A gentle nudge of encouragement is sometimes all it takes to change your life.
My Pilates journey started with a chance meeting with an old friend. Several years ago I reconnected with Pauline Ward, a friend that I had grown up with. We chatted on line several times and then met up at a funeral. This sad occasion gave us pause for thought and we shared our stories and our plans for the future.
Our lives seemed to have taken similar paths. Pauline making a move from a stressful admin role in the fitness industry to running her own Pilates and Yoga business, and me making the move after twenty-five years of Primary school teaching, to re-train as a Remedial Soft Tissue Therapist, which led to a job in a busy physiotherapy clinic.
However, where I was feeling the need to continue and evolve my change in career, Pauline was full of enthusiasm and energy about her future plans. The thing that she was most excited about was her upcoming Yoga and Pilates retreat on the Greek Island of Poros, and this is where the steady stream of encouragement and cajoling form Pauline began, to the point where I found myself standing on a stunning Greek beach with Pauline, with a week of Pilates and Yoga ahead of me.
This is a decision that I have never regretted. The week was glorious. New friends were made, and a new confidence started to develop as I learned more about Pilates and Yoga.
On my return home I continued to practice Yoga and Pilates and a plan started to evolve. With encouragement from Pauline I signed up to do a Level 3 Matwork Pilates teaching course, and after attending Pauline’s second retreat in September, I was ready to start the course. That’s my excuse to take another holiday and I’m sticking to it!
The course was intense, and I can’t pretend it was easy, but then nothing worthwhile is easy. At the end of December, I qualified as a Level 3 Pilates teacher. Pauline’s joy and my sense of personal achievement made it worth all the additional studies, time and effort.
So, that brings us to the present. I’m still working as a Soft Tissue Therapist but I’m now combining it with teaching some group Pilates classes and One to One lessons at the Physiotherapy Clinic. I’ve also found that my Pilates knowledge is improving my massage practice, giving me a useful bank of remedial exercises for the patients that I treat.
At present I’m busy building my own Pilates business and enjoying applying my clinical knowledge and skills to teaching Pilates, this gives me great satisfaction. And, who knows, with Pauline’s encouragement what will I take on next? Watch this space!
Hazel Harris
Published by Pauline Ward
Business Owner and Fitness Professional
To join one of the Poros retreats in 2018, follow link, watch the video and get in touch. Poros Retreats
Sign up for our weekly newsletter: Subscribe
Follow on facebook: Absolute Yoga and Pilates
Website: Absolute Yoga and Pilates
Linkedin: Pauline Ward
Telephone: 07821 969405
Tumika Soft Tissue Therapy and Pilates
@RemdialSoftTissueTherapy
Neil Minter and Associates Physiotherapy
www.neilminter.co.uk
@NeilMinterAssociates
My Pilates journey started with a chance meeting with an old friend. Several years ago I reconnected with Pauline Ward, a friend that I had grown up with. We chatted on line several times and then met up at a funeral. This sad occasion gave us pause for thought and we shared our stories and our plans for the future.
Our lives seemed to have taken similar paths. Pauline making a move from a stressful admin role in the fitness industry to running her own Pilates and Yoga business, and me making the move after twenty-five years of Primary school teaching, to re-train as a Remedial Soft Tissue Therapist, which led to a job in a busy physiotherapy clinic.
However, where I was feeling the need to continue and evolve my change in career, Pauline was full of enthusiasm and energy about her future plans. The thing that she was most excited about was her upcoming Yoga and Pilates retreat on the Greek Island of Poros, and this is where the steady stream of encouragement and cajoling form Pauline began, to the point where I found myself standing on a stunning Greek beach with Pauline, with a week of Pilates and Yoga ahead of me.
This is a decision that I have never regretted. The week was glorious. New friends were made, and a new confidence started to develop as I learned more about Pilates and Yoga.
On my return home I continued to practice Yoga and Pilates and a plan started to evolve. With encouragement from Pauline I signed up to do a Level 3 Matwork Pilates teaching course, and after attending Pauline’s second retreat in September, I was ready to start the course. That’s my excuse to take another holiday and I’m sticking to it!
The course was intense, and I can’t pretend it was easy, but then nothing worthwhile is easy. At the end of December, I qualified as a Level 3 Pilates teacher. Pauline’s joy and my sense of personal achievement made it worth all the additional studies, time and effort.
So, that brings us to the present. I’m still working as a Soft Tissue Therapist but I’m now combining it with teaching some group Pilates classes and One to One lessons at the Physiotherapy Clinic. I’ve also found that my Pilates knowledge is improving my massage practice, giving me a useful bank of remedial exercises for the patients that I treat.
At present I’m busy building my own Pilates business and enjoying applying my clinical knowledge and skills to teaching Pilates, this gives me great satisfaction. And, who knows, with Pauline’s encouragement what will I take on next? Watch this space!
Hazel Harris
Published by Pauline Ward
Business Owner and Fitness Professional
To join one of the Poros retreats in 2018, follow link, watch the video and get in touch. Poros Retreats
Sign up for our weekly newsletter: Subscribe
Follow on facebook: Absolute Yoga and Pilates
Website: Absolute Yoga and Pilates
Linkedin: Pauline Ward
Telephone: 07821 969405
Tumika Soft Tissue Therapy and Pilates
@RemdialSoftTissueTherapy
Neil Minter and Associates Physiotherapy
www.neilminter.co.uk
@NeilMinterAssociates
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