Think. Feel. Move.
An analytical, educational approach to better movement.
Personalised classes, with an experienced teacher, tailored to your unique needs.
Using focused, controlled movement patterns, we work with you to help you develop a deeper connection to your body. Drawing from a wide variety of techniques, we craft an approach that is moulded to your body, your history, and your unique needs. We’d like to help you move well, breathe well and feel great.
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In the first few sessions, we’ll explore how the spine moves. We’ll talk though some basic anatomy, and practise some movement patterns on the mat, which will help you feel how your particular spine moves. We’ll explore your breathing pattern and talk through the anatomy of the breath. We’ll try to demystify and reframe concepts such as ‘the core’ and ‘good posture’. We’ll explore different ways of breathing, standing, supporting and positioning yourself and see what works for you.
This is a very exploratory process. Don’t expect it to feel like an intense workout. What we’re trying to do at this stage, is to develop body awareness, increase control where needed, allow for release where needed, and generally encourage movement that feels balanced.
Once we have established some basic structure, we can start adding load – using bands, balls and dumbbells. If you’re doing in-person private sessions with us, we can also add load by working on our various pieces of equipment.
In sum, we aim to develop conscious control of movement, whilst also working towards increased strength and mobility. Think of these sessions as a supplement to your other workouts. They are a chance to really slow down and feel what’s happening in the body.
We’ve developed a style of teaching in which the exercises are selected to help you achieve body awareness and control. Our approach is educational, anatomical and contemporary. Primarily, we want to guide you, and collaborate with you, to help you feel more connected to your body and to your movements. Think of these sessions as a supplement to your other, more intense, workouts. They are a chance to really slow down and feel what’s happening in your body. With this in mind, finding the right teacher – one with whom you have rapport – is essential to the process.
Coaching movement is a very hands-on process. Precise feedback and skillful communication form important elements of effective teaching. In order for you to achieve your goals, you need to feel completely safe in the hands of your teacher. This is true for online sessions, too.
Every teacher, and every studio, has particular priorities and unique core values. We think that the working relationship between client and teacher is key to achieving lasting results.
We also believe that movement can be used as a tool for developing awareness, and creating change in the body. Developing awareness requires focus, curiosity and patience. Creating change requires collaboration, creativity, empathy, and a solution-oriented mindset. As you develop a clearer connection to your body, you will also begin to develop a greater appreciation of the body’s amazing capabilities.
Our clients really enjoy learning movement theory. Understanding a little anatomy can really help you make sense of, and improve, how you’re moving. Our aim is for you to take the skills you learn with us and apply them to other areas of your life.
Chat to us about what your goals are, or book a session, and we can decide together whether what we offer matches what you’re looking for.
Moving well means moving with ease, fluidity, strength and awareness. It’s a feeling of being at home in your body, of accessing both freedom and control. Moving well means being attuned to where your body is at – knowing when, where, and how to push yourself, and when to back off; when, where and how to move with power, and when to find release.
We use the Zoom platform for our online classes. When you book, we’ll send you the link to your Zoom class, as well as instructions on how to set up your mat and camera optimally. Catherine has been teaching online classes for years – since well before lockdown occurred. It’s a format which works well. Chat to us if you’re new to online classes.
We maintain a close relationship with reputable, local physiotherapists, and frequently collaborate with them to develop safe strengthening and mobilisation techniques.
If you’re looking to begin exercise post-surgery, or post-rehab, we’re more than happy to chat to your health professional in order to develop the right approach for you.
Maybe your squats feel ‘off’. Perhaps something in your barre class or HITT class doesn’t feel quite like it should. Maybe you get a tweaky back after your bike ride and you think there’s something going on in your technique that needs adjusting. Whatever it is, we can all use another set of eyes when it comes to making a particular movement pattern feel more comfortable.
Catherine is particularly gifted at noticing some of the patterns in your movement that might be causing unnecessary discomfort. Small shifts can go a long way to making a movement feel better.
If you have a movement pattern that needs some troubleshooting, book a private session, and let’s figure out how to make it better.
Join us for private, in-person sessions at our home studio in the beautiful, leafy southern suburbs of Cape Town. You’ll learn mat exercises and get a chance to work on our equipment.
Please wear your mask.
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All the basic techniques you need to learn can be taught without the use of any equipment. Simple exercises become challenging as your technique and precision improves.
We hope that by building a strong technical foundation on the mat, you will then be able to apply that technique to many other areas – for example, how you lift weights at the gym, or how you handle your mountain bike, surfboard or baby carrier.
We want you to become body aware and self-reliant, and mat work is a great place to start.
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Equipment sessions are available for use during in-person, rather than online, sessions. They may initially look intimidating, but these spring-based systems are versatile and fun to exercise on. They provide resistance and support and a strong, unique workout.
Equipment classes are reserved for private clients and small groups who already have competent mat technique. Since we believe that mat work is essential, our equipment classes will always be a mixture of mat work and equipment, and we do not put beginners directly on the equipment.
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Have you recently qualified as a movement coach and need to gain experience? Are you already an established movement coach or health professional and want to learn additional movement techniques?
Whilst every teacher needs to find their own way of doing things, it can be useful to have a mentor with whom you can test out your ideas and techniques, and from whom you can get constructive feedback.
Teaching movement well requires you to have in-depth knowledge not only about the particular movement modality you’ve studied, but also knowledge regarding HOW to teach. That is, you need to learn how to teach the same concepts differently to very different people. You need to know how to read people and how to accurately interpret what they’re experiencing in their bodies. It requires incredibly keen observation skills and the ability to perceive how different people respond to movements in infinitely variable ways. Teaching group classes and teaching private clients are different scenarios which require different skills. Teaching well also means developing effective non-verbal communication.
As movement coaches, our work is very hands-on and tactile feedback is an important way to convey instructions. We need to be able to make our clients feel safe, supported and contained – not only through our words, but also though our touch.
These skills take time, experience and confidence to develop. Give yourself the gift of learning under the guidance of a mentor.
Choose your session below and click book. You’ll be taken through to our booking platform, where you can select your preferred date and time slot. Next, you’ll be directed to the checkout page, where you can complete your payment safely online.
Catherine is fascinated by human movement. Constantly learning, she has explored everything from professional dance to martial arts to power lifting. Catherine has a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of anatomy and movement mechanics. As a philosophy postgraduate, she understands the importance of conveying concepts clearly and accurately – a crucial component of effective teaching. Catherine is passionate about teaching. She constantly looks for creative strategies to improve the experience of her clients.
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Catherine began dancing at age six and hasn’t stopped exploring the world of movement since. She studied musical theatre and performed in the musical ‘Cats’ for several years. She’s taught ballet and modern dance, and trained as a pilates teacher with Pilates Academy SA, and Body Control Pilates SA. She’s explored highland dance, ballet, modern dance, tap dance, singing, acting, yoga, tai chi, kung fu, belly dance, pole fitness, salsa, and power lifting.
Catherine is also academically inclined and completed an honour’s degree in philosophy at the University of Cape Town. The critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as the tutoring skills she acquired at university, fuelled her love of learning and teaching.
Science in Motion was founded as a way of achieving Catherine’s vision of combining these diverse passions.
