Hi, I’m Abi

Photo credit: James Melia

I’ve been helping people find their movement potential for the past 10 years…

Whilst many people come to Pilates teaching as a second career, I started at 21. Throughout my English degree, I missed the physicality, connection and creativity of my theatre schooling, and was never going to be happy working at a desk. I process thoughts better in motion (research shows that most of us do), I’m happiest when doing, or making, and feel emotion physically. I started to attend somatic classes like Pilates, Yoga and Feldenkrais. Here I discovered ways of moving that were not about fitness or performance, but celebrated the experience for its own sake, as a form of mindfulness. 

Straight after graduating from my degree I trained with STOTT, certifying in Mat then Reformer Pilates. I later moved to Manchester, taught in and managed studios. During this time, Pilates got more popular. With this rise in popularity, I noticed it was often being sold as fitness. I didn’t see the nuanced movement experience that it had offered me reflected in most advertising. I was also feeling frustrated at the gaps in my training, so returning to training to delve deeper with the Polestar Studio Comprehensive course. Polestar are globally recognised for their holistic approach, and training with them opened my eyes to how I could use the studio equipment (Cadillac, Chair, Barrels and Reformer) in combination, to support people finding efficient and mindful movement. My previous training had felt prescriptive, and taught me to apply Pilates exercises to people like a formula. Polestar reinforced my instinct that teaching movement requires consideration of the whole human; their emotional and physical needs, and awareness of all the bodies tissues and systems. 

This training allowed me to teach in a clinical Pilates studio. It also inspired me to study further, so in 2021 I started my masters in Moment Directing and Teaching at RCSSD. Here I got into the weeds and interrogated the teaching habits, language and images I had gathered, I learned from practitioners of completely different disciplines, and began to appreciate how uniquely we experience our bodies.

The next natural step has been to curate my own space, one where I can bring this experience, to help you find your best, moving, self. Whether you’re a seasoned Pilates enthusiast, or have never set foot in a studio, you are welcome here any time.