Instructors

MANAGING DIRECTOR & SENIOR TEACHER (BSc Hons, REPs Level 3)

Ben is the Founder of Pilates Works. After schooling in Edinburgh he went to Loughborough University studying Physical Education, Sports Science and Recreational Management. Ben set up Excel Sports Academy in 1996 which offers childrens sports camps in Edinburgh. After a brief spell in leisure club management he trained with the world famous Lynne Robinson of Body Control Pilates in London graduating in 2001.

Ben works with many rehabilitation clients and is passionate about helping Scottish athletes perform to the best of their abilities. He has worked with Olympic Skaters John and Sinead Kerr and The Heart of Midlothian Football Team, and both amateur and professional golfers having trained the Lothians Elite boys golf team and one pro currently on the European Tour. He has worked with the NHS Dental postgraduate education programme to teach back care courses throughout Scotland. He had a brief glimpse of t.v. stardom appearing on UK Living for t.v. personality and GMTV resident nutritionist Amanda Hamilton’s Detox camps.

Ben is rugby enthusiast having represented Scotland while at school. He is also a keen amateur golfer and is always happy to give a client a game if it gets him out of the office.

LEAD INSTRUCTOR, STUDIO AND MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (REPs Level 3)

Brett discovered Pilates during the latter end of a fifteen-year career as a Chef. He was inspired to become an instructor after Pilates helped him understand and manage longstanding back pain gained from years of working in the harsh physical environment of the kitchen.

He trained in London with the co-founder of Body Control Pilates, Gordon Thompson, and qualified in March 2004. He has since achieved Intermediate Matwork certification and is currently working on Master Matwork qualification. Brett is also qualified to an intermediate level on the Reformer and to an Advanced level on the Cadillac in the studio. He is also trained in pre and post-natal Pilates and works with many mums-to-be both in the studio and matwork classes. Brett also works with several clients in varying stages of MS.

Brett has a natural empathy toward rehabilitation work, having had to rehabilitate himself after a spinal trauma in 2008, resulting in an emergency decompression surgery. Having to ‘rebuild’ his core from the ground up, Brett has acquired a set of first hand skills for identifying dysfunctions of the core, and the tools to regain proper function and balance. Thanks to Pilates Brett now enjoys anything from Qigong, canyoning, parcour and cycling to rock climbing, running and hip hop classes.

Brett’s main goal through Pilates is in bringing balance back to the body, undoing the tensions and tightness’s created by work, sport and lifestyle environments, and getting back to our intended, natural posture. ‘I strongly believe that with the right tools, with the right information, we can learn to look after our bodies ourselves, to be more aware of our posture and alignment, and to take our strength, flexibility and posture into our future.’

STUDIO MANAGER, STUDIO AND MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (REPS Level 3)

Laura joined Pilates Works as a mat work & equipment instructor in May 2007, after completing her comprehensive Matwork and Equipment training at Total Body Approach in March 2006. Laura discovered Pilates after her remedial and sports massage training lead her to Total Body Approach where she worked for 3 years as Reception Manager / massage therapist and Pilates instructor. Laura has worked along side health professionals such as Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, and other massage therapists and is a NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming ) & Master NLP Practitioner.

Laura is keen to adventure into all new areas of mind body fitness and already works with athletes such as Edinburgh Tri-athletes and golf professionals. She loves learning anything new.

Laura’s favourite piece of Pilates equipment is the Foam Roller

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, STUDIO AND MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (REPs Level 3)

Nora discovered Pilates 7 years ago during rehabilitation from a running injury. She has been hooked ever since and is convinced Pilates balanced her marathon training and helped her over the finish line all 3 times.

Nora firmly believes Pilates is for everyone and went on to train as a teacher with Body Control in London. She deems Pilates the ultimate mind-body workout because of the focus and concentration required - allowing the mind to ‘switch off’ from the outside world and providing a physical challenge to create a strong, balanced and supple body.

Nora is also a Sports & Remedial Massage Therapist. Her clients are always ensured that the whole picture is considered and that small changes to posture and movement can make a world of difference. Nora continues to be inspired by the variety and progression the technique offers, which means she can ensure her clients will find what they need from Pilates……and have fun on the way!

MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (REPs Level 3)

Hannah fell in love with Pilates while training at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. So much that she decided to go the USA to study Classical Pilates at the Pilates Institute in Ft. Lauderdale.

After returning to Scotland Hannah completed an HNC in Fitness, Health and Exercise as well as her Gym Instructor OCR. Now qualified as a Body Control Pilates Matwork Teacher, Hannah is dedicated and excited to share her enthusiasm for the Pilates method and its long term benefits with everyone from beginner level and up.

MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (REPs Level 4)

Jan joined Pilates Works as a matwork instructor in January 2007 after qualifying with the Body Control Pilates Training Academy in London. She is also qualified in Pilates for pregnancy and enjoys helping clients of all ages, abilities and fitness levels to gain strength and make the most of their physiques.

In October 2010, Jan qualified as a Back4Good® Practitioner which means she is a qualified exercise specialist, trained to help people with non-specific low back pain. Back4Good® practitioners are already experienced Body Control Pilates teachers, having been certified by Europe’s foremost Pilates organisation. They have additionally undertaken extensive training exclusively related to exercise referral and low back pain to become a Back4Good® Practitioner and a REPS Level 4 Specialist Exercise Instructor.

Jan discovered Pilates after over 20 years sitting at a desk and juggling phones as a marketing and press officer and she still combines her pilates teaching with a desk job. She credits the pilates method with keeping her own shoulder problems at bay and improving strength and posture. She understands the negative effects of sedentary work first-hand and believes Pilates is the ideal exercise programme for rebalancing mind and body.

Jan has worked with a broad range of clients, from people who take little exercise to people who regularly participate in sport. She has helped clients dealing with particular issues such as oesteoporosis, masectomy and hip replacement and she continues to develop her skills and knowledge by attending the wide range of teacher training courses that Body Control Pilates delivers.

Jan is known for teaching classes that are fun as well as challenging and she actively encourages clients to ask questions and to get know how to develop sound movement patterns.

STUDIO INSTRUCTOR (REPs Level 3)

Jyoti originally trained as a textile designer, and first discovered the Pilates method over 10 years ago, looking for an alternative to the gym. She quickly discovered that it offered much more than creating a strong and supple body – she left every class feeling energised, positive and relaxed, however stressed and tired she might have felt after a long day hunched over a desk!

Her passion for Pilates and the results it gives led to the decision to train as an instructor with Body Control Pilates in London, qualifying in 2008, and she is also now a supervising teacher for Body Control, helping to train new instructors in Edinburgh.

She has experience teaching pre and post natal clients, all fitness levels and ages, and those with various rehabilitation requirements.

She believes in creating dynamic, flowing classes, allowing clients to enjoy the movement safely from day one, whilst ensuring they remain challenged as they progress – she finds clients are often surprised by what they can achieve when encouraged to work to the maximum of their ability!

MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (PhD, BSc Hons x2 REPs Level 3 )

Mairi trained as a Pilates Instructor with Body Control Pilates in London in 2008, following several years of regular Pilates to complement her marathon running. Mairi strongly believes that Pilates benefits everyone, if performed and taught properly. Pilates prevents the strains inflicted on the body by modern living, and can complement a spectrum of lifestyles, from those requiring rehabilitation, to the everyday reluctant gym goer, to elite athletes.

Mairi has a BSc (Hons) degree in Anatomy from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in Stem Cell Research from Cancer Research UK in London. Mairi currently works for the University of Edinburgh performing scientific research into clinical trials in lung inflammation. Mairi has a further BSc (Hons) degree in Nutrition, and strongly believes that a healthy natural diet and regular exercise is the only way to achieve a healthy body and mind, rather than profit-making supplements or quick fixes in any form.

Mairi strives to challenge her clients in order for them to gain the most from a Pilates regime best suited to achieve their personal goals. The benefits of Pilates training are apparent after only a few sessions, and these benefits grow as your ability evolves. Mairi sees Pilates as an investment in health and happiness and hopes that her clients are as inspired by Pilates as she is.

MATWORK INSTRUCTOR (REPs Level 3, BA, MSc, DARM, DOSM)

Sara started coming to Pilates Works classes to improve her posture, strength and stamina. She quickly fell in love with the Pialtes method as she found that regular matwork and studio sessions were helping a back injury she’d lived with for 20 years. She is now one of our newest instructors, qualified as a matwork teacher and training in studio equipment. She loves working with clients to help them get the results they want.

Sara is also one of only a few Advanced Remedial Massage Therapists, teaching and examining for the Scotland’s leading massage trainer – the Scottish Massage Schools. She enthusiastically recommends Pilates to all her massage clients as a way of seeing her less often! She believes strongly that massage and Pilates work together to help people move and feel better.

You’ll often find Sara in the studio, offering massage to the MS class, trying to improve her rollovers, or attempting to make it all the way through Brett’s Classic Matwork without stopping (she lives in hope).

Sonia came to Pilates in 2004 after suffering with back-related pain. She noticed how her back and body felt after the very first session and knew this was going to make a big difference. This inspired her to train as a Pilates teacher and recently she qualified as a Pilates Matwork Instructor with Body Control Pilates.

Sonia believes that being aware of your own body is one of the most valuable things you can learn about yourself and this in turn can help manage pain. Sonia looks forward to showing others how they can incorporate Pilates into their routines to stay fit, active and healthy.

In addition to Pilates, Sonia uses her knowledge and experience of other mind/body methods such as Ashtanga yoga and the Alexander Technique to inspire and influence her knowledge and teaching of Pilates.

Qualifications: matwork instructor (REPs Level 3), BA, MDes.