Part 1.
Who am I ? A 70 year old teacher of movement for the last 45 years. I live on Kangaroo Island, on a 25 acre bush block, alone. I call myself Solo Bush Woman.
What is my Why ? I have so much knowledge to share I feel compelled to share it. My goal is to empower those who attend my classes. Teaching them how to self manage & self soothe.. Adding Mindfulness to the mix creates the best possible outcome for body & mind.
I incorporate Mindfulness in my everyday life & I want to teach others how to do this. Mindfulness of Thought creates Psychological Freedom.
Part 2.
Who are your clients ? My clients are mostly women over 50, with a few men , all want to relieve aches & pains. Many are brand new to group movement so are absolute beginners. This is not a problem as I teach as I go, reinforcing all the important technical stuff about alignment, stabilisation & breathing. Add a good dose of concentration & bingo we have Mindful Movement.
What is the common themes of people in your classes ? Worn out lower backs, hips & shoulders. Fear of sensation which could mean more damage. This is the myth I have to dispel by teaching the difference between pain & sensation.
Part 3.
What’s the difference between SB/Stretchy Bendy & EBM/Exercise Balance & Mobility ? There is a slight difference in intensity & exercise selection. EBM incorporates Therabands & body weight as resistance, for a bit more strengthening. SB is soothing personified with a sprinkling of strengthening.
I talk about empowering the individual to know they “can do it”. Working with “what we’ve got”. The maturing body tightens up & this is why mobility work is so important. Dispelling the misconception that “ageing means stop moving”, is up there in my delivery.
Is it ever too late to start ? Absolutely not !! Improvements in function are basically guaranteed.
Injuries & ailments are worked around & soothed. Knowing how to do this is imperative, so that the individual can be independent & knowledgeable
Part 4.
Kangaroo Island is a healing place & I have found the true me. Living in nature has allowed me to de stress & assess what life is all about. Adapting to bush life, living in a caravan, no amenities revealed what really matters & taught me how to adapt. Discovering how resilient I am, was an absolute joy.
I live in a place of optimistic reality, believing in my dream of creating a retreat of sorts, on my property. I meditate every morning & write a gratitude list.
Subscribing to my page Why? Having access to recordings of my classes will be very handy. Sore neck ? Choose a class or a segment to soothe. In every class I reinforce correct technique & offer educational tips about the body & mind. Knowledge is power & I have a lot to share
Lesley Gray
I love being 70 & living here on Kangaroo Island. It has certainly been an interesting journey to get to this place in my life. The most important thing I want my clients & subscribers to know, that I really do care about the wellbeing of all of you.
Lesley’s Philosophy
I love what I do, teaching people how to move, educating how the body works, helping people soothe their aches & pains and being reassuring.
I have plenty of worn out bits from all the years of vigorous movement and know first hand how important it is to maintain mobility. This is what my Mindful Movement class focuses on. So I blend all the stuff I know that works from Pilates, Yoga & fitness. All movements have a purpose and there is nothing difficult to do.
Move To Soothe
Qualifications
During my 45 years of teaching movement I have acquired the odd Certificate & Diploma. So I started off as a Cert 3 Group Fitness Instructor & Cert 3 Gym Instructor. Within these qualifications there are many branches to the movement tree. Cert 4 in Personal Training was the next progression which included Special Populations, pre & post natal, kids, older adults. I added a 2 year face to face Diploma of Yoga Teaching in 2020. Cert 4 in Fitness Pilates to round it all off. I’m also a Wellness & Weightloss Coach & a Meditation teacher. Having a Cert 4 in Workplace Training & Assessment allowed me to share my knowledge with new instructors & trainers, so I am a Trainer of Trainers. Is it safe ? A Cert 4 in Workplace Health & Safety gives me that assessors eye, when I put movement sequences together”