Today we’d like to introduce you to Deeppa Ravindran

Hi Deeppa , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

I had a bad back injury about 6 years ago, which I later discovered was a slipped disc. The pain was excruciating; it felt like my nerves were on fire in my lower back.

Even after being treated by conventional medical centers, hospitals, and doctors, my pain was not getting better. I used to lead an active lifestyle dancing ballet and training at the gym, but had to stop based on medical advice.
Many times, I was advised to rest and not exercise or carry heavy weights; which leads to muscle atrophy or muscle degeneration. It made me feel weaker and I always had to go back for treatment to relieve the pain. Somehow I could not break the pain cycle. My pain got so bad that I had to wear a back brace just to get through my day.

But when I discovered Pilates, I found that my core was improving, I felt stronger and had more energy. With regular Pilates practice, I no longer needed to wear a back brace. I decided to become a Pilates teacher so that others don’t have to experience the pain I felt or have the experience of what I went through.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

No; it has not been a smooth journey. As a Pilates instructor who is running her own business, I had to sharpen my skills in entrepreneurship and how to manage my business. It involves juggling classes, finances, and marketing, while staying current in my field. It requires good time management, a strong personal brand, and balancing business with personal life.

Another challenge is that people may have the idea that cardio-based exercises like walking are good enough. While walking is a great exercise for cardio health, it’s strength training like the Pilates method that helps develop the core muscles that help manage back pain. Developing muscles has other benefits including increased strength, stamina and improved metabolism.

There is confusion in the industry that Pilates is like a HITT workout or one has to be flexible and swing on the Cadillac. Many times Pilates is done with a lot of control and with breath work. A simple exercise program can achieve results when the right muscles are targeted and activated.

Also, being one of the few South Asian women in the industry; my body is different and I had to adapt many exercises to suit my needs, which led me to create my own Pilates program to help manage back pain specifically and to motivate women like me with similar body types.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

That is a great question, I have had first-hand experience with dealing with back pain and can empathize with my clients who are going through the same thing.

Many of my clients seek me for various issues such as lower back pain, and neck pain or have an overall goal to get fit and healthy again.

When I was wearing a back brace to support my core, I found my life very limiting in terms of what I can do and achieve. Pilates has been a great way to build my natural corset till I am no longer dependent on wearing one. Now, I can slowly go back to dancing.

With that, I aim to educate and motivate my clients to move pain-free in their bodies once more from years of experience being in the hospital and going for physiotherapy treatments.

Many of my clients have seen improvements in their posture and are able to be more active in their daily lives. They feel stronger, are in less pain and feel less fatigued.

My clients come from all walks of life including office workers who sit and travel for long hours, doctors who have long shift hours, homemakers and students.
I want my clients to move with confidence and strength, so they can be more productive in their workplace, have improved sleep, have a better quality of life, and spend time doing activities with their loved ones.

I have been teaching for about 3 years now and have clocked in 1000 teaching hours (including private classes and group classes) , in which I have developed a specific program to help those who have back pain based on my Pilates training and dance background.
Over these few years, I studied movement biomechanics, active isolated stretching, barre, nutrition and several other healing methodologies that help clients manage their back pain.

I am currently teaching Pilates in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. I have recently launched Pilates packages that help my clients kick-start their fitness goals. During the sessions, I will review my clients posture and design a bespoke one-to-one comprehensive program that suits their needs and goals.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?

Yes, people are welcome to come in for a private one-to-one trial session with me priced at RM 159 or USD 34. I also do online consults and clients. Please feel free to like and follow me on Instagram or Facebook, links are below.

Pricing:

• RM 159 trial (private class)
• RM 50 trial (mat group class)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deeppar.pilates/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deepparavindran/

Image Credits
Images by Daniel Theivendran.