A HAMPSHIRE woman has discovered she is able to help people with severe illnesses by helping them with their posture and flexibility.

Jane Watson opened Yavington Studio, at Avington, in September to help people develop a better awareness of their movement and breathing which can help reduce stress.

The 50-year-old said she was surprised to find some clients claimed the method – developed by Ukranian born Moshé Feldenkrais – had also helped them during their rehabilitation from leukaemia, strokes and even bereavement.

The method is already well known for helping cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis but Mrs Watson admitted she hadn’t expected to be helping people along the road to recovery from cancer.

Mrs Watson, a married mother of three, said the treatment is about “how releasing physically can help release emotionally and how, by being aware physically, one can release stress.”

“It calms the mind and it calms the body,” she said. “We don’t know enough about how the brain recovers and repairs and we’re just trying to understand it.

“I’m very interested in the research between mind and body and wanted to look at that more by seeing more people and looking at the effects of the work.

“I sometimes have people who say ‘the doctor wants to break my foot but I don’t want them to, can you help with the pain?’ It’s about the plasticity of the pain.”

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Mrs Watson, who worked in acting and directing before qualifying in 1999, has clients from as far as Poole, Newbury and even London flocking to her classes, which she runs three times a week in addition to her one-to-one clients.

To kick off her new term of classes, which start on April 20, she’s hosting a Voice and Song event with voice coach Amanda Smallbone on April 18.

She’s also hosting a Yoga Day with instructor Fazila Benoit on April 25 which will be a mixture of meditation and Feldenkrais.

“Creativity and awareness can help people with the quality of their life,” Mrs Watson said. “It’s really important people have the tools to take this into their everyday lives, like at Sainsbury’s for example. These classes will help people to express themselves.”

For more information email janewatson@yavingtonstudio.co.uk.