18 okt ‘I even liked ironing more than going to the gym’
Saskia (47) has been a familiar face at mac for eight years now. No doubt the instructor for Bodybalance, Yin Yoga and Pilates had never expected that a decade ago. By accident she once rolled into the yoga world and never left.
“Back in the day I was a member of a gym,” Saskia recalls. “But sometimes I didn’t go there for months. I always made up excuses, so I didn’t have to go: I had to eat, to clean, even to iron! I think it speaks for itself that I liked ironing more than going to the gym. Then at one point Pilates was introduced in Maastricht. I remember seeing it on television, so I thought: ‘Let’s give it a try’. And indeed: it was so much fun to do! After a busy day at the office, I came to the classes. At the end of the great work-out I felt refreshed and energized again.”
Many incentives
One thing led to another. She loved the basic Pilates training so much, that she signed up for a course to become a Pilates instructor. That was the moment Pilates became more than a hobby. Saskia decided to work less at her office and started teaching Pilates instead. At the moment she teaches about ten hours a week. Since she became an instructor, the interest in Body & Mind classes kept increasing. “People are more and more looking for inner peace”, she explains. “Every day we are exposed to so many incentives: work, the family, social media and so on. That is why people are in such a need to release stress. The classes in the Body & Mind studio will help you with that. So often our members tell me they feel much more relaxed after class. An additional effect is that you can extend everything you learned to your daily life. For example, you’ll react calmer in stressful situations.”
Satisfaction
The effect of the Body & Mind lessons varies per person. One becomes mentally stronger and somebody else benefits more from the physical aspects. “Body & Mind classes are for everybody! You will find satisfaction in a personal way. Teaching gives me both physical and mental energy, the moment our members leave class happier or stronger than before they walked in.”