I hope you have had a good week, enjoying the sunshine and heat, and hopefully you have kept your cool.

Overall I have managed quite nicely. I am not a sun worshipper, but I do like to see it, so as long as I can find a shaded spot I am happy. However, I am very grateful that my Garden Pilates Pod is air-conditioned, so working out in there hasn’t been problem for me or anyone coming for one-to-one sessions over the last week. 

JTP News

Here’s some of what is going to be happening as we look ahead with JTP:

Face-to-Face Classes

We’re in the late throws of the summer timetable at the moment of course, but normal term-time face-to-face matwork classes return at the beginning of September. If you’re a current JTP member your space is guaranteed in your class when it returns. We’ll give more details of how non-members can join classes in this Newsletter in a couple of weeks, so if you know of anyone who is keen to join us, please let them know to look here.

I am looking at teaching a second class on a Monday Morning if there is sufficient interest — 10.30am at Quorn Village Hall from September. If you are interested in joining this class please let me know.

Absolute Beginners

A brand new Face-to-Face, In Person, Absolute Beginners Course will be starting in September. This will be taught at our newly refurbished venue, Rosebery Street Medical Centre, Loughborough, by our Beginners Specialist Mary, and will be on Wednesday mornings. You can see more details and/or sign up to that here. It is a five-week course, introducing you to the essential techniques of Pilates, after which you’ll be able to join one of our regular face-to-face matwork classes in the local area. It’s simply the best way to start Pilates — ideal for absolute newcomers, or anyone who has tried Pilates before but needs a refresher.

Pilates, Mindset and Mindful Retreat

My next Pilates, Mindset and Mindful Retreat is happening on Saturday 17 September, and bookings are open, so if you missed out previously here is the link to book your space. This was extremely well received when we last ran it, so we are expecting a rapid take-up again this time.

Spaces for the Retreat are strictly limited — one of the overriding positive comments received from the last one was the fact that it was a small group, which provided a level of intimacy and a feeling of being coached as a 1-1, throughout the day. A small group often feels a safe space to allow yourself to just be free to be you. Don’t be disappointed, don’t miss out! This Retreat is likely to be the last this year.

This week I am sharing a short routine using a rolled up towel as a prop and the focus is on bone health. 

Although often difficult at first, change usually turns us into a beautiful thing

I put this quote out in my social media pages this week showing a butterfly, we all know where butterflies come from…

When we feel unhappy or dissatisfied with things, or we make plans that don’t always turn out the way we want them to, it can make us feel like we are failing, that we can’t change anything, and therefore return to the old, more familiar place, because that feels easier.

If we do this, it often leaves us feeling that we have no control and that things happen TO us or things conspire against us. But it's not that things happen TO us, it's just that things can happen, and if we give that power, it stops us from taking control and changing the effects of what has happened. When we give that power to make a change away, then we remain stuck and fixed in an unhappy, dissatisfied space. 

The truth is, we all have the power, we can all make the changes we want to make, we just have to decide whether we want to give that power away, OR we keep the power and decide to use what happens to help us take the next step towards making the change.

Think of the butterfly … or think of the caterpillar … then make the change and hey presto …