From “I Can’t Sit Cross-Legged” to a Pain-Free Life
For many of us, movement is life. We love to be active, play sports, and feel strong in our bodies. But what happens when the very activities you love start to cause you pain?
It’s a frustrating and all-too-common cycle. You get injured, you rest, you see a physio, you feel a bit better, and you return to your routine… only for the pain to reappear, sometimes in a new and even more debilitating way. You know you’re “a bit crooked,” as one of our clients, Joanna, put it, but you can’t seem to find a way out of the loop.
This was exactly where Joanna was before she found us. Her story is a powerful testament to how moving with awareness can transform everything.
The Cycle of “Stronger and Tighter”
An active mom who had always loved sports and going to the gym, Joanna found herself constantly getting hurt. The final straw was knee pain so severe it was impacting her daily life.
“My knee was so sore by that point I couldn’t even sit cross-legged. It stopped me from working out and doing any kind of sports. It was pretty much preventing me from being able to walk as well.”
Like many, Joanna had tried other solutions. She went to a Pilates studio and was even getting stronger, but something was still missing. The underlying issue wasn’t being addressed.
“I was really just doing more of the stuff that was getting me hurt by going to this other studio where I was getting stronger and stronger and tighter and tighter and not actually doing anything to help release or work with the bits that had got really sore.”
This is a key distinction. True progress isn’t just about building strength on top of dysfunction. It’s about unwinding the patterns that cause the pain in the first place.
The Shift: Finding Awareness, Even Online
Joanna began working with our founder, Carolyn, during the lockdown. And while some might feel that an online class is less impactful, Joanna’s experience proves otherwise. It created a space for deep, personal exploration.
“When you’re online, you’re really having your own experience and that really does work… I can’t understate how useful that is in continuing to practise and to have the ideas available to me.”
Through guided, mindful movement, she began to understand the why behind her recurring injuries. It wasn’t about a “bad knee” or a “weak back”; it was about her whole system. It was about how she stood, how she sat, and how she moved through the world every single day.
The Result: Confidence and Freedom in Movement
Fast forward three years, and life looks very different for Joanna. She works out three times a week, plays sports, and lives without the constant fear of re-injury. The transformation is not just about the absence of pain, but the presence of knowledge and self-awareness.
“I don’t have a sore knee and when I do, I don’t panic because I kind of know why, where it’s coming from and what to do… That’s really, really good.”
Recently, she went horse riding—an activity she suspected contributed to her old knee issues. The soreness did flare up. But this time, she didn’t panic. She knew what to do. “I don’t have this on me anymore,” she says. “It was there for a day or so but now it’s gone.”
This is the true gift of the practice. It’s not about needing a therapist to “fix” you every few months. It’s about having the tools to understand and help yourself.
It’s a “Practise of Life”
The most profound changes happen not just in the class, but in the moments in between. This is the core philosophy of the Gravity Technique. The exercises are the starting point; the real magic is when this new awareness infuses your everyday life.
“It’s changed the way I sit down, it’s changed the way I walk, it’s changed the way I sit in the car… It’s the practise of, of life, not, not of the classes. I’ve learned so much in the classes but it’s when I’m walking around, when I’m trying to pick things up and do stuff, I’m really aware of how to use my body, in a new way.”
Joanna’s story is a beautiful reminder that you don’t have to live with chronic pain or the fear of getting hurt. By cultivating a deeper awareness of your body, you can break free from old patterns and find a new sense of confidence, freedom, and joy in movement.