Helen Bower

I worked in finance for many years which I loved but also found incredibly stressful.  This would often manifest in chronic pain for me and having suffered from migraines since a young age I found ways to keep going through the pain.  It was only when I had an acute episode of lower back pain after the birth of our twins Seb and Hettie that I realised I wanted to change things.   I went to a physiotherapist who introduced me to Pilates and I couldn’t believe how wonderful it made me feel. In a short amount of time, I noticed I was feeling so much stronger from what felt like the inside out.   After every class I felt calmer and as if I had achieved a whole hour of rest from my worrying mind.

I became fascinated by how Pilates made me feel so much better, both physically and mentally.  I began to focus on how I moved my body and think about what it is that has to work together to achieve movement.

When we moved back to the UK in 2017 after 7 years in the Middle East, I decided to leave my full-time job in favour of consultancy work.  This gave me time to study anatomy so I could understand more which then led me to study in London to become a qualified Stott Pilates Instructor.

I opened Hill View Pilates in May 2021 as we were came out of the final lockdown.  The wonderful people who come here help create a supportive and caring atmosphere and I regularly receive feedback from people telling me how happy and comfortable they feel coming here.

Classes are supportive and challenging, we always have options depending on individual need.  I focus on finding ways of relating our thoughts, our breath and our movement to one another so that our mind and body can work in sync. Clients leave the class feeling stronger, calmer, more balanced and energised.

Emily Barrett

As a lover of running and all kinds of exercise, I spent my 20s trying every fitness fad on offer, but nothing quite kept my attention both physically and mentally as much as Pilates and the way that it serves the body rather than breaking it down. After 10 years of self-practise and enjoying many classes at various studios, I decided to become a Pilates teacher myself in 2021.

Throughout the process of my intense training to become a certified Pilates teacher I’ve been amazed at how the human body can heal itself when trained properly and I have seen how Pilates can help everyone to move better and feel better in both mind and body, even after just one session.

My mission as a teacher is to help as many people as possible to fall in love with movement and access all of the benefits it can bring to you.

Pilates creates long-lasting, deep results through lengthening, strengthening and toning the body. Each session works to serve the mind and body helping you to feel stronger, happier and healthier. My classes are fun and challenging but always have options depending on individual levels and needs – seeing my clients grow in confidence and strength is my priority and I am so grateful to be doing what I love.

The six Pilates principles are: Breath, Concentration, Control, Precision, Centre and Flow. My goal as a Pilates teacher is to help you to work on all six in each session.

Steve Patterson

I came late to pilates.  Having spent most of my working life sitting (slouching) behind a desk I treated myself to a change for my 60th birthday. This coincided with me volunteering as the ‘case study client’ for somebody learning to be a pilates teacher. During the postural assessment for this, I discovered many of the niggles and imbalances I had created with my posture that had resulted in pain in my shoulders, back, feet and ankles.  I was unable to comfortably kneel on all fours, unable to balance on one foot, unable to sit down or stand up without grumbling, and more. A few months later, after one class per week and doing the daily movements I was given for self-practice (homework), all of these issues were either gone or vastly improved. I was more flexible, more stable and with better alignment than I thought I could be.

This spurred me on to try and pay the benefits forward, so I enrolled on the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI) instructor course. Due, to the pandemic I started off my practice by working on friends and family over zoom. We quickly discovered that the exercises helped us all. One who claimed she could “never do a press-up” found gradual improvements until she was able to do this. Another who has had both hips replaced was unsteady on his feet and certainly couldn’t balance on one leg is now able to not only balance so but to do other eccentric movements whilst maintaining that position.

Since teaching at Hill View Pilates my passion for Pilates has only grown.  Teaching both reformer and mat group classes and private sessions, I enjoy helping people of all ages and abilities discover just how much it can help.