“It has been an honor and privilege to be able to share this method with others, because I know it works.”
Meet Nileshi Jayasena, a Level 2 Essentrics® Instructor in Western Province, Sri Lanka. After years of searching for an exercise program to relieve scoliosis and fibromyalgia pain, a chance encounter with an Essentrics workout on YouTube changed everything. Inspired by her own transformation, she became an instructor in 2016 to help others in her community feel the same freedom of movement.
In this conversation, Nileshi shares her experiences with chronic pain, healing, connection, and how she is bringing this technique to a new audience in Sri Lanka.
Can you share with us how you first discovered Essentrics®?
I was diagnosed with scoliosis and fibromyalgia at a young age and since I loved movement, there were times I felt very restricted due to the pain and being unable to move with ease. I came across the Essentrics thigh thinner video on YouTube quite by accident in 2012 and was hooked instantly! Once I started to do the workouts consistently, I realized how much my mobility and strength had improved. It truly helped me strengthen my spine and alleviate the pain that I was in, keeping it very much under control.
It’s amazing how something as simple as a YouTube video can change the trajectory of one’s life! As you became more immersed in Essentrics, what made you decide to take the leap and become an instructor yourself?
I have been doing Pilates, yoga and various other forms of exercise for the past 30 years, even when I was a teenager. I used to do ballet and many kinds of dancing as a child and teenager. Once I discovered Essentrics, it felt like a good fit for me. It really helped with my recovery from severe back pain due to my scoliosis and fibromyalgia. In 2016, I decided to become an instructor and share this technique with others. It has been an honor and privilege to be able to share this method with others, because I know it works.
What excites you most about teaching Essentrics?
I love meeting new clients and learning to adapt certain techniques according to their fitness levels and personally I love how doing Essentrics makes me feel. It has been my go-to workout, even after an injury or when I am running low on energy. That stretchy strengthening feeling makes me feel so good.
It sounds like sharing this program is truly rewarding for you! What is it like being a part of the Essentrics community? Being based in Sri Lanka, so far from where North America and Europe, must come with some unique difficulties. How do you stay connected through it all?
I love being a part of the Essentrics community – it’s nice to be able to share this passion with like-minded people. Even though I haven’t met anyone in person, it feels like being part of a family. That positive attitude and energy that you get from the instructors is really quite lovely. I look forward to joining a workshop in the future and staying connected. It would be nice to get to know some of the instructors and hang out as friends. Hopefully someday!
Yes! That sense of connection, no matter where you are in the world, is one of the most unique things about our instructor community. As for your local community, how has Essentrics been received in Sri Lanka? Has it been a gradual process to introduce it, or are you starting to see a growing interest? What’s the fitness culture like in your area?
In Sri Lanka, there is very small community that is involved and interested in fitness so keeping that in mind, introducing Essentrics wasn’t the easiest as they knew very little about it or nothing at all. Most people in Sri Lanka practice and have grown up with yoga and that’s what they are used to. Since I’m the only Essentrics instructor in Sri Lanka, and being rather an introvert myself, I found it challenging at first. However, once someone tried Essentrics, they truly enjoyed learning more of the workout and that’s how it started to grow.
My journey with Essentrics gave me an opportunity to meet various individuals from all walks of life. I have been doing Essentrics from inside a studio to being on top of a mountain. It’s something that I take with me at all times.
Teaching Essentrics on top of a mountain sounds magical! Can you tell us a bit more about that experience?
It was an amazing experience, and I was glad that I got the opportunity to do that. We were surrounded by trees, beautiful scenery and a somewhat cooler climate. The classes took place outdoors and it was a lot of fun and gratifying.
What a beautiful place to teach! Have you noticed Essentrics making a difference in your local community?
Every single person that comes to the class comes with enthusiasm, which is really wonderful to see.
I work in a safe house, and I had the opportunity to introduce Essentrics to the ladies and girls that were living there at the time. They were living under traumatic experiences and this felt like some sort of a release to them. That was one of my favorite memories and classes, that I was able to share a moment of happiness and a form of growth through Essentrics with these ladies who had been through so much abuse and neglect in their lives.
Wow, that’s such a powerful example of how movement can bring healing. Before we wrap up, do you have any individual success stories that you’d like to share?
One of my very first clients was a lady in her sixties who was quite weak physically and had severe knee and back pain. She was finding it hard walking up the stairs and unable to even get down from her vehicle without relying on someone else.
Essentrics worked wonders on her. She was able to move like a thirty-year-old in a few months. Her pains subsided and she gained muscle tone and strength.
It was amazing to see the change in her body and the way she moved. She will always be one of my success stories, as it was such a positive experience to be able to witness and be part of her fitness journey.
Instagram: @nileshi_jayasena
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