Mat based Pilates classes are great for anyone wanting to build core control and strength.
This class will help improve your posture and balance whilst supporting you to gain a greater awareness of your body and mind through slow and controlled movements, helping you to increase overall wellbeing.
The starting point for anyone new to Pilates is an introduction to Alignment, Breathing, Core Stability, the ABCs of Pilates. This beginner’s class will enable you to master these foundational principles through a range of exercises which will help you progress confidently through the more advanced levels of Pilates.
Benefits of Pilates can include:
• Improving core function
• Strengthening core and back muscles
• Increasing spinal mobility and stability
• Developing posture and balance
• Improving flexibility
• Helping with concentration
• Energising mind and body
• Helping with prevention and relief of back pain
This gentle class focuses on relaxation through movement teamed with breath. If you’re under stress, injured or sore, this class will help restore your mind and body.
This approach to relaxation is great for everyone that finds it hard to get into traditional still meditation but is looking for the benefits of meditation.
No experience is required.
Limited spaces only to ensure everyone can have individual support.
If you’re under stress, injured or suffer back pain, this class will help restore your mind and body. No experience is required.
BOOKING essential!
NEW course start every 8 weeks please check our website to get in touch.
8 week block £52 (£6.50/ session)
2 for 1 registration - bring a friend and save!!!
drop in £8.00/ session
Namaste
Marie
Last updated Feb. 2, 2020, 6:54 p.m. UTC
Friendly, Non-competitive Pilates and Hatha Yoga classes in Castleford. Suitable for men and women, all ages and abilities.
We might be perfect for each other if……
- You prefer smaller, more personal groups
- You may have back pain which interferes with you living your life to its full potential
- You need some “me time” so you can be more present with those you love
- You want to learn yoga with a teacher you can relate to in a supportive non competitive way
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If you want to practice pilates or yoga with a teacher that understands chronic pain from first hand experience look no further. I live with Ankylosing Spondylitis a form of arthritis.
To find out more about how I manage my condition check out my website and blog or get in touch and have a chat.
I look forward to hearing from you
Marie
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My Bio:
Did you know you are likely to have done several pilates and yoga moves if you have attended other forms of programs or have had Physiotherapy? Many yoga postures are the basis of pilates and other body weight and conditioning programs.
I never liked the idea of yoga because generally it is portrayed as something that only skinny, hyper flexible vegetarian hippies do. Many yogis seem to be showing off their crazy acrobatic poses on social media, which didn’t help, make it more attractive.
With pilates I have had some not so good experiences where classes consisted of too many flexion based exercises which hurt my back even more. I have been teaching Fab Abs classes that draw on Pilates and other scientific core modalities for year now and people are surprised how we can achieve a well functioning core without doing a single ab crunch.
I actually wrote a blog post about this which is still relevant today: http://www.mpower-fitness.co.uk/why-i-do-not-teach-crunches-in-my-class/
I came to like yoga more in a round about way. I knew I had to find something slow and mindful to practice along side the crazy stressful fitness classes I was teaching. That’s when I looked at Tai chi again.
I didn’t really enjoy the tai chi classes I had tried, I have written about it here. I found a Tai chi Qigong Shibashi training course that gave me what I was after and now I teach it in a way that works for me and for other people that did not enjoy Tai chi in the extremely traditional form.
Something similar happened for me with Yoga, I had been unwell with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an inflammatory condition of the spine and joints for several years when I looked to holistic ways of helping myself get better. I used some basic but effective yoga postures and some feldenkraise movement therapy from the CHEK method alongside some meditation and regular tai chi to help my body and mind find back together.
I have now added Pilates officially to my arsenal of qualifications as the essence of it is very useful in connecting to your body and learning to adopt better movement patterns that help the spine and other joints to endure less stress.
I am not promising that any of these methods are a “cure all” but they can certainly help strengthen the body and the mind and help create a more peaceful disposition. I learned that it is not always appropriate to address acute physical ailments with pilates or yoga even when someone claims that X or Y will help with the issue. Sometimes less is more and the body just needs time and very very reduced specific movements with a lot more mindfulness.
My classes are aimed at people that like to understand why they are doing an exercise and the benefits they may get from it, whatever stage they are at in their fitness journey. My participants appreciate that I am able to explain to them what the movements are meant to address and influence and how they can help them and their individual needs.
I had to learn to move with care and to make friends with my body and what it is willing to give, I like to share with others that it is not how bendy you are but how you progress mentally and physically through regular practice.
To me, both pilates and yoga are not about being able to perform fancy extreme moves, but to be able to find peace and comfort in doable postures that may not be comfortable when you first try them, all you need is your body and the willingness to explore it exactly how it is in that moment. If something improves over time, great, having practiced mindfully you will notice it and with that can celebrate your achievement.
During my yoga teacher training I learned a lot more about the background and theory, it soon became clear that the postures we practice in the western world are primarily there to prepare the body to find stillness and comfort in classic seated meditation poses such as sitting cross legged – Sukhasana. I also liked that there were several ways of practicing yoga that had nothing to do with doing complicated postures. Having practiced meditation and breathing exercises regularly for several years I felt like yoga was actually something I am good at after all even though I am lacking amazing flexibility. Having a flexible mind is also a skill that yoga helps you develop.
I focus on simple mat based Pilates classes which are great for anyone wanting to build core control and strength.
This class will help improve your posture and balance whilst supporting you to gain a greater awareness of your body and mind through slow and controlled movements, helping you to increase overall wellbeing.
The starting point for anyone new to Pilates is an introduction to Alignment, Breathing, Core Stability, the ABCs of Pilates. This beginner’s class will enable you to master these foundational principles through a range of exercises which will help you progress confidently through the more advanced levels of Pilates.
I look forward to meeting you
All the best
Marie