Teachers
Leila Coppock
Leila originally trained as a contemporary dancer at London Contemporary Dance School (‘The Place’), graduating with 1st class Honours in 1998, and after completing her MA she worked for several years as a dancer. She also retrained and worked as a massage therapist and personal trainer, as well as managing a Yoga centre. But it wasn’t until she trained as a Pilates Foundation matwork teacher in 2005 (under the tuition of Susanne Lahussen, Hana Jones, and Sonia Noonan) that she felt she had truly found her calling.
Leila taught Pilates in numerous gyms and health clubs in London before moving to Wiltshire in 2006 and creating Bodywise Pilates. In 2008 she finally found a suitable premises in Salisbury in which to open her own Pilates studio, and in 2009 she enrolled on the Pilates equipment training course at the Scott Studio in Castle Cary under the tuition of Suzanne Scott (involving over 1,000 additional hours of training). Having practised Pilates since 1995, Leila is passionate about teaching it to as many people as possible, and she is particularly interested in Pilates for pregnancy and injury rehabilitation. Leila hopes that Pilates will have a positive impact on the lives of everyone who comes to the studio, by helping them to increase their self-awareness; to develop a healthier, happier body; and to move with poise, strength, and vitality.
Polly Matteson
Polly originally trained as a contemporary dancer at Bath Spa University, graduating with 1st class Honours in 2005, and she was first introduced to Pilates as a dance student. This had such a positive impact on her dance practice and outlook on life that she decided to train as a matwork teacher in 2008 at the Scott Studio in Castle Cary, Somerset. She was drawn to the Pilates method because of the bias towards the remedial and specialised applications of the technique. Polly believes that the somatic and holistic approach of mind/body integration associated with Pilates is instrumental in empowering clients to initiate change from within, through increased body awareness. As a dance and Pilates teacher she believes it is her responsibility to instill confidence in her clients, and to support their learning experience through clear communication and recognising the particular needs of each individual. In addition to her love of Pilates, Polly is an avid fan of the gym: nutrition, health and fitness are of paramount importance to her as a way to enhance her own quality of life. Polly joined Bodywise Pilates in 2009.
Tina Stanton
Tina originally trained as a massage therapist and aromatherapist, working both in the UK and overseas. Throughout her career she treated many clients with physical problems such as backache and fatigue, and she developed a keen interest in human anatomy and its functionalities. Tina then developed a back problem, which made her determined to rehabiltate herself, and she decided to try Pilates. Over a period of time the problem was eradicated and Tina started noticing significant changes in her body awareness and posture, and she really appreciated the mind, body and spirit connection this type of exercise offers. Dedicated to Pilates for many years since, she eventually decided to train as a matwork teacher at The Scott Studio, in order to be able to share this positive experience with others. Tina qualified in 2009, and she now relishes the opportunity to help others, directing them towards experiencing their own personal transformations. Tina joined Bodywise in 2009 as a matwork teacher.
Lyn O'Neill
Lyn has been practicing Pilates since 1995 and has also practiced Iyengar Yoga for many years. A back injury in her teens and a sporting career lead to her discovery of Pilates as a safe and effective means of strengthening her body. As well as teaching Pilates Lyn is a professional artist and has studied anatomy and the human form, which has helped her to observe and recognise the faulty body movement that may be leading to pain and discomfort. Lyn completed the comprehensive 2½ year Pilates Foundation studio and matwork training at the Scott Studio in Castle Cary, under the tuition of Suzanne Scott, which involves a minimum of 1200 hours of training. She joined Bodywise Pilates in 2010, teaching exclusively on the Pilates apparatus in our equipment studio upstairs.
Sara Dennis
Sara has been teaching fitness for over 20 years. As well as being a Pilates teacher, she is also a Fitness Instructor, Sports Therapist and Personal trainer. In 2001 Sara gained her first Pilates teaching certificate with the Pilates Institute. She then helped to set up a rehabilitation centre at the Salisbury Chiropractic Clinic, helping people with neck and back issues, and soon realised that there must be much more to Pilates than she had so far learned. So in 2004 she decided to retrain with the Pilates Foundation, gaining her second matwork qualification in 2006. Her passion for helping people to feel better about themselves, both physically and mentally, then led her to enrol on the Studio Pilates course at The Scott Studio in 2007. After an amazing 2 ½ years of vigorous and gruelling study she passed her exams in 2010, and since then she has been teaching on the machines that Joseph Pilates invented, both at Bodywise Pilates and at her own studio in Salisbury. Sara aims to help her clients “open up” their bodies, release tension, and realign postural imbalances. With her contagious sense of humour and easy-going manner, you will find that you leave your session feeling relaxed and with a smile on your face.
Catherine Cornelius-Reid
Catherine has held a lifelong interest in Health and Fitness, and was a County badminton player from the age of 12. This interest led her to train as a badminton coach in her spare time, enabling her to pass on her talent and enthusiasm for the sport to adults and children alike. Having taken a career break from her full time work as a charity Fundraiser to start a family, Catherine was introduced to the benefits of Pilates through the positive experiences of her parents. Following referrals from their Osteopaths, both had gained significant health benefits with Pilates. It was this experience, together with Catherine’s desire to find a career which involved helping others improve their health and overall well being, which led to her enrolling on the Pilates Foundation teachers matwork course with Suzanne Scott in Somerset, qualifying in 2010. Catherine joined the Bodywise team in 2010, and she now relishes the opportunity to encourage others to enjoy the many benefits that Pilates has to offer.
Lisa Rich
Having sustained a lower back injury when she was 22, through lifting weights at her local gym, and running as a cross country runner, Lisa was advised to start doing Pilates when she attended a back care class at her local hospital. She started Pilates in 2003 and has been hooked ever since! Lisa is a keen horse rider, owning her own horse as well as riding other people's horses. She has found that Pilates has greatly improved her riding, as well as keeping her back strong and stable. Lisa also works as a youth worker and conservationist, and feels that Pilates has enabled her to do her job more effectively. Lisa undertook her Matwork teacher-training at The Scott Studio in 2010, and joined Bodywise Pilates in 2011. Lisa hopes that you enjoy her flowing, lively sessions.