OUR TEAM

WHO WE ARE

A small team of qualified Pilates instructors and fitness professionals, each on their own journey towards balance. Sojourn was built around the belief that how you feel in a space matters as much as what you do in it, and each of our instructors brings a distinct style of teaching that quietly builds your body awareness and control with every class.

OUR CORE TEAM

The instructors driving community at Sojourn.

  • Charlotte, founder of Sojourn Pilates, mid-conversation in a cream long-sleeve top inside the Broughton Astley studio in Leicestershire, with a hanging plant and infrared affirmation mirror behind her.

    Charlotte H.

    STUDIO OWNER & REFORMER PILATES INSTRUCTOR

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    Wednesdays 07:00

    Saturdays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00

    Sundays 10:00, 11:00, 12:00

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    PE was the lesson I was most likely to skip, and for a long time exercise was something I only did in a crisis. I'd been in and out of love with movement for most of my life when a friend invited me to my first Pilates class on a trip to LA. That was it.

    Pilates was the first form of movement I'd found both grounding and challenging in the same breath, and that's the feeling I bring to my classes. Whether you're choosing Pause, Flow or Ignite, I love helping you connect with, challenge and appreciate your body and your mind.

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    Certified Reformer Pilates Instructor, Pilates Academy International via The Pilates Programme (2023)

    Pre and Post Natal Pilates (CPD), The Pilates Programme (2025)

  • Jess, Community Lead and instructor at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, smiling as she threads grip socks into reformer foot straps in warm studio light.

    Jess F.

    COMMUNITY LEAD, MAT & REFORMER PILATES INSTRUCTOR

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    Mondays 06:00, 07:00

    Tuesdays 07:00, 08:15

    Thursdays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00

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    I came to reformer Pilates through strength training. After years of struggling with eating disorders, lifting weights gave me a relationship with my body that felt strong and empowered for the first time. Two years ago I tried reformer and was hooked.

    In my classes I love bringing that same sense of empowerment to your body. Expect deep core work, real challenge, and the reminder that you're stronger than you think.

    I'd always wanted to teach but talked myself out of it. When my younger brother passed away in January 2025, I realised how much I relied on daily movement to keep me strong, mentally and physically. Turning a hobby into a career has been the best decision I've ever made.

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    Level 3 Certified Mat Pilates Instructor, HFE (2023)

    Level 3 Certified Reformer Pilates Instructor, HFE (2023)

  • Hayley, instructor at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, smiling in a cream Pilates set as she sits gracefully on a woven jute rug beside a potted palm, floral tattoos along her forearms and a dancer's poise in her resting pose.

    Hayley T.

    MAT & REFORMER PILATES INSTRUCTOR

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    Mondays 17:45, 18:45, 19:45

    Tuesdays 18:45, 19:45

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    My classes are built around creative, movement-focused flows with a heavy focus on technique and core engagement. Expect spicy sequences, the slow burn we love, and a warm environment where you can lean into your Pilates technique.

    I grew up as a dancer, with a degree from The Royal Academy of Dance. Pilates became more and more prevalent throughout my training, and after I graduated, gaining a qualification was the logical next step as I transitioned from performer to teacher. I've specialised in mat Pilates for a decade, finally took the plunge to train in reformer in 2024, and fell in love with it all over again. The alignment, the control, the breath: it's the gold standard of movement.

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    Level 3 Certified Mat Pilates Instructor, HFE (2015)

    Level 3 Certified Reformer Pilates Instructor, HFE (2024)

    BA (Hons) Dance Education, Royal Academy of Dance (2015)

  • Lorna, instructor at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, seated on a dark sofa in a burgundy sports bra and leggings, floral arm tattoos visible against a soft curtain backdrop.

    Lorna N.

    REFORMER PILATES INSTRUCTOR

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    Mondays 12:00

    Wednesdays 11:30

    Fridays 09:00, 10:00

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    Movement has shaped my life. I've always been a dancer, and four years ago I began weight training, staying consistent all the way through pregnancy. When I'm not moving or being mum, I love being creative, exploring new hobbies and reading.

    I left my full-time role to teach Pilates full time in 2026, and have loved finding community in studios ever since. In my classes you can expect some sneaky spice, and the shaky legs to prove it. I love to challenge the body in a supportive environment, leaving you feeling energised and confident.

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    Level 3 Certified Reformer Pilates Instructor (2026)

  • Emily, instructor at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, in profile wearing a charcoal zip-up activewear top with delicate gold necklaces, soft daylight through linen curtains behind her.

    Emily A.

    REFORMER PILATES INSTRUCTOR

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    Wednesdays 17:45, 18:45 & 19:45

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    With a background in strength and conditioning and a passion for injury prevention and rehabilitation, I bring a performance-focused edge to Reformer Pilates. I believe true strength starts with control.

    Reformer Pilates bridges the gap between mobility and power, building deep core strength (all those planks we love), improving alignment (those bridges aren't for nothing), and enhancing overall performance.

    In my classes you can expect: strength training principles, strong Pilates foundations, maybe some cheeky holds and pulses, and lots of fun and laughter along the way.

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    STRONG Pilates Academy (2023)

    Level 3 Personal Training, Active IQ (2019)

  • Rachel, Instructor at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, in profile working with reformer straps in a cream long-sleeve top, a fellow client visible beside her in the warmly lit studio.

    Rachel H.

    REFORMER PILATES INSTRUCTOR

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    Thursdays 17:45, 18:45 & 19:45

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    My love for Pilates began in London, where I spent ten years spoilt with incredible studios. When I moved back to Leicester I was on the hunt for somewhere that centred my nervous system the same way, and that's how I found Sojourn.

    In my classes I think of those 45 minutes as yours: time to switch off from everything outside, reset, and come back to your body before life pulls you in again. Movement has carried me through some of life's hardest moments, and my dad's diagnosis with Frontotemporal Dementia and MND was what pushed me to turn the practice I love into something I could share.

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    Level 3 Certified Reformer Pilates Instructor, The Pilates Programme (in training)

EXPLORE MEMBERSHIPS

Behind Sojourn

Charlotte Hayto, founder of Sojourn Pilates, in the Broughton Astley studio with the infrared affirmation mirrors behind her.

I'm Charlotte, the owner (and an instructor) here at Sojourn. I spent thirteen years working in marketing before this, but this space came from somewhere more personal.

In 2022, I went travelling. Italy, then LA, then Mexico. It was in LA that I took my first Pilates class, and there was something about the movement and the routine that pulled me in straight away. I moved back to Manchester at the start of 2023, and the first thing I did was find classes in my area. I loved the first studio I visited and trained as an instructor there in the September. What had started as one class on a trip quickly became the rhythm of my week and some of my closest friendships.

In 2024 I moved back to Broughton Astley, the village I grew up in but hadn't called home for years. I loved being back in the countryside, but I missed the studio I'd had in Manchester, and the lifestyle that came with it. I needed somewhere that felt like home, made habit easy and brought people together. When I couldn't find it here, I built it.

Sojourn opened in 2025. Every part of it was built around one question: how does this make you feel? The infrared warmth, the affirmation mirrors, the lighting, the playlists. All of it chosen to support your nervous system as much as your body so you feel safe to get the most out of those 45 minutes.

What I didn't expect was how the room would fill it it return. Sojourn has far surpassed what I thought a community could feel like, and I'm still blown away by the warmth in a class, not just from the heaters.

You'll find me teaching on Wednesday mornings and across the weekend, if you'd like to say hello.

Charlotte, Studio Owner & Instructor

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OUR LEICESTERSHIRE STUDIO

No overhead lights, soft infrared warmth, alkaline water, air-purifying plants and fresh flowers. The details matter, in class and out of it. You deserve to move in a beautiful space, and our team deserves to teach in one.

The alkaline water station at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, with upside-down glasses lined on a dark wooden counter, a woven basket beside, and soft daylight catching the plants behind.
The affirmation mirrors at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, printed with 'Energy Shift' and 'Happy Here', framed by a warm wall sconce and seasonal flowers.
A row of reformer beds at Sojourn Pilates in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, lit by natural light through linen curtains, with the studio's 'You Look Good' window decal softly in view.
Explore Studio Details

Had the best first experience of reformer today! everything was clearly explained and felt super comfortable asking for any help or to be re shown any moves! will definitely be returning 😀

Caitlin

Beautiful, chic studio. Amazing vibe. Charlotte has done an incredible job of creating a space where there is no judgement, or fear of not being a "pilates pro"! I look forward to my next session... :)

Samantha

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