The fourth trimester 05/02/2012
 Sarah was ecstatic when she found out she was pregnant, and being a very active person, was keen to be as fit as she could during her pregnancy. She ate only the healthiest food and exercised right up until the day of her birth. Yet after the arrival of her baby, her exercise and health routines went out the window. She felt completely absorbed in her role as a mother and overwhelmed by the conflicting advice offered on what she should be doing for her body post birth. As she was neither exercising nor giving herself enough time to achieve adequate mental rest, she was emotionally and physically on the brink of exhaustion. Sarah’s experience is a common one for new mums. Becoming a parent is life changing and exercise and health routines need to adjust to this rewarding yet profoundly new chapter of life. Many women report that they struggle to balance the needs of their family with their own, due to time and energy constraints, as time for themselves to leaving their babies in the care of others. Luckily for Sarah, her partner recognised that something was up and helped her to resume some of the activities she was doing before their baby was born. They started to exercise together and found new ways to restore the balance in her life. He supported Sarah to work with me in the pilates studio and also within my counselling and intuitive coaching sessions to help her make important changes. She was surprised at the turn around; within a few months she had increased healthy exercise that allowed her to return to health with relative ease, as well as regaining her sanity. Through the changes to her outlook and exercise she was experiencing the motherhood she always wanted For this reason, exercise is an important way to maintain mental and physical health as new mum (or dad), and it can also allow for wonderful bonding opportunities with your baby and partner. I would like to share with you the principles that helped Sarah return balance and happiness to her life, so you too can create a healthy body and mind post arrival of your bundle of joy…
Add Comment Break yo neck! 12/06/2011
Is your work posture a pain in the neck? 
Mind-body exercises to undo office tension...If it’s not already obvious from previous artciles, I love puns! Oh, yes, I punning love puns almost as much as I love writing informative pieces about posture, yet as corny as this headline might sound, I’m not exaggerating about deskwork literally becoming a pain in your neck. Most clients report work posture as the leading cause of neck pain. Are you one of those poor unfortunates spending your days ‘turtle-necking,’ as one my clients calls it? No, she is not taking about some cute animal kiss, nor any of the gross colloquialisms available on urban dictionary [don’t even go there - she would be mortified if she realized!] This is her uniquely fitting way of describing her posture at the computer, whilst driving, riding her bike, reading a book or watching TV. What my client calls being a ‘turtle neck’ is technically known as ‘forward head carriage.’ Forward head carriage is a postural deviation where your head tends to sit forward of your natural bodyline, due to the cervical [upper] spine being hyperextended, [or extended beyond its normal range]. Sound familiar? Pretty much every aspect of modern life, from parenting to driving encourages this deviation, but don’t fret turtleneck, given it is quite common you are amongst friends here, and better yet, simple to treat. I will tell you how a bit later, but right now… Dr. Rene Cailliet of the School of Medicine at UCLA said that forward head placement could add up to 13 kilograms to your spine, leading to spinal alignment issues and even decreased lung capacity. Can you imagine the impact this has when you add to it any high impact exercise, like running or ball sports? This posture type is connected to tension headaches, neck pain and muscular tension, so it is really something to minimize. Let’s have a look at your cervical posture right now. How to tell if you experience forward head carriageDANCE TO THE MUSIC NOW 12/06/2011
do what the girl in orange says... she scary... plus check out dude in blue top and sandals at end... clap pity clap... he having a groovy old time! Bring Sexy Back this Summer 12/02/2011
with luscious Spine Strength exercises 
The back is such an intricate enmeshment of muscle, ligament, sinew and joint, important for posture, function and support. Yet, what if we forget just for a minute about it’s importance to our upright healthy existence and unabashedly consider its aesthetics. You know, hotness. Shallow, skin-deep, sensual sensibilities. Good ol’ ‘physical attraction, chemical reaction’ kinda thinky. Justin sang it to us in 2006 - no, not ‘bieber,’ the old skool ‘timberlake’ variety! He brought it back, and demanded we bring it back too. The time is nigh, reader, for the unveiling of your ultimate, corporeal masterpiece. Okay, I know, it’s superbly superficial of me, but just come a little bit closer, let me tell you straight: why, gorgeous reader, you really do have such a sexy back!
What? You don’t think so? Well, I guess you don’t get to see it as readily,as every one else, but it is truly impressive. Come now, don’t blush! The back has long been considered one of the more alluring features for both men and women of any orientation. As I care so deeply for you, stunning reader, and want so much for you to flash your back with gloating pride this summer, here are some eye-catching exercises to keep the posterior appeal over the holidays. And for those of you simply reading this for health reasons, (secrets safe with me), good news! These exercises also promote spine health, flexibility, strength and mobility. Yay! Now we are all happy and hot! *wink* My creepy work here is done. break-dance yoga 11/21/2011
Check out the skills of this fella! Amazing! Thanks to Kess BD for bringing to my attention xox Can Yoga improve your mood? 11/17/2011
In recent years, researchers have begun to investigate the impact exercise has on mood, especially in the treatment of depression and anxiety, with Yoga pegged as an effective way to improve your mood. Research by the Boston University School of Medicine in 2010, found that yoga may be one of the most effective forms of exercise if you are looking to positively impact on mood and decrease anxiety. The study demonstrated an association between iyengar yoga postures and increased GABA levels, a neurotransmitter found to be low for sufferers of depression and anxiety. Participants reported significant reduction in anxiety and greater improvements in mood compared to other exercise such as walking, calling for yoga to be considered a potential therapy for certain mental disorders.
A study in 2005, found that "emotionally distressed" women who participated in two 90-minute yoga classes a week for three months had improvements in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, energy and well-being. The participants recorded significant reduction of tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, and fatigue post class, as well as an increase in wellbeing scores by 65 percent. Further yoga research has demonstrated improvements in mood for people caring for patients with dementia, the elderly, breast cancer survivors, and patients with epilepsy. Navel Gazing 11/10/2011
tummy toning tricks this season...As the seasons turn, interest in abdominal workouts escalates. Already, my clients are requesting workouts stacked towards bearing their midriff and the weather has only just started to show signs of warming up! With such a diverse range of information available on tummy toning, most of it fast-tracked to suit our lifestyle and limited time, we can place unrealistic pressure on our bodies to be beach ready. This pressure can lead us to skim over the finer details of abdominal training, leaving us with ineffectual exercises and exposed to potential back-pain and muscular complaints. Yet, after many years of being ‘core- obsessed’, are we any wiser when it comes to the coveted six-pack? I’m sure we’d like to think so, but incase you’ve missed the wave, here are some key tips towards creating your desired waistline that are not only effective, but also most importantly, promoting safety and spine-health.
The Centre of All Things 09/18/2011
 'poise' by crazyfast Extending the mind-body into every day experience Recently, a friend came to the studio for an impromptu session. She had done some Pilates and yoga before. As an avid dancer who had recently taken up stretching classes, I allowed the session to flow, introducing repertoire appropriate for her ability to move, rather than her familiarity with the method. When I saw her a few days later, she reported she thought she was standing taller and holding herself better, from just one session – could that be possible, she wondered. I explained that it was, although, it was most likely her readiness to employ her learning in every day experience that allowed for such a rapid transformation. Even with very little exposure to mind-body exercise it is possible to extend its effects to your everyday experience. Through awareness of breath, centre, flow and posture, you can create a mind-body experience in every moment.
Overheard in the Pilates Studio 08/15/2011
From hurting to healed – Clients explain why Pilates is their preferred treatment for chronic pain.  by tonibduguid This week a passionate in-studio discussion erupted amongst my clients. It centred on the experience each client had in healing long-term pain. The major point of contention was not whether their regular Pilates sessions had solved their problem, on that they were agreed, but how. Many clients did not know. They had experienced subtle change, sometimes even rapid cessation of pain, but for many within a few weeks of beginning, that change had been profoundly liberating – most, if not all clients, at that point were no longer in constant pain.
“I get that pilates has made my back feel better” said Mick, a cabinet-maker who came to Pilates with unresolved back pain that made his work virtually impossible, “and I constantly tell my mates about it, they thought I was a pansy until they saw the change in me at work, but I have no idea how pilates has done it?” he said. “Well,” I explained, “you’ve realigned your body and taught your back to move again – much like a physical ‘reboot’ – from the areas of most support.” He still looked puzzled.“From your center,” shouted one client from the back of the studio, and “Your core!” from another stretching nonchalantly upon a high barrell, a large round ‘barrell’ contraption used for stretching and exercise. Pilates is well known as a method that teaches clients to engage central muscles that support the body. This is the principle of centring and is usually the quickest change for a client to take on, undoubtedly reducing pain. At the mention of this, an expression of clarity swept across Mick’s face. He had heard the terminology of centering and more technical muscular references many times since he began Pilates sessions that he found solace in its ring of familiarity. I was quick to add that his experience was healing for more than his new acquaintance with his stomach muscles.  'joy' by theloushe http://www.flickr.com/photos/theloushe/ We’ve all seen the advertisements: from a flock of women merrily riding bikes as the sun sets to the look of panic on a woman’s face after giggling to excess - these liner commercials herald the dawn of an incontinence epidemic for Australian women. With an increasing aging population, as well as the staggering statistic around obesity and inactivity, pelvic floor dysfunction is no longer a wee problem for our country. In total, approximately 3.8 million Australians are suffering from incontinence daily. Women are 7-8 times more likely than men to experience continence issues, with these representing 37% of all Australian women; yet, 70% of them do not seek treatment for it. Interestingly, treatment is readily available and is oftentimes simple to treat, however the embarrassment of the issue usually stops sufferers seeking assistance.
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