OPEN DAY AT THE BODY REFINERY!!!!

Saturday November 13 2010 we will hosting and open day at the Lamington St studio between 8am and 11am. The open day will give everyone an opportunity to trial GYROTIONC®, POWERPLATE®, mat and allegro classes for free. We would love to see you there. There will be some specials on offer on the day only for continuing with the class.

HOW TO FIND BALANCE IN OUR LIVES

We all search for a balanced state in our lives. That which allows us to flow smoothly and with a sense of purpose through what ever it is that we do. Many of us can find moments of balance and then something happens and we find ourselves stressed, and feeling like we are pushing everything up a huge hill.
We have 3 basic systems that are always responding to our environment. They are our physical body, our mental state and our emotional system. All of these systems are working all the time, sometimes with our being aware of what is going on. When all 3 are balanced and working in a state of harmony, our life seems balanced and easy. This is the way we are meant to operate, in this balanced way. When something happens and one or more of these systems are thrown out of balance, we find ourselves struggling and in some kind of pain, be it physical, mental (stress) or emotional.
There are many things that can throw us out of balance, and what seems like a small and insignificant matter for one, may present a huge challenge for another. Some things that may affect us include overwork, unresolved issues with friends and family, change of working conditions, loss of a loved one, the change of seasons, prolonged stress at work or home. These are but a few.
Another important one I would like to mention is the cycle of the moon. I have noticed more and more how I am affected by the lunar cycle and how my energies change accordingly. As the old saying goes: “The moon moves oceans everyday, we are 90% water, how could we not be affected by it?”
There are many states of imbalance and many varying degrees. Sometimes it may only be that something feels “out of whack”, right through to a feeling of great trauma. Body Psychotherapy is a great way to help restore the balance. In a session we look at the 3 different systems - physical, emotional and mental, and use them to discover what is at the root of the imbalance. We then use the energetic system to rebalance and restore the systems to their normal healthy state.
If you would like more information, or to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 0402842058. I am currently practising at the Lamington St studio.
In Health and Balance,

Andrew Leitch
Body Psychotherapist

STAFF PROFILE - ANITA THOMPSON

Anita was first Introduced to Pilates by her mum. Watching her mum rehabilitate from a serious motor vehicle accident. Anita began to understand the benifits both physically and mentally that pilates could offer. After a dancing injury and two knee reconstructions Anita then experienced these benefits for herself. A love for working with people and encouraging people to regain control over their bodies was the basis for her studies in both Pilates and GYROTONIC®. She believes that both bodywork therapies complement each other and stimulate the mind body connection.
In 2008 Anita began her pilates and GYROTONIC® apprenticeship's and throughout this time has been exposed to fantastic mentors in both movement disciplines. In 2009 Anita completed her Polestar Pilates Australia training and certification in studio and mat, and gyrotonic level 1 training. Anita is a member of the Pilates Alliance of Australasia.
In June 2010 Anita completed her Diploma in Pilates Instruction through Polestar Australia and also hopes to further her GYROTONIC® training so she can continue to combine and develop her teaching skills.
When not instructing she can be found walking her dogs.


ACUPUNCTURE VS DRY NEEDLING

Acupuncture and dry needling, while using the same needles, are two very different treatments. Acupuncture is used for the diagnosis and treatment of pathological conditions including visceral and systemic dysfunction, while dry needling is used for the assessment and treatment of myofacial pain syndrome due to myofacial trigger points. Acupuncture achieves pain relief through the release of endorphins and creating balance in the body's energy levels. Through the release of serum cortisol acupuncture can also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Dry needling achieves pain relief by inactivating trigger points and thus eliminating nociceptive focus of the muscle, The needles cause localised haemorrhaging which promotes healing by stimulating collagen and protein formation.
At The Body Refinery all of our Physiotherapists can provide dry needling, however Horace Chan can also provide acupuncture. Horace has had great success treating conditions such as tight/overactive hip flexors, plantar fascitis, piriformis syndrome, shin splints, knee joint pathologies, tennis elbow and frozen shoulder to name a few using acupuncture. If you have had a musculoskeletal issue that has been niggling at you why not book in and see Horace today? Call reception to make an appointment.

PILATES ALLIANCE AUSTRALIA'S RESPONSE TO WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

30 August 2010


Dear Sir/Madam
I write in response to the article in theWeekend Australian Magazine August 21-22 titled Core Promises written by Peta Bee, on behalf of the membership of the Pilates Alliance of Australasia (PAA) an incorporated association who represents and works for Pilates professionals throughout Australia today.
The response from our membership base was disbelief that a published article in a respected newspaper sets out from the by-line:
“"Pilates and the other core-strength routines have long been touted as the key to good health. But the claims are
over inflated and its time they were burst"”
To dismiss the practice of a professional industry that is referred to by traditional medical professionals and other allied health practitioners consistently across Australia (and internationally) for rehabilitation and conditioning of clients is ill-informed. Also, our members strongly voiced their dissatisfaction with the descriptions and perspective of Pilates as is portrayed in the article, which demonstrated a lack of first hand knowledge and/or research into the true practice of Pilates by professionals who are registered by the Peak Pilates body in Australia. To appreciate our industrys perspective on Pilates, we need it to be understood that Pilates is a form of exercise that cannot be reduced to simply pulling in the belly button and sucking in the stomach, or workouts that are entirely dedicated to strengthening the deeply embedded muscles of the core.” For a workout to be a Pilates workout it requires that the whole body be exercised within the session through integrated movements that certainly offers a result in strong abdominal and back muscles, but also strong functioning gluteals, and musclulature right around the pelvis and shoulder complex, as well as in the extremities. The negative comments of Stuart McGill regarding the training of the transversus abdominus (TA) are comments we hear
whenever an article that sets out to destroy the Pilates myth comes to print. Undoubtedly Stuart McGill is a learned man, however it is obvious that he has not yet explored the actual work of a Pilates professional in this county. What he describes may be seen as the use of isolated activation of the TA that will be used by a physiotherapist within a clinical rehabilitation setting - not within a professional Pilates session, because within a Pilates setting the activation of the TA (and the other abdominal musculature) does not take place in isolation when undertaking Pilates movements. TA activation is part of overall muscle recruitment patterns required for efficient movement and physical control that Pilates sets out to achieve. Pilates professionals understand that, due in great part to the complexity of the movements within the Pilates repertoire, the whole body is in focus and that all movements require full body integration. Hence why Pilates since its inception nearly ninety years ago has been used specifically for rehabilitation and conditioning of the body (please note I did not isolate the reference to the low back). This brings us to the loud message from our membership; that the public be educated that professional Pilates delivery in Australia is highly regulated through the PAA. In order to structure membership effectively the Pilates Alliance has established a strict Competency Criteria agains which we map the certification programs run by the various educational bodies. This Competency Criteria has been drawn from the requirements of training according to VETAB accredited programs, crossed with standard requirements of instructor training as has been long held in quality international programs, and integrated with current understanding of the industry skills base. From this recognition of quality learning, membership is able to be granted on the basis of obtaining clear competency and measurable standards when Pilates is delivered by a member of the PAA, the Pilates will be a whole body, functional workout that is delivered by a professional with the appropriate education to deliver to the individual or who will refer on to another allied health professional if/when the need arises. Within the market place there are many falsely advertised Pilates or Fitness Pilates classes where the method has been stripped back to regressed exercises or fitness regimes that bear little or no relationship to Pilates and are delivered by individuals whose backgrounds are not recognized by the PAA. Unfortunately, often these are in a fitness setting where more than 20 participants of varying physical states are accepted into a class. The Code of Practice for PAA members clearly sets out parameters that our members do not work in such situations. The minimum standards for membership and the different levels are listed on our website: www.pilatesalliance.net .
To specifically respond to several other points:
 That “physiotherapists have reported seeing a growing number of people who have suffered back problems as a result of poor Pilates technique. They tighten their low backs, stop breathing or drop the pelvic floor muscles when attempting to engage their core muscles”.Incorrect instruction of movement techniques is the result of the public attending exercise classes run by unqualified or insufficiently trained instructors that are not supervised or taught by Pilates professionals with appropriate credentials that are accepted by the PAA.
 -The example given that Professor Nessor was unable to establish a link between good core stability and functional movement, and that “workouts need to focus on exercises that require balance, strength and stability” only supports the description of a professional Pilates workout whether during an equipment based session or in a Matwork class where the client is challenged to sit, stand, side-lie and support their body weight or work against resistance. The descriptor of the recommended workout absolutely describes a professional Pilates session whether it be Matwork or Equipment based studio sessions.
 The quote by Eyal Lederman that “don’t expect to become immune to injury and don’t expect to improve your fitness if that is all you do” is backed up by the PAA membership who understand that Pilates does not profoundly affect the cardio-vascular system in the same way a run or cycling may, and would never expound the notion that only Pilates will improve the well being. Joseph Pilates himself wrote that daily cardiovascular
exercise as well as a healthy diet, coupled with Pilates three times a week would be ideal.
 Finally, for those of us who train elite athletes with Pilates - no professional Pilates Instructor registered with full membership of the PAA would argue that the development of core strength be it through Pilates or other
methods would be the sole factor in determining if a sports person is better at their sport than another. The benefit of undertaking Pilates for an athlete is in both cross training and specificity training applications, and will
assist greatly in expanding an athlete’s resilience, stability, balance, strength, efficiency and particular address of complex movement pattern sequences, all of which will assist their overall performance and wellbeing.
In conclusion, the PAA and the professional Pilates industry, ask that more research is done on the work of Pilates professionals before an article be undertaken or published so that the actual facts and approach of qualified Pilates teachers be represented.
The PAA extends an open invitation to any person wishing to write or review the use of the Pilates Method, to meet with us and spend time getting to know what the Pilates Method entails and how it is approached by professional Pilates instructors. We would be happy to facilitate any contact with our membership that would allow for a more balanced and effective
understanding on Pilates in the contemporary Australian marketplace.
Regards,
Lanette Gavran
President of the PAA on behalf of the PAA membership

STAFF PROFILE - LISA TASKER

Ever since joining a gym at the age of 12, Lisa has embraced physical activity. When working as a personal trainer while studying exercise science in New Zealand, she was introduced to Pilates and considers it one of the best ways to get a workout and rehabilitate any injuries.
Following on from her Polestar Pilates qualifications, Lisa regularly attends international workshops to keep pace with trends in Pilates. She introduced the breakthrough Pink Pilates course to the Body Refinery, a positive and effective program to facilitate recovery from breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries, and improve our clients' quality of life.

BACK PAIN AND CRONIC ILLNESS

Many of us suffer from a chronic illness or some kind of pain that, for all that we try, will not go away. Back pain, hormonal imbalance, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, just to name a few. In today’s society there are many forms of treatment for the symptoms of the illness or pain, but, there are very few that deal with the actual cause of it.
Our body is really a culmination of our beliefs. By that I mean that we are what we believe we are. Just as some would say we are what we eat. Some of these beliefs are very obvious to us and are in our everyday conscious mind. For example, some of us believe we are too big or too small. However, there are sub-conscious beliefs that are in operation all the time. Many of these beliefs are around what we don’t have, or our perception of what is missing. If these beliefs are held deeply enough they can, in fact, cause our body to believe that. This, in my experience, is one of the leading causes of chronic illness and pain.
A big part of the healing of any of these long term issues is the understanding that we have a choice. Modern medicine does not consider this, and once something is considered chronic then it is treated as something that must be lived with. This, in my experience, is not true and is an area that Body Psychotherapy can help with. WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE!
Body Psychotherapy works on the premise that our body, and the energy field that surrounds it, will always respond to exactly what we believe we are. If the flow of energy in both the body and the energy field can be restored to a balanced and harmonious state, then our body will naturally believe it is well and the normal healing processes can be restored.
I have found in my work, that many people with longstanding issues are able to firstly address the mental issue that holds them in a state of imbalance, and secondly realise that there is a natural state of health that is theirs to own and hold as their birthright.
There are many factors that contribute to illness and pain, and a lot of them are lifestyle choices we make. In a Body Psychotherapy session we look at both lifestyle and beliefs and find a way through, leading to balance and health.
Yours in health and balance,
Andrew Leitch
For more information, to discuss an issue, or to book an appointment, please contact me on 0402842058 or email me on andrew@intiraymi.com.au.
I am currently practising in Brisbane at The Body Refinery, New Farm.