Meet Keralyn – Our Inna Spirit Member of the Month for September
Each month, our Inna Spirit Member of the Month celebrates a member whose presence makes the studio a warmer place to be. This September, our month also falls alongside Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week (7–11 September), and this year’s theme is “do it anyway” — taking small, realistic steps towards your health, even on the days it would be easier not to.
We could not have chosen a better person to share that message with you. Keralyn has been moving with us for close to ten years, through knee surgeries, arthritis, fractures and now osteoporosis. She still books her classes. She still turns up. She still has a go.
What was going on in your life or body that made you realise something needed to change?
Keralyn’s start was, in her own words, a little accidental. Her husband was preparing to walk the Inca Trail in Peru, and she spotted an introductory offer at a studio Anna was managing at the time. She signed up knowing almost nothing about Pilates — and, by her own admission, feeling quite scared.
What she did know was that she wanted to do something better for her body, and that a gym was never going to be it. “I wanted to do more things better for my body,” she says, “but I hated the gym.”
“I’ve tried the gym over the years — when you don’t enjoy it, it’s hard to stay consistent. I needed to find something else that suited me. A better environment.”
What stood out to you about Inna Essence when you were deciding where to begin?
For Keralyn, it was never about equipment or timetables. It was about the people.
“The care and the concern from the entire team — it’s received by every person who walks through the doors at Inna Essence,” she says. “We all receive so much encouragement and all the help we could ever ask for.”
How did you feel walking into your first class, and how did that change after a few sessions?
What grew, quite quickly, was confidence — not confidence that she would do everything perfectly, but confidence that she could do it at all.
“I might not do it the best way, but I’ll do it my way,” she says. “It might not be the slickest performance. But I’ll always try my best!”
Kerlayn’s first Pilates class was back in 2016, when she first met Anna. In the ten years since, Keralyn has had a total of four knee operations. She lives with severe arthritis in her lower back, bursitis, hip issues, neuropathy in her feet, inflammatory and osteoarthritis in her hands, and — more recently — osteoporosis.
Any one of those would give a person a fair reason to stop. Keralyn sees it the other way around.
“I just need to keep moving,” she says. “I’m at an age where it isn’t good to stop because it hurts or I’m tired. I’ll adjust my sessions based on how I’m feeling. It’s so important to keep moving, some way or the other. It’s so good for my mental health, and I’m doing something just for me.”
This is what “do it anyway” looks like in practice. Not pushing through pain — adjusting around it, and showing up anyway.
She is also quick to point out that the support in the room is never just for her.
“What I’ve loved about the classes and the Inna Essence team is that you don’t just tailor for me, you adjust for many other people in the class. I love the care, the concern and the help that you give all the members.”
What changes have you noticed in your body, mindset, or daily life since becoming a member?
“I did notice that I was more flexible — I can move easier, and I just generally felt better about myself. That’s the main importance,” she says. “Whether I’m doing Pilates slower, I still feel great.”
The change she notices most is in the ordinary parts of the week. Picking up her grandchildren. Standing to help with the cooking. Even making the bed — done mindfully now, with awareness of how she is moving. She credits Pilates with helping her avoid injuries in all of it.
Do you have a favourite class or instructor, and what makes it stand out for you?
On instructors, Keralyn refused to be drawn: “I can’t choose a favourite instructor.”
On classes, she has two loves — Sunday Restorative Yoga and Reformer.
“Sunday Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra; when I was working, it was my reset for the week. Now that I’m retired, I still enjoy that reset — and learning to still my mind. I found it really hard in the beginning. I feel it’s so necessary to calm your thoughts and be in the moment.”
Reformer gives her something different. “I like being able to do exercises that aren’t easy, but aren’t impossible either. It’s achievable, and I’m moving all different parts of my body during the one class. I’m still having a go, and I’m still feeling muscle soreness afterwards, so I know I’ve challenged by body.”
Beyond the timetable, Keralyn has been on three of our retreats and to more workshops than she can count. The retreats, she says, are simply amazing — a chance to get away, be with other people, and be spoilt for a change.
And then there is the part that does not show up on any booking screen. “I’ve made connections at Inna Essence,” she says. “We chat on Facebook and Messenger, we chat outside of class — and the connection during class is really comforting.”
What keeps you motivated to show up consistently each week?
“The set routine of classes is really great. It’s something I’m doing with different instructors, which keeps it fresh and interesting. I just love my classes, so I come as often as I can.”
If someone was feeling unsure or intimidated about starting, what would you say to them?
“You definitely need to give Inna Essence a go. You won’t regret it, you’ll benefit — and you couldn’t do it with any other great Directors such as Andrea and Anna.”
Thank you, Keralyn
Congratulations, Keralyn, and thank you for ten years of turning up — for the honesty, the humour, and the quiet example you set for everyone who shares a class with you.
Women’s Health Week asks women to take one small step for their health, and to do it anyway. Keralyn has been doing exactly that for a decade, through everything her body has thrown at her.
If her story sounds familiar — if your knees, your back or your bone density have you wondering whether movement is still for you — it is. You will be met exactly where you are at, and your classes will be adjusted to suit you, every single week.
Come and have a look:
