Our journey to mindful movement
Welcome to Studio Flow by Faye, where compassion, resilience, and holistic wellbeing guide every stretch and strengthen. Founded by Faye Hand, our studio emerged from a deeply personal journey through health challenges, revealing the transformative power of reformer Pilates. We invite you to discover a space where movement heals, strengthens, and connects.
Faye's journey: from challenge to calling
Studio Flow by Faye was created from a place of lived experience, resilience, and a deep belief in the power of mindful movement. Founder Faye Hand’s personal journey with mental health challenges and chronic illness, particularly conditions affecting her joints and bones, led her to seek a form of movement that was both gentle and empowering. Through a holistic approach to wellbeing, she discovered reformer Pilates, experiencing firsthand how it could build strength, restore confidence, and support both physical and mental health. This experience sparked a desire to create a space where others could experience the same sense of support and empowerment.
Our unique flow: rooted in tradition
At Studio Flow by Faye, we go back to the system put in place from Joseph Pilates. Our studio is built on compassion and holistic wellbeing. All instructors are fully trained and passionate about providing thoughtful, tailored guidance in a welcoming environment. The studio is more than a place to exercise; it’s a wellbeing hub and community designed to support everyone, whether navigating health journeys or seeking balance, strength, and connection.
Find your strength, mind, body, and soul
We want every person to leave a class at Studio Flow by Faye feeling truly energised, with their mind and body working together in harmony. Faye's mission is to make mindful movement accessible, inclusive, and grounded in compassion, believing that healing is not linear, strength looks different for everyone, and wellbeing is best supported together. Come find comfort, strength, and community at your own pace.
Why does Pilates still matter?
The Story Behind Pilates
Pilates wasn’t created in a luxury studio or fitness trend cycle it was born from resilience, curiosity, and a deep belief in the body’s ability to heal.
Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. As a child, he was often unwell, suffering from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. Instead of accepting weakness as his fate, Joseph became fascinated by the human body and obsessed with strengthening it. He studied everything he could anatomy, gymnastics, yoga, martial arts, boxing, and even animal movement all to understand how the body could move better, breathe deeper, and feel stronger.
During World War I, Joseph was interned in England. It was here that his ideas truly took shape. While working as a nurse, he helped injured and bedridden soldiers recover by guiding them through controlled movements and breathwork. He famously adapted hospital beds using springs so patients could exercise while lying down — the early inspiration for what we now know as the Reformer.
Joseph called his method “Contrology” the art of controlling the body through the mind. He believed that true strength came from within: from the deep core muscles, proper posture, efficient movement, and conscious breathing. His goal wasn’t just fitness, but a balanced body that could move with ease, power, and purpose.
In the 1920s, Joseph moved to New York and opened a studio with his wife Clara. Dancers were among the first to embrace Pilates, using it to recover from injury and improve performance. From there, the method quietly spread passed down teacher to teacher long before it became the global movement practice we know today.
Today, Pilates remains rooted in Joseph’s original principles:
- strength without bulk
- flexibility without strain
- movement that supports life not just workouts
At its heart, Pilates is about learning to move better, feel stronger, and reconnect with your body exactly as Joseph intended.
Studio Flow by Faye was created from a place that deeply mirrors the origins of Pilates itself. Just as Joseph Pilates developed his method through his own health challenges and a desire to heal and strengthen the body, this studio was born through my personal journey with health issues and recovery. Movement became more than exercise it became a way to reconnect, rebuild strength, and regain trust in my body. Studio Flow by Faye is rooted in that same belief: that mindful movement, breath, and flow have the power to support healing, resilience, and long-term wellbeing. This isn’t about pushing through pain or chasing perfection it’s about moving with intention, listening to your body, and creating strength that supports you in everyday life.