Meet The Team: Jenny Cockburn
1 . What is your mission as a Pilates instructor?
That the human body is amazing! I hope everyone gets a sense of body awareness, how their own body moves and that they get to see how great functional movement is to our own everyday movement. In Pilates we don’t just lie down on the mat, solely focusing on the deep core muscles we work in different positions and moving in a functional way.
From my further training with both APPI (Australian Physiotherapy Pilates Institute) and being Pre & Post Natal trained, these qualifications have enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the human body, just how amazing it is, and that movement is medicine.
2. What can people expect from your classes?
A warm and friendly welcome. Varied class each week bringing a slightly different extra focus each time. I offer different levels of each exercise in a layering style so that everyone can work to their own level based in a supportive way. It’s their time to work with their body and how it feels that day when they come to class. Pilates can be such a deceptive exercise at times, that it really can be the smallest changes you make to an exercise that can create a whole new challenge. For me I have personal experience of how complimentary it can be helping both my own strength training and running my second half marathon. I hope they can leave class seeing that it’s such a wonderful exercise to compliment other forms of movement/exercise.
3. What does your self care routine look like at the moment?
Taking 5-10 minutes each day to work on my mobility and stretching
My homemade latte with coconut and almond milk is my current favourite
Sleep!
Face masks are the best
Cooking simple, nutritious and yummy food
Walks in the fresh air
4. How has your practice changed and developed over time?
When I first started my training, I found my practice was about learning the exercises individually and having longer practices as I got to know the exercises, how to deliver them and demonstrate them. Now it has become more made up of short flows of set exercises which will flow from one into the other, adding little additions or challenges of practice. These are sometimes now added in at the end to my time at the gym or after a run. I find doing these shorter flows has also helped to give me new ideas for class plans to continue to bring variety to class.
5. What’s your favourite yoga pose?
Probably half pigeon or downward facing dog. Love the variations you can do to both, and that both are a stretch that I feel I can really control how deep the stretch is. As someone who strength trains regularly and runs, I’ve always found both fantastic to use to help with both stretch and mobility.
6. What do you like to do when you are not teaching and practicing Pilates?
Love my food! Really enjoy trying out new food spots
Seeing the family
Catch ups with friends
Watching a movie
Strength training
Travel when I get the chance