Positive Thinking

Note to Self - Will you be my Valentine? 💘

Note to Self - Will you be my Valentine? 💘

February, the month of love, is not just reserved for showering affection on others. This Valentine's season, let's redirect some of that love inward and embark on a journey of self-love. Let's explore how taking care of yourself can be the ultimate act of love.

• Love Begins with Self-Care - In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's easy to neglect the most important person – yourself. Just as Pilates can strengthen and rejuvenate the body, a self-care practice will nourish the soul. Take time for activities that bring you joy, whether it's a relaxing bath, a walk in nature, or reading a good book. Treat yourself with the same kindness and attention you would give to a friend.

Reframe your Thoughts and Change your Day

Reframe your Thoughts and Change your Day

Isn’t it strange the difference between how other people see us and how we see ourselves? What I’ve learnt over the years is that we all have good and bad days, we all have something about us we’d like to change or improve, and we all have moments in our lives which are more challenging than we think we can bear. And the biggest life lesson I’ve learnt is that we CAN have more good days than bad if we choose to reframe our thoughts to positive ones, we CAN become the best version of ourselves if we accept truly who we are and not compare our lives to others. And we CAN overcome whatever life throws at us if we are kind to ourselves in our thoughts and actions, as well as to other people.

Learn to Love Your Body for What it Does not How it Looks

Learn to Love Your Body for What it Does not How it Looks

How do you feel about your body? Do you look at it with admiration at what it can do? Or do you pick out parts you don’t like, critique and compare to others. I’m fessing up to being guilty of the second statement on occasion. Odd you may think when I’ve danced all my life but growing up in a competitive environment and a society where it’s socially acceptable to criticise and comment on a woman’s body can do that to you. And I don’t want that for the next generation, nor do I want anyone who feels that way to continue feeling negative about body image. This is why all my classes and YouTube sessions are body positive and age positive.

Why an Injury Can affect Your mental health and How to Overcome it

Why an Injury Can affect Your mental health and How to Overcome it

There is a great article on why a sports injury can harm your mental health in this months Psychologies magazine with some excellent advice. One piece in particular was ‘ if you can’t play your usual sport due to injury what can you do instead? And this is where Pilates comes in. Working as a pilates instructor for 10+ years now I’ve seen many injuries and pathologies that have affected peoples mental health and the first priority is always to get people moving in whatever way they can because movement in itself is healing. A comprehensively certified teacher can call on 600 + pilates exercises from both the mat and apparatus repertoire and adapt them to work with the injury and rehabilitate both body and mind. I’ve had many clients arrive as injured who’ve stayed with me post recovery and continue to use pilates to cross train and stay injury free. And it isn’t just injuries, age can play a big part in how we feel about ourselves and the same philopsophy applies, movement is healing so my advice to you is no matter your age, no matter your injury find a way to move to stay healthy in mind and body.

‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all’

‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all’

That’s the phrase I live by now but it wasn’t always so. Performing was all I had wanted to do but post a knee injury and a destructive relationship that dissolved any confidence I had in myself I retreated into a job where I was very much behind the scenes. It was only when a close friend gave me a key ring with this quote on a few years ago that I realised how far I’d come. 10 years ago I was on the brink of another career change, this time a chosen one as I was giving up a career as a stressed out, overworked Producer/ Director in Television to retrain as a Pilates teacher in California.