Michelle Mackay

I have been teaching exercise classes since 1998, when I qualified as an exercise to music teacher and ran many local classes in Cambridge, UK.  I qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2006 and have worked in a wide variety of areas, but my special interest is in neurological conditions and palliative care.  I became a Pilates Teacher in 2007 and have taught regular weekly classes since 2008.  In 2017 I gained a diploma in teaching yoga and have since gained a qualifications in teaching restorative yoga and yoga to people living with cancer and life limiting illnesses. My journey started with pure physical exercise, increasingly I have become aware that the physical, mental and spiritual well being of an individual are universally interlinked.  

Pilates

Pilates has been used, for many years, by dancers and professional athletes as a way to rehabilitate following injury.  This has, more recently, become widely used in the fitness industry and with healthcare professionals.  I completed my training with the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute who have modified the original exercises, designed by Joseph Pilates to create an exercise series that is much safer and available to clients from all spectrums.  Exercises can be further modified to suit individuals. Pilates is based on 9 fundamental principles:  Breathing, concentration, control, centering, flow, postural alignment, precision, relaxation and stamina. Pilates attempts to properly coordinate breathing practice with the movement and demands intense focus to properly the control the appropriate muscles for the exercise.  All movement in Pilates should begin from the centre and move outwards with economy of movement and flowing transitions between exercises.  Correct posture and precision improves safety and corrects muscle imbalance.  Muscle firing patterns and concentration are enhanced with relaxation.    There are several versions of Pilates practiced today, I teach mat based physiotherapy Pilates, ensuring that the exercises are tailored to the specific needs of the client.

Yoga

I was recently asked to teach ‘yoga’ to 50 healthcare professionals who work in the community, in Cambridgeshire, at their staff away day.  The agenda of the day was unknown to them and I was asked to open the afternoon with a 40 minute yoga/relaxation session.  When I introduced myself and explained what I was there for I could hear the groans and see the bemused faces of many present in the room.  There is, among many, an assumption that yoga involves getting yourself into extreme, inaccessible body shapes, which are not available to many of us.  This is true, but it is only one aspect of yoga, and the complexity of the postures can be modified and made appropriate to suit each individual with potential secondary effects that can result in increased strength and flexibility.  However, Yoga, actually means ‘union’ – union of the mind and the body   A rounded yoga practice, incorporating postures, breathing and meditation can develop a holistic experience within the body, heart and mind.  We can literally take up residence in our bodies and minds, leading us into a simple presence allowing us to be more open and aware.  This can lead to many physical health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, stress and inflammation and can improve quality of sleep, reduce fatigue and increase energy levels, which can all have an impact on our mental and emotional wellbeing.

Restorative Yoga

Life is busy and we all instinctively want to ‘do’ things most of the time.  Very few of us resist this instinct and allow ourselves to ‘just be’.  A restorative yoga practice encourages us to ‘just be’, through the performance of quiet, passive postures, which provides us with the opportunity to be mindful, still and somewhat meditative.  The use of props relieves the muscles and bones of their roles of support and action, allowing the nervous system to quieten down. “without a doubt, the need for such a practice is great in todays exhausting and time pressured world.  Countless studies have shown the ill effects of stress on mind, body and spirit.  We all need to take time to disconnect, settle into ourselves and rest into silence.  Not only does this practice have the immediate effect of creating a calmer, more present mind, but it also has marked physical and psychological benefits like lowering blood pressure and elevating and stabilising mood” (Judith Hanson Lasater).