From Teachers

“Barbara Gibson has been a student of mine for a number of years; although she lives in Belfast and I live in London, she manages to attend workshops and courses on a regular basis. She has a good personal practice and over the years I have seen her body become more fluid and responsive, and her attention become more refined. This form of yoga is subtle and cannot be learnt quickly; I would say that Barbara now has a good understanding of it, that this is reflected in her practice, and I would be happy to recommend her as a teacher.”  Sophy Hoare, Yoga Teacher

Barbara was a regular student at my London Studios from 1988. In 1990 she started my one year teacher training course studying both the Pilates Matwork and Pilates Equipment Method. She was a friendly, punctual and conscientious student giving more than 20hrs per week to study and her practice. When she qualified in 1991 I hired her as a full time teacher working with myself and other members of staff at my three Pilates Studios in London.

Barbara has a deep understanding of the body and how the Pilates Method can help people of all abilities; she has a good knowledge of working with the Pilates Method through her own self practice and has a sharp eye for alignment; a soothing and calm voice for guiding students and she enjoys developing the Pilates Method to suit all in her classes. I would strongly recommend her as a teacher.”  Alan Herdman Pilates Teacher/Owner – The Alan Herdman Studios, London
www.alanherdman.co.uk

“I have known Barbara Gibson for over 12 years. She has consistently demonstrated a deep dedication to practice, and commitment to yoga as continuous enquiry. These two qualities serve as a necessary and secure foundation for her competence as a teacher which rests not only on her practice and understanding of yoga, but also her confident ability to communicate her understanding clearly and simply. I have no doubt that Barbara’s developed intelligence and natural compassion for others will ensure her students are as well served by her teaching as she by her passion and commitment. I am only too happy to recommend her, with my very best wishes, as a teacher and mentor, shaped by her long dedication to being a student and practitioner.”  Godfrey Devereux, Author

• Dynamic Yoga
• Hatha Yoga Breath by Breath
• Elements of Yoga
• 15 Min Yoga

www.dynamicyoga.com
www.yogadarshana.com

“Barbara works very well …. she is serious about her teaching and is dedicated to her practice, exploring and going deeper.”  Diane Long
www.dianelongyoga.com

“Barbara came to my studio in the Philadelphia area to teach Pilates to several of my clients. She stepped in seamlessly and used her sharp eye and knowledge to teach very effective lessons. She has a wonderful style which is both soothing and calm yet results in a great workout. She is excellent with those who suffer from pain and injuries and makes great strides with achieving the desired goals. I highly recommend her.”  Beth Downey, Owner, Body Precision Pilates Studio
voted Best of Philly Pilates Instructor
voted Best of the Main Line Pilates Studio
www.bodyprecision.com

From Students

My private session is a mixture of self- indulgence and necessity. Pushing 70 years I need to work at improving my physical strength and flexibility …. very carefully. The best way to do this is in a private session which is focused on developing my physical capabilities under Barbara’s watchful eye. The exercises provide a good balance between maintenance and challenge and I can be confident that my movements will be monitored, corrected as necessary and always safe. It is also good for morale for at least one hour per week to be the sole focus of someone’s care and attention.”  Mary Potter, Private Student, March 2018

“When I retired 3 years ago I was fit but ‘inflexible’. I started yoga sessions with Barbara to improve my flexibility and to learn techniques which would sustain me into greater old age.

One year in and I managed to dislocate two ribs through coughing. There followed a year with bouts of severe back pain and spasms during which damage to the vertebrae at 3 sites on my spine with reduced thoracic capacity was identified and severe osteoporosis was diagnosed.

My physical decline coincided with Barbara’s growing interest and training in Somatics and she incorporated some of the exercises and techniques into my weekly sessions. This focus on being aware of the body and re-gaining control of muscles through safe and gentle somatic movement is ideally suited to my condition. This approach has helped restore my flexibility and definitely improved my posture and thoracic capacity. It has provided me with a suite of exercises to use when I experience discomfort and has contributed to my overall sense of wellbeing.” Mary Potter, Private Somatics student, 20 November 2017

“Top quality tuition from Barbara, I’m amazed how beneficial it has been – like most men I thought this was an exercise class for old ladies – boy was I wrong! I got involved in 1-2-1 lessons on the advice of my physio because of back trouble (too many birthdays) and I asked Barbara to introduce elements that would help with my sport (dynamic shooting).

“My back is no problem any more and my sporting aspirations have moved forward in leaps and bounds as well, I represented my country in the European Championships in September, after thinking I would have to quit in March from back ache.

Would I recommend yoga to other men? If you’re thick skinned enough to go to the ‘ladies fitness’ section in a sports shop to buy your mat then you’ll never look back with a great teacher like Barbara.”  Stephen

“I come to Barbara’s yoga and pilates classes straight after work and find them a most effective way to switch off from the working day. The classes are also a great way of scheduling an hour in the day for myself and this leaves me both calm but somehow with more energy for the evening ahead.”  Eileen

“Thank you for the splendid workshop you organised with Sophy Hoare in Belfast at the beginning of February! It was both inspiring and hugely informative to work with Sophy and gave true insight into your own teaching. It really does feel like taking one step after another towards the goal of understanding, which is exhilarating.

“Gaining body awareness and building core strength are astonishing feelings and you and Sophy certainly make students eager for more. The venues were excellent and one of the wonderful things about these workshops is that people at all stages of practice can come together, with everyone making progress and taking something more away with them to work on for the next time. I must also say that, although I know there is no quick fix, my back is already immensely grateful for the improvement made so far.”  Barbara

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the Yoga classes and definitely feel the benefits of attending the weekly sessions. Barbara is an excellent teacher who discreetly and unobtrusively gives individual help as required and allows us to work at our own level.

“She skilfully makes the classes challenging but non-threatening. She is a conscientious instructor and takes pains to ensure that each member of the class is able to do each exercise safely and correctly. After each session I feel energised and my muscles are toned and more flexible. My posture has significantly improved as a result of Barbara’s advice and guidance.”  Freda

“Miss Gibson has been my yoga teacher for some years. She is an excellent teacher and popular with everyone. Each pupil receives individual attention at every class.

“She is intelligent, honest, hard working, conscientious, reliable, kind and caring. Miss Gibson has also a delightful sense of humour. I have no hesitation in recommending her as a yoga teacher for which she is eminently suitable.”  Lyla

“I have a serious hip problem for which I will soon have surgery. The wait has been long, but I know that without the class and Barbara’s advice and experience, I would have seized up long ago. The class has been invaluable in teaching me how to retain as much movement as I could for as long as possible.” Heather

“The hour alloted for the session was the fastest hour of the week. Even if I arrived feeling really harassed or worried about something, I learned to concentrate on the class and made real gains psychologically as well as physically.”

“My posture and flexibility improved and I learned how to settle myself mentally by settling myself physically.”  Catherine