Meet the Team behind Nellie
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Bec Thomas
Our founder, Bec, is a qualified Osteopath (M.Ost), Yoga teacher, Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates teacher. Bec has been practicing as an Osteopath for 10 years and qualified in Mat Pilates in 2021, initially to help with patient rehabilitation and then she started to teach group classes.
What you can expect from her classes:
Bec’s classes are a blend of classical Pilates, including lots of rehabilitative exercises, with a contemporary edge. Every class is thoughtfully designed with layers to accommodate an absolute beginner, those with injuries or coming back to exercise post surgery, all the way to the seasoned pros.
You will walk away from Bec’s classes feeling empowered, challenged (in all the right ways) and with better posture, of course.
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Riana McConnell
Riana is a qualified Sports Therapist (BSc), Nellie’s in-house Sports Massage Therapist (SMT) and Mat Pilates instructor.
What to expect from her classes:
After practising Pilates consistently for the past four years, it’s become a natural extension of her work as a Sports Therapist. It is another way to help people move better and feel stronger. Riana’s classes are fun, upbeat, and burn in the best way with good tunes!
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Leila O'Neill
Leila is a qualified Mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates and Barre instructor. She trained with APPI for mat, Balanced Body for Reformer and Barre Body in Australia for Barre.
What to expect from her classes:
Good and high energy is at the heart of Leila’s classes. She sequences her classes as a full body flow and loves to get the room moving in unison, using the power of a great 80s ballad to push you that little bit further.
Leila loves nothing more than seeing clients get stronger and fully immersed in the movement when they reach a flow state in class. Oh, and she’s a stickler for great form and lots of layers!
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Catherine Cochrane
Catherine has been teaching Pilates for around six months after completing her training with the Platinum Training Institute. She began practising Pilates 4-5 years ago and quickly fell in love with the movement, developing a real passion for the exercise and its impact on the body.
What to expect from her classes:
Her classes blend classical Pilates with contemporary twists and a touch of spice. She also weaves in low-impact intervals to keep things dynamic, leaving you feeling energised, accomplished, and like you’ve worked hard while still having fun.
You can expect a lively mix of music too: throwback favourites, modern bops (Harry Styles is very likely), and plenty of feel-good tracks you’ll want to sing along to.
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Emma Neill
Emma qualified as a Yoga teacher in Rishikesh, India in 2022 and recently, in 2025, completed her Barre Training with Paola’s BodyBarre.
What to expect from her classes:
As an ex-dancer and a full time Pilates and Yoga student, Emma’s Barre classes will be dynamic, rooted in Ballet but with the strength, conditioning, and mobility aspects of a Pilates and Yoga class. Expect high energy, great playlists, and to leave the class feeling amazing!
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Laura Gordon
Laura is a qualified mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates, Yin Reformer Pilates teacher and Sound Bath facilitator.
What to expect from her classes:
Laura’s classes are rooted in classical Pilates principles, with a strong focus on form, control and mindful movement. Teaching both Mat and Reformer Pilates, she delivers precise, purposeful classes that build strength, improve mobility and support better posture in everyday life.
Alongside her Pilates training, Laura has additional training in Yin Reformer Pilates, Meditation and restorative practices. This allows her classes to balance challenge with moments of stillness, supporting deeper body awareness, nervous system regulation and a more embodied mind–body connection.
With a background in corporate life, Laura understands the physical demands of modern lifestyles. Her sessions are designed to help you move better, feel better, and build lasting strength that supports your daily life. You’ll develop body awareness, improve posture, and leave each class feeling taller, stronger, more at ease, and more at home in your body.
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Lauren Bradley
Lauren is a 200 hour qualified Yoga teacher. She completed her training with Function & Flow’s YTT in 2023, following a personal practice that she began in 2016 while living in Edinburgh.
What to expect from her classes:
Lauren loves teaching dynamic Vinyasa classes that connect breath with movement to build strength, awareness, and inner fire.
She is passionate about the power of movement to cultivate confidence, release and shift emotions, and create meaningful change both on and off the mat.
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Bethany Stewart
Bethany has been working as a Registered Midwife since 2022 and a Pilates teacher since 2025. She has a deep passion for empowering women through all stages of pregnancy, birth and postpartum. She transfers her knowledge and experience as a Midwife into teaching Pilates, helping pregnant or postpartum women feel supported, strong and included.
Bethany’s love for Pilates began around 3 years ago when she booked a class just to try something new and instantly fell in love. She completed her Mat Pilates teacher training in 2025 with Barre Body Australia, with additional training in Pre and Post-Natal Pilates.
What to expect from her classes:
Her classes focus on controlled, mindful movements that build strength, suitable for pregnancy and postnatal students or those wanting a lower intensity workout.
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Liv Blakeley
Liv is a 200 hour qualified Yoga teacher. She began practicing yoga more consistently during the pandemic after returning home from living abroad. This was a transitional moment in her life when she was feeling particularly lost and disconnected within herself. Yoga, particularly Vinyasa soon became her safe space, providing her with an opportunity to quiet the noise and explore her body in a way she never had before - without expectation or judgment.
In 2024 she spent a month in Rishikesh, India to train to be a teacher. This beautiful, immersive experience provided her with an opportunity to study yoga right at its source, and has since inspired her own practice and teaching.
What to expect from her classes:
Liv is passionate about offering an inclusive and welcoming environment to discover and strengthen connection between mind, body and breath. She practices and teaches primarily Vinyasa Yoga and will be leading a slow flow in the studio on Sunday evenings. An opportunity for you to challenge the need to “push” and to instead move with intention and allow time to reset before your busy week.

