I am a health and wellbeing coach, a life coach, a lifestyle coach, a movement coach, an stress-management coach, and a sleep coach based in London. I move people, stretch people, rehab people and teach people how to breathe better, gain mobility and get stronger. I support clients in drawing on their inner wisdom and desire for change to become the best versions of themselves. I am obsessed with human potential and see the best and want the best for everyone I have the honour to work with. I feel very lucky to do my job every day.
I have an avid interest in what it means to be healthy; to feel alive and flow through life navigating life’s ups and downs with grace, gratitude, curiosity guided by my own desire for exploration. I believe in good quality food, good quality sleep, stress management, movement and connection are the keys to leading a healthy, joyful and fulfilling life. I know this to be true because I’ve been through the same journey I take my clients on.
I’ve experienced injuries, heartbreak, grief, financial worries, depression and anxiety. I know what it’s like to be a mid-life woman going through the menopause and I know what it’s like to be stuck, not knowing how to change it. That desire for change and exploration never left me even in those darker times.
That exploration led me to learn more about the body and mind. What does make us tick? What experiences have we been through to make us who we are? How can I explore further and more deeply with my clients?
My journey really started when I was a senior PA. I had a desire to travel, find out more about who I was and what I wanted more of in my life. I wanted change; to spend more time outside and moving my body and sitting at desk all day didn’t fulfil those needs in me. I started practicing yoga in 2001. I knew it made me feel different from anything else that I had tried previously and inside there was some desire to learn more. By 2004 I had decided that teaching yoga was a potential career path for me and in 2005 I left my job and headed to India to retrain to become a yoga teacher. In 2007 I started teaching full-time.
My curiosity and desire to know and learn more about the human body led me to doing a BTEC Diploma in Sport and Remedial Massage in 2009. I added to my manual therapy toolkit, Anatomy in Motion (biomechanics of the gait cycle), NeuroKinetic Therapy and more recently Assisted Stretch Therapy enabling me to provide the best manual and movement therapy to my clients.
Tapping into my client’s thought processes and behavioural patterns required a bit more knowledge. What more could I do to support my clients? How could I ask better questions to motivate my clients to look after themselves? In 2021 I was searching for a missing piece to my therapy toolkit and that’s where I found the Kresser institute and their Adapt Functional Health Coach Certification programme. This Masters level programme has been truly life-changing. I’ve transformed my gut health, my hormone health, my menopausal symptoms, sleep patterns and my overall mental and physical wellbeing. I’ve been lucky enough to partner with some exceptional clients who have also made life-changing steps towards their long-term goals from getting back into work after 5-year life-changing surgery, improving mental health and sleep to reversing a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Being coached and coaching is transformational and I feel very lucky to have this new skill and qualification to offer old and new clients alike.
Training/Further Education
2023: Adapt Certified Functional Health Coach (A-CFHC), Kresser Institute, California, USA
2020: City and Guilds Award in Education and Training; City Lit College
2019: Immaculate Dissection: Vleeming’s Slings
2018: Immaculate Dissection: Core Concepts
2018: NeuroKinetic Therapy Level 2
2017: NeuroKinetic Therapy Level 1
2017: Anatomy in Motion (Gait Analysis, Assessment, Treatment Rehabilitation)
2014: Anatomy in Motion Level 1 and 2 (Gait Analysis, Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation)
2015: Gyrokinesis Teacher Training (the Gyrotonic Method)
2014: Yoga Nidra Teacher Training, Satyananda Yoga School
2008/09: BTEC Diploma Sport & Remedial Massage Therapy – London School of Sports Massage
2006: Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training, Brahmani Yoga, India
2005: Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training, India
Reviews From Rachel Barlow Clients
“I’ve really enjoyed the yoga sessions with Rachel Barlow. Firstly she is really friendly and goes out her way to help Me, especially with injury prevention work. I’ve found the yoga has helped me stay flexible and helped to prevent injuries because of this, meaning I have been able to stay available for selection for training and games. I’ve learnt a lot and also how important your breathing is whilst carrying out the movements and exercises Rachel puts us through. Having 3 young children the relaxation at the end of her sessions I really enjoy as it gives me a chance to really switch off. Highly recommend.”
– Jason Pearce, Team Captain, Charlton Athletic Football Club, London“Since going to the Shala Yoga Centre I’ve always really enjoyed Rachel Barlow’s expertise and playful style of teaching. Rachel’s huge depth of knowledge, her passion and expertise will make you feel confident while she makes you focus on your core and breath.”
– Sarah Bennie, London“I’ve loved working with Rachel who has helped me begin to tackle some long-standing and post pregnancy issues. It’s been so refreshing to get to the root of those challenges and be equipped to build my mobility and own understanding of this fascinating field.”
– Helen Wellington, London“Rachel has supported me with wrist and hamstring injuries, allowing me to continue with my yoga practise whilst I recovered. More importantly she has helped me understand how to adapt my practise and avoid repeating or exacerbating injuries. Her knowledge of anatomy is phenomenal and she always knows exactly what questions to ask to quickly understand how best to support me. She is also great fun to practise with and very responsive to what her students need.”
– Abi Fellows, London“Excellent lovely and easy to follow classes- I’m a regular!”
– Nelly, London“I love Rachel’s vinyasa flow classes. The pace is just right, not too slow and not rushed, very grounding for the body and for the mind. I have been experiencing lower back pain issues lately and her flow, with a focus on core and pelvis stability has been so good for my back! Thank you Rachel!”
– Cristina Berra, Italy“I attend Rachel’s yoga classes regularly. They’re great. She’s an enthusiastic, intuitive and thoughtful teacher. She gets the tricky balance of focus and fun just right.”
– Rhodri, GP, London
Where does Rachel Barlow Work?
In addition to Rachel’s direct clients, she works at The Shala and Evolution Rehab.
