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“I asked Gillian if she would help me create more movement in my life. I’d been following her for years and trusted that she was inclusive, but was still rather nervous to meet with her. Every previous experience I’d had with a personal trainer was negative and I feared it was just not possible to have a trainer who didn’t seem to hate my body. When we had our initial consult, I knew I was in good hands. She’s caring and genuine and actually listens.

 

Still, I wasn’t exactly excited to begin “working out” – we arranged to meet once every three weeks, mainly so I would have at least some kind of anchor to keep my desire for more movement present in my life. I was nervous also about meeting on Skype – would she really be able to tell if I was using the right form? To top it off, I have a bad webcam that can only capture half of my body at any given point, so I was worried about having to continuously jump up and readjust the camera.

 

All of this was pointless fretting – Gillian is gifted at being able to help you find the proper form by listening to your own body. It’s amazing. Our first day, she taught me how to do squats correctly, and I didn’t have to mess with the webcam at all. She taught me how they are supposed to feel and I now forever know if I’m on form or not. Not one single trainer or yogi in my history managed to do that, even though they were standing right there with me. (And it’s so cool that now I randomly show friends and family how to do them, because no one believes me when I say it doesn’t hurt your knees at all!)

 

A few months passed; it was midwinter, and I was dreading a session where I knew I’d be on a thin mat on my cold wooden floor. I’m physically able to do it, but just hated it. I felt so high maintenance when I asked Gillian if there was any way we could work the same muscles without having to get on the floor. I was expecting her to politely explain that it wasn’t really possible. Instead, she lit up and immediately transformed all of the exercises to standing versions of them. There is nothing that feels more luxurious than to have someone tailor make a routine so that it is perfect for you. That day, she started healing my relationship with working out. I’ve never dreaded a session again, because Gillian will always find a way to tweak things so they fit me perfectly. (And as a bonus, she seems to find it an incredibly fun puzzle and gets excited when a new issue comes up.)

 

Gillian knew the exact right time to challenge me. She could tell I was ready for more, and suggested several options to move more often. We now meet once a week. I find myself randomly practicing balancing exercises while riding the elevator at work. A few weeks ago,I decided to buy a small set of weights, because I want to to see how I can progress up past the cans of tomatoes I’ve been using. (Gillian is also a bit of a MacGyver with equipment, by the way. She will make it work with whatever you have on hand.) I didn’t really think it was possible for me to get excited about hand weights, but here we are, and it is thanks to Gillian.

 

If you are looking for someone to “whip you into shape” you will want to hire someone else. If you are looking for someone to help improve your strength, mobility, balance and flexibility in a gentle sustainable way, you are in the right place. If you want someone to help you heal your relationship with exercise and your body without ever having to say a word about it, hire Gillian.  ” – Liz Conners

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“I work behind a computer all day and due to some minor injuries had a really hard time motivating myself to get moving again. Every time I wanted to start working out again, I would push way too hard and aggravate my injury, and I could never motivate to do lighter exercise since it seemed too boring. Gillian really helped me expand my repertoire of exercises and motivated me to take reasonable, gradual steps so I didn’t push myself too hard. Having someone map out an exercise plan and hold me accountable to it was the only way I was going to get my body moving again, and now I’m in a regular habit of exercise every day. Thank you Gillian!” ~Audrey

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Gillian’s compassionate presence made space for the unexpected emotions that arose when I had a hard time adjusting to my body’s limitations. Gillian guided me to trust my body but also showed me how to guide my body into more trust. It was a profound experience I carried with me after, enabling me to take on greater fitness levels.

One of the greatest gifts of Gillian’s work for me is her ability to make things simple and teach creative thinking.

She helped me see opportunities for more movement and wellness within natural, routine parts of my day. Her hacks made for game-changing perspective shifts and new habits and introduced me to a relaxed, enjoyable relationship with fitness that strengthened and energized my body (and mind) gently — the beginning of a shift from the go!more! relationship with fitness I’d known.

I look forward to continuing with Gillian’s program and being gently, powerfully active in ways that honor my body’s needs and emotions. Thank you, Gillian, for helping me crack the code on how to enjoy and do fitness no matter where I’m at.“– Alana

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“Gillian prepared exercises designed around my desires for strength training and physical condition with lots of one on one ‘trying out’ of different exercises until we had the routines perfected. If I had a question which she could not immediately answer, the next time I was there, she had the issue very well researched.  I am very pleased with the progress I’ve made!  And it was great fun working with her, not a dreaded ‘have to’.”  ~ Paula Peek