The Bessie Refalo Method
On movement, resilience and the art of living well
People often ask how my method came to be. The truth is, it wasn’t created all at once. It was shaped slowly, through lived experience, training, loss, care and a deep desire to understand what truly helps people live well in their bodies.
Long before I thought about method or modality, I was simply trying to cope.
At the time, I was a single mother with two young children. My father was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and not long after, my mother was diagnosed with a rare kidney tumour. Both were serious, life-altering diagnoses. My mother survived her surgery, but her health continued to decline over the years that followed, eventually developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. She passed away two years ago.
Those years changed me.
They stripped life back to what mattered, and they taught me that resilience is not about pushing through. It is about learning how to stay present, how to soften when everything feels overwhelming, and how to care for yourself without guilt.
Why I studied yoga
I first studied yoga not because I planned to teach, but because I needed a refuge.
My training weekends became a sanctuary. One weekend a month where I could step away from responsibility and immerse myself in something steady and grounding. It was there that I began to understand yoga beyond movement.
Yoga has eight limbs, and only one of them is physical. Breath, focus, ethics, self-study, presence and non-attachment are just as fundamental. Yet in the West, yoga is often reduced to shapes on a mat.
What I noticed early on was that many people were put off by the language. Sanskrit terms, spiritual concepts and philosophical frameworks felt inaccessible or overwhelming. So I began translating them. Using plain English. Making the wisdom practical and relevant to modern life.
That became a cornerstone of my work.
Integrating the body
Over time, movement became just as important as philosophy. I was drawn to Pilates for its clarity, structure and respect for the body. During lockdown, I trained with BASI Pilates and found a system that complemented yoga beautifully.
Pilates brought precision and strength. Yoga brought breath and awareness. Together, they formed something far more useful than either alone.
Later, I deepened my understanding further through clinical movement training. This allowed me to support clients post-diagnosis and post-operation, and to work confidently with people navigating pain, arthritis, joint replacements and the physical changes that come with ageing and menopause.
I also studied Ayurveda and nutrition as part of my yoga training. While I am not a registered nutritionist, I do believe deeply in a holistic approach to wellbeing. How we eat, how we rest, how we move and how we live are inseparable.
You cannot treat the body in isolation.
A method shaped by life
The Bessie Refalo Method is not about extremes. It is not about optimisation, performance or fixing yourself.
It is about learning to inhabit your body with more ease, intelligence and compassion.
It is shaped by everything I have lived through, everything I have studied, and everything I continue to learn. It adapts as life changes. It honours the nervous system. It respects the seasons of a woman’s life. It values strength and softness equally.
Above all, it recognises that movement is not separate from living.
The essence of the work
At its heart, my method is about:
Moving in a way that supports longevity, not depletion
Building strength without force
Cultivating awareness without judgement
Using breath to regulate the nervous system
Making ancient wisdom accessible and relevant
Supporting women through change, not resisting it
This is work that meets you where you are.
Some days that means building strength and confidence. Other days it means slowing down and listening more closely. Both are equally valuable.
A living practice
The Bessie Refalo Method is not fixed. It continues to evolve as I do.
It is expressed through one-to-one work, group movement, retreats and teacher mentoring. Each offers a different doorway into the same principles.
I won’t be the right teacher for everyone, and that is absolutely fine. But if this way of working resonates, if you are looking for something grounded, thoughtful and sustainable, then you may find a home here.
This work has been a life raft for me. It has carried me through grief, change, menopause and reinvention. My hope is that, in some small or significant way, it can support others to live with more steadiness and ease in their own bodies too.
