We are just BIG Kids too. Many of us are facing the same issues as the school kids: going back to work with desks, rucksacks, packed lunches and LESS movement time.
 
This could be a PERFECT TIME to make some changes, and plan more movement into the day, however old you are.


START WALKING NOW… before you and they return. Not just planning but DOING! Begin your day by walking to work – work out what terrain you will cover and what clothing you’ll need. Or start slow and go around the block, round the park – BEFORE you sit down to start work at home. 



INCLUDE THE KIDS… start a healthy walking regime for the kids too, by walking to school.  

• We know how hard it can be to get some youngsters to get out of bed and walk, so maybe starting the habit 6 weeks before school starts, will embed some healthier, family time into your day.
• It’s also nice way to meet up with their friends while socially distancing.
• You can work out IN ADVANCE how long it takes – usually less time than you  think. And where you might need to park the car if you are walking part way.
• The wee ones will learn the route and become more independent and the older ones can practice getting out of bed in time. 
• YOU also get the added bonus of fitting several walks into your day, AT THE SAME TIME as family time.
• A 20 minute walk is a great way to create down time before home, where they can be on top of you as soon as you pile out of the car; AND you’ve moved your body for a couple of miles.
• You could offer to take other kids too… build up a community connection for when you may need help and your kids may enjoy having other families to move with.
• MAKE IT FUN… Maybe you could start a Family Star Chart or a 100 Mile Club. 

CARRY THEIR BAGS… if carrying the kids’ bags all the way to school puts them off, then help!

• You’ll get some strength training in… and it is only one way.
• Talking of bags… do they need that heavy lunchbox? Do they need all those pencils? if weight is an issue then see if there is a better way.

STACK IT UP... Maybe there are business calls you can fit in on the way home, a podcast you can listen to, or a friend you can meet up and walk with. Or plan your walk around the daily shopping. 
 


SHOES… Are you ready for those tight, pointy shoes again or have your feet been able to breathe in lockdown?

• Your feet may already have changed and spread so take the opportunity to change your shoes – there are plenty of smart flat shoes that allow your feet to move more naturally.  
• Fit them at the end of the day because your feet spread.  If you do sport then fit them AFTERWARDS, when your feet are at the size according to the activity. 

REMOVE THE CLOTHING CASTS… Many people will restrict their movement according to their clothing. Have you ever tried to climb a fence in a pair of tight jeans? Raise your arms over your head in a slim fit shirt? Walk through some wet grass with sandals on?

• Find clothing that allows you more movement, in more weathers. Practice now and see what works for your walks – and perhaps your new work image.

 


FIX YOUR SEAT... Roll up a towel and place it behind your lower back in your car or at your desk. Not only will you tip your pelvis into a more neutral position you’ll align your core more easily, and your back muscles will work to hold you in place.
 


YOUR DESK... Don't just sit there - make your environment movement friendly. This, however, is a WHOLE story for another time.
 


MOVEMENT AND EDUCATION... And if you are still “teaching” at home, does everyone need to be inside and seated? Instead of dropping the kids off somewhere so you can go get some “exercise”, look for movement-based practices and get out in the park with them[1].
 


START SMALL… Even if you manage to start something once a week, you’ll have built more movement into your day. 
 
 
Of course, these are only suggestions and I appreciate that they will not be feasible for everyone. However, perhaps some food for thought. 

Feel free to share your tips too… just in case they are helpful.  

1. [1] https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Monkey-Bar-Math.

Someone once told me that you should look back and reflect every 10 years – as most of us vastly underestimate how much our personalities and values will change over the next 10 years. It is only by looking back that we see how much change is possible.

​It is called The End of History Illusion and I have re-visited that thought quite a few times recently.

​Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of my first Pilates class.  Woohooo!! A few brave souls – and some browbeaten friends and family - assembled together at the Girl Guide Hut, in Stirling, to bear witness to my first foray into teaching. 
 
Nervous, over-prepared, naïve and excited… “Oh jings… what if I break someone? What if they find out I know nothing? Is Pilates really the best exercise in the world? This is going to be BRILLIANT and everyone will love it!”
 
So …. Ten years on …
​I still have some of those wonderful and loyal brave souls with me. They have seen me grow and change, lose some of my nerves, be less tied to right and wrong, become a yoga teacher, a MELT Method teacher and even a Mindfulness Teacher. Bring blankets into classes (more on that another time), change my mind often and make LOTS of mistakes. 

So what has been my biggest change? Hmmm…
 
When I decided to go back into self-employment, I was doing it part time while I struggled along with a PhD. Pilates was an adjunct to the life long dream to gain a Doctorate in Marketing, which would clearly open all doors and access me that easy kind of respectability that comes from having “Dr” at the front of your name. 
 
That didn’t work out, as life shifted towards offering more classes (thank you, THANK YOU all for coming!) and then a period of fighting illness and looking after a growing family. 
 
By then my yoga and mindfulness practice had taught me about “ego”, but it still took me two years to admit to myself that I wasn’t going to finish that treasured Phd, that I didn’t need it…  that it was a vanity project and I should let it go. 

I still work hard on the ego thing – it’s a constant voice of guilt and shame and judgement for most people, and I am no exception. But I think I am a better teacher for it – and certainly there is a great deal more gratitude in my days now. ​

My body too has changed.  I’m older, wrinklier, fatter round the middle (thanks menopause) and stronger. I can run (a little – I’m working on it) and I can get my hands on the floor when I bend forward.  
 
The work of Katy Bowman at Nutritious Movement has transformed the way I walk, stand and how I think about life: I hang off trees and I sleep on the floor. I donated all (well…nearly all…) my high heels to charity (See blog below) – I wear barefoot shoes and toe spreaders; and there is LOADS of room in my wardrobe, as I gradually got rid of clothing that restricts my movement.  My ego lets my tummy relax (no it’s not as pretty but my organs love it) and I no longer suck in my stomach.

I became a pescatarian, then a vegetarian (for about 2 weeks) and, about two years ago, changed to completely plant based diet and a vegan lifestyle. 

​My interests have expanded too – my PhD experience taught me to be more critical in my thinking, and with that came the understanding that if it hasn’t been researched properly then it might be true. So I am open to ancient practices like yoga, like pagan ritual, standing stones, shamanism, myths and rituals, angels, crystals, tea leaves … you name it and I am happy to explore. 
 
No longer so tied by certainty and the need to sound “knowledgeable” - My philosophy professor asked me “How do you know what you know?”, and I realised I “know” ... nothing. Seemingly many of us feel this way; as we get more educated, as we get older and wiser. It is surely scary and often I am on uncertain ground, but strangely freeing and empowering in a funny kind of way. 
 
I got married, I dissected a cadaver, I lost all my hair and my dignity, I regained the hair and cared less for dignity; my mum moved in with us and my son moved out. I danced with wild women (yes really!), sometimes in tutus, sometimes dressed in jangly and glittery things... and once in a Pirate costume.

​I have learned to respect the power of silence and of holding space for others to do the same. I go on Retreat each year and take others with me to watch the sunrise every morning. Massage is a regular maintenance essential rather than the occasional treat. And I have re-found my love of fairy tales.

​I am healthier than I have ever been … and I didn't see THAT coming...
 
Thank you to EVERYONE who has touched my life in the last 10 years – some still with me and some who have drifted away. For all the inspiration and the teaching you have offered me and the laughs and tears along the way. It’s been some ride.
 
The next 10 years are going to be interesting aren’t they! 

" When we tell stories some immortal part of ourselves is singing in time. When we tell stories the ages awaken. When we listen to stories our future takes clearer shape. That is because fear comes from unknowing, and stories help us know a little more."
​
Artist Unknown
Quote from https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2018/09/ben-orki.html

And I always feel fantastic afterwards and want to do more. 

This time it was an Eco Therapy course with the wonderful inspiring Alastair at Earth for Life, at the Water of Leith Centre in Edinburgh. 
​
Despite a high footfall and a few dog poo piles to negotiate, I connected and communed with nature and I learned just how significant this work is to mental health workers and the people they care for.

I work closely with many people who are interested in their health -not necessarily because they think they have a problem with it but because they are interested in living a life the best way they can. 

Some are already nature geeks and understand the power it has to ground us in the here and now; to anchor and support, and to instil a Mindfulness into our lives without which we swirl and dance in unproductive anxiety and unfocused activity. 

​And some (like me) are interested in learning new and interesting ways to bring peace and community into daily living in the hope of a healthy and happy life. 
​

We recently organised a "Litterescue and Poopickery" for King's Park, in Stirling. Instead of viewing it as a chore and an excuse to grump, we chose to approach the clean up as a way to spend time together, moving in a healthy way; and as a way to contribute to the community around us. Twenty two bags of good will!

My mIndfulness training encourages breath and sound as ways to root us to the here and now, and as a way to help settle the mind and smell the roses. And I welcome this approach as another powerful way of bringing Mindfulness to our day - a literal root, a literal grounding to the present. Even if the roses are sometimes poo-shaped.

Simply being in nature is good for us. Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing is a concept that has been around for a while in the East. Foraging for wild foods is part of our old ways, and paradoxically the "new thing". Natural smells, natural rocks and crystals and natural movement are all back in fashion.

Mindfulness is the latest buzz word. But who cares! If sitting together, practicing mindfulness in a formal way, builds a community; if by having a physical connection to the Earth, we can “speak” to each other and to it in a special way… in a lost unique way; if the latest communication superhighway is tapped into by touching the ground, then I am all for it.
​

This is my latest girl crush: Dr Sharon Blackie is a narrative psychologist and mythologist (how glamorous is that! Thank you Catriona for introducing me.); and leads us through myth and tales to understand and re-write our own stories, and bring us back to a feeling of belonging through connection to the land.

As pre-Christian myth and legend tells us, we are bound to our land and to other sentient beings; we are nature and nature is us. By moving through it, our bodies bend and dance in a way they were meant to; and it provides us with a wealth of medicinal and healthy fare. We have moved so far away - we don't like to be dirty, or to get wet - we change our clothing and take rucksacks of equipment to "protect" us from nature. We lay down concrete so we can avoid its pits and troughs, we spray chemicals to avoid thorns and "unsightly" wild flowers, we employ gardeners or move house when we can no longer bend down... and we lose our connection... to the land, to others and to ourselves.

Women used to be the guardians of nature, and only if men respected her would she provide sustenance and support. (Did you know that up to the 16th Century, Kings performed a ceremony to marry the land?) To be connected in this way ensures a legacy of care and nurturing... as custodians (or "Stewards" as our tutor Alastair called us) we ensure space for those who come after us.

If we do not, then who will.

If you too are drawn to explore this theme, then there is an opportunity to join me for a lovely weekend away to Lendrick Lodge, by Loch Venechar, 14-16th July. You can see more details at Braithe: www.braithe.co.uk

And if listening for inspiration is your thing, or if you like to meditate to music, here is a beautiful pieceto listen to on this theme, from Ayla Nereo’s album The Code of the Flowers.

Click on the image to play.
​

Yes shouting a little inside …
 
All weekend I kept telling my husband, who simply raised his eyebrows at me in support. Sigh…
 
It’s a big thing actually: I used to be a runner. I used to think I was pretty good at it. At school, I ran, jumped over things; even threw a few things, like a proper athlete. I had badges and medals and got upset if people beat me.  My poor mother had to traipse to various stadiums and sit watching me throughout the season, usually in the rain.
 
I ran fast though…I didn’t like slow at all. I once ran a cross country at school and hurt my ankle, felt sick and didn’t win …so I never did that again.
 
In fact I haven’t run for about 30 years. 

Many of you know that I try to follow the principles of a natural movement regime. In short, I like to evaluate everything with the thoughts “Would people do this naturally?”  And, “What impact does it have on the mind and the body?”
 
Is being able to run a couple of miles a good thing?
 
Yes, I reckon so.  Although I walk, and am walking further and further, my lungs feel the pressure of hills, my legs feel heavy and my energy is still low.  I want to be fitter – Fitter for what? Fitter for life and endurance particularly.
 
I had been putting it off with various excuses like…my knee may not take it, I am too old, my heart may be too weak after my HER2 cancer treatment, I work in the fitness field so how can I let people see me huffing and puffing in public.  Jeez! What will I wear?

​I have been following the Race for Life Schedule. It appealed to me, as the first day is a Rest day (some clever psychologists in this tribe methinks).  A programme that looked relatively easy compared to others I had seen and I wanted it to be easy so I wouldn’t be put off… or get too sweaty… or feel it’s impact on my life in any significant way!
 
It’s been hot and dry so far. Apart from today, when the rain came. I knew the forecast was for rain and that was not helping my mental state for my first VERY LONG 5 minutes today.  However, it was glorious… what a surprise! How lovely to be cool – I am a complete convert.
 
I wear what I exercise in – loose trousers and a t-shirt and then a zip top with a pocket for my key.  I decided I was going technology free and I count in my head as I go along – so I am only rough time wise. It is very freeing to leave without any paraphernalia, just my key (I can see now why some people have that little zip in their trousers)…to simply go…
 
When I was younger I ran in bare feet, until my school teacher insisted I wore shoes to avoid being trodden on by other people with running spikes. I eventually got used to shoes but I was never as comfortable. So I am pretty determined to train in barefoot shoes and run on natural ground whenever I can. I have a little route around King’s Park, where I can run on the natural ground and I just need to cross concrete paving to get there and back.

​How has my body been so far?
 
Well, my knee has been fine! I watch the alignment of my feet and I have stronger lateral muscles as I walk (and now run!) with my feet pointing forward.

​I feel tension in my neck – on the side of my mastectomy.  I assume as I am missing a back stabiliser, my neck is taking the strain: my latissimus muscle was used to reconstruct my breast and now sits at the front of my body instead of the back.  When I notice it, however, I can consciously relax my neck - and by drawing my left elbow further back on arm swing I find that the tension goes and I am working into my back once more. Hopefully, the other tissues will start to strengthen and it will become a more natural process.
 
I come in and head for the shower, my little MELT ball awaits and I finish with a Foot Treatment – the tissue under my bunion is certainly tighter; and a couple of minutes of cold showering to help my metabolism (I’ve been doing that for a while now and it really helps the hot flashes).

​How’s my ego?
 
Well, to be honest I did spend time thinking where I could run – so no-one would see me – no-one would judge me. So I wouldn’t look too stupid.  And the first couple of times, I deliberately ran in amongst the trees just in case I collapsed with exhaustion, dribbled, or in some way completely embarrassed myself.
 
I realised this was ego and meditated upon how limiting this approach is to both my body and my mind. As soon as I let go of this restriction I felt better about the whole thing …and about myself.  So now it’s all hanging out… my tongue included as I puff and pant my way through; and I don’t mind if I am seen or found wanting. I am trying and I feel good.
 
Just don’t talk to me… and if you do  …don’t expect me to talk back… huff puff pant…
 

Mindful  Movement Course at Samye Ling, Dumfriesshire
23/3/17
Friday

I've always felt uncomfortable around religious places. Concerned I do the wrong thing, make too much noise, speak to someone when they are meditating ... you know...

And, I expect them to be basic, even threadbare... and struggling; and yet I find the ones that I have visited positively overflowing with carefully tended gardens, gold on almost everything and clearly some deep pockets. 

Samye Ling has assaulted my senses: a full on colour bonanza with larger than life sculptures, floating on lakes of shimmer and meaning. (I should say that at this point I have no clue as to their meaning. But I'm hoping to leave more educated). 

Along side this sensory overload is a setting that seems to have jumped out the faerie books. Rolling hills, a beautiful Cairn at meeting of two rivers, some workers' wooden huts with charming hand painted signs, sheep grazing and a sunset coming over the yonder pasture. 
​
Just lovely...just lovely... I am seeing it has some magic. 

​I got here on a big, fast (scary for my wee car) motorway and then a wee, winding, potholed country road. There was a little detour while I saved Bella the Border Terrier from certain demise on one of the lorry-trundling country paths, but after her farmer mum came to save her (hilariously charging in on a white Range Rover steed- really? White? On a farm?) it was pretty easy to find. 

Everyone is slightly hushed and contained - and they mostly seem to come in little groups. Dinner was interesting: I was in two minds about whether to go and face the social awkwardness of knowing no one, JUST to eat some soup. But I girded my loins (what does that mean?) and pulled myself up to my (almost) 52years maturity and went into the dining hall. Soup it was and lovely too - tomato spiciness. I sat at a long table in the silent area - I actually didn't know it was the silent area until I noticed everyone chatting on the other side of the room and no one looking to engage in conversation. Jeez ... looks like it may be a long evening. 

Still... I think I read somewhere that the Tearoom re-open at 8pm, so I'll revisit my loins and try that. 

(Additional note:
Meanwhile, it's just as well I checked the paperwork for tomorrow. We seemingly start this evening and I've to meet everyone at 7pm! Yikes... 10minutes to spare...)

Sunday

Yesterday was blue skies and we even had a Mindful Movement teaching practice outside, at the Ecohut. Lovely to be out getting some sun so early in the year. I've gotten to know the people more and they are all interesting, intelligent and I think a little vulnerable. Do I come across the same way? I wonder... 

​Today promises to be just as beautiful and the morning welcomed us all with a flurry of satires in the sky. Auspicious I felt.

I'd made a stone stack yesterday, a little further along the path; and this morning it had a partner! It was just gorgeous to feel that someone else had wanted to do that. 

So far, I had been unsuccessful in finding a heart shaped object for my friend Gillian (a little tradition we have together), but was delighted to find a perfect one... just next to the new stone stack. It was as if the mystery builder left it for the marriage of the these two friends. So I placed it beside my stone stack, took a photograph for Gillian, and left it for the next person to find. 

What did I learn this weekend?

That there’s not much movement in Mindful Movement - that movement itself is not central but an interval of sensation: a support for the practice.

That small and easy to copy movements are key, otherwise it becomes too instructional - and people come out of their bodies and into their minds…

That I am already Mindful (to a degree) in my Movement teaching - that I understand the principles of this and I am reassured by this weekend’s teaching. Phew… that’s good.

Mindfulness itself? I still have a lot of learn and a lot to practice. BUT the integration of movement with Mindful practice is a helpful and (I reckon) a good way for many people to understand and start this path. I found that holding good posture is key - that embodiment means just that.

The concept of holding ground for yourself whilst teaching mindfulness - embodying the teaching - became important. 50% give to class and retain 50%? A concept to contemplate further. 

That Sharing and Enquiry (Holding space for someone and helping them to examine themselves) are central elements of a Mindfulness practice. And that can be hard. It is not everyone's cup of tea: I am not a great sharer of feelings in a group setting, so I get it…I really do… But it adds important depth and progression to your practice. Listening to others’ perspectives can (and do) broaden your own; and offers a language to help you explain your own thoughts. It can help you recognise things in yourself that you may have missed in your own enquiry; and that giving your full attention to someone else, non-judgementally, is a gift .. a very precious one. 

There is no short cut here - this is a practice in the truest sense… and I am really enjoying every minute of it.

I went through a stage of losing my Pilates mojo, of wondering whether I'm making any difference at all; and whether I am too old, too unfit, too...?? to be doing physical instruction. Do I KNOW anything at all? ​

I hurt my back and was reminded about acute pain. “But you’re a Pilates Teacher! How did that happen?” A long story of tension and unfamiliar movement (and not doing what I preach) ….but Yes I know… if you move then you risk hurting yourself  - it was a lesson learned in humility indeed. Not my first and probably not my last.

At the same time, I continued to follow the principles of natural movement with Katy Bowman (Biomechanist and founder of Nutricious Movement) and I experienced some significant and wonderful changes in my body - strengths and flexibility, movement combinations and an ease I haven't felt before.

​Things I thought I would never be able to do again had become possible. 

But it was through my growing interest in Mindfulness that I found the connections I was looking for… the glue that holds my training and teaching together.

I think that I teach people to Notice. Notice tension. When, where, how and why. In bringing ourselves to the mat, we settle... we draw attention to the breath and we "notice" our movement. 

So… thought I. How do I get better at teaching Noticing?

I took a course in mindful drawing which reminded me how much I like to scribble; I started a regular and formal mindfulness practice, and began experimenting with different types of guided meditations. Yoga Nidra helped me heal my back and Loving Kindness meditation taught me to forgive myself for hurting it; and now my beautiful cushions help me remember to practice everyday.

I started bringing yoga into my Pilates classes, designed some beautiful Retreats with my inspirational friend Sandy; and by the end of the year, I had (of course) started mindfulness teacher training. 

During my first weekend of listening to my teachers, I realised that I had been teaching mindfulness all along, using movement rather than stillness to bring people to their bodies. This IS the right decision... for now...

Perhaps this is my contribution, this is what I can offer... to help people notice… to introduce people to different ways to think about their body, not just in class but at home, at work, at play. In the hope that by bringing it to the conscious, by noticing, you can somehow improve it in line with what you want to achieve - whether that's less pain, to move more freely, prevent yourself falling over, walking further, tying your shoelaces, running faster, preventing leakage and prolapse…whatever it is you need or you want… notice what you do first...

The process of reflection is an important one and writing this yearly piece has helped me to notice, to glue together… I am looking forward to more consolidation in 2017 and I hope some of you will join me in embracing a more mindful path...

​Here are some suggestions for those of you interested in Mindfulness, new to being present, or just want to slow things down and find calm amidst a stormy mind. 

• Smiling Mind
• Insight TImer
• ​Yoga Nidra

​
Wishing you peace, health and happiness for the year ahead.

Kirsty x

More is planned for 2016 with Polly, Nikki and Karen already confirmed to come again with even more surprise and interest; and a quick heads up for an exciting all day-er workshop (in May) for Pelvic Pain, with the fabulous Elaine Miller  from Gusset Grippers (who is not only a pelvic floor specialist but a comedienne and Edinburgh fringe sensation). It's difficult to move a body that is sore and these workshops have been a stepping stone for many to start to move more easily and more often.

A decade-old dream of Becoming a Yoga Teacher became real (yeayyyy!!!! see the end of this post for more about that). Not only that but I finished the comprehensive pilates equipment teacher training, deepened my knowledge of natural movement and connective tissue AND set up some holiday retreats with my lovely friend Sandy, from Movement Alchemy, to move, dance and smile with some like minded friends. 

I travelled to London, The Netherlands; New York, Spain (three times) and Dublin twice. I finally started offering one to one sessions at Physiofocus and introduced new classes at Beechwood Scout Hut, Stirling University and The Yoga Tree.

​I became a pescatarian, started restoring my own body to a healthier place and oh......I turned 50 and got married too!  (see newsletter)

This year has been about learning to let go, to stop holding on – AND on much more than one level…

The combination of being unable to do as much as I had been doing before and the fantastic…..nay… FANamazingTASTIC…. training in biomechanics I have been through with the Restorative Exercise™ Institute, I have unlocked another piece of understanding about the body; namely that muscle YIELD is the challenge for most people. I know! It’s obvious when you think about it… but I hadn’t… properly...

My physical limitations at the start of the year, following mastectomy and reconstruction, taught me much about holding tension… not so much because it was a scary new experience but because I had the privilege of time - time to think, to stare out of the window, time to feel, time to sense. With many hours in bed and with the restrictions of healing, I went inside myself to take time to explore. Then afterwards, the movements were small and controlled, gradually, slowly…

My approach to Pilates has always been focused on Control: that combination of switching on and switching off body areas. Students who move too quickly, too early, often speed past this subtle awareness, this mastery of “motor-control before loading” that has always been central to my teaching. Yes, at first it may be boring for those who would rather pump, combat or attack, to those who want to get moving, spin faster, sweat more….but if you are doing that without control, without alignment and with only a fraction of your muscles screaming - where is the health in that?

2014 found me traveling to Germany on holiday and to training in The Netherlands; "letting go" of my son as he starts to University and "finding" both a new physical and mental identity for myself. 

It saw us, as a community, raise over £2500 to help local people suffering from lymphoedema - many, many thanks to everyone who helped, paid, rolled, melted and travelled. Big TA! to Kirsten Farrelly who came all the way from Dublin to unkink us all with her MELTy balls! You were all fantabulous. If you know anyone who suffers form this debilitating problem then get in touch with Kate at Stirling Massage Therapies for more details about how we can help.

Gosh…the last year or so has been a little mad! 

It started well....

Early in the year, I travelled to London to be trained on the Cadillac. What distinguishes Pilates from other exercise forms are the machines and equipment that he invented. These machines, and the Cadillac in particular (originally called the trapeze but commonly renamed to signify its importance), support parts of the body while leaving other bits free to move..... so you can isolate properly.... so you can feel properly.... so you get perhaps what you don't get in the mat work. Amazing - I loved it and spent the next few months 'getting it' in my own body. 

Then.... drum roll please.... I flew to New York to train as a first generation MELT Hand and Foot instructor.  The MELT Method is a self-treatment technique using small balls and has been taking the USA by storm - the book staying on the New York Times Best Seller list for several months. I am delighted to be the first to bring it to Scotland and looking forward to including it in the monthly Fascia Workshops.

However, in June 2013, I found a lump in my left breast, and my plans for the rest of the year were to changes I learned I had breast cancer. It has been a long and hard road with many difficult decisions, but I have recovered well and have a strong body and a great set of family and friends to thank for that (and maybe a wee bit of focused rehabilitation from myself!). Some of my clients have become close and dear friends and everyone has been a fantastic source of inspiration and positivity - thank you....thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I have learned a great deal as you can imagine and probably drove my consultants crazy. I'm now an expert at exercising in bed - and I have even managed to pass a few exams in support of a new interest in biomechanics, which will add a new and (I hope!) exciting dimension to both my classes and workshops. 

I am looking forward to getting back to work .... there's nothing like a bit of normal....