Rachel Hawes (owner)

Rachel is a Yoga + Movement Teacher and Massage Therapist.

She is a member of the British Wheel of Yoga, The Federation of Holistic Therapists and the Register of Exercise Professionals.

Rachel went to her first yoga class as a child alongside her mother and has been teaching since 2005. She teaches group and one-to-one sessions and is passionate about helping people to move efficiently, gracefully and without pain as well as pre- and post-natal care

Rachel spent many years battling CFS and Fibromyalgia as well as an upper back scoliosis and has personal experience of using Yoga and Pilates as therapeutic tools for managing and recuperating from chronic illness and injury. If she can do this anyone can!

Rachel believes in complete holistic body care and have always found massage a powerful and relaxing healing approach and so trained as a massage therapist to compliment her yoga teaching. She offers therapeutic and deep tissue massage as well as pregnancy and postnatal massage, Indian head massage and hot stone therapy.

Rachel’s teaching schedule can be found here.

Her hours of business and booking information for massage therapy and one-to-one work can be found here.

My Mission

I took my time when coming up with a name for this business and this website; one that wasn’t already taken, one that was future-proof (ie not CambridgeMovement or similar – I made that mistake in London!) and one that really emphasised the focus of my work.  When I came up with Fusion Massage + Movement I knew it was the right name because it resonated with me in all the right ways.

Both words “Yoga” and “Pilates” come with their own baggage.  This is mostly to do with who we think we need to be and what we think our bodies need to be able to do before we can join a class.

That’s all rubbish of course.  With the exception of getting the all clear from our doctors for pre-existing medical conditions before starting a new practice, we don’t need to be anything other than our beautiful selves to start a movement routine.

But those words “Yoga” and “Pilates”, they instill fear in so many people who have begun to lose touch with their bodies or who haven’t moved for years.

Which is why I chose the word movement for my business, because to move is just to stretch an arm up high, to wriggle your toes, to feel the expansion of your ribcage on a deep breath in.  Start to bring that movement together with the breath, with awareness, conscious movement, beautiful, spontaneous, efficient movement and you’re there!  And then you can start to bring that movement off your mat, out of your class and into the world, helping to create less pain, fuller breathing, increased energy and joy.

And none of the baggage of labels.

Who wouldn’t want that?!

We don’t have to push and strive and grunt and groan and take on too much and give up.  There is enough of that in life as it is.  All we need is an open mind,  a willingness to arrive on the mat and a desire to reconnect with breath, body and big smiles!

And that’s movement.  And I don’t care what you call it: Pilates, Yoga, Thai Chi, Roller Derby….. it’s all movement!

Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness
–Joseph Pilates

Rachel (November 2011)