Olive | Symbol of peace
Winnie | Friend of peace
Note from Millie | My Grandma & her sister are called Olive & Winnie ~ I always loved the sound of the names together and back when I first started my Pilates career, I dreamed about starting a business using their names. When I wanted to create a space that combined my love for psychology & movement, I started looking into the meanings of the names & what I found couldn’t have been more perfect.
our story
meet Olive & Winnie’s founder, Millie shiers
// Millie is based in London and has worked in some of London’s most sought after studios, gyms & clubs as a comprehensive BASI trained Pilates Instructor
// Millie also works with a number of private clients, helping them with postnatal & injury rehabilitation, as well as reaching fitness goals, as well as running her own London based classes
// Prior to her Pilates career, Millie worked in the NHS in the Psychology field & planned to make this her career after completing both undergraduate & postgraduate degrees in Psychology
// Millie’s class style is a fusion of her Pilates & Psychology experience. She loves to create flows, where one movement flows straight into another, creating both an endurance challenge and a sense of calm
// Millie has seen first-hand the power that Pilates gives herself and her clients, both physically & mentally. Millie is passionate about providing accessible classes that can be taken anytime & anywhere, where both the mind & body are a priority
THE MAKING OF OLIVE & WINNIE
Whilst Millie loves her job, teaching Pilates across London, she always knew that one day she wanted to create something that blended Pilates & Psychology. In the Pilates industry she felt that often the mind element wasn’t given enough of a spotlight for how powerful it can be for the body. In the Psychology industry, she felt that the power of movement wasn’t given enough of a spotlight for how powerful it can be for the mind.
Out of this dream to create something more, Olive & Winnie was created. A brand where the mind & body is nourished in equal parts through various styles of movement, breathwork, meditation and Psychology techniques.
our guest instructors
Megan | Sara | Molly
dr Megan hollett
Megan is a London-based Clinical Psychologist and Yoga teacher. Megan’s interest in the mind-body connection shapes both her therapeutic work in the NHS and her Yoga teaching. Megan believes in a holistic approach to wellbeing but remains conscious of the issues within the modern wellness industry, which can push individualistic and exclusionary narratives. Megan holds values such as compassion, inclusion, integrity and community at the heart of her work.
Megan initially found studios intimidating with their focus on appearance and performance. It took Megan some time to understand what Yoga is really about (hint, it's not flexibility, thank goodness). Megan's Yoga classes are accessible and down to earth, blending the ancient wisdoms of Yoga with modern psychological insights to inspire personal & collective growth.
Sara benitez
Born into a family of mindfulness practitioners, Sara has grown up embodying the teachings of Yoga. She is a trauma-informed guide, who teaches Yoga Asana, meditation, and restorative breathwork. Her offerings aim to bring spaciousness and grounding to the body, mind, and breath, with a strong focus on inner connection.
Sara believes that by building a healthy relationship with oneself we can develop a deeper understanding of how our bodies communicate with us, a stronger sense of inner stability, and more kindness towards ourselves and others.
Molly babuniak
Molly is a multi-skilled coach who teaches Strength, Conditioning and Pilates. Molly has found that a holistic approach to movement & wellbeing has been incredibly beneficial to her and loves to share this with others. Molly encourages people to practice a variety of movement styles to improve both physical and mental wellbeing, whether that is a stress-relieving and energising HIIT session or a Pilates flow.
our mission
What we have to offer
SO, HOW DO WE NOURISH THE MIND & BODY IN EQUAL PARTS?
At Olive & Winnie we believe that neither should take the backseat. With the growing trend of ‘mindful movement’, we see brands avoiding talking about the benefits of exercise for our body. Alternatively, we also see brands only talking about the benefits of exercise for the body. Here, we believe that we should celebrate the benefits of movement for both. Exercise creates a strong & healthy body for you to live in, but it also creates a strong and healthy mind for you to live in. If either the mind or body is neglected, our holistic health will be affected.
How does this translate to the On Demand Platform?
Olive & Winnie has a variety of classes, including movement, meditation, breathwork and Psychology classes. We want our members to learn how to tune into their mind & body and choose classes that will serve them best on that day or period in life.
Olive & Winnie also encourages members to bring the in-studio experience to their home as much as possible, as we believe this helps members to be present in their classes and get more out of them. We encourage use of calming scents, music and choosing a calm space.
