Welcome to Flow Studio

Pilates, now featuring in your living room

Welcome to Flow Studio. An online only Pilates studio run by registered Osteopath Luke Askew and now featuring classes with Eve Ponsonby. 

As an Osteopath I am often asked what the best exercises and stretches are for maintaining a strong and flexible back and healthy joints. Using my knowledge and experience both as an osteopath and a Pilates teacher, I have designed a simple 20-minute routine that includes Pilates based exercises and stretches that are designed to help with many commonly seen non-specific back, shoulder and hip problems.

If the idea of hour-long classes doesn’t fit so well with you, you may well like the idea of frequent 20-minute classes as an alternative. Many of our members have been attending class regularly since we began using Zoom online in April 2020 and the model of “little but often” has proven to be both highly effective as well as flexible.

We offer a timetable of nine weekly classes. At the end of each 20 minute class there is an extra 10 minutes of Classical Mat exercises for those who are fluent with the basic routine and ready to progress further.

What’s different about our classes?

Our model of classes is “little and often”. Our classes are short, but we encourage daily practice or as many times a week as you can. It’s much better for our bodies to have a regular routine of frequent exercises and Zoom has given is the opportunity to do this as it cuts out the time of getting to a studio as you can do it at home under the watchful eye of your teacher! 

When teaching exercise live online your teacher can either demonstrate or observe students and correct. If doing both, this will take significantly more time as it’s practically impossible for most teachers to demonstrate and be able to see you online simultaneously in order to deliver corrections. This is where our classes differ to most as we require all our clients to have a basic knowledge of the class content prior to joining the group classes enabling us to teach with minimal demonstration focussing our attention on the screen to give our clients as many personal corrections as possible whilst maximising class content into a 20 minute session.

Getting started – what you need to know

Firstly, as a new client who hasn’t trained with us before you will need to book a private 1:1 session on our “Pathway to group classes” membership which costs £100 and includes three 40 minute 1:1 sessions. 

During these private sessions you will learn all of the basic exercises through both demonstration and explanation. These sessions give you the opportunity and time to get to know the exercises at a pace that suits you but they also give your teacher/s the chance to focus on you solely, making sure your technique is safe and teaching you any personal modifications that may be appropriate. This is also your time to ask any questions or voice any concerns that you may have in a private environment.

It’s difficult for clients to maintain postural alignment throughout the exercises if they are looking at the screen all the time and this contradicts the purpose of a Pilates class. This is another reason why we require clients to have a working knowledge of the exercises prior to joining group classes. Demonstration is important for beginners and although we sometimes demonstrate during group classes we prefer to keep the time of us demonstrating for your private sessions as the objective of the 20 minute session is to get you moving, not us!

Consequently, our group classes are not suitable for people looking for the occasional drop-in class.

Most people and especially beginners will require at least 3 private sessions to gain familiarity with the sequences but if you and your teacher decide you are ready to join the group classes after just 1 or 2 then the remainder of your balance will be used towards to your group class membership. 

Starting from just £12 a week why not see what 20 minutes of Pilates exercises a day can do for you?

Check out the updated class timetable below

Luke Askew and Saskia Ward on the Wunda chair, courtesy of Kinetic Pilates

How to Join

It’s really simple to start Pilates online with Flow Studio

Luke teaching Pilates
  • If you’re new to Flow Studio, email me to arrange your required private session(s) to enable your Pathway to Group Classes.
  • Once your Pathway to Group Classes are complete, you can then choose the schedule options which best fit your life.
  • No contract, no exit fee, no worries, no commitment – unless that’s what you’re after!
  • We use Zoom – an online meeting app to enable the classes.

Membership & Enrolment

8am classes Monday to Friday

For just £12 per week, your membership will entitle you to access to all five 8am classes Monday to Friday.

If you are not a Flow Studio existing member, even if you’ve done Pilates before, we need to you take our Pathway to Group Classes first. This will be three one to one private sessions, to teach you the choreography and any personal modifications you might need.

If you are pregnant or have diagnosed Osteoporosis unfortunately our group classes are not suitable for you.

Pathway to Group Sessions
One off payment
£100
For total beginners
For people who no prior Pilates experience and want to join the Group Classes
Includes three 1:1 private sessions to cover all required choreography for the Pilates group classes.
Email to Enrol
Group Class Membership
Per week
£12
For those who have completed the Pathway to Group Sessions
£12 a week gives you access to all group classes.
If you've never done Pilates before, you will need to first complete your pathways course of session(s).
Email to Enrol

Class Timetable & Class Descriptions

Group classes are just 20 / 30 minutes long

There are 5 morning classes per week, at 8am Monday to Friday only. I encourage you to try and attend as many classes as you can. The classes consist of modified contemporary Pilates exercises and have been designed to include exercises for back health, stretch, core work and respiratory mechanics. As an Osteopath, I treat many patients whose back pain is due to postural fatigue. These routines can help with this common problem.


Full Class Timetable

For July 2022

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About Zoom

All about Zoom – a quick video tutorial to introduce it

In order to actually join the classes, whether it’s the group class or the private, you’ll need to have installed and set up Zoom – yet another online meeting application I’m afraid! Don’t worry though, it’s relatively straightforward. Zoom runs on most current devices so it doesn’t matter if you have laptop, Mac, Android or iPhone, you’ll be able to join in class. The most important features are that your device has a microphone and a front-facing camera.

I look forward to welcoming you to class soon!

Download and install Zoom for your device.

Zoom runs on most camera and microphone enabled devices and you just need to set up the free account – there is no need to upgrade to any of the paid versions.

Download and Install Zoom


About The Teachers

Meet Luke Askew and Eve Ponsonby

Luke AskewEve Ponsonby

I have been running “Leytonstone Osteopathy” with Kirstie Cousins for nearly 10 years and teaching Pilates for 8 years. In my earlier years of osteopathic practice, I gained a wealth of experience working in private practice at a variety of clinics with other highly experienced practitioners. I also worked as an osteopath within the NHS at The Royal Free hospital in the Ian Charles Day Centre providing treatment for patients living with HIV and also at Colchester Osteopathic Clinic treating NHS referrals. I have also treated the homeless community as a volunteer at the Manna Clinic. 

Pilates

As a Pilates enthusiast I have travelled all over Europe to train with the best. For the past few years I have focussed my passion for Pilates on the Classical work under the expert guidance of Rebecca Convey at Kinetic Pilates, London. The classical work embodies the purity of the method as the legacy is passed on directly through each generation of teachers. Joseph Pilates trained Romana Kryzanowska extensively in his system of exercises and eventually she took over the running of his New York studio using the original Gratz studio equipment that Joseph Pilates designed himself. Kinetic Pilates is a Romana Pilates studio and a teacher training hub that continues the legacy of the original work through this direct lineage.

Pilates can be practiced on the Mat or on the studio equipment, ideally both. I practice and teach both. All of my studio spring loaded equipment is Gratz so my clients get the original classical ‘feel” of the work when training in my studio in Leytonstone.

Movement Has Featured Throughout My Career

Prior to my Classical training, I qualified as a contemporary Pilates teacher and before that I trained in clinically modified Pilates so my background in the method is broad. I also worked as both a ballet and West End dancer for many years. Most of my career was on the stage however, I also worked as a guest teacher at a variety of performing arts schools teaching ballet, tap and modern dance as I hold three teaching associate qualification with the I.S.T.D. This experience is invaluable when teaching Pilates.

Luke and Saskia doing the “Twist”

Eve qualified as a Level Three Matwork Pilates Instructor in 2015 with Body Control Pilates. She started practicing Pilates in 2008 whilst training at the Centre of Advanced Training at Laban in Contemporary Dance. She then went on to study Acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating in 2012. Eve works as Pilates instructor in London and is based in Leytonstone.

Eve Ponsonby

Flow Bodywork Ltd. 145 Colworth Road, London E11 1JE