Hi everyone, welcome to this week’s Newsletter.

May is always a bit of a mad month isn’t it? Lots of Bank Holidays to manage and a feeling like holiday season is on its way.

Last week’s Bank Holiday found me struggling with ulcerative colitis symptoms which meant I wasn’t able to teach, but I’m happy to say that after a week of gut calming food — mostly boiled rice — I am getting back on track and gradually getting my energy back, even managing a workout on my Pilates Reformer which I’m very happy about.

I’ve had some lovely messages this week from JTP family members letting me know their wins from doing regular Pilates with JTP. The wins are wide-ranging from reducing back pain, to the fact that having access to online Pilates daily either live or recorded sessions is having a positive impact each day on their physical and mental health. Joseph Pilates often said: 10 minutes a day is all you need, but you need to do it every day. Little and often, less is more: focused Pilates practice and consistency is the answer, and the JTP family are confirming this, so celebrate your wins everyone — it’s fantastic to hear.

All Face-to-Face Classes are back this week: Quorn, Rosebery Street, Rempstone and Old Woodhouse. Jenny, Mary and me are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Online Classes are also running as normal, with a BONUS class on Monday evenings as we start Week 1 of Pilates with Weights — join me in Zoom from 6.30pm. This class will be recorded as usual and it will be a 6 week course. If you aren’t a member of JTP you can purchase this as a standalone course for £10 — for details of doing this just reply to this Newsletter.

This week is the start of a new classic Joseph Pilates exercise sequence — The Side Bend. 

This week I am looking at the foundation level for this exercise, sometimes referred to as a side plank, and over the next couple of weeks I will progress it. It’s a weight bearing, strengthening exercise, using the obliques that help for lateral movement of the spine, and is great to mobilise the quadratus lumborum. 

Work appropriately for your body and keep away from pain.

Any questions regarding the exercises I demonstrate here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

I met up with one of my longest serving friends today, and because of where we live, and because of busy working and family lives we both felt like it was far too long since we last saw each other in person, so we had lots to catch up on.

It felt so good to meet up and we had three lovely hours of chatting and laughing.

She is one of those friends who although we don’t see each other often, when we do get together it feels like just yesterday.

It’s so important to check in with friends, specially when they have such a positive effect on how we feel. 

We all need people in our lives that become our cheer leaders, that celebrate with us, wish the best for us, get outraged on our behalf when things don’t go our way, who won’t judge us, but will listen with understanding, and sometimes tell us like it is.

These people are ‘your’ people, and when you put time aside to be in their company, you know you will come out of it feeling uplifted, feeling good, feeling happier.

So if you haven’t been in touch with your friends for a while, maybe it’s time, message them and book some time into your diary, it will feel so good.

Have a great week folks — keep looking, moving and feeling good.

With love

Jane xx