1. Please describe the style of yoga you teach.
I teach a back rehabilitation class that is based on a combination of physiotherapy, Pilates and hatha yoga. The 10-week program addresses a different part of the body each week, e.g. neck and shoulders, sacro-iliac and lumbar spine, abdominals and sides. Each class works on decompressing the vertebral collumn, pelvic floor and deep core muscle strengthening, as these are the basics of alleviating back and neck problems.
2. Why did these disciplines appeal to you initially?
Pilates appealed to me as I liked its emphasis on decompression of the spine and peripheral joints. It also specifically strengthens the core muscles of the spine and abdomen. The latest research into chronic spinal pain shows that the Pilates method helps alleviate pain.
3. Why did you decide to become a teacher?
After suffering 20 years of headaches that resolved following a 10-week Pilates program, I felt a moral obligation to the community to share and teach the pilates method. I have been a practicing physiotherapist for 23 years and am also an acupuncturist. I incorporate education about why problems and blockages occur in the body into the pilates class, so that the students understand how and why the exercises can help them
4. How long have you been teaching, and where have you taught before now/where else are you teaching now?
I have been teaching in the Mosman area for 10 years at various studios. I currently teach Monday and Thursday mornings at Mosman Yoga Co-op and Tuesday evenings in Castlecrag.
5. How does teaching fit into your own practice - has it become part of your practice, has it changed your practice?
I have my own acupuncture clinic and physiotherapy practice in Castlecrag. The knowledge I have gained from teaching Pilates over the last 10 years has influenced my work in that all my clients learn to manage and alleviate a lot of their symptoms using exercise programs on their own. It is wonderful to give people the skills to help themselves.
6. If someone is new to yoga or Pilates, what would you tell them to encourage them to begin practising?
I would encourage all ages shapes and sizes to try the pilates method, especially if they have a history of pain. The classes actually show and teach you how to change postural habits and strengthen the hidden muscles of the core. The classes are challenging in that you are learning to use and connect to muscles that you have never used before, but at the same time the class is relaxing and calming due to the nature of the exercises. The class is not aerobic or jarring, rather flowing, strengthening and centering.
7. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?
I currently have spaces available in the Monday and Thursday classes in Mosman. Students need to bring a Pilates ball to the Thursday class. I am happy to answer any further questions over the phone on 0421 369 643.
