At some point, most of us take stock. It might be after a health scare, or a birthday with a round number attached to it, or simply a quiet moment when you realise your body is not moving the way it used to. The back is stiffer. The posture has drifted. The core that used to hold everything together has gone a little soft. None of it is dramatic. But all of it is telling you something.
When that moment arrives, the question is what to do about it. The answer, for a growing number of people across South West London, is to book an assessment at Pilates by Thushara — a boutique Pilates studio just off the Northcote Road in SW11, and one of the most quietly impressive small studios in the area. You can find them at https://pilatesbythushara.com/, and it is worth taking ten minutes to read through the site before you do anything else.
What Makes This Studio Different
Pilates by Thushara is not a drop-in fitness class. It is not a large studio running back-to-back group sessions. It is a private studio, operating exclusively one-to-one and in duets, where every session is built around the specific needs of the person in the room.
That starts with a personal assessment. Before Thushara designs a single session, she looks at how you stand and how you move. She identifies where your posture is compensating, where strength has been lost, and where the body is holding unnecessary tension. From that foundation, she builds a bespoke programme — one that draws on both classical mat work and the full range of original Pilates machines — and refines it as you progress.
This is not a cosmetic difference from group classes. It is a fundamental one. When the work is designed specifically for your body, it is more effective, safer, and considerably more interesting than repeating a generic sequence week after week. Clients at Pilates by Thushara regularly report improvements that surprised them — better core strength, noticeably improved posture, greater flexibility, and a general sense of physical confidence that builds steadily over months of consistent work.
The Instructor: Seventeen Years of Practice, Two Years of Training
Thushara Gibson brought something unusual to Pilates teaching: she arrived at it after twenty years in publishing, having practised Pilates herself for well over a decade before deciding to train formally. That personal practice — seventeen years of it now — gives her an understanding of the method that goes beyond what any training course alone can provide.
When she did train, she did it properly. She qualified through Body Arts and Science International — BASI — completing a two-year programme that covered mat and machine Pilates in comprehensive depth. BASI is regarded internationally as one of the most rigorous Pilates teacher training organisations available. The qualification is not a weekend certificate. It is a serious, sustained piece of study.
The combination of long personal practice and thorough formal training shows in how Thushara works. She has taught clients dealing with sciatica, scoliosis, hip and knee replacements, rheumatoid arthritis, brachial plexus injuries, diastasis recti, pregnancy and post-natal recovery, and much more. She has also worked with people preparing for physical challenges — long bike rides, golf tournaments — and with clients whose primary goal is simply to feel stronger and stand taller.
The reviews on the website and on Google are consistent in what they describe: real, measurable progress, delivered by an instructor who pays close attention and adjusts the work as the client develops. One client in their fifties describes their core strength and flexibility as better than they have been for decades. Another mentions sleeping better after sessions. A third simply says Thushara is properly gifted. These are not the kinds of things people write about an average experience.
The Studio, the Location, and the Practicalities
The studio is at Studio 1, 44 Bolingbroke Grove, London SW11 6EH — a bright, well-equipped space with all the classical Pilates machines, a short walk from Clapham Junction and close to Clapham South on the Northern line. For anyone travelling from Battersea, Balham, Wandsworth, or the wider South West London area, both stations make the studio easy to reach without a car.
Sessions run Monday to Thursday from nine in the morning until nine in the evening, and on Friday mornings from nine until noon. The late evening slots during the week are genuinely useful for working people — you can finish a full day and still get to a session without it feeling like a logistical puzzle.
To get started, call or text Thushara on 07894 521 694. The personal assessment is the right first step — it takes around an hour, covers the principles and basic exercises, and gives Thushara everything she needs to build a programme that is actually suited to you. It also gives you a clear sense of her teaching style and whether the studio feels right before committing to anything further.
Full details on class types, pricing, and what to expect from your first visit are all at https://pilatesbythushara.com/. If you are at the point of taking stock and wondering where to start, that is a good place to begin.