About our instructors
Justyna
Originally from Poland, I first came to the UK to study 15 years ago, and quickly fell in love with Wales (and Pilates!).
I have tried few different classes trying to improve my posture and gain awareness of my own body. One memorable day my friend dragged me to a pilates class in a friendly, little studio in Splott. After having a class with Helen Saunders, and then with Eric Butler, I knew Pilates is for me! Shortly after, I started my teacher training. And when Helen and Eric moved to France to start their new project I took over the studio. I am a Pilates Foundation certified teacher and I try to build my classes around the principles described by Joseph Pilates: Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, and Flow. In last few years I had a pleasure of working with movement teachers from diffrent practices: strength work, Yoga and Aerial, I have also got into indoor climbing.
The mix of experiences made me to appreciate a wide world of other movement practices and also allowed me to rediscover the benefits of Pilates and foundation it can provide.
Kyla
I first found my love for Pilates in 2002 during my rehabilitation after a car accident which significantly affected my back and right hip.
After participating in Pilates classes pretty much weekly in London, Sydney, Hong Kong and of course Cardiff it became very much part of my life and the obvious decision was to become a teacher. I am very passionate about Pilates and really look forward to giving back and helping others develop their Pilates passion.
I am a traditional teacher at heart but use the Pilates principles to add some challenge or something different. I also enjoy developing classes to focus on improving sports performance through Pilates weather you are a runner, cycler or climber I believe Pilates can help your performance.
Ellie
I have been teaching movement in one form or another for the past 10 years. My foundation is in contemporary dance but I also teach Flying trapeze and most recently Pilates.
Pilates has enriched, clarified and expanded my understanding of movement. In early 2017 I completed my Pilates teacher training with Pilates Foundation and the experience gave me a greater understanding of anatomy and momentum, grounding a rich knowledge of how the body moves and experiences the world, especially through the use of breath.
As a teacher I have been told I am passionate, enthusiastic, patient, attentive and warm. In the studio I aim to support, nourish and nurture an understanding of how our unique bodies move. I hope to encourage individuals to explore the way their body moves, gaining awareness that supports and frees the body in daily movement.
Jo
Many moons ago, in the year 2000, I became a personal trainer (NCEHS Dublin), added massage therapy (AB Therapeutics London) and reflexology (Inspira Cardiff) and followed that up with yoga (Yogacampus London) adaptive yoga (Mind Body Solutions USA) and pilates (PRI Integration for Pilates USA). PRI Pilates is for sure the cherry on top or the thing that really ties my work, your movement together.
It is safe to say I love learning and the above is a rather shortened version of the list. There’s meditation, yin yoga specifically, sound healing and much more. The more I know, the more I can implement what you need when I see you! Tailor made is probably the best word to describe what I’ll bring to a session for you.
I adore working with clients in person and online. Both have their place and both work well, it’s good to have options.
Jen
Having gone to ballet classes from a young age I always loved movement and struggled to sit still. I started regularly attending Justyna’s Pilates classes around 8 years ago and learnt how to move differently following the Pilates principles. I quickly saw the benefits of the practice as the ‘inevitable’ aches and pains of everyday life disappeared. As well as the functional benefits, my overall strength improved and I started challenging my body to see what weird and wonderful things it could do; you’ll often find me in the studio looking for new ways to hang upside down from a piece of Pilates apparatus.
When I started spending more time at the studio than at home, I decided it was time to train to teach, to do something I enjoy and feel passionate about.
My teaching style is influenced by my own movement experience, with a focus on practising precision and technique to build awareness, strength, control & coordination that's beneficial for the day-to-day and enables us to challenge ourselves in a more playful way.