MY STORY

A Short Introduction

Hi, I’m Rachel - a mum of three, a Pilates instructor, and a former family lawyer.
I’m also someone whose life changed quietly, and then completely, through chronic pain.

This page isn’t the full story. That lives in the

Blog and Podcast.

This is the context.

Woman sitting outdoors with a young child, both laughing and looking at a smartphone. In the background, there is a woman in a red dress and a large white umbrella.

The Turning Point

For most of my adult life, I was busy, muddling through and coping.
I built a career in Law, became a mother, and navigated a life that was demanding, but mostly lovely - doing my best to juggle the different versions of myself along the way.

Then my health began to unravel in ways that didn’t fit neatly into a diagnosis, a timeline, or a treatment plan.

Chronic pain. First Fibromyalgia. Then Pelvic Congestion Syndrome and Endometriosis. Surgery. Early menopause.
None of them arrived alone - and none of them came with simple answers.

Why Pilates (and why that matters)

Pilates didn’t fix me, and I’m careful with that word.

What it gave me was agency: a way back into my body that felt intelligent, adaptable, and respectful of pain, rather than dismissive of it.

Training as a Pilates Instructor wasn’t a career pivot driven by ambition.
It was survival - that gradually became purpose.

Pilates wasn’t the only thing that helped.

Over time, I began paying attention to everything that affected how safe or overloaded my body felt; from stress and sleep, to routines, environment, and even what I wore on the harder days.

What started as “coping” gradually became a broader understanding of Mind-Body Wellbeing: how small, supportive choices can help calm an overworked nervous system - especially when pain has been present for a long time.

Changing the Narrative - Blog & Podcast

The Changing the Narrative Blog and Podcast are spaces for deeper exploration across my pillars: from living with chronic pain, understanding the mind-body connection, intelligent movement in midlife and the environment and habits that shape how safe and supported we feel in our bodies.

Some conversations will be explored as a series over months and will be shorter or standalone - informed by science and research, but grounded in lived-experience, progress and curiosity.

Cozy corner with a hanging papasan chair with pillows, a small wooden side table with a plant and candle, a gray ottoman with a soft blanket and magazine, and a tall potted olive tree in a vase, with framed art and quotes on white shiplap walls.

What this Space is About

This website, alongside my Instagram, is where those threads come together:

Chronic Pain Awareness
Pilates & Movement
Mind & Body Wellbeing
Calming Interiors
Feel-Good Fashion

Not as separate strands, but as parts of the same nervous system story.

A Note Before You Explore

I’m not a “before and after” with a perfect plan.
I’m a work in progress - showing up with honesty, humour, and quiet determination, and sharing what I’ve learned along the way.

If any part of this resonates, I hope what you find here helps.

The deeper dives live in the Blog and Podcast.
The day-to-day reality unfolds on Instagram.


This page simply explains why.

Thanks for being here.

Rachel x