YOGALATES ORIGINS & PHILOSOPHY

ORIGINS OF YOGALATES™

Yogalates™ can best be described as a melting pot of the beliefs and practices of Yoga and Pilates embodied by both the east and west, effectively merging the ancient practice of Yoga from the east with posture enhancing dynamics of Pilates from the west.  

 Louise Solomon first developed Yogalates organically for her own body. Her experience of injury in the Yoga room as a fledgling student led her to the Pilates room that led her back to the Yoga room. With a fundamental knowledge of core and function that had her yearning for more her body and mind had experienced a body awakening that was unprecedented at that time.  Louise then trained in Ashtanga Yoga full time for one year and naturally applied her Pilates training the birth of Yogalates had begun. 

Working from the inside out, Yogalates™ improves body awareness and alignment to help develop proper movement patterns that we use in our daily lives, and focuses on a practice designed for “Western” bodies.  Designed to awaken and strengthen the subtle and structural core muscles through Pilates based exercises while incorporating the asana (postures), philosophy and wisdom of Yoga. 

The importance of breath is the ultimate focus in each and every class; the ease of breath, ease of pose and ease of mind enhances a mindful practice.  Each session is started with body breath awareness “Savasana” as you discover what Louise terms as your functional resting breath “ a resting core”. The class is then layered to deepen core awareness recruitment and strength as the complexity of poses are built and explored through the many levers and loads applied. 

The use of resistance bands are functionally used in an array of exercises that stretch every section of the feet, ankles, legs and hips with rotations and resistance (which replicate some of the exercises on the Pilates machines).

These help open the hip joints as well as warm the thigh muscles. The use of the bands also creates a suction effect deep inside the joint that enhances the secretion of synovial fluid and is a great preparation for the complex standing poses of Asana. 

Through guided cues that aid the recruitment of core strength in static holds, slow flow movements, inspirational vini sequencing, foundational standing and balancing postures, you learn to balance from your core with ease and efficiency of breath as you fine-tune the core of body.

The understanding of the common body types is bought to the forefront of every pose blended through the class structures unique to Yogalates. This supports the individual’s nervous system and alignment of diaphragm in practise. Finally the climax of the class explores a soothing heartfelt Savasana. 

The method supports a safe and functional approach. It embodies all levels of fitness by offering progressions and an array of modifications for participants. That encourages them to listen to the wisdom of their own bodies in order to find their own personal footprint in practise making the Yoga mat even more access-able to the greater demographic. Both mind and body are primed for deep immersion into self through the journey of life on and off the Yoga Mat cultivating a mindful state of awareness.

Louise is joined by her daughter Crystal Solomon Lebars, a physiotherapist born and bred in the Yogalates lineage. With their combined skillset the Yogalates method is ever evolving with in the parameters of movement science and function.

​Nicole Whiteman, who has been teaching Yogalates for 17 years in Sydney was founder of Body Awakenings and now runs Inspya Me, says that although she had practised Iyengar, vinyasa and Bikram Yoga, she found that she didn’t have core strength.

“Yogalates made every pose feel different. It also stabilised my lower back, something a lot of clients tell me is the same for them.”

Nicole now works alongside Louise and leads Yogalates Academy Teacher Trainings. The course material have been used as an example of best practise by  Vocational Education Training Accreditation Board (VETAB). Louise also ran a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Still to this day Louise uses the modalities that support the student through their individual learning curve of knowledge.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The method fuses functional applied anatomy and physiology to holistic stability encompassing all of the musculo-skeletal body. The evolution of the method is to broaden the growth of knowledge or our teaching practices to aid the benefits of the individual needs in the practice of posture, movement and breath.

Yogalates supports the health of the human mind body and spirit in a safe working environment. And the unique approach combines the best of Yoga and Pilates, striving to answer the question:

How can our clients feel more comfortable, functional and connected within their minds and bodies in daily life?

Yogalates embodies Yoga Therapy & the Eight Limbs of Yoga laying a solid foundation for safe and ethical working practices.

The philosophy strongly focuses on the needs of the individual placing them at the forefront rather than the performance of the poses.

"When I first discovered Yogalates I was suffering with repetitive strain syndrome in both wrists. As a physiotherapist, I was unable to fulfil my role satisfactorily, and subsequently felt ineffective and purposeless. I hadn’t realised just how entwined and interdependent my physical injury and my self-confidence were.

I started a regular Yogalates practice, and after each one I would come away with something new. The benefits amassed continue to affect my life in a profound way. Louise Solomon is an inspiration. She has created a truly unique method, which is always evolving and adapting to reflect the most recent scientific research, making this knowledge accessible to the general public in a safe, practical and enjoyable way. Yogalates helps you re-educate your body in the way it moves. It places you inside your body and restores strength, posture and movement systematically, gradually repairing the years of neglect, abuse and bad habits.

This is where your journey begins. I wish you all the best as you travel the road to holistic health, happiness and wellbeing."

Anna Michel
Bachelor of Physiotherapy, MAPA

Yoga poses are complex, whole body movements that feel great, but require an understanding of pelvic and spinal stability to be practised safely. Pilates emphasises pelvic and spinal stability through a series of simple foundation practices.  Those trained in the Yogalates method teach a range of foundation principles to safely support the individual. Then we build the complexity of asana/yoga poses to then challenge clients. Clients are encouraged to choose the layer or foundation of the posture that best suits their needs.

"As I continue to follow your program the physical, emotional, and spiritual results are nothing less than astounding.  It is as if a black and white world has suddenly been infused with colour! Thank you for developing Yogalates and for the healthful benefits you have brought to my life." Jes Alexander