Odile Philipson Fitness & Wellbeing

14/01/2026

“Training talent not labels”: an article in Ride High Magazine Jan26 issue regarding neurodiversity in the indoor cycling industry and with my input from the angle of an indoor cycling instructor with dyslexia.

Grateful to have this opportunity to work again with journalist Kate Cracknell. Thank you to Kate for taking my comment, many months ago, on the subject of neurodiversity and for converting and transforming it, through a lot of researching, into 2 articles across 2 issues (See also issue 25 – Sep25 for part 1 on “Inclusive Fitness”).
Delighted to participate in this conversation alongside the UK’s Indoor Cycling Institute, CIMSPA, Canada’s Authentic Training and the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE).
Shout out to the David Lloyd’s Cyclone master trainer who might recognise themselves in one of my anecdotes. Thank you !

The ability to adapt to people’s differences will always get the most out of all of us, from instructors to participants.

If any teachers or participants wish to discuss any of this, feel free to comment here or message if preferred.

What does best practice instructor training look like for neurodiverse individuals? The same as it does for everyone else, say our experts.

02/01/2026

“Believe in all possibilities” is my January 2026 mantra.
A new year has arrived, full of possibilities. We are still in the winter but the days are getting longer.

"Believe in all possibilities" is about being opened to new ideas and opportunities, whilst staying true to ourselves.
It is about cultivating an optimistic mindset and an open mind.

Believing in all possibilities can also be about believing in ourselves a little more.

"Believe in all possibilities"
Here's to 2026 and it's possibilities

22/12/2025

End of year thoughts. First and foremost, thank you so much to all my participants from the group classes to the 1 on 1 sessions. Your support, feedback, energy, kindness, humour & courage are a permanent source of inspiration.
Thank you also to the teachers who covered for me when needed.

This time of the year can be a joy for many or a challenge for others. It is the gathering of families, groups or tribes.
It can be joyful.
It can be stressful and for some it can be lonely.

Let’s remember to be extra patient with each other. This time of the year can be full of triggers. Be kind.

If you are having a lovely time, take in every single moment. Soak it all in!
If you are not in a good space, know that you are not alone. Breathe.

May we all find peace and joy in the simple things from a comforting hot drink to a short walk, a cuddle with a pet or simply finding stars in the sky.

Best wishes to you all for now and for 2026

08/12/2025

This is why I teach indoor cycling/ Cyclone =the biscuits!! 😄 😋
Lovely end of year coffee/ biscuits post class catch up this morning with some of my amazing regular participants 🤩😆 at David Lloyd Glasgow West End🌀

Kindly organised by my participants.
Delicious biscuits baked by Ally 🙏😋.
Great banter as usual.
Nice to have proper chats outwith our pre/ post class moments.

And this is why we all teach: our community of participants 🙌🫶🙏
Can't do it without their personalities, energy and enthusiasm.
🥰THANK YOU 💛
See you soon in class

28/11/2025

"Fascia release" has been a bit of a buzz word(s) the last few years, including in Yoga. As if it is almost a new thing that has just been discovered. Well it is nothing new.
The fascia has always been there.
It is the connective tissue that envelops and connects muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels and organs in your whole body.
It is essential. Like a protective envelope. It communicate to your brain on how your body feels amongst many things.

Some physios and Yoga teachers specialise in myofascia release.
Others think it is a fashionable moment to sell more appointments.
I respect either beliefs.
(The truth is usually subjective and that in itself could be another post for discussion.)

The below article explains more about the fascia.
“It’s not a thin layer – it’s a massive, functional sensory organ system that holds us together.”

My own take = like the whole of our being, it benefits from movement to stay fluid. The human body was not meant to stay static and movement is essential both physically and mentally.

Feel free to share your thoughts in comments.

Take care all. Keep moving and breathing!

Our muscles, bones and organs are held together by a network of tissue that influences our every move. Is there a way we can use it to our advantage?

08/11/2025

Places filling up. Get a fun filled detox pre festive with this workshop!

27/10/2025

"Yoga teachers - they are just like us!"
This article in OM Yoga & Lifestyle Magazine made me chuckle and it is so true.
Here is some of my own insight:
* No, we do not lead purely enchanted lives of zen and perfect peace of mind
* Yes, we are still learning Yoga, no matter how many years we have been practising
* Yes, there are some asanas that we find harder than others to hold
* Yes, our brains can get confused with right and left, specially when giving mirroring instructions. In fact the brain can freeze and we forget part of our sequence on the other side
* No, we do not take for granted the ability to practise Yoga and the gift of being able to teach
* No, not all of us eat super clean and healthy all the time (Just don't mention the word chocolate in my proximity 😂 )
* Yes, we are full of imperfections but we know that life is an on-going and evolving work in progress.

SUMMARY = Your Yoga teachers are simply normal human beings, like You!
Namaste
Have a great week all.

Reading time: 2 minutes

02/10/2025

“I am exactly where I am supposed to be” is the mantra that I am using and teaching this month.
With Autumn here, it is time to start grounding ourselves for the next few weeks and months. At this time of the year, it can be useful to observe where we have arrived at after the Summer.
Accepting where we are at, for now, and embracing the journey ahead of us, whatever it may be.

"I am exactly where I am supposed to be"

Putting away any judgement, fears or envy and cultivating gratitude, self-respect and contentment or, as we call it in Yoga, Santosha.

“I am exactly where I am supposed to be”

Have a grounded month of October all & may you find moments of inner peace this Autumn.



Photo by Danielle Rice on Unsplash

29/09/2025

It is Dyslexia Awareness Week in Scotland. I am dyslexic.
Below are ten common myths regarding Dyslexia.

"Have you heard any of these 10 common myths?
1 People ‘grow out of’ dyslexia
2 Dyslexia doesn’t exist
3 Dyslexia is just about reading and spelling
4 Your doctor can tell you if you’re dyslexic
5 Dyslexia is an isolated learning difficulty
6 Dyslexia only affects boys
7 Coloured overlays will ‘fix’ dyslexia
8 Identification of dyslexia isn’t necessary
9 All people with dyslexia are creative
10 Comic Sans is the perfect typeface for people with dyslexia"

Personal facts =
* my favourite font is Arial and I really struggle with any Serif typeface, for example Times New Roman.
*any white typeface on darker colour background is always harder for me to read.

*if you come to my classes and I can not see your name on the register, even though it is there, it is because sometimes it is all a jumble of letters that make no sense, like a black block of ink

*if you come to my class and have to give me and spell your name, please don't talk too fast so my brain can catch up and find the right letters,

Please see below link for more information from Dyslexia Scotland & the above 10 points.
https://dyslexiascotland.org.uk/busting-dyslexia-myths/

Feel free to share.
Have a good week all

Scotland will only become a dyslexia-friendly country when everyone knows what dyslexia is – and isn’t. In 2025, we surveyed the general population of Scot ...

18/09/2025

How ethical are the activewear brands that you use?
The Good Shopping Guide looks at thousands of brands across many sectors and categories. They "research environmental track records, animal welfare and human rights issues"

"The activewear sector suffers from the same issues as the rest of the Fashion industry. Unsustainable materials and poor workers’ rights are still major concerns, and many brands still lack transparency on what they are doing to help"

Some big brands right at the bottom. Disappointingly some are Yoga brands but delighted that my favourite "go to" for my Yoga clothing is at the top!! BAM Bamboo Clothing with a 91% ethical score.
Well done 👏 ✔️

Let's shop with educated minds.

More details in the below links
https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/subject/ethical-activewear/

https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/

13/09/2025

Wow! The first Scot to complete this mental epic triathlon and the 15th woman to ever finish it.
87 mile run from Marble Arch, London to Dover
+
21 mile swim across the English channel with epic weather became a 50 mile swim
+
181 mile ride from Calais to Arc de Triomphe
95 hours and 11 minutes!
The mind boggles 😵‍💫😳🙌👏💪🦵🫶

Well done barely covers it!
What a human being.

Lyndsey Blair crossed the Paris finish line of the "world's toughest triathlon" more than 95 hours after she set off from London.

06/09/2025

This is one of my favourite books and one that I go back to again and again.

Yoga is not just about the physical practice that most gyms offer. Yoga is a philosophy, a way of thinking and conducting ourselves.

Sometimes I pick this book up to find inner strength and guidance. And for sure I am flawed and a work in progress.

Sometimes, I pick it up because someone has inspired me from chats and the witnessing of their own evolution and growth.

Often I feel that it's wisdom can help guide others journey and I look for the most appropriate excerpt.
All the above instances have happened in the last 2 weeks, hence this post.

Here is one of my favourite sutras (text).
Patanjali said (sutra 1.33): "Maitri karuna muditopeksanam sukha duhkha punyapunya visayanam bhavanatas citta prasadanam" (for the purists, please forgive the lack of accents)
= "By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness"

How simple, how true and, of course, how wise.

Namaste to you all and have a great September!