“Essentrics has given me a second life by rebuilding my atrophied muscles
and reversing my premature aging.”
Meet Betty Ng, a Level 4 Essentrics® instructor in New York City, New York. An inspiration to many in the Essentrics community, her full story can be read in Miranda Esmonde-White’s book Forever Painless. In this conversation, Betty shares more about her teaching and the dramatic changes she’s seen in her clients and herself.
Can you share with us how Essentrics® helped you overcome challenges and improved your physical well-being?
I was on sabbatical in California due to auto-immune issues when I chanced upon Classical Stretch on PBS. I could tell just by watching Miranda move that it would be a great program for me, and my instinct was right. Starting from doing only five minutes a day – that’s how weak I was – that PBS discovery soon led to my instructor certification journey. I’ve been teaching the workout since 2015, starting in California and then in NYC where I returned to in 2016.
Wow, working up from 5 minutes a day! That’s quite a dramatic change. Please tell us more about how Essentrics® has transformed your life.
Essentrics has given me a second life by rebuilding my atrophied muscles and reversing my premature aging. I have a bicultural background and years of receiving physiotherapy (PT) treatments, which help me appreciate the ingenuity of how Essentrics synthesizes tai chi, ballet, and PT concepts. There is a lot of depth and philosophical underpinnings to this seemingly easy program.
On both a physical and mental level, therefore, the method resonates with me “from head to toe” and gives me the urge to become a live, moving billboard by teaching!
Yes! Showing people that if it changed your life, it could also change their lives! In that vein, how has Essentrics® positively influenced your local community?
Through Essentrics, my clients all recognize the importance of regular movements. In particular, many have found support through moving together in live classes, even if it is a virtual Zoom class. There is something intangible, magical about moving in sync and then sharing their experience and questions afterwards in a group. It has helped some of them weather through troughs and crises.
My clients cover the entire spectrum: professional/retired athletes, chronic pain/illness sufferers, and everyone in between. Some clients are going into or recovering from surgeries, others might be couch-potatoes or fitness enthusiasts. Regardless of their conditions or starting point of health, they all experience a shift after every class, and the results have been cumulative. Their stress melts away, they radiate and feel more at ease. The workout kicks off a virtuous cycle that lifts them both physically and mentally.
This must resonate with so many people. Can you share what excites you most about being an Essentrics® instructor & motivates you to continue teaching this technique to others?
Every day I learn something new about the body through feeling it as I move, and through watching how my clients move and respond to my cues. The incremental gains inspire me to stay humble about how much there is still to comprehend, and to keep an open mind.
Miranda once challenged me to make the Essentrics method as my own, to show her how far I can take it and what I can do with it. It is something that I’ve continued to work on – exploring, innovating and enriching the method while staying true to its principles.
It’s fascinating to hear how Essentrics® has played such a pivotal role in your life. Before we wrap up, can you share a particularly memorable experience or success story of students you’ve worked with?
I have a client who has been living with Lupus for years, amongst other chronic health issues. She would train with me whenever she was in NYC, because she has such love for and conviction in the method, having been a ballet dancer and having experienced how Essentrics felt in her body. During COVID she stayed in the UK, suffering through bouts of depression which caused her to lose all interest to move. Her muscles atrophied so severely her body was disfigured – she cannot even lift her head but must rely on a neck brace.
When she flew into NYC, one of the very first things she did was to contact me to schedule a consultation and training. While her reputable surgeon has urged her to go through an invasive and complicated spinal surgery as soon as possible, she insisted on trying Essentrics before going under the knife. Her surgeon watched Miranda’s DVD and agreed to let her try it before other options.
Her faith and conviction in the method, not to mention her strength to live and thrive, is truly inspiring.
Instagram: @essentricswithbetty
Facebook: Essentrics with Betty
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