About Stuart
I believe that exercise should nourish the body – mind. Rather than punishing ourselves to burn off bad food habits or chasing that elusive six pack. Instead, changing our tune to treat our bodies with respect, as my experience has taught me that If you know pain, you will have no gain.
I’ve found exercise and movement to be the vital source of a fountain of youth, offering strength, flexibility and connection to the body-mind. Allowing us to move with skill and grace right into old age. I believe to experience life to the full some type of exercise and movement practice is a must!
My own journey into the world of fitness started as a young lad who simply wanted to get strong. This catalyst had me follow my Dad’s footsteps by competing as a power and weightlifter, with the good fortune of having Tony Kasper as a coach. It also put me on the path of study for my BA (hons) in Sports Science.
I had some success in weightlifting competitions which was threatened to be short-lived when I had a car accident which left me with a broken neck. The doctor said I would never lift heavy weights again but my stubbornness to continue drove me forward and just 5 months later I went on to win a gold medal at the British bench press championships. My continued training not only rapidly improved my recovery but has meant I’ve had no further repercussions from the injury. This period served as an invaluable lesson that opened up a lifelong path for me and the concept behind Nourishing Moves that movement is medicine.
My growing passion for movement led to the need to explore it at a deeper level and I went on to open the door into the world of Chinese martial arts. I started with Praying Mantus Kung Fu, Sanda and Wing Chun before progressing to the more internal art form of Tai Chi Chuan.
Tai Chi has been a life changer for me, helping me to understand how the body-mind work together to create flow, strength and power. Tai Chi has also given me real grounding, helping me maintain balance and clarity throughout all the emotional challenges life inevitably throws at us. I would say this art form has become an essential part of who I am.
As my enthusiasm for Tai Chi developed I started to challenge my skill in competition and in 2012 I won a gold medal at the Team Shaolin European Championships. This led to me being accepted as a disciple by one of the Chinese greats of Chen Style Tai Chi, Grandmaster Kongjie Gou. I officially became his disciple in spring 2017 and the whole process has been both such an honour and a deeply humbling experience of how much there is still to learn. It has been nothing short of a dream come true.
I have spent the last 17 years of my working life as a personal trainer at the world-famous Chewton Glen Hotel. My time at Chewton Glen has allowed me to continue to study, including Precision Nutrition Coaching, Pilates, StrongFirst SFG, Animal Flow, Reiki healing and the many things in-between which my passion and thirst for knowledge have led me to. Chewton Glen has also given me the flexibility to travel for extended periods including a couple of visits to India to study yoga and meditation in Mysore, deepening further my internal exploration and understanding.
This brings me to today, now with over 20 years’ experience working in the health & fitness industry and a committed daily movement practice, I continue to share my love of movement, crafting my niche and helping my clients to nourish the body-mind through my own unique blend of Tai Chi, Pilates and the Art of Strength.