Our teachers: Aoife

Aoife has been teaching Matwork at Pilates East since 2021 and then more recently Private & group Apparatus classes since 2024 after completing her fully comprehensive Classical qualification.

We sat down with Aoife to catch up and find out about her love for teaching and Pilates.

Tell us about how you got into Pilates

 I’ve always been a mover, having trained in dance & yoga. Pilates came later (I wish I had known about it sooner!) I was doing lots of Mat Pilates at Pilates East. I started to want to do more, so I developed a little home practice on the back of some book recommendations from Lauren. And then I ventured into the apparatus classes and I was hooked. I did my mat training initially and worked up to the full comprehensive training programme. I’m really glad I did it slowly as I had time to develop my teaching skills and just do the hours and hours of observation and practice it takes.

How would you describe your teaching style?

My teaching style is focused, clear and classical. I work hard to help clients feel the internal work of Pilates exercises. I set myself some high standards!

⁠What do you love most about Pilates?

I love how simple and complete it is as a system. I like the quote from Jay Grimes “forget everything you know about exercise, Pilates is different”. It really is! After many years of practicing, it still feels different and like a secret somehow. There isn’t a corner of your body or mind that Pilates won’t work!! I love how demanding it is. You have to apply yourself fully and that’s very rewarding.

⁠Three favourite exercises?

I’m going to be annoying and say my favourite exercises are ALL OF THEM! The more you practice the more you see how all the exercises are connected so I can’t possibly pick them apart and say one is better than the other! I aim to teach this to my clients. The connections can be surprising and come from different angles. The system is not linear but it is all connected. So you might get better at teaser by looking for the teaser in your roll up or your frogs on the reformer. My most recent aha moment was practicing hips circles. (That horrible one after teasers in an advanced mat class!) I did it with ease and a bit of finesse for the first time. And it snuck up on me. The reason I became better at it wasn’t by practicing that exercise. I think I got better at it from practicing teaser 2 and truthfully just all the other “easier” exercises coming up to support the harder ones.

If you could only use one piece of Apparatus, what would it be?

Can I repeat my answer for the question above?!! If I have to choose one I choose the classical universal reformer. A very supportive piece of equipment that does what it says on the tin, reforms you from head to toe, inside to outside. It’s a very clever and beautiful thing.

⁠One interesting fact we might not know about you?

One thing people might not know about me. Well it’s no secret, but I do love gardening and nature in general. I moved house last year and have a new garden project on my hands which is very exciting. I am currently getting lost in the local hedgerows taking photos of what’s growing locally to inspire what I choose to plant in my new garden.

⁠What motivates you?

The amount there is to learn motivates me. Every session is different and there’s always a new way to experience the exercises in your body. It’s exciting. I’m excited to learn more. Clients also motivate me. I can be in a not-so-good mood and then I teach and my mood is transformed! Seeing clients changing is great and seeing them go through the learning process and having lightbulb moments of their own on a grey Monday afternoon is very satisfying. Pilates excitement is infectious!

And lastly, why should everyone do Pilates?

Coz it’s the law!!!  I just think there isn’t a better system out there. It works the body and the mind to its fullest. Just do it, you’ll love it!