WELLNESS
STAND & DELIVER
Bit of a stretch
Hollywood child actress Rachel Hurd-Wood swapped the red carpet for a yoga mat in her new life as a Pilates teacher and mum of two
Years ago, a film director inflicted a personal trainer on me for the purpose of being good at acting, mentally prepared, thin enough for a role. During these early morning workouts, the ever-chipper trainer chastised my scowl; smile, it’ll trick your brain into thinking you’re enjoying this! He maintained that I’d be invigorated and that joy would seep into my life even outside the gym. As you can imagine, the whole thing got right on my pecs. But, years later, I find a similarity between that advice and that which I give to my Pilates clients regarding posture. I begin every class with a visualisation of a golden thread that starts at the base of the skull and lifts up to the ceiling. It adds instant inches to their stance.