle mass, but we can also stimulate bone mass – these two are closely interlinked. A muscle contraction pulls on a bone and that pulling force can stimulate the bone to become stronger. Both bone and muscle mass naturally start to decline from around the age of 30-40 and thus exercising becomes more important to counter-act that natural decline. This is important because as we age, and our muscle mass decreases, our ability to carry out activities of daily life can be impacted, such as climbing stairs, doing up shoes and getting on & off the floor. However, it can also impact our risk of a fall. Bone fractures are something we would all want to avoid, particularly in our later years as this can have a big impact on our ability to return to independent living.

The following quotes are taken from the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines mentioned earlier

'The value to older adults of activities which improve strength, balance and flexibility cannot be overstated'....'These components of fitness help maintain physical function, reduce the risk of falls, and help people feel more confident and able to meet the MVPA guidelines'

Therefore, I try to incorporate movements during my Pilates classes aimed at improving balance reactions, muscle strength and power, as well as bone health too. Although a resistance workout in the gym might be optimal for some people, this might not suit everyone, especially those who are relatively new to exercise in their mid-older adult lives, and therefore a gentler way to start might be a Pilates class.

Stress

Exercise is also a fantastic way to manage the stress levels that build up in our body throughout our daily lives. Stress is something I help people to manage through my Pilates classes and also through my Breathwork workshops. I try and take a walk most days, when I can, which I find almost always lifts my mood and gives me a chance to feel gratitude for the natural beauty around me. I usually find something, whilst out in nature, to pause and take in, enhancing the benefits of the walk itself.

One reason that exercise might help reduce stress is linked to our evolution. We are programmed to fight or flee when we perceive danger, and so the body expects to move when in a state of stress. However, the 'danger' in modern times (for those of us fortunate enough to be living free from fear of imminent real danger), is more likely to be triggered by a difficult conversation, an email or tweet that upsets us, or just the build-up of demands on our limited time each day. These modern-day, everyday, 'threats' don't require us to run away, or to fight for our lives, but if we can build some movement into our day, we can help to mitigate against the build-up of stress in the body.

Metabolic health

Exercise is also closely linked with our metabolic health, and in particular our ability to manage our blood sugar levels. When we exercise, the moving muscles demand an increased oxygen supply, but also an increased supply of fuel in the form of glucose from sugar, and thus exercising can be a good way for us to encourage improved metabolic health and the maintenance of optimal blood sugar levels.

What about motivation?

How can we get ourselves to move more when we're programmed to conserve energy?

Daniel Lieberman, in his fantastic book 'Exercised', discusses the unfortunate paradox that modern humans find themselves in. We evolved to require lifelong physical activity for optimal function, however our minds never evolved to get us moving, unless it's rewarding, enjoyable, or necessary. Thus, in order to boost our motivation to get our bodies moving more, he recommends finding an activity that is either necessary, enjoyable, or rewarding.

This explains how my friend and I have managed to maintain an (almost) weekly 5Km run for a year, even though neither of us really enjoys running, because the chatting all the way round makes it rewarding and pleasurable, and it becomes necessary when the other is expecting us to show up! This might also be why some of my Pilates participants have been attending my classes weekly for many years and are still enjoying it now, because it's fun and rewarding, and by paying upfront for a block, also becomes somewhat necessary! Can you think of ways in which to utilise this idea to help you to start getting a little more movement into your day?

Is it too late?

And as for thinking that we may have left it too late to start, Daniel Lieberman suggests that it's almost never too late to benefit from becoming fitter, but that the key lies in finding an activity we actually want to participate in. If you're considering becoming much more physically active, medical advice should be sought before getting started, especially if you are fairly sedentary and /or have medical conditions that could be made worse by it. Please note these articles are for information and interest only and are neither advice nor instruction. No liability accepted.

What is collective effervescence?

Dr Chatterjee, on his Feel Better Live More podcast in discussion with Dr Dacher Keltner, mentions the benefits of feeling awe, and that one mechanism for this amazing feel-good feeling is found during collective movement. It's known as collective effervescence, and it occurs when people are moving together with a shared awareness or consciousness. They discuss how yoga (and therefore I assume Pilates) might stimulate this effect in people, enhancing the benefits of the movement itself to include calming inflammation, stimulating the vagus nerve and helping to reduce stress. I know I feel great when I'm looking around the room at all my lovely participants all moving together and striving for a similar movement goal. We even manage to all move the same arm and leg at the same time occasionally, but not that often!!

Ready to join a Pilates class?

If you're keen to start moving your body in a gentle, controlled way, led by an instructor with a Physiotherapy degree, perhaps you might consider joining a regular weekly Pilates class at Hook Community Centre. Can’t wait to hear from you! Click here to contact me with any queries, or to book your place. Further class details can be found here

How to get better sleep

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:06:04 GMT

Why have I decided to write an article on sleep this month?

Sleep is one of the most important and potentially misunderstood processes in the human body. It appears that there isn’t a body or brain system that isn’t positively impacted by better sleep.

As the sleep diplomat, Matthew Walker puts it, sleep is the single, most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day. If you’re keen to learn more from this sleep expert I highly recommend 'The Matt Walker Podcast' and his fantastic Ted talk 'Sleep is your superpower'.

Is sleep a priority for you? Over recent years we have, as a society, reduced the number of hours spent asleep. According to Dr Chatterjee's book 'The four Pillar Plan' an Oxford University study showed an average reduction in sleep of 1-2 hours over the past 60 years - which could represent a 25% reduction in sleep. We’re enticed into binge watching box sets or into scrolling through social media when we could be winding down ready for sleep.

Our body responds to the dimming of light in the evening, with a slight surge in energy levels - which is thought to have evolved eons ago - to allow us to set up camp before night fall. In our modern, electric light, electronic screen filled world, it’s quite possible to be exposed to bright stimulating light right up until the moment we expect to fall asleep. Then we wonder why we can’t drift off immediately.

Perhaps you do drop off the moment your head hits the pillow - but this could be a sign of sleep debt. A recent study mentioned in a blog by 'the sleep charity' found that, it normally takes ten to twenty minutes to fall asleep. Check out their blog here

They also note that overly focussing on how long it's taking to fall asleep can be detrimental to our sleep and may indicate an issue with your sleep health. If you are struggling with sleep issues, please seek appropriate medical advice and remember these articles are neither advice nor instruction and are just for information and interest. Breathwork can be a useful tool to bring our attention away from 'trying' to fall asleep and onto our calming breath instead.

My Wind down top tips

As adults we tend to assume we don’t need a bedtime routine, but allowing ourselves time to wind down might help us to get more good quality sleep. A couple of suggestions might be

To turn off screens (especially tablets and phones) an hour before bed - this not only helps to reduce the light stimulation which might make us feel alert instead of sleepy, but also helps reduce the likelihood that I'll read something upsetting just before bed.

To dim the lighting or use softer table lamps rather than bright overhead lighting - this can help reduce the stimulation from bright lighting. Have you ever noticed how sleepy you feel in a dimly lit restaurant?

Read a book - this can be a lovely distraction and escape from the events of the day and helps create a sense of calm.

Take a relaxing bath - not only is the warm water calming, but I find that the drop in body temperature after a bath can really help me to fall asleep more quickly.

Listen to calming music - I have a few playlists of calming music and also meditative sounds that can easily be found on music streaming services - why not try some and see how they make you feel? I'm currently enjoying solfeggio sounds.

Write in a gratitude journal - I introduced this habit some years ago and find it to be a fantastic way to end the day. I write three things that I'm grateful for, which can sometimes be as simple as having a cosy bed to lie in, but I try to be specific and have always managed to find three things to write. I love the positive end to the day and the way that I'm training my brain to look for the positives.

Practice calming breathwork - I've had an interest in this for some time too, and recently became a qualified Breathwork coach. I use the techniques that I learned in my training (and that I teach during my workshops) to help me settle my nervous system just before bed, helping me fall asleep more quickly and get a better night's sleep.

As you might expect, sleep is interlinked with many other aspects of our diet and lifestyle, some of which are included in my free guide to better sleep, which you can access below. Dr Matthew Walker discusses the effects of exercise on sleep in his podcast and explains how some studies are showing a link between those who exercise regularly reporting better sleep than those who don’t. He suggests that even 15 minutes of walking may be enough to make a difference to our sleep. He also notes that the extra sleep time is usually gained without any extra time spent in bed i.e., the sleep efficiency improves. Have you noticed whether regular exercise has an impact on your sleep? I notice that I sleep better when I feel physically tired at the end of the day, especially if I've had a long walk or spent an afternoon gardening. If getting more movement is something you're keen to improve on, why not contact me to book into a regular weekly Pilates class at Hook Community Centre and check out the details here .

5 top tips that might improve sleep quality and quantity

Find out more and get in touch!

If you're interested in joining a Pilates class, claim your first class for FREE when you sign-up to my Newsletters, or for more tips on how to improve sleep, sign-up to my Email Newsletters and receive your FREE guide 'Simple ways to get better sleep' or check out my upcoming Breathwork workshops. All the links can be found below. Please note that this article is for information and interest only and does not replace medical advice. No liability accepted and please do seek appropriate advice if sleep is a particular issue for you.

Habits of a Healthcoach

Stronger Every Session: The Full-Body Strength Benefits of Pilates

Pilates - an alternative approach to traditional strength training?

How Pilates Helps Improve Flexibility and Mobility

How Pilates helps improve flexibility and mobility

Where Pilates Began: A discussion on its history and how it compares to yoga

A discussion on the history of Pilates and how it compares to yoga

Pilates for beginners. Answers to 6 common questions

Answers to 6 common questions about Pilates for beginners

Reflecting on 2025

My reflections on my health habits this year

Preparing for the festive period

My plans for the festive period

Lessons from a monastery - part three things that surprised me

Things that surprised me!

Lessons from a monastery - part two is the grass greener?

Lessons from a monastery - part two is the grass always greener?

Lessons from a monastery - part one - Digital Distancing

Lessons from a monastery - part one - Digital Distancing

Breathwork or mindfulness?

What's the difference between breathwork and mindfulness?

Breathwork

Why do we need it?

What do we cover?

Bonus content

Course details

Mindfulness

The topics

Course details

Pilates and driving a car

Pilates and driving a car

Pilates and Hair washing

Pilates and hair washing

Pilates and Walking

Pilates and Walking

'Side-effects' of Pilates - mental fitness

Another positive 'Side-effect' of Pilates - mental fitness

'Side-effects' of Pilates - movement variety

Second 'side-effect' of Pilates - more variety of movement ﻿

'Side-effects' of Pilates - Quiet-time

The first 'side effect' of Pilates

Quiet-time

Thriving in the festive period

My Pilates framework for the festive period

Breathing

Feeling Grounded

Alignment

Flexibility

Posture

Strength

Centering

Balance

Benefits of Pilates

Why join a weekly Pilates Class?

What is Pilates?

The ABC of Pilates

Are you ready to join a Pilates Class?

Noticing kindness

On giving, receiving and observing kindness

Changing my eating habits

My attempts to eat less

﻿ ultra-processed food

Here's what I'm currently working on

Movement as we age

How are we aging?

Reflection on rivers

My latest Mindfulness habits

How I've added mindful moments into existing times of my day

Benefits of connection

Benefits of connecting with others

Lessons from long-haul - Adaptability

lessons from long-haul acceptance

Practising acceptance

How I use sound to boost focus

Using sound to boost focus

Sound and the benefits of birdsong

Benefits of birdsong and how I try to benefit

The blood sugar rollercoaster

Blood sugar

Changing with the seasons

Second 'side-effect' of Pilates - more variety of movement

ultra-processed food

Why have I decided to write an article on sleep this month?