Mala McAlpin Another jaw-dropping wellness hub has just opened up in Sydney’s luxe district of Woollahra, and not only are the facilities stunning, but its success has continued to skyrocket since its inception in May this year, including a jam-packed schedule of up to 12 classes in a day.
BodyLove aims to provide visitors with more than just the standard Pilates studio offerings, boasting several unique features. One is the studio’s online workout memberships, allowing expectant mums and others who may find it difficult to physically get to the studio, to work out in the comfort of their own home.
Another is BodyLove’s ‘The Clinic’. A group studio class reimagined, The Clinic provides attendees with the opportunity to engage on 1:1 basis with Bodylove Pilates founder Ali Handley, along with a roster of other wellness-related experts and practitioners, in order to offer individualised support to ensure visitors get the most out of their session. Practitioners could include Nutritionists, Acupuncturists or Physiotherapists – just to name a few. We chatted to Ali about her unique concept:
Tell us the Bodylove story
I spent most of my 20s working in Fashion and PR and it wasn’t until I moved to New York that I turned my passion for Pilates into a career. After completing my certification I was lucky enough to work at and train under a wonderful mentor and master trainer called Erika Bloom who ignited my passion and helped me specialise in Pre and Postnatal Pilates. My business in New York was predominantly Private Pilates which meant I got to work in detail and across lots of different populations and conditions, building my foundation and knowledge. During this time I also had two babies and built an online subscription based studio called Bodylove Online – which features 300+ workouts that I filmed during my pregnancy, labour preparation and authentic postpartum recovery. I have always loved the energy and community spirit of group classes and so my dream had always been to open a group class studio that could bridge the gap between the two – elevating the experience and offering so much more than just a place to work out. When we moved home to Sydney after 9 years away my goal was immediately to find the location that spoke to me and open my dream studio. I was 6 months pregnant when we found the Woollahra space but I couldn’t pass on it – it was perfect.
What inspired your gorgeous aesthetic, and how do you want visitors to feel upon entering?
I envisioned a space that was drenched in light, felt fresh, feminine and really embodied wellness. I loved the floor to ceiling look of New York style lofts and so when I saw the arches of Queens Court I knew this was the right space. I was super lucky to work with an incredibly talented bunch of women to bring my vision to life – namely Deb Quigly and Margot Lane of Lane&Grove who did such a great job.
Tell us about the unique concept behind The Clinic? What did you want to achieve?
The Clinic was my way of bridging the gap between group classes and private sessions and a unique way to offer our Bodylove clients a more holistic experience of wellness.
How many practitioners does the class host and in what fields?
It really depends on the topic and the expert who is hosting the session. For example I recently hosted a Prenatal Core clinic which involved 15 prenatal clients for 1.5 hours – but we have a Balance and Flexibility clinic coming up at the end of the month that will be more intimate groups over a shorter period. Other examples of The Clinic coming up in September is; we have an intro talk about Vedic Meditation for 20 people, a 15 person workshop learning about the Gut from a Nutritionist, a Sound Bath, 3 hours of community acupuncture with The Acupuncture Collective, A sleep specialist – so many exciting ones planned!
Does this combination of experts change week to week?
Yes every week is different.
How do you source your wellness practitioners?
Through word of mouth and experience I am building an amazing network. It feels very authentic – I talk to one person and that naturally leads me to another. It’s kinda cool and I’m loving the exposure to and connections I’m making with lots of different practitioners and together we are creating meaningful links for our clients.
What kind of feedback have you received?
It’s been awesome – I think people these days are aware and have experience with chiropractors, nutritionists, acupuncturists – but at Bodylove we are exploring the powerful partnership that exists between all these disciplines and that is resonating with our clients.
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