About the Founder, Louise Solomon

Louise has been practicing Yoga for over 25 years and Pilates for 18 years. Louise completed her Pilates Teacher Training in 1992 and taught Pilates exclusively in the early nineties (well before the Pilates mat class existed). In 1994 Louise attained certification in Yoga Teaching from Yoga Arts, Byron Bay. Being concerned with the high incidence of injuries Louise saw in Yoga classes, she developed and began to teach her own method of Yoga & Pilates fusion; Yogalates TM at the Suffolk Park Community Hall.

The Yogalates method is renowned for its standard of safety, and for the way it makes Yoga and Pilates safe and accessible for a wide population.
The method draws upon the fundamental foundation of Exercise Physiology (prescriptive exercises in functional patterns of movement and postural evaluation), Physio Therapy exercises and Yoga Therapy.

Louise is a pioneer in the fitness and well being industry and has been interviewed around the world on Yogalates, core stability, and standards of safety in the Yoga room. She has also lectured on Core stability at the Southern Cross University, taught professionally at Yoga, Health and Fitness expos, in hospitals and schools; she has travelled and taught her method in the UK, France, Italy, Japan, & Indonesia. Lectured to the Australian Yoga Teachers Association on core stability fused into asana and was referred to as an expert in her field. Louise has been invited to teach and share her method at the Yoga Alliance Leadership Conference in November 2011 Arlington, Virginia USA.

In 2003 Louise Solomon wrote her book: Yogalates – Breakthrough Workout, that combines the best of Yoga and Pilates, published by Virgin Books. Louise has also written and developed a comprehensive Teacher Training Manual for her course (first edition 2001 and subsequent editions 2002-2010) and has also co-writing an Anatomy & Functional Movement Manual (first edition 2004 and subsequent editions 2006).  Both were designed to support the Yogalates Diploma training, and are being used for the current Level 1 Certificate Course.

From 2001-2007 Louise Solomon filmed her award winning Yogalates DVD series for the UK Health and Fitness market. This multi award winning DVD series has been translated into 5 languages and sold world wide. All DVDs have been on the top 10 on the UK fitness charts, and in 2004 her DVD was number 1 for the whole year and winner of the British Video Awards 2002 for Health and Fitness. Has just released her latest DVD in the UK January 2011. Louise has also filmed an Instructional Yogalates Teaching DVD to compliment the Yogalates Teacher Training resources. It includes aspects such as Asana, Core stability, Sanskrit and the use of special needs for common contraindications.

The first Yogalates Teacher Training Course ran in 2000. Due to the popularity of the Yogalates method and the course, Louise applied to VETAB in 2000 to become a Registered Training Organization and formed the Yoga Pilates Training Academy at the Suffolk Park Hall. She then went on to develop an accredited Certificate IV Course which was subsequently upgraded to a Diploma of Teaching the Yogalates Method. The course was used as an example of best practise in the industry. The course now runs as a gold standard Level 1 Correspondence Course from the Yogalates Headquarters Studio and Head Office in Bangalow, Northern NSW.  The Yogalates Teachers Association was founded in 2006 to support accredited Yogalates Teachers and offer them further education and training in the method as it develops.

Students of the Academy who have completed the courses include Health Professionals such as Iyengar Certified Yoga Teachers, Pilates Instructors, and Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologists, Elite Athlete Trainers (Australian Cricket Team Strength & Conditioning Coach), Professional Dancers and Corporate Professionals as well as students of Yoga or Pilates that want to become Professional Teachers.

In 2005 Louise completed and opened a purpose built Yogalates Studio in Bangalow NSW (Byron Bay Shire) and Head Office for Australia. Louise currently oversees the Teacher Training Course and actively trains the Teacher Trainees in the Yogalates Method.

In 2010 she taught the first series of Yogalates Retreats and Teacher Training in Tuscany continuing into 2013.