**"An Essential Part of My Self-Care Routine"**

*Wendy C, 40s, Newark — Paramedic*

*Class: Yoga Tune Up (online via Zoom), 2020*

TESTIMONIAL

"As a paramedic working shifts on the frontline, I work in challenging circumstances — even more so now due to Covid-19. My weekly Yoga Tune Up class with Susannah is an essential part of my self-care routine.

The Zoom classes work really well for me and I try to join the group session when shifts allow, as I feel more connected that way. Having access to the replay if I miss my usual class is also really helpful.

The sessions not only help with the physical aches and strains but with the emotional stress too. After class I feel relaxed, refreshed and more able to cope with the week ahead.

Susannah's experience, knowledge and skills — combining yoga, self-massage, relaxation breathing and the Tune Up balls — are exceptional. I find it particularly useful working with the Coregeous ball on the thoracic spine, chest and abdomen. It eases my back, opens up the intercostal muscles and ribs to help me breathe better, and helps me manage stress and genuinely relax — and it can be done in a short five-minute session when I'm tired before or after a shift.

I would greatly recommend joining one of Susannah's sessions. I guarantee you will not look back and you will feel better in yourself — both physically and mentally. Susannah is very friendly, supportive and will always go out of her way to make you welcome, whatever your circumstances."

*— Wendy C, Paramedic, 2020*

## 4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Wendy wrote this during the first year of the Covid pandemic, when she was working on the frontline as a paramedic. The context matters: this is someone whose nervous system was under sustained, serious pressure — shift work, physical demands, emotional exposure, and the particular strain of frontline healthcare during a crisis. That's not everyday stress. That's a body and mind running on high alert for extended periods.

What Wendy describes is exactly what Yoga Tune Up is designed to address at that level. The Coregeous ball work she mentions — on the thoracic spine, chest, abdomen and intercostal muscles — directly targets the breathing musculature that tightens under chronic stress and threat. When we're in a prolonged stress response, the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs become restricted, which keeps the body locked in a shallow, guarded breathing pattern. Releasing that tissue is one of the most direct routes into the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest and recover state — which is why five minutes with the Coregeous ball before or after a shift can have such a noticeable effect.

The fact that Wendy could access this online, fit it around unpredictable shift patterns, and use the replay when she missed a live session speaks to something I feel strongly about: self-care tools need to be accessible and realistic for the life you're actually living, not the life you wish you had. For shift workers, carers, parents and anyone whose schedule doesn't follow a neat routine, that flexibility is everything.

Since this testimonial was written, online classes and the nervous system focus at the heart of this work have become even more central to my practice. Working with the breath and the body's stress response — whether in person in Newark or online — is now the thread running through everything I do.

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**"She Listens to Your History and Focuses on What Will Give You Most Benefit"**

*Paul C, Doncaster — client since c.2008*

*Ironman Athlete, Coach & Business Owner | Treatment: sports massage, deep tissue, myofascial release, breathwork, Yoga Tune Up*

TESTIMONIAL

"I have used Susannah's massage therapy for over ten years. Initially it was for sports massage and deep tissue work on my legs, to help recover from marathon training. Later, her myofascial release work was fantastic on my head, neck and shoulders — and helping me become more aware of how my breathing affects my nervous system and stress response was sometimes the only way to ease the build-up of tension resulting from running my business.

Thankfully, it's now just back to my legs and back for run and cycling recovery for Ironman training and competition.

I like the specificity of Susannah's therapy, and that she has a wide variety of treatment styles and tools to draw upon. She listens to your history and focuses on what will give you most benefit, rather than simply going through a standard routine.

She has personalised some great self-massage strategies using Yoga Tune Up balls, which are much more specific and effective than a foam roller — and so much more portable. So I recover quicker and can train harder."

*— Paul, 49, Ironman Athlete, Coach and Business Owner, August 2018*

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## 4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Paul's testimonial captures something I see regularly in high-performing clients: the body doesn't distinguish between physical and mental load. Paul was training hard and running a business simultaneously — two very different demands that were landing in the same nervous system and the same tissue.

What's particularly interesting about Paul's story is the arc. He came to me initially for straightforward sports massage and leg recovery — the classic athlete brief. But over time it became clear that the tension accumulating in his head, neck and shoulders wasn't coming from training at all. It was the business stress expressing itself physically, and the only way to shift it was to work at the level of the nervous system: breathwork, myofascial release around the thorax and neck, and building Paul's own awareness of how his breathing patterns were affecting his stress response.

That awareness is something Paul now carries independently. Once you understand the relationship between breath, nervous system state and physical tension, you have a tool you can use anywhere — which is exactly the kind of self-sufficiency I aim for with every client.

The Yoga Tune Up ball work I introduced gave Paul targeted, portable recovery tools specific to his training demands — far more precise than a foam roller for the areas that matter most in run and cycling training. The fact that he's now back to focusing purely on performance recovery for Ironman is a good sign: the underlying stress patterns have settled, and the body is doing what it's built to do.

Paul travels from Doncaster, and sessions are also available online for clients who aren't local to Newark.

Paul is an Ironman athlete and business owner who has trained with Susannah for over ten years. Read how myofascial release, breathwork and Yoga Tune Up therapy balls transformed his recovery — and his stress levels.

"Nothing Else Has Come Close"

"I've learned how to activate my diaphragm, breathe properly, and connect breath, brain and body."

Clare Roberts, early 50s, Nottingham — client since 2024 Treatment: Body Mind Unwind group classes, one-to-one sessions, diaphragm activation, breathwork YOGA TUNE UP

"Susannah's Body Mind Unwind approach has completely changed how I move, breathe and feel — nothing else has come close.

Finding Susannah has been a complete game-changer.

Her small-group Body Mind Unwind classes gave me simple, practical tools I could use every day. Then the one-to-one sessions took things further with focused hands-on work and a personalised approach. Together, they've made the biggest difference.

I've learned how to activate my diaphragm, breathe properly, and connect breath, brain and body — which has improved not just my movement but also my mood and energy.

In just a few treatments I feel less restricted, more mobile, and most importantly, I now have the knowledge and tools to help myself.

If you want more than a temporary fix and you're ready to invest in really understanding your body, I couldn't recommend Susannah more highly."

— Clare Roberts, Nottingham, 2024

4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Clare came to me relatively recently but her review captures something it sometimes takes clients years to articulate — the difference between being treated and being educated. That shift, from passive recipient to active participant in your own health, is what everything I do is built around.

What Clare describes — learning to activate the diaphragm, connect breath to brain to body, and leave with tools she can use independently — sits at the very heart of how my practice has evolved, particularly since Covid. The diaphragm is not just a breathing muscle. It is the body's primary pressure regulator, a key player in spinal stability, and one of the most direct access points to the autonomic nervous system. When it isn't functioning well — which is extremely common in people who carry stress, sit for long periods, or have learned shallow chest breathing as their default — the effects ripple outward into movement, mood, energy and pain.

Clare noticed improvements not just in how she moves but in her mood and energy levels too. That's not a coincidence. When the nervous system is able to downregulate — to shift from a state of low-grade alert into genuine rest — the whole system functions better. Sleep improves, inflammation reduces, movement becomes easier and more fluid.

The combination of small group classes and personalised one-to-one work that Clare mentions is something I've found particularly effective. The classes build body awareness and community; the individual sessions allow us to go deeper into the specific patterns and restrictions that are unique to each person. Together they create a much richer and more lasting result than either alone.

Clare travels from Nottingham, and sessions are available both in person in Newark and online.

"Transformational — It Completely Changed My Attitude to the Aches and Pains I'd Accepted as Normal"

Peter Brown, 65 at time of writing, Southwell — client since 2020 Retired professional, returning runner | Treatment: online one-to-one sessions, Yoga Tune Up, Roll Model Therapy Balls, breathing and Be activated techniques, Fascial fitness classes face to face and online .

TESTIMONIAL (Peter's own words — combined from three emails, June–July 2020)

"Having recently retired, I wanted to go back to running after a 15-year break. I was a club runner and had run at a relatively good standard — 3hr 18min marathon PB, 38min 10K. Unfortunately I found that I had effectively seized up, with greatly reduced flexibility and sore joints. I was feeling very old and stiff and quite dispirited.

A friend recommended Susannah and in our first Zoom meeting she immediately gave me confidence that with her help and some effort on my part, I could enjoy running again — and I didn't have to accept the pain.

What has surprised me is my growing understanding of how things are interconnected. If I'm going to ease the pain in my knees and run fluidly again, I have to work on all areas of my body, including my arms and shoulders. I am beginning to understand for myself which areas I need to work on, so I am learning how to be independent without Susannah's direct intervention.

My running has progressed well. I can feel at least the beginnings of rhythm and looseness returning and I am gradually lengthening my stride. I can feel that I am beginning to enjoy the physical aspect of running again — planting my heel with more confidence and breathing, not just gasping. Not bad for a stiff old git!

After completing my six online one-to-one induction sessions and joining the weekly classes, I have a fairly good grasp of the main techniques. This is very empowering — when I feel a niggle in my hamstring, I am able to self-manage my own recovery to some extent. I also use the techniques as part of my warm up and warm down, something I'd hardly bothered with before.

When I started working with Susannah I wanted to improve my flexibility and run pain free. The benefits have in fact been far greater than I expected. It has been transformational in completely changing my attitude to the aches and pains I had accepted as normal. I can now do something about it.

I have to be realistic about my age and I have always accepted that my PBs are a thing of the past. However, becoming stiff and unfit was debilitating physically and emotionally. I had begun to entertain the thought of accepting the inevitable — that my running time was up. Too much pain, not enough motivation. However, I decided to give it one more go.

Using Yoga Tune Up as a complementary programme to support my running was my initial goal. But the programme has very quickly become equally, if not more important than the running itself. The yoga and ball work has transformed my thinking — increasing my confidence in my ability to do the activity and to support everything else I do.

My goals are now more realistic and achievable, which is a result of understanding the interconnectedness of my joints, muscles, breathing and well-being all working together.

Susannah is a superb teacher. She is engaging, incredibly knowledgeable and very responsive to individual requirements. It's good to learn new skills at 65!

Later, reflecting further on the work:

"I was introduced to innovative and interesting ways to re-engage with physical activity based on breathing and activation techniques. What I value most, as well as the group sessions with great people, is Susannah's dedication to me as a person. She has great knowledge of the techniques she practises but she also knows how to give me the means to support myself to maintain fitness, flexibility and improved well-being. I really value her commitment to me even though I am just one of her many clients."

— Peter Brown, Southwell, 2020–2024

4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Peter came to me at a point many people will recognise — retired, with time and motivation to be active again, but confronted by a body that felt like it had aged faster than expected. The frustration of that gap between who you feel you are and what your body will currently let you do is real, and it affects confidence and self-esteem in ways that go well beyond the physical.

What Peter's testimonial captures beautifully is the shift from passive suffering to active understanding. That's the goal — not just to fix the immediate problem, but to give people a framework for understanding their own body so they can continue to manage it independently. Peter arrived not knowing why his knees hurt when he ran; he left understanding the relationship between hip mobility, thoracic rotation, breathing pattern and stride mechanics. That knowledge is his, permanently.

The breathing piece is particularly significant in Peter's case. As an asthmatic, he had a complicated relationship with breathwork — something many people with respiratory conditions share. Working with the Yoga Tune Up balls around the ribcage, intercostal muscles and diaphragm helped him develop a more conscious, functional breathing pattern without the anxiety that breath-focused practices can sometimes trigger. The physical, athletic quality of the ball work gave him an entry point that pure breathwork might not have.

The online format was essential here — Peter joined during Covid lockdown when face-to-face wasn't possible, but the one-to-one Zoom sessions, combined with short video demonstrations he could refer back to, meant progress was fast and the learning stuck. He's now been attending weekly classes for five years, which is the best possible evidence that the approach works.

What Peter is describing here is the result of working across three distinct but complementary modalities. Without needing to know the science, he experienced the results of Be Activated (Douglas Heel Method) — resetting the nervous system and switching on muscles that had effectively gone offline; Yoga Tune Up® with Roll Model Method® balls — targeted myofascial release and self-massage to release deep tissue tension; and Yoga — bringing movement, breath and integration together.

This is multimodality work. There are very few practitioners in the UK combining all three approaches, and each client's programme is individually tailored to their needs. Peter came as a runner — but the work, and the results, went far beyond running.