Meet our newest addition to our Breathe family – Gemhl Cai! Fun, vivacious and always ready with a smile, Gemhl completed her instructor training with us, and joined our Breathe family in mid-2017. Sit down with us this August as we find out what she likes about Pilates, and what freaks her out!

   Hi Gemhl! You’re our newest addition to our family! Tell us a little bit more about your journey into Pilates and how did you get into teaching!
I started Pilates as I was suffering from a chronic right shoulder ache. After trying out several other remedies like acupuncture and swimming, I finally turned to Pilates as a last resort. Initially, I was put off by the costs of the classes but after every session I always feel so much more light on my feet and lengthened. After a year of regular weekly sessions, my passion for Pilates grew so much that I took the plunge to take up the STOTT PILATES Instructor Mat Course (Intermediate). The course was challenging for a non-athlete like myself as compared to the rest of my course mates who were ballet teachers or were already from the fitness industry.

But I manage to complete the course and today feel that it’s my background as a non-athlete that helps me to engage with my clients. As most of my clients are working in the corporate field, I understand how difficult it is for them to carve out time to embark on a new fitness regime and to stay dedicated to it.

How has Pilates changed your life/lifestyle and what do you like most about pilates?
Pilates is not just an exercise. It relates to how you understand your body and the teeny tiny muscles that need to fire up before you execute a simple move. I love how it’s an exercise heavily based on movement principles that you can use in everyday life. How you stand, walk or even run. Pilates has helped me improve my personal yoga practice. Most of all, I love the Pilates community for being so helpful and inclusive!

Why did you chose Frog to be the Exercise Of The Month for August?
Did I mention that I am only 5 foot tall? The shortest instructor at Breathe. I like that doing frog makes me feel that my legs have grown an inch or two 😉

You’re also a health food enthusiast! What’s your top guilty pleasure?
I have a super sweet tooth and love eating a good slice of cake. But I only stick to those traditional cakes from local bakeries. The flavours from most cakes sold at cafes weird me out.

Share with us your favourite go-to healthy recipe!
Matcha Oats with sliced bananas, manuka honey and raw peanut butter!

How do you unwind at the end of a hard day?
Lots of green tea, dinner and watching TV

Dream holiday destination?
I had only one place that I wanted to visit badly as a child and that was Auschwitz. I was quite a history buff then and was intrigued by the stories that came out of those painful war times. For now, I would be happy to visit anywhere with mild weather, surrounded with lots of nature and do lots of hiking. I think this quote holds very true for me:

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been re-arranged by the hand of man ― Anonymous

What’s next on your bucket list?
To adopt a dog!

What’s one inspirational phrase that keeps you going?
You will be the most tempted to quit when you are the closet to your calling – Steven Furtick