Reformer Embodiment & Practice Logbook

Date of practice: 2026-06-05

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Side Lunges
Scooters

What I noticed in my body: Felt amazing and challenging in my glutes and hamstrings.

Challenges I experienced: Keeping balance, kept a light spring.

Insights for my teaching: If I’m lunging in my left leg, cue drive left knee to left baby toe. To keep balanced.

Reflection: Better cues for visualisation

Date of practice: 2026-06-12

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Hundreds

What I noticed in my body: Challenging on the core
But layered very well when broken down.

Challenges I experienced: I struggled with the double leg extension in the chest lift.

Insights for my teaching: Cue only take the chest lift if it’s in your practice.

Reflection: Better to take a regression then a progression when needed.

Date of practice: 2026-06-13

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Bridge series

What I noticed in my body: Felt harder on my arches then my heels, had better range in my heels.

Challenges I experienced: By having a heavier spring on I was able to keep it more balanced.

Insights for my teaching: A cue I love this use is - “Exhale, peel up one vertebra at a time. Inhale, exhale, melt back down.”

Reflection: Reflection

Today I learned the importance of using clear, simple cues to guide clients through a reformer bridge. Focusing on breath, spinal articulation, and proper alignment helped create smooth, controlled movement while encouraging core engagement. I also learned that keeping cues short and specific allows clients to move with more confidence and maintain good technique throughout the exercise.

Date of practice: 2026-06-15

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Feet in strap circles

What I noticed in my body: Felt great in my hips, a cue I loved was “Reach long through your legs, then circle with control.”

Challenges I experienced: A challenge was my lover back arching as my legs move away from my body. To help I reduced the range of motion.

Insights for my teaching: “Move from your hips, not your lower back.” Was another great cue.

Reflection: Today I learned the importance of using clear, simple cues to guide clients through a reformer bridge. Focusing on breath, spinal articulation, and proper alignment helped create smooth, controlled movement while encouraging core engagement. I also learned that keeping cues short and specific allows clients to move with more confidence and maintain good technique throughout the exercise.

Date of practice: 2026-06-18

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Elephant

What I noticed in my body: What I noticed while doing it

While performing Elephant, I noticed it required strong core engagement to keep the spine stable as the carriage moved. I also found that maintaining even weight through my hands and feet helped improve my balance and control. I became more aware of keeping my shoulders away from my ears and initiating the movement from my hips rather than pushing with my arms.

Challenges I experienced: Bending the knees or rounding/arching the back as the carriage moves.

Insights for my teaching: Cue the client to keep a long spine, soften the knees slightly if hamstrings are tight, and initiate the movement from the hips while keeping the core engaged.

Reflection: Today I learned the importance of maintaining spinal stability during Elephant. I focused on using the abdominals to control the carriage while keeping even weight through the hands and feet. I also learned that small, precise movements improve control and alignment more than pushing the carriage too far.

Date of practice: 2026-06-18

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Long stretch

What I noticed in my body: While performing Long Stretch, I noticed how important it was to maintain full-body tension throughout the exercise. Keeping my core engaged helped prevent my hips from dropping, while pressing evenly through my hands kept my shoulders stable. I also realised that moving the carriage with control was more effective than focusing on the distance travelled.

Challenges I experienced: Hips sagging or lifting too high, causing loss of core stability.

Insights for my teaching: Cue the client to engage the abdominals, press firmly through the hands, and keep the shoulders stable over the wrists. Reduce the range of motion if needed to maintain alignment.

Reflection: Today I learned that Long Stretch challenges both strength and stability. I became more aware of the importance of coordinating my breath with movement and using my core to control the carriage rather than relying on my arms or shoulders.

Date of practice: 2026-06-24

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Mermaid

What I noticed in my body: While performing Mermaid, I noticed how much length I could create through the side of my body when I focused on my breathing. Keeping both sit bones grounded made the stretch feel more effective and helped me avoid collapsing into the movement. I also became more aware of maintaining good posture throughout the exercise.

Challenges I experienced: Lifting the opposite hip or collapsing through the supporting shoulder during the side bend

Insights for my teaching: Cue the client to stay rooted through both sit bones, keep the supporting shoulder away from the ear, and move only within a comfortable range while lengthening through the side body.

Reflection: Today I learned that Mermaid is about creating length and controlled movement rather than bending as far as possible. Coordinating my breath with the movement helped improve my posture, mobility, and overall body awareness.

Date of practice: 2026-06-30

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Side splits

What I noticed in my body: While performing Side Splits, I noticed how important balance and core control were throughout the exercise. Keeping my weight evenly distributed between both feet helped me stay stable, and engaging my inner thighs made it easier to control the carriage as it moved in and out.

Challenges I experienced: Shifting weight to one side or allowing the pelvis to tilt during the movement.

Insights for my teaching: Cue the client to keep equal weight through both feet, engage the inner thighs and core, and use a smaller range of motion until they can maintain alignment.

Reflection: Today I learned that Side Splits require stability as much as strength. I realised that controlled movement and maintaining proper alignment are more important than moving the carriage a greater distance, and that engaging the core and inner thighs improves balance and control.

Date of practice: 2026-07-03

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Chest Expansion

What I noticed in my body: While performing Chest Expansion, I noticed that keeping my shoulders relaxed and my chest lifted made the movement feel stronger and more controlled. Focusing on my posture and breathing helped me avoid using momentum and engage the muscles of my upper back more effectively.

Challenges I experienced: Shrugging the shoulders or leaning the torso backward to complete the pull.

Insights for my teaching: Cue the client to keep the ribs connected, engage the core, and initiate the movement from the upper back while keeping the neck long.

Reflection: Today I learned that Chest Expansion is more effective when I focus on posture and controlled movement rather than pulling the straps as far as possible. I became more aware of using my upper back muscles while keeping my shoulders relaxed and my core engaged throughout the exercise.

Date of practice: 2026-07-04

Duration: 60

Location: Louth

Exercises I practised: Rowing back

What I noticed in my body: While performing Rowing Back, I noticed how much coordination was needed between my breath, spine, and arms. Slowing the movement helped me maintain better control of the straps and made it easier to articulate my spine through each phase of the exercise.

Challenges I experienced: Losing control of the straps or collapsing through the shoulders during the reach

Insights for my teaching: Cue the client to keep the movement slow and controlled, maintain core engagement, and reach from the upper back rather than dropping the chest.

Reflection: Today I learned that Rowing Back is a full-body exercise that combines strength, mobility, and coordination. I realised that using my breath to guide the movement improved my control and helped me maintain good posture throughout the exercise.