“Concentrate on the correct movement EACH TIME YOU EXERCISE, least you do them improperly and thus lose all the vital benefits of their value… Contrology exercises build a sturdy body and sound mind to perform every daily task with ease and perfection as well as to provide tremendous reserve energy for sport, recreation and emergencies” (Pilates, Miller, 1945, p14).

Mindfulness can be defined as focusing fully on your current experience and is the opposite of automatic pilot mode (where your mind just wanders). Mindfulness is about being fully present and experiencing the world firmly in the ‘here and now’. From a mental health perspective, Mindfulness offers a way of freeing oneself from automatic and unhelpful ways of thinking and responding.

Mindfulness is a skill that gets better with practice and can be taught in a number of ways and through a number of aligned activities. Meditation is one technique, however Mindfulness can also be learned through Yoga, Pilates and other somatic movement methods.

This introductory masterclass with Brenton explores and demonstrates how you can incorporate basic Mindfulness principles into your Pilates practice and classes, to reduce stress and anxiety and help to improve the mental wellbeing of you and your clients.
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With thanks to Sylwia Foryss
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Born in New Zealand, Brenton has lived more than half of his life abroad (USA, UK, Australia and Hong Kong). His career has taken many twists and turns from professional dancer, TV presenter, Pilates/yoga/fitness teacher, company manager and university lecturer (most recently at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts).

Brenton has a Masters in Counselling from Monash University in Melbourne and has a private counselling and psychotherapy practice in Hong Kong. He is a member of Member of the Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. In addition to a master’s degree in Counselling (Monash University), he holds master’s degrees in Dance Science (University of Wolverhampton) and Choreography and Aesthetics (City University/Laban Centre) and has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education (Otago University).

He is a certified fitness coach, Body Control Pilates, Yoga and Franklin Method teacher and integrates a variety of somatic and physical practices into his work. His broad understanding of psychology, physiology, education and art is central to his working approach and believes “positive life change comes from a holistic integration of mind, body and soul".
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Filming by MK Ceesay (www.zigzagzig.co.uk)
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