What if movement could feel good again?
Not like a chore. Not like punishment. Not something you grit your teeth through and reward yourself for surviving.
What if it could feel fluid, joyful, genuinely alive — the kind of thing you actually look forward to, that leaves you feeling better in your body than when you started?
That’s what Essentrics feels like. And for most people who try it, it’s unlike anything they’ve done before.
What Is Essentrics?
Essentrics is a full-body movement programme that combines strengthening and stretching in one continuous, flowing workout — done to music, without equipment, and entirely without pain.
Developed by Miranda Esmonde-White, it draws from three traditions: the muscle-lengthening principles of ballet, the flowing energy of Tai Chi, and the rebalancing work of physiotherapy. The result is something that feels completely unlike conventional exercise — graceful rather than grinding, energising rather than exhausting.
Unlike yoga, you don’t go upside down or hold poses. Unlike weight training, you don’t work against resistance. Unlike HIIT, you don’t push through pain. Instead, you move continuously through lengthened positions, using your own body weight to build strength while simultaneously freeing tight muscles and unlocking stiff joints.
Suitable for all ages and fitness levels — from teenagers to people in their 80s. Particularly powerful for women in midlife who want to move well, feel strong, and age on their own terms.
Why It Works Differently
Most exercise approaches are built on a simple premise: work harder, push more, feel the burn.
Essentrics is built on a completely different premise: that your body responds better to intelligent movement than to force. That strength and flexibility aren’t opposites — they work together. That the goal isn’t to punish your body into a particular shape, but to help it move the way it was designed to move — freely, fully, without pain.
Which means after a class, you don’t feel depleted. You feel released.
“The old adage of pain and gain is completely out of the window. Movements are never jarring or painful and classes are geared towards fostering physical and mental wellbeing. I have exercised most of my life but as a senior I find arthritis is a problem. With Essentrics, the joints have gradually become less painful and more flexible.”
The Mind-Body Connection
Here’s something that sets Essentrics apart from most movement practices — and why it sits at the heart of my work as a coach as well as an instructor:
Essentrics develops what psychologists call interoception — the ability to sense what’s happening inside your body. To notice breath, tension, energy, emotion. To feel from the inside rather than just performing from the outside.
For many women, especially those who have spent years overriding their body’s signals — pushing through exhaustion, ignoring hunger, numbing difficult feelings — this capacity has become very quiet. Essentrics gently rebuilds it.
Because the movements require real coordination and focus, you have to be present. You can’t be anywhere else mentally. That quality of attention — brought to your body, with care rather than criticism — is itself a practice. A way of learning to inhabit yourself more kindly.
This is why Essentrics is such a natural companion to coaching. Both are, at their core, about the same thing: learning to listen to yourself. To respond to your own needs rather than override them. To treat your body as somewhere you live rather than something you manage.
What You Can Expect
Physically:
Improved flexibility and mobility across the whole body. Stronger, leaner muscles without bulk. Better posture and balance. Relief from chronic aches and joint pain — particularly in the hips, spine, shoulders and feet. Improved circulation. The kind of suppleness that makes everyday movement — getting up from the floor, bending, lifting — feel easier and lighter.
Mentally and emotionally:
A calmer nervous system. The flowing, continuous movements combined with steady breathing help shift the body out of stress and into a more regulated state. Many people finish class feeling noticeably quieter and clearer than when they arrived. The large, expansive movements lift mood and energy — without the agitation that can follow high-intensity workouts.
And for many women, something more unexpected: a gradual rebuilding of trust in their bodies. A kinder internal voice. A growing sense of feeling at home in themselves.
“For the first time ever, I have stuck to hourly weekly exercise sessions for over 7 months and I’m noticing a difference to my mind and body. My body is stronger with greatly improved posture and I am definitely motivated to continue looking after myself. Jo relates exactly to what I need and I always feel I have done well and made progress.”
“Nearly four years on I feel more relaxed, more supple, have better balance and folk think I have grown a wee bit taller! I even sleep better after a class. I would recommend Essentrics to anyone looking to age well.”
A Note About Essentrics in the UK
Essentrics is well established in North America — where it began — but is still relatively new to the UK. Which means if you haven’t heard of it before, that’s entirely normal.
What I’ve found is that the people who discover it tend to be curious by nature. Open to trying something different. Not wedded to the idea that exercise has to be hard to be effective. Often, they’ve tried many things and are looking for something that finally feels sustainable — and kind.
If that sounds like you, I think you’d love it.
The best way to understand what Essentrics feels like is simply to try a class. One session is usually enough to know whether it’s for you.
“If I had to describe Essentrics in three words I would say it is strengthening, healing and rigorous. I would say if the first class feels hard then keep going — there is a real build over time.”
Classes with Joanne
I currently teach in person in the Glasgow area:
Monday evenings — 7:30–8:30pm
Thursday mornings — 7:00–8:00am
Classes are small, friendly and welcoming to complete beginners. No experience of Essentrics — or any particular fitness level — is required. Just curiosity and a willingness to try something new.
Moving to Brighton/Hove later this year.
I’ll be setting up in-person classes in Brighton from [date TBC]. If you’re in the area and want to be notified when classes launch, get in touch and I’ll add you to the list.
Interested in Online Classes?
I’m exploring the possibility of adding online Essentrics sessions and would love to know if there’s interest. If online classes would work for you — whether you’re not local to Glasgow or Brighton, or simply prefer the flexibility of joining from home — get in touch and let me know your preferred days and times.
If there’s enough appetite, I’ll make it happen.
“I have had Essentrics classes with Jo for a year now throughout lockdown online and cannot recommend them highly enough. Jo is a wonderful teacher — gentle but coaxing in her manner and always enthusiastic. I think she is part of the Essentrics package for me!”
Essentrics and Coaching — Better Together
If you’re working with me as a coaching client, or considering it, Essentrics classes offer something that sits alongside the coaching work in a uniquely powerful way.
Coaching works with the mind — with beliefs, patterns, habits, how you think about yourself and your needs. Essentrics works with the body — building awareness, presence, and a kinder relationship with how you move and feel from the inside.
Together, the change isn’t just something you understand. It’s something you begin to live — in how you eat, how you move, and how you relate to yourself day to day.
Ready to try a class?
Get in touch to find out about current availability, or to be added to the Brighton/Hove launch list. Or if you just want to ask a question, use the contact form.
Client Reviews & Stories
“Essentrics with Jo has been incredibly helpful and uplifting. For the first time ever, I have stuck to hourly weekly exercise sessions for over 7 months and I’m noticing a difference to my mind and body. My body is stronger with greatly improved posture and I am definitely motivated to continue looking after myself. Jo’s approach is very professional and she takes time to explain the techniques and rationale which makes things interesting, but most importantly to me, she relates exactly to what I need and I always feel I have done well and made progress which is testament to her warm, supportive & knowledgeable approach.
— Kate“I have had Essentrics classes with Jo for a year now throughout lockdown online and cannot recommend them highly enough! They have provided a calm but challenging exercise regime with moves from ballet, tai chi and physiotherapy. I have found it a great complement to running, allowing me some time to relax and really stretch my joints and muscles without noticing I am doing it! The music is also great. Jo is a wonderful teacher - gentle but coaxing in her manner and always enthusiastic - I think she is part of the Essentrics package for me!.”
— Meena“When I found Jo’s class my posture was poor, I was tense all the time and other classes had left me feeling dizzy or with strained tendons. Nearly four years on I feel more relaxed, more supple, have better balance and folk think I have grown a wee bit taller! I even sleep better after a class. I would recommend Essentrics to anyone looking to age well, regardless of whether you are fully fit to start with. Jo is excellent at tailoring exercises to take account of limitations due to recovery from illness, surgery, or ongoing health issues so everyone feels able to take part and benefit from the techniques. Go on - give it a try!”
— Karen“The classes with Joanne are excellent! I have strengthened my muscles and improved flexibility. Key to the programme’s success is that the old adage of pain and gain are completely out of the window. Movements are never jarring or painful and classes are geared towards fostering physical and mental well-being. I have exercised most of my life but as a senior I find arthritis is a problem. With Essentrics, the joints have gradually become less painful and more flexible. By continuing with the classes, I hope to maintain a good quality of life and movement for independent living. Normally we focus on our upper bodies and core strength while ignoring our feet! In Essentrics you start to understand the importance of optimising strength and flexibility starting from your toes, ankles and into the leg muscles. Having had foot surgery, gaining that strength and flexibility has been invaluable. My balance has improved and I feel more confident.”
- Alice
“I feel as if Essentrics is a form of exercise I have been seeking for some time now. It incorporates elements that feel familiar from activities like Pilates and Tai Chi which I have done and really liked in the past.
My husband started Essentrics and was very enthusiastic and that got me interested. When I joined the classes, I was hoping to improve my flexibility, reduce general aches and pains and feel more comfortable with everyday activities that involve bending or lifting. I’ve been attending the classes for a few months now. As well as the immediate feeling of mental wellbeing after a class, I do notice generally that I am moving more quickly - getting up off the floor is easier now and so is bending down to pat the dog!
The classes feel very friendly and inclusive. Everyone is welcome regardless of ability (I am not very coordinated) and Joanne has a gentle and encouraging approach. The music and movements tend to be graceful and peaceful but at the same time can be really challenging, which I love. My other main form of exercise is karate, and I think Essentrics is a good complementary activity, as it stretches and strengthens joints and muscles in ways which my practice of karate doesn’t.
I would really recommend Essentrics to other people who are looking to build strength and flexibility for everyday life, and I would say if the first class feels hard then keep going - there is a real build over time.
If I had to describe Essentrics in three words I would say it is strengthening, healing and rigorous. Highly recommended! ”
— Eileen