I work nearly every day in the Pilates Studio at York Pilates Space so I spend a lot of time observing people’s bodies, posture and movement. Pilates is a great system of movement and exercise, if you learn the principles and practise regularly the health and fitness benefits are amazing. I see all sorts of clients from athletes preparing for a marathon, to cricketers, Mums-to-be, fitness enthusiasts and older folk needing to get fit and improve their strength and mobility. Because Pilates requires you to think and feel what you are doing with your body when you move it, the benefits become greater as you improve your concentration and understanding. I’ve been teaching Pilates for more than 15 years and can say that as I’ve grown stronger I’ve also been led forward by the more and more interesting and challenging movement sequences that my own teacher keeps surprising me with. 

Pilates is a great movement method for everyone, but sometimes people come along to see me who are a bit broken. They might have been referred by a physiotherapist or by their consultant. People often say they need to get some ‘core strength’, one of my pet hates and a great misconception around how our body works! We work with small controlled movement based around sensing and feeling bone control to wake up the stability system of the body.

For some time I’ve been looking for a way to help my clients pre-Pilates. Last year I encountered some intelligent and inspiring Bowen practitioners while I was on an anatomy course. Their work impressed me so much, I decided to train as a Bowen Therapist myself. 
Bowen technique, named after Tom Bowen, an Australian osteopath practising in the mid 20th century, is a gentle, non invasive manipulation therapy. The therapist makes gentle and specific rolling type movements over certain ‘junction points’ in the body, manipulating the fascial system and promoting a healing process in the body. Consider that the body as a whole is an interconnected organism, powered by fluid systems: blood, lymph, energy production, hormone distribution, the nervous system are all fluid.

When you get a blockage in the system, such as a nerve impingement, pain and loss of function will be the result. Our body needs to move but sometimes it needs some help. The Bowen technique is great for helping sort out back pain, shoulder pain, stiff necks and tight hamstrings. But it can go deeper than that, addressing all sorts of dysfunctions. Bowen is not necessarily a ‘fix’ and a Bowen Therapist will never sign you up to months of treatment, in fact I often tell clients they can’t have any more treatments if two or three have been enough to get the ball rolling.  You may possibly walk out of a treatment in just as much pain as when you walked in, but over time subtle changes will gradually occur in the steps towards health. 

-  Patricia Issitt is a movement therapist and Pilates instructor based in York. Find out more at yorkpilates.com