admin@pitstopforbalance
HELLO I'M KAREN
Why movement, why pilates and why yoga?
I have always enjoyed sport and being active. I have never been a champion athlete, I am an ordinary woman who believes in the powerful benefits of movement for EVERYONE. I love the energising feel of moving my body, whether it is grabbing a quick 5 minutes of movement or escaping for a longer scheduled activity, some daily movement just makes me feel great. I believe we can all enjoy exercise and it's many benefits we just have to find the style of movement that we connect with.
I didn't really appreciate the benefit of moving daily and more mindfully until I was a little older and cracks in my body really started to show. I had debilitating back pain after my son was born that meant I struggled to lift him up or carry him about. It was at this time my physiotherapist introduced me to Pilates. Since then I have always sought out Pilates where ever I have lived because I felt such benefit from it in relieving my pain and creating a much stronger body, particularly in my core.
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After a move to Tokyo I hesitantly discovered yoga for the first time. I like so many people thought I was not flexible enough to do yoga and I also thought it had some unknown religious aspects that I was wary of. But I soon realised that yoga is for EVERY body, indeed those less flexible benefit immensely from it and despite what many people think yoga is not a religion at all, but it does lay out a path for mindfully living well. So I fell in love with yoga as it has provided a huge sense of grounding in the lifestyle that I lead.
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It is the mindful movement of yoga and Pilates that keeps me strong and balanced for other activities. I have felt the benefit so much over the years that I decided to get certified to teach others. Sharing my love of movement and helping more people find the benefits of moving well is what makes me happy.
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I love to learn. I am fascinated by the human body, having studied biology at Bath University and having had a 10 year career in the Pharmaceutical Industry my continued study of movement seems like a natural progression of this interest. I am now a STOTT Pilates Certified Instructor for Matwork (level 1, 2 &advanced) as well as Reformer (level 1). Uplifted Yoga Certified 200hr teacher and I am continuously working towards my 300hrs certification. I have also completed Slings in Motion Essential and Level 1 courses whilst also participating in many specialised workshops over the years.
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WHY A PITSTOP FOR BALANCE?
You cannot pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first.
I am sure you are familiar with a pitstop as seen in the world of Formula 1 car racing, where the cars go in for a few seconds mid race to be tweaked, refined and refuelled so that the racing drivers can go on to do their best to try and achieve their goals. Well our lives can sometimes feel like a race, dashing straight from one thing to the next, we rarely get time to stop and recharge our cars, which are in fact our bodies.
My goal is that movement should be like a pitstop for you and your body. We need a little longer than the seconds required in Formula 1, but it doesn't need to be hours even a few minutes daily can make a huge difference. By the end of any workout with me you should feel refreshed, realigned and re-energised, ready to go back out and tackle your race, whatever form that may take. Whether the movement you choose is an intense heart rate raising hour or a five minute break to breathe deeply and check back in with yourself, it all counts and all adds to keeping us balanced.