Sarah – The Balanced Space

A conversation about women’s wellbeing, connection, and working together

Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing a series of conversations with people who hold different pieces of the puzzle — practitioners, community builders, cancer survivors, and women working quietly but powerfully in support roles.

This series isn’t about comparison or single solutions. It’s about cross-linking, signposting, and showing what meaningful collaboration can really look like.

Can you share a little about your background and what drew you to working with women across different life stages?

I came into wellness initially through yoga, not because I planned to teach, but because I wanted to understand it more deeply for myself. There weren’t many classes around at the time, and I was drawn back to yoga for gentle movement — but hugely for my mental health.

I first started yoga back in 1999 when I was pregnant, but I didn’t train to teach until 2014. In the early years I taught mixed classes. A shift came when a couple of my students became pregnant, which led me to train in pregnancy and postnatal yoga. In many ways, that was where it all started for me.

Through that work, I began to really notice where support for women was missing — and it made me want to help fill those gaps. That was the point where women’s wellbeing became central to my work.

What women are really coming for

What do you notice women are most hungry for when they come to your sessions — physically or emotionally?

It’s always a mix of physical and mental needs.

When I first trained, I was teaching faster-paced yoga classes in a gym setting, where women were often looking primarily for physical movement. My own practice was also much more movement-focused at that time.

Through pregnancy and postnatal yoga, a more nurturing and gentle side naturally emerged — both in my teaching and in how I started to think about what women really need. I initially studied pelvic health for postnatal mums, but that led me into working more and more with perimenopausal women, which opened up a whole new layer of questions about what was missing.

There’s also been a noticeable shift over recent years — partly due to more media focus, and partly since Covid — where women are much more aware of how much mental and physical support they need, both on and off the mat.

How these classes feel different

How do your sessions differ from a more general yoga class?

I do still teach general classes alongside my specialist ones, but I’ve made a conscious choice for all of my classes to be female-based. Women need spaces where they can openly talk about certain subjects they might not feel comfortable discussing in front of men.

My classes have evolved a lot over the years — and so has my own practice as I’ve got older. Movement is slower and more meditative now, and my yin yoga classes are hugely popular. Women have really embraced the need to slow down.

I also run classes that focus on core and pelvic floor health, weaving this into regular practice and helping to normalise it as part of weekly movement, rather than something separate or hidden away.

The lived experience of the sessions

Can you walk us through what someone might experience in one of your sessions?

My classes are kept intentionally small — usually a maximum of eight women, and fewer for pre- and postnatal sessions. That makes them far more personal and helps everyone feel comfortable rather than overwhelmed.

How do you adapt your teaching for pre- and postnatal women compared to those in perimenopause or menopause?
And how do you balance movement, rest, education and reassurance, especially for women who feel disconnected from their bodies?

In many ways, perimenopausal women need the same level of gentle nurturing as new or expectant mums. Both groups are navigating hormonal disruption, and both benefit from feeling held and supported.

Alongside classes, I offer specialist courses and workshops that include additional education — often through an email series spread over several weeks. This might include videos, blog posts, or even a podcast for new mums. I’ve spent a lot of time creating supportive, free resources and collaborating with other specialists so women feel supported beyond the class itself.

But honestly, the classes themselves are often where the biggest support lies. Being in a room with other women going through similar life stages helps women realise they’re not alone — and that sense of connection is hugely important.

Collaboration and the wider support network

Different pieces of the puzzle

You don’t work in isolation — why does having a wider professional network matter to you?

Collaboration with other specialists is really important to me. I don’t know everything, and being able to connect women with other practitioners who can support them where I can’t is essential.

When we collaborate and network, we can offer women fuller, more rounded care. We also learn so much from each other — sometimes the support isn’t just for the women we work with, but for us as practitioners too.

How do you know when someone might need support beyond movement alone?

For some women, simply coming to class and experiencing movement and connection is enough. But health forms often mention stress or other health issues, which opens the door to gentle conversations.

Sometimes it’s about building trust slowly, rather than making immediate suggestions. Smaller classes make those conversations feel more natural and less intrusive.

What does a “good referral” look like for you?

A good referral is about finding the right specialist for that individual woman — and knowing she’s genuinely supported in whatever way she needs.

A gentle bridge into breast health, scars and lymph

In my own work, I often meet women who were never told what was “normal” after surgery or treatment — or who to turn to. I meet women who feel they just have to carry on at different stages of life without support.

Do questions around breast health, surgery, scarring or changes in sensation come up in your work?

Surgery and scarring often come up in postnatal classes and are included in the educational emails, with links to blog posts and other specialists.

Breast care isn’t always discussed openly in group settings, but it’s something I’ve written about in a blog and shared within my virtual menopause programme and menopause Facebook support group.

How do you create a space where women feel able to mention these things, even if they’re not sure what they mean?

Women often reach out privately. Surgery might be mentioned in a class, which then opens up further conversation and referrals.

We will have an interview with Dawn from Early Breast Aware later in our series

Mental health tends to be easier for women to talk about openly than physical health topics like breast or pelvic health — unless a workshop is specifically focused on those areas. When I put information out through emails or blogs, women often come forward quietly rather than publicly.

Women’s health hasn’t been talked about openly for so long that many women don’t realise it’s okay to ask these questions.

What role do you think movement, touch and familiarity play in helping women notice changes earlier?
And why do community-based conversations matter so much?

Connecting with our bodies through yoga and embodiment helps build awareness. Somatics and embodiment are areas I’ve been studying more deeply over the past year, and I’m increasingly bringing this into my classes.

Community-based groups — whether in person or online — make it easier to talk openly. Knowing you’re not alone in whatever phase of life you’re in can make a huge difference.

The shared vision

If women had access to joined-up support earlier, what do you think could change?

Women who are supported by a shared community of specialists working together are likely to have a much stronger support system and healing process. It can be hard to know where to start, and guidance from a practitioner you already trust can make all the difference — especially when you don’t even know certain support exists.

What would an ideal supportive pathway for women look like?

It would be continuous and relationship-led rather than reactive and fragmented — valuing connection and continuity.

What excites you about practitioners working together rather than separately?

I strongly believe in collaboration over competition. Working together supports the women we care for, but it also supports us as practitioners. It’s not just about referrals — it’s about shared knowledge, advice, and quality care.

And it’s about the connection between us as a community of caregivers who genuinely care about what we do.