About the academy
The Ordinary People Academy (formerly StretchBodyMind) has grown into something we’re genuinely proud of – and we think you will be too.
As well as our Breathwork Facilitator Training, we deliver Level 3 Pilates Instructor Training (accredited by Active IQ then YMCA Awards) and 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals then GOYA – the Global Online Yoga Association), alongside a growing suite of CPDs that reflect what we actually believe matters in movement and wellness education:
- Stretch & Play Kids’ Movement & Mindfulness Facilitator Training
- Movement for Ordinary Older People Programme
- Meditation for Ordinary People Teacher Training
- Kundalini for Ordinary People short course
- Pilates Props Workshop
- Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom
Every single CPD is accredited by IPHM (International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine). And yes, we’re quietly very pleased about that.
Our courses run both in-person across the UK and Ireland and fully online (because good training shouldn’t be limited by your postcode!) We’re currently developing a range of nervous system courses too, because the world needs them.
Here’s the bit where we get to show off a little.
In 2023, the Ordinary People Academy became an internationally accredited executive training provider with IPHM, earning the IPHM Trustmark – a recognition of our commitment to genuinely excellent holistic education.
Our Breathwork Facilitator Training made history as CIMSPA’s first ever endorsed breathwork qualification – awarded the full 10 CPD points, which is the highest endorsement CIMSPA offers for a further qualification. That’s not nothing.
Then in 2024, we became an Organisational Member of the International Breathwork Foundation, because we don’t just talk about ethics and standards in conscious breathing; we sign up to them.
All of this, delivered by a team of real people who believe that extraordinary training doesn’t require an extraordinary background to get started. If you’re an ordinary person ready to do something reamrkable, you’re in exactly the right place!
About Victoria
Meet Victoria, a trailblazer in the wellness industry, renowned as the Founder and CEO of the Ordinary People Academy. Armed with an MA Honours degree in English Literature & Sociology and an MSc in Marketing, Victoria seamlessly blends her academic prowess with over two decades of entrepreneurial experience. Her multifaceted expertise extends to copywriting, mindset, and marketing, making her a master at transforming wellness businesses into successes.
With over 30 years of yoga practice and two decades of teaching experience, Victoria is a Yoga Alliance Professionals Senior Yoga Teacher, boasting over 10,000 hours of instruction.
After doing youth work by day and teaching yoga by night she developed award-winning charity Stretch & Play for children and young people back in 2006. She continues to offer her model of facilitator training both online and in person.
She created Stretch NI in late-2009 to work specifically with adults and then developed this work into teacher training courses through StretchBodyMind (later rebranded and launched as the Ordinary People Academy in 2023).
Since 2011 she has been at the forefront of Pilates instruction, delivering Northern Ireland’s first Level 3 accredited Pilates Instructor Training. And since 2023 Victoria has spearheaded the development of Breathwork Facilitator Training in the UK.
She is a creative force – continually developing new and innovative training for Yoga teachers, Pilates instructors and other wellness professionals – and her expertise was recognised when she was shortlisted for Health & Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and was a Regional Finalist in the Pitch UK 2024 (where she delivered an “anti-pitch” breathwork session).
As the Pilates expert for Platinum Training Institute and Master Trainer for Fitness Academy Europe, Victoria’s influence extends across Europe and the Middle East. Victoria continues to inspire and empower wellness professionals worldwide with her visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to wellness education.
About Lynne
Meet Lynne, the Lifestyle Medicine Nurse and dynamic COO of Ordinary People Academy.
Since meeting Victoria in 2015, Lynne has been a steadfast supporter and friend, contributing significantly to the Academy’s mission both behind the scenes and as a trainer.
By day, Lynne is a registered nurse at a GP surgery, specialising in diabetes and women’s health. She has 15 years’ experience in nursing and was the first nurse to be certified in Lifestyle Medicine through the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine. Her dedication to the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine fuels her passion for holistic well-being.
But Lynne’s expertise doesn’t stop there! As a Senior Yoga Teacher and Level-3 certified Pilates Teacher, she is devoted to helping our community maintain ease of movement and improve self-care practices as they age. She developed and leads the Movement for Ordinary Older People programme.
As well as her Yoga and Pilates classes, Lynne is a skilled breathwork facilitator and the author of the “Breathwork for Special Populations” module of our Breathwork Facilitator Training course.
Lynne is also a wellness warrior, actively overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In addition to her work with the Ordinary People Academy, she shares her journey and insights to help you lead a healthier, happier life through Health Coaching and Lifestyle Medicine.
About Claire
Meet Claire, Founder of Claire’s Yoga Studio, Magherafelt who heads up our in-person Yoga Teacher Training course in Mid-Ulster.
Claire was first introduced to Ashtanga Yoga while living in London in her early twenties, one of many styles and practices that has benefitted her enormously throughout life’s journey.
On returning to her hometown in 2012 with a young family & more on the way she knew there was a need for Yoga & Meditation in the area. That year she embarked on her initial 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher training journey with Paddy Hamill of Santosha Yoga Studio in Lisburn which was an incredible and life-changing experience.
Since then, she further studied Yin Yoga, Yang Yoga and Mindfulness (all through the Josh Summers School of Yoga), Myofascial Movement and Anatomy with Gary Carter as well as Restorative Yoga and Kids’ Yoga.
Passionate that a yoga practice is for everyone, Claire left her corporate career and created her own boutique yoga space, Claire’s Yoga Studio, which opened its doors in 2014. As a Senior Yoga Teacher, she loves the ordinary people ethos and loves helping ordinary people become extraordinary Yoga Teachers.
About Jen
Meet Jen, The Healing Rebel, and our co-trainer on the in-person Pilates Teacher Training in Scotland. She has many qualifications, including a Pg Dip TQFE (education), BSc in Sport & Exercise Science, Active IQ Level 3 Assessor, HND Health, Fitness & Exercise, Level 3 Pilates, 300 hours Yoga, Advanced Nutrition, Advanced Personal Trainer as well as Level 1 Barefoot Specialist and Functional Movement Coach, along with many other fitness qualifications
Her Massage qualifications include Swedish, Sports, Dynamic Thai, Ayurveda Yoga Massage, Lymphatic Drainage, Cupping, Acupressure, Menopause Massage and Aromatherapy, and has also trained in Reiki, Access Bars, Sound Therapy, and Herbalism.
She has been working in the Health, Fitness & Wellbeing Industry since 2009 and is deeply passionate about every aspect of how the body works. She is currently focusing on how the nervous system affects the body, particularly around chronic health conditions, because she herself lives with Crohn’s disease, endometriosis, and perimenopause.
Her approach is very in keeping with the ordinary people values – Woo + science. Traditional wisdom + evidence. Rebellious + kind. She loves techno raves AND mountain silence. Natural fibres AND research papers. Herbal medicine AND anatomy nerding.
About Kellan
Meet Kellan – a transmasculine, neurodivergent, trans-racial adoptee and co-trainer on the Breathwork Facilitator Training. (Pronouns are they/them).
They are OPA’s breathwork facilitator training graduate, a trauma-informed coach, and a somatic therapist with a nutrition and lifestyle medicine postgraduate degree. They work predominantly with fellow queer folks and adoptees through their work at Kai Ming Holistics. They consider themself a ‘guide’ on people’s journeys and resonate with an intuitive approach to body-orientated nervous system regulation and somatic processing.
Their journey with breathwork began with seeking a way to heal from COVID-19 fatigue. Breathwork quickly led them on a path of recovery from both fatigue and early developmental trauma that they had previously thought ‘unhelpable’ and onto other somatic modalities!
They believe there is a vast amount of innate healing wisdom inside us all; it’s always communicating with us.
When we cultivate an environment where our bodies feel safe and supported, this wisdom can come forth.
They’re excited to be a part of the OPA faculty and facilitate more spaces to nourish, heal, and grow together!
About Caroline
Meet Caroline, a forerunner in the Northern Irish wellness industry, renowned for her compassionate approach.
In her mid-20s, Caroline decided to venture into the world of fitness. She initially delved into Exercise to Music, honing her skills and sharing her passion for movement by teaching Aerobics at her local Leisure Centre.
However, it was a personal experience with back pain that steered her towards a new path. Caroline recalls; “Through having back pain myself, I attended a Pilates class where my teacher Victoria Cunningham encouraged me to complete the teaching qualification”.
Caroline found not just relief but also inspiration and pursued a teaching qualification in Pilates with StretchBodyMind, marking a significant shift in her fitness career. She further qualified with Australian Physiotherapy Pilates Institute, having completed the Matwork bridging course in 2020.
Since 2012 she has been delivering Pilates Matwork Level 3 across various Private, Community and Public Sector organisations. She has worked as a Pilates tutor since January 2025 with the Ordinary People Academy in conjunction with Platinum Training Institute in Belfast and she delivers our Pilates Props Workshop.
OUR ACCREDITATIONS
