Jill Tonks of Claygate
I started practicing yoga 2 years ago because of a bad back from exercise at my local gym. Eventually I had to see a specialist and after the physiotherapy the focus was finally on posture. I decided to practice yoga at Body Concepts where the classes are small, and my yoga practice has developed more than I could have imagined and my posture and core strength have improved hugely. I feel stronger physically, mentally and emotionally and with hindsight I wish I’d have taken up yoga years ago rather than thrashing myself down the gym!
The small classes and the variety of teachers have enabled me to reach parts I never thought I could and rather than just doing postures and competing with others in a large class, I now really enjoy stretching my own body and testing its limits as well as having fun.
Kitty Cook of Esher
The instructors are what I value most at Body Concepts. Though extremely knowledgeable and experienced, their attitude is not one of pressure or judgment but one of guidance and encouragement. Through their teaching, they convey an awareness of and sensitivity to the fact that we are all different shapes and sizes, and we come to practice yoga (or pilates) for our own individual reasons. As a result, I have never found myself in a class overwhelmed with frustration by what my body cannot do, but overjoyed by discovering and learning what my body can do.
Helen Barnes of Thames Ditton
I suffer from scoliosis which has given me a lot of back pain. Having tried various different options without success, I decided to try pilates classes. After attending pilates at Boco once a week for 4 weeks I already noticed a difference in my core strength and flexibility. Having tried other pilates classes, the standard of the teaching at Boco is far superior and there is also the added benefit of a maximum of 9 in a class and a very friendly atmosphere. I have now been attending classes for 6 months and it has had such a positive impact on my back that I am planning to continue with pilates for the foreseeable future. And I really enjoy the classes!
DH of Cobham
Having suffered from chronic lower back pain for many years I was advised to do Yoga at Body Concepts. The lessons I have had from Khatun Woodham have proved very helpful and shown me how important and beneficial correct breathing is for both posture and stress management.
In middle age I was immobilised for weeks with a back problem. CAT scans revealed I had spinal degeneration - where the cartilage pads between the vertebrae dry out, shrink and are damaged, and occasionally a nerve leaving the spinal column gets pinched, with agonising spasms. The doctors said that the condition was age-related and could not be reversed. But it could be alleviated by, in essence, building up a corset of core muscle round the spine from lower back to upper neck. This would support the spine and squeeze the vertebrae apart somewhat. I embarked on a programme of core muscle exercises in the gym, that I do several times a week along with cardio exercise.
A couple of years later I also discovered yoga, thanks to Khatun. Not only were many of the postures beneficial precisely for building core muscle strength around the spine (where you need muscles to remain contracted isotonically), but against my expectations I also improved spinal flexibility to the point where I can say, after three years, that each year I have improved my ability to bend in all directions. Yoga, which I practise about four times a week, has also led to many other improvements year on year: breathing, balance, flexibility, posture and strength - all of which are related. It fits well with my other exercise regimes.
Ken Worthy of Esher
For many years I have had back problems, with frequent episodes of acute pain. Two years ago my osteopath recommended Yoga, to supplement his treatment by increasing my body flexibility and strength.
I had previously found that most forms of exercise, intended to strengthen my back, had in practice tended to exacerbate the problems, so that I was unable to continue with them, or at least only to a limited extent. This has not been the case at all with my regular one to one yoga sessions with Khatun, who tailors them to what my back can cope with. I have observed increasing flexibility, which allows me to assume more and more postures which I could not have done when I started.
I have also learned a number of yoga techniques to deal with particular types of strain on my back. – for example I can now quickly relieve back pain resulting from the holiday combination of walking and standing inevitable in exploring a city or visiting an art gallery or museum. My back is now much more resilient and more able to cope with stress.
call us now to book a class
.
To book your first class
from our class timetable, call:
Hinchley Wood Reception on 0208 398 4391
Surbiton Reception on 01372 465379
or e-mail admin@boco-uk.com
yoga and pilates in Surbiton and Kingston