Gabby's Wellness Blog.

Being a teacher of movement for many years has allowed me to hone my skills in the classroom, using vocabulary, anatomical terms and movement patterns I feel at ease with. Teaching is almost my comfort blanket. Writing content, expressing opinions and putting them out there to be evaluated however, feels more of a daunting task. If I have learned anything over the last few years, during challenges with my health, becoming a yogini, a yoga teacher and a wellness advocate, it is I that I should express my opinions, have faith in my words and believe that what I have to say has relevance and could potentially be of help to someone out there. I have written a series of blogs entitled the Burnout series, looking at what Burnout is, the signs and symptoms, reasons and treatments for Burnout. I will also look at other topics that interest or inspire me, that make me laugh or make me hungry! I look at different movement modalities and how a mixture of movement type, frequency and time can affect our health. Other subjects that I look at include injuries, health conditions and postural inbalances.

I was always passionate about movement, I danced and loved gymastics and ballet as I was growing up. I enjoyed it but wasn’t much good at PE at school and my ball skills are still most certainly an area needing improvement! I loved the river in Marlow, where I grew up so started rowing, following in my brothers footsteps. He was a talented rower in the GB Junior squad and rowed at Henley regatta - I however was NOT! I got my first part time jobs in a sports shop and a gym aged 16 and then got a BSc hons degree in Sports Science. Over the years, I have studied many movement practices including weight lifting, aerobics, Pilates and Yoga with many qualifications, workshops, retreats and self development practices. I have pushed my body to my extremes with sports including running, cycling, lifting heavy weights, parachute jumps and sky dives. I cycled 350km across the desert in Jordon for charity and also walked 100km in a day following the Thames River path for charity. I am fascinated by anatomy, physiology and the wonder of the muscles and fascia. I love watching movement patterns and have a keen eye for postural imbalances. When I focus on a students body, I feel almost transported into it, feeling the nuances of discomfort, pain and under or over active muscles. That helps me create bespoke sessions for my 1-1 students and groups. I also have personal experience of when the body says NO! I like many others juggle life, being a mother of twins, various animals, a wife, cook, cleaner, taxi driver, business woman etc. along with a busy physical job. A few years ago I burned out, it was a long time coming after not listening to the warning signs my body had been whispering, then shouting about. I am now keenly aware of my limitations and listen to my body more closely, resting more and taking time to smell the roses! I am filled with gratitude now more than ever for the awesome machine I have called my body and have a deeper respect and more loving relationship with it as a result. I now know that the practices of Yoga, Pilates and Movement help to keep me healthy, grounded, breathing well, kind, strong and able to be the Me that I want to be.