Lucy and Ben Parker help you to understand your individual anatomy. Ben’s training as an osteopath is so helpful in helping students understand their anatomy and we wanted to find out more about Ben Parker, co-founder of Flow Tunbridge Wells.
What brought you to osteopathy?
I grew up next door to an osteopath who ran his practice from his house. Although you never really know what a job is going to be like until you start it, I was intrigued by the idea of working one-to-one with people in a healthcare profession. I also knew that I would not be best suited to working in an office.
How did you come to be running a yoga studio with Lucy?
Trying yoga had always been on my bucket-list but, like many people, I was confused by the huge variety of classes and teachers available. It was not until I meet Lucy in 2012 that I realised that I had run out of excuses as she was already running her own yoga studio in Tunbridge Wells! Once I started I was struck by the huge potential yoga has for promoting long term health and supporting individuals out of injuries. Three years later we set up Flow together and haven’t looked back since.
Why do you teach?
Lucy and I soon realised that our combined skills were ideally suited to setting up training courses for yoga teachers to pass our knowledge on. We both have very different learning and teaching styles which complement each other really well and allow us to accommodate the breadth of learning styles we find amongst our students. A good anatomical foundation is the backbone of the courses we teach together. A lot of people find learning anatomy a bit dry and maybe a little daunting. We make sure our courses are engaging and we have a lot of fun teaching them.
What motivates you?
More and more I find that the teaching side of my work is the most enjoyable part of it. It’s incredibly rewarding to feel that you have helped someone understand something better. With patients this might be explaining what you think is causing their issue and how they can help themselves to heal and to stay healed. In our teacher trainings it’s helping students to feel safe and confident in their teaching because they have a strong foundation in understanding anatomy.
What is your favourite way to unwind?
Exercise has always been one of the ways for me to unwind. This will either be on the mat or in the saddle, cycling being my other go-to exercise. I also find cooking relaxing but do have a habit of underestimating how long a recipe will take!
Which daily practice would make us feel better?
Deep, slow, belly breathing. It’s a great way to calm ourselves in our busy lives.
Beach or Mountain
Mountain – preferably on my bike
Cat or Dog
Dog
Rural or Urban
A bit of both
Sunrise or Sunset
Sunset
Spring or Autumn
Autumn
Which is your favourite food?
I really like cooking so it’s hard to narrow it down. My favourite cook books are by Ottolenghi or the Bosh! series.
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