Tall Trees Clinic & Studio

15/02/2026

This is so good to see. So much of the pelvic floor stuff (PF) out there is all about contracting up, which can lead to bracing and an over tight, over active PF in some people.

I use 'balloon breathing' where I invite people to imagine a balloon to explore all parts of their inner space, but then placing this imaginery balloon in the pelvic floor and ask them to breath into it (with awareness of their bones), so balloon accepts the breath works a treat! It's such an important part of functional PF rehab.

13/02/2026

Someone who attends my Pilates classes sent me this. It's a great clip. Pilates is a great way to condition your body, which helps to prevent and get you out of injury. Being super strong is great, but it's not everything. It can't do everything. There's so much more to moving well than just being strong, but of course it's important.

Lifting really heavy weights creates a lot of 'noise' in the body which helps us to know where we are (proprioception). But we also need to learn how to listen to the 'whispers' of the body. To be fully in tune with our body orientation without the need for extra noise to feel it is important for lots of reasons (that's another post). Some people use strength to 'feel' - this can create a pattern of constant bracing of muscles, leading to pain.

If we want to target the deeper postural muscles, for example, the rotator cuff, or the deeper abdominals, we need to use a lower load of resistance so that the bigger muscles don't just take over.

Lifting heavy weights targets a different energy system to that of lower resistance weights. The more variety we have of accessing all the parts of us, the more options we have for movement.

We need to be able to dial up and dial down muscular effort for the task in hand. I often see people with pain because there muscles are 'on' so strongly; too much effort, too much contraction for the teeny task I ask them to do. This can lead to joint compression, 'co-contraction' leading to pain.

Awareness and neuromuscular patterning (sequence, timing and level of effort) is key. Not just the all 'on' big-effort stuff we do at the gym to get strong.

I like this clip a lot.

08/02/2026

Every 3 years we are required to refresh our Emergency First Aid at Work skills. I completed this yesterday with the Scottish Osteopathic Society, a lovely bunch, full of banter. It was great to catch up with some familiar faces.

It was a full on day, lots of new things learned, practising skills I'll hopefully never need!

02/02/2026

Hello, its me! Linda. I was looking back at my week and thought I'd share some of it.

I offered people help in a variety of ways as a Movement and MSK practitioner. Here's a wee list:

I performed the Dix-Hallpike Maneuver to help a patient with BPPV (vertigo) - it was a success!

I helped someone with a neurological condition, whose movements mimic that of Parkinson's Disease. I used my knowledge from a course, plus Pilates to help smooth out their movements and aid walking.

I helped people find relief from neck pain, low back pain, tight and creeky knees, and a shoulder problem too.

I also guided a couple of people through some strength and mobility training.

Plenty of variety in my week! Today I'm coaching a client, working in my clinic and rounding the day off with a Pilates/Body Conditioning class at the Aizle.

My approach to helping people with their aches, pains and strains isn't just about mobility and strength. I assess global movement and unpick held beliefs around movement, aiming to bring awareness and change where needed.

20/01/2026

I love this mug, so when I chipped it I was a tad annoyed with myself. Some people might've thrown it away but I decided to keep it. The chip isn't in the way and it doesn't take away from the function of the mug which gives a little sunshine to my day. The size, shape, and quality makes tea taste even better. It's special because my sister bought me it years ago.

Metaphorically, it reminds me that in life, even though you might feel a little bit broken you can still shine and thrive.
We could choose to focus on the chip, the broken bits, or we can broaden our lens to see all the other fabulous parts; the bits that bring us joy. Its normally the simple things, isn't it? Like a really lovely cup of tea. Yum.

Life is still fantastic, even when its not perfect.

I can help you see through, to broaden your lens, to help you unfold and flourish with coaching - my newest offering coming very soon. I can tell you that coaching has helped me enormously, as being experienced in life-stuff I've done all sorts of important talking therapy work. Coaching isn't counselling, but many (like me) find it therapeutic.

Please contact me if you'd like to learn more.

NB: I'll be ICF accredited too, so its proper 😁

17/10/2025

Protecting ourselves against the world might look like having thick skin or some kind of imaginary shield.

What if that barrier prevents you from letting go of what you don't need, and what if it's stopping the good stuff in?

What if instead we're soft? Flexible? Adaptable? What could that look like instead?

When you imagine or embody that new thing, what changes? Do you notice anything different in your body?

11/10/2025

Some body-mind-brain connections explaining that 'gut feeling' we get, butterflies in our tummy, IBS and chronic pain.

The perception of our body is created in our brain and formed through our body-mind neural connections. Proprioception through awareness and movement is key to unlocking chronic pain.

09/10/2025

Hi All,

My clinic fees are increasing as of the 1st November:

All hour appointments - £70
45 minutes - £60

Have a little browse of my website to see how I can help you, and please do contact me if you have any questions about what I can offer you.

Osteopathy | Movement Re-Education | Pilates

06/09/2025

Helping people to help themselves is my bag. No pain presentation is too complex, so far anyway! I believe there's always something to offer you, to help you move more with ease.

So, why visit me?

🌳 To learn more about why you are in pain

🌳 To learn how you can reduce your pain through self treatment

🌳 To learn about your movement patterns

🌳 And learn how to change them too

🌳 To be deeply listened to

🌳 To have some time and space for you

🌳 To have the option to receive targeted hands-on therapy: to feel better, to feel different immediately*

What I won't do

🌻 I won't sign you up to weeks of appointments. You decide if you want to return if you feel I'm helping you

🌻 I won't offer a basic relaxing massage. My job is to offer targeted treatment where necessary (with your permission) to loosen a very tight, restricted area or use cranio-sacral therapy to change something else

🌻 I won't give you a sheet of exercises based on where you are sore

✨️ I offer you a positive, supportive, clinical setting. It can be a lot of fun, too!

You bring me your story, and I offer you my 20 years of experience with honesty and candour. Together, we explore options and find what works.

*the majority of my customers feel better when they leave the clinic. Depending on the nature of the issue, some can feel a bit tender, but I always warn around that and gain consent before proceeding. It's never my aim, nor do I think it's useful, to hurt anyone with treatment.

06/09/2025

Coaching Unpeeled is back! Following the overwhelming success of our first programme in June, we’re excited to announce the next set of dates.

Here is what June participant Rosie had to say about her experience

“What a privilege to have double the expertise (Jo squared)! Everything I have taken in over the past few days aligns with my values and it’s who I want to be. If you're a practitioner, who is supporting and guiding patients or clients to tackle the root cause of their issues, the skills and techniques learned in coaching unpeeled will supercharge your expertise. Like anything worth learning, they'll take some practice to master, but your patient will walk away satisfied that they've been heard, you understand And that whatever approach is decided upon, it will be done collaboratively.”

Rosie, Exercise Physiologist, Australia

For more information and to book, please visit:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mehab/1737501/r/jemsFB250903/

28/08/2025

Finding a more stacked position generally allows for more freedom of movement in all directions, and can help to 'unlock' tensions we hold. Sometimes, we need to check in to find out where we actually are first. To do that we need to explore where we can go in our movements; to find out our full range of motion that's available.

One way to do this is to learn about the breastbone to sacrum connection and how moving them up and down works through the whole kintenic chain, from the feet and through the spine.

Can you find your middle? Your centre? How does it feel to be there? Is it different to where you were before? If so, how?

This movement exploration is one way of many that really taps into the JEMS® concept of 'stacking'.If we are able to become aware of where we are, then explo...