Here are 5 Benefits of learning the Pilates Breathing Method and 5 Health Conditions it can Help 1️⃣ Increases your lung capacity 2️⃣ Improves muscle activation and performance during exercise 3️⃣ Reduces anxiety and stress 4️⃣ The exhale activates the core muscles 5️⃣ Improves mental health by focusing your attention to the mind/ body connection One Lung Breathing is an incredible tool for anyone as it focuses you on one lung and one side of your ribs at a time. I’ve found it very helpful for people new to Pilates in understanding HOW lateral breathing works. It’s also particularly good for ..read more

Forward Head Posture used to be an age related condition but not any more, with the advent of technology and 18 months of Covid I’ve noticed how every age group now has this posture to some degree- call it text neck or forward head- we all need to move more mindfully to stop this posture becoming permanent. Me included! Whilst we don’t all have access to a pilates studio we do all have a wall at home so here’s a sample of what can be done to correct the posture. This is a 10 minute dally standing workout to fix Forward Head Posture, rounded shoulders and back. Whether it be from sitting over c ..read more

One of the challenges of the world we live in is getting a healthy balance between work and life especially with a global pandemic stifling our usual lifestyles. Social and emotional connection is vital and with technology ever present it's tempting to quickly check those work emails and social media posts in our time off and then find yourself still looking at them an hour later. I'm as guilty as the next person of doing that so I decided I would schedule my time out from work and tech and keep to it. And it was so much harder than I expected to keep my digits off the tech! ? Having time off ..read more

Isn’t it strange the difference between how other people see us and how we see ourselves? What I’ve learnt over the years is that we all have good and bad days, we all have something about us we’d like to change or improve, and we all have moments in our lives which are more challenging than we think we can bear. And the biggest life lesson I’ve learnt is that we CAN have more good days than bad if we choose to reframe our thoughts to positive ones, we CAN become the best version of ourselves if we accept truly who we are and not compare our lives to others. And we CAN overcome whatever life t ..read more

Remote work has slowly been on the rise even before the pandemic, thanks to tech developments and more professionals wanting a break from the traditional 9-5. With the pandemic causing thousands of offices to close their doors, remote work has certainly become the new norm — and it looks like it's here to stay too.   After all, remote work provides people with more convenience, control over time, and savings. Of course, working from home comes with its own challenges, such as dealing with body pains from sitting all day. Some mindfulness, exercise, and proper breathing will help prevent a ..read more

As I’ve got older certain things have become more important in my life, responsibility for the planet is one of them. Ok that sounds very grandiose I know but I’m trying to do my bit. I’m Flexitarian but eat more Vegan food now, I avoid as many single use plastics as I can and I do seek out eco-friendly and sustainable brands for everything from make-up to homeware, not to mention the most frequently used items in my wardrobe - namely my Pilates clothes. I live and breathe (literally!) Pilates and I have been actively looking for Pilates clothing that I can wear knowing that it has come from a ..read more

There is a great article on why a sports injury can harm your mental health in this months Psychologies magazine with some excellent advice. One piece in particular was ‘ if you can’t play your usual sport due to injury what can you do instead? And this is where Pilates comes in. Working as a pilates instructor for 10+ years now I’ve seen many injuries and pathologies that have affected people’s mental health, for me the first priority is always to get people moving in whatever way they can, because movement in itself is healing. A comprehensively certified teacher can call on 600 + pilates ex ..read more

Dear Pilates friends and family, I have exciting news for you. My first book on Pilates will be published this spring! Last year I was asked by a publisher to write an easy to follow guidebook on Mat Pilates and I am thrilled to announce that it's now available for Pre-Order on Amazon UK and Amazon.com I spent last summer writing it and many a late night post YouTube broadcasts working on it to make it as easy to follow as possible. If you can I would love it if you could pre-order a copy on Amazon; pre-orders help push the promotion of books and I need the help to get it out there to everyone ..read more

Happy New year! This year I plan to focus as much on keeping a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. It’s going to be an exciting year with lots of fun Pilates practice, new ideas to boost your mental and physical health and a deepening of our community connection. Thank you to everyone who sent me messages of support and condolence over the last month, I’ve read every single one and can only thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and generosity ❤️ I’ve taken some time out to reflect, recharge and reconnect. Time spent in nature has been a great tonic and I am looking forwar ..read more

Age is just a number.... Yes I’m putting out there as it seems the most often searched info on me is ‘How old is Rachel Lawrence, The Girl with the Pilates Mat’! No need to wonder any longer, I’m 56 and proud to be. I’m still as bendy and strong as I can be and think I’m doing pretty well for my age. Here’s hoping age is just a number for you too. Personality disclosure alert! ? I’m a trier, always have been, always will be. Whatever it is, I always want to do my best and I figure ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ which is why I changed careers in my forties to rekindle my love of movement. H ..read more