Reformer & Athletic Reformer

A 40 minute group class using our beautiful Merrithew Reformers; fully supervised and facilitated by our STOTT PILATES trained instructors.

A Pilates Reformer is a versatile and dynamic Pilates machine that facilitates precise movements, muscle engagement, and body alignment. The Reformer consists of a sliding carriage, equipped with adjustable springs, pulleys, straps, and a footbar. These components work together to create a unique resistance system that enables a wide range of exercises and variations ensuring a strong core and overall well-being.

We have a maximum of 10 clients per class which ensures an intensely focused session with modifications to cater to all fitness and experience levels.

Reformer Pilates enables you to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, providing a comprehensive full-body workout.  By elongating the muscles and focusing on proper alignment, you can increase joint mobility, improve posture, and develop long, lean muscles.

Our Athletic Reformer classes are perfect for those with a minimum of three months Reformer Pilates experience, are injury-free and ready to challenge their stability, coordination and strength.

A class with creative sequences that focus on strength and control throughout your whole body.  Athletic Reformer will target your core, elevate your heart rate, and incorporate some creative Pilates exercises to take your practice to the next level; utilising props and Jumpboard.

Intro Reformer

New visitors to Inna Essence have access to book 30 minute Intro Reformer classes, specifically programmed for beginners. To fully experience the transformative power of Reformer Pilates, it is essential to learn the exercises from an experienced Pilates instructor within a small, nurturing group. Our Intro Reformer sessions offer expert guidance and ensure proper form and technique. Your instructor will introduce you to fundamental exercises, gradually progressing to more advanced movements as you build strength, coordination, and body awareness.

Our method of Pilates teaching sees the inclusion of modern principles of exercise science, fascial fitness and spinal rehabilitation, making it one of the safest and most effective methods available.

Reformer Pilates helps both men and women of all ages develop optimal strength, flexibility, endurance and posture, without building bulk or stressing joints.

Mat Pilates

Pilates, pioneered by the late Joseph Pilates, is a mind-body exercise system designed to optimise physical fitness in people at every level of physical ability. Joseph Pilates (1880–1967) was a German expatriate who first made his mark in England during WWI by developing a series of exercises and innovative equipment to help prisoners of war regain strength and mobility. When Joseph Pilates immigrated to New York, the local professional dance community discovered that his conditioning technique, called ‘Contrology’ helped prevent injury and improve strength while maintaining long, even muscle tone.

A Mat Pilates class at Inna Essence incorporates modern exercise principles, including contemporary thinking on spinal rehabilitation, fascial integration, muscle conditioning and athletic performance enhancement.  We place a strong emphasis on scapular stabilization, lumbo-pelvic placement and postural alignment.

Pilates is essentially about re-educating your body, undoing the damage that years of stress and immobility inflict. By repeatedly holding certain corrective positions, our musculature starts to retain a memory of how they feel, and in time will actually adopt them automatically – without us having to think about them.

Athletic Mat Pilates

Athletic Mat Pilates is inspired by elements of Intermediate and Advanced Mat Pilates repertoire, dynamic strength and balance exercises.

A challenging class covering elements of isometic strengthening exercises, layered with exciting Pilates variations to keep you moving and focused on your core stability and alignment.

Athletic Mat Pilates builds strength by balancing out the body, supporting the joints for increased mobility and flexibility, and targeting muscles not commonly engaged.

Boxilates

Boxilates is a dynamic fusion of Mat Pilates and Fitness Boxing.  It’s an interval style workout that marries the functional benefits of Pilates with the high intensity cardio and co-ordination of boxing.

Boxilates ramps up the traditional Pilates class with the pace and co-ordination of fitness boxing.  Using boxing pads and gloves, you’ll combine short boxing drills and cardio intervals with functional movement and exercise on the mat.

In Yoga, the body, breath and mind are seen as a union of these multi-dimensional aspects of each and every human being. The system and various techniques of Yoga cultivate the experience of that union, leading to greater integration of being, internal peacefulness, and clarity of the mind. It is a system that is designed to cultivate health and happiness, and a greater sense of self-awareness and higher consciousness.

Yoga cultivates health and wellbeing (physical, emotional, mental and social) through the regular practice of a range of many different techniques, including postures and movement, breath awareness and breathing exercises, relaxation and concentration, self-inquiry and meditation.

Yoga is an approach to life that values appropriate effort, based on balance and harmony, within each person and with each other.  Credit: Yoga Australia

Inna Essence is a space that allows each individual who crosses through the door, to be, just themselves. They can work on building strength and flexibility regardless of what they look like, what they wear, where they come from, who they know, what they are trying to achieve, all the while on a journey of self discovery.

Yoga is a practice for the self, to the self, by the self.

Restorative Yoga

The intention of Restorative Yoga is to relax as far as possible into each posture, using as little physical effort as possible. The mind focuses on the breath in order to cultivate mindfulness and release tension from the body. This practice is available for everyone, with modifications for each individual body type/physical abilities and various contexts.

Restorative Yoga practices tend to be relaxing and slow paced, using as few as five or six postures which are held for long periods of time. Props are also used often in order to allow the body to be in the most comfortable, supported position possible. This may include chairs, walls, bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps. Gentle music may be played, and the practice may be combined with Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation.

Restorative Yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the heart rate, slows the respiratory rate, regulates blood pressure and relaxes the body.  Benefits of Restorative Yoga include:

Relaxes your mind and body

Soothes the nervous system

Enhances your mood

Reduces chronic pain

Improves sleep

Improves well-being

Gentle on your body, is generally safe and often recommended for people with acute or chronic injuries.  Restorative Yoga is safe to perform during pregnancy.

Gentle Flow Yoga

Gentle Yoga is a broadly applicable, person-centred approach to Yoga, which can be tailored to differing body types/physical abilities and various contexts.

A practice that teaches the individual that each of our bodies is unique, and through self kindness, non-judgement and mindfulness, you are guided to develop the capacity to feel into your body (Interoception). Allowing you to make good choices for yourself based on your deeper self-understanding. Various props may be used during these classes.

Through a gentle, slower pace, our sense of self-movement, force and body position (proprioception) is increased when we build the Asana from the ground up.

A class may include Pranayama (the management or control of the breath), Asana (any physical Hatha yoga posture), Meditation (techniques to focus and concentrate the mind), and a number of other mindfulness practices.  This yoga class is safe to perform during pregnancy (with modifications).  The benefits of Gentle Flow Yoga are:

Improves strength, balance and flexibility

Helps with back pain relief

Benefits heart health

Relaxes you, to help you sleep better

Can improve energy and mood

Helps you manage stress

Connects you with a supportive community

Promotes better self-care

Yin Yoga

Yin is a passive yoga practice, where your muscles need to be relaxed as opposed to engaged in order to work into the deeper layers of the body (Fascia) and move closer to the bones and joints. Utilising props during these classes assists in greater softening of the muscles, with the poses being held between 3 to 5 minutes or longer, with slow transitions between each of the poses. Being able to breathe through this area of unease, connect with your body and remain strong and focused in your mind can improve inner strength and the ability to work through difficult situations that may arise in life.

Another important difference is that in Yin Yoga is practiced cold with no warm up and with more of a focus on flexibility of the body and lubrication of the joints. Yin is a cooling and calm practice, where natural or downward regulated breath is encouraged during the practice.

Yin is a practice that teachers the individual that each of our bodies is unique, and through self kindness, non-judgement and mindfulness, you are guided to develop the capacity to feel into your body (Interoception).

A class may include Pranayama (involves the management or control of the breath), physical poses, meditation (techniques to focus and concentrate the mind), as well as an explanation and integration of the Meridian lines, the five Elements of the Earth, and energy flow (Chi).  Benefits of Yin Yoga include:

Lubrication and protection of joints

Deeper access to the body through the relaxation of muscles

Regulates energy in the body

Calming and balancing for the mind

Stress reduction and ability to release anxiety

Improves flexibility

Release of fascia throughout the body

Rise & Shine Yoga

Rise & Shine Yoga is a moderately paced yoga class, incorporating breath awareness, asana (poses) for all levels and vinyasa flow. Lift the mind by starting the morning with sun salutations and mindful movement to help prepare yourself for the day.

A combination of movement first to warm the body, followed by stillness as poses are held for 3-5 minutes.

We begin class by becoming aware of the body and the breath, practising pranayama (conscious breathing), then begin to gently move the body, flowing through sun salutations, to standing postures before shifting to yin postures, then resting in savasana.

This class is great for beginners as well as all levels and can be modified for pregnant ladies.

Vin Yin Yoga

The best of 2 worlds!  Where we blend a little flow and then go slow, into restorative bliss. The yin and yang of yoga!

You will move for the first 30 minutes and then restore and relax for the last 30!

Active Flow Yoga

Focusing on building strength, balance and flexibility, Active Flow Yoga is a dynamic flow of poses that keeps your practice varied and fun! Active Flow Yoga is much more than just a physical workout: it creates energy, vitality and freedom for the body and mind.

This class is challenging and rewarding: with regular practice you will make rapid progress and we are certain you will begin to feel the benefits of yoga in all areas of your life.

*NOT SUITABLE DURING PREGNANCY*