Image by Sandra Johnson of Tania with her trusty studio helper Joe.

My Pilates journey started in 1995 at Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden with Lesley Ackland. She and her team mentored me for the following two years before moving to New Zealand in 1997. In 2000 I moved to Oakland, California.

On September 11, 2001, I was woken up by the news that an aeroplane had flown into the World Trade Centre towers in New York City. I thought it was a hoax, and then the second plane hit.

I moved to Santa Fe for eight weeks to complete the Physicalmind Institute intensive training two weeks later. In 2000 I moved back to New Zealand with a shipping container of Pilates equipment, my logo and set up Hearts and Bones Pilates at 64 Oriental Parade. I taught mat classes at Freiburg Pool.

From 2003-to 2006, I was a part of the health team at the New Zealand School of Dance. In 2003 I travelled to New York to do the master teacher training with Lesley Powell and started training teachers using the Physicalmind Institute's training programme.

By 2007 I had set up my school because I realised that my teachers were struggling to teach the work. There was not much room to nurture teaching strategies when everyone was trying to learn the exercises.

In 2012 I celebrated ten years of Hearts and Bones Pilates with the first-ever Pilates Conference in Wellington. Bruce Hildebrand was our keynote speaker. He presented some inspiring Franklin Method based workshops. I also launched my online Pilates class membership platform, Always Pilates. The world was not ready for my big idea and it closed in 2018.

Now, 10-years later, I am celebrating another ten years in business. I have relocated to the beautiful Tasman region at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. I decided to write a book to help Pilates teachers everywhere develop their teaching toolkit to be more confident teachers. 

I believe that what we do - teaching movement - really matters in people's lives. I have also seen too many teachers leave our industry because they feel lost and confused. I wanted to reach out and help teachers feel inspired and confident that they always have the right tool for the problem they are facing in the studio.

I am looking forward to what the next 20 years will bring. Thank you to everyone that has shared this journey with me so far. It has been an honour and a privilege.
Love Tania