A Different Approach to Wellbeing
Well, it's not different, just a little bit forgotten in the modern medicinal model!
​
As a Physiotherapist, I've found that purely physical presentations are extremely rare. Once you take the time to investigate, the underlying root of an injury is often rooted in stress, not taking care of ourselves (not listening to our bodies), or due to a psychological resistance/habits of some kind (whether you are currently consciously aware of it or not).
​
We now know that our nervous system has a huge bearing on not only the physical body (how quickly we heal, how strong we are, how flexible we are, how often we get injured) but also how we respond to life, how stuck we feel, how anxious, depressed etc. If we have had, or witnessed, a physical trauma such as an accident, abuse or surgery, it can leave its imprint on the physical and psychological body long after the physical 'wounds' are healed.
​
"Despite working in a biopsychosocial model, I found that in Physiotherapy, we forgot the mind,
in Psychology we forgot the body"
​
But what I find the most interesting part is that when we reconnect to our body, and remember it's intuition, it's messages, when we learn how to feel and move again - that is when real change can happen. The mind affects the body and nervous system; the nervous system affects the body and mind; stressors effect the mind, body and nervous system; the body affects the nervous system and mind. They're inextricably linked. That's why to ONLY work with the body, or ONLY work with the mind the results can often be limited, particularly if the issue has been ongoing, or there has been physical or emotional trauma of some kind. The whole body is kept in view in this approach.
​
My mission is not only to treat the wonderful individuals that find their way into my practice, but to also train Physiotherapists and other Health Professionals to be able to practically apply a more integrated vision of health in their clinical practice, where the beautiful, interconnected and very much alive human treated . The shift is in some ways is subtle, but the ripple effect is colossal.
​
In my own professional practice my real joy is when the body and mind approaches are combined. As a society, I believe our minds are generally distanced from our bodies, and our bodies distance from the wild nature all around us. My Physiotherapy practice has evolved to be based around yoga and mindfulness based practices as this is what seems to empower people to take charge of their own wellbeing and results in sustainable change.
These ancient systems allow us to develop the skills to be able to listen to our body, and to our intuition. We learn to feel the body before we have an injury, and as it heals; we can use the body in both strong and subtle ways to deal with stress, with anxiety, trauma, depression. We just need the tools and sometimes somebody to hold that space and co-journey with.
​
Alongside my yoga classes, my main offerings are my Clinical Yoga Sessions; Somatic Counselling and Training in Clinical Yoga and Somatics (body-mind medicine) for Health Professionals. My aim is to empower the individual, to know their bodies and minds again; but also the health professional. We need structured and practical ways to understand (and know) how to integrate the body-mind continuum within our professional practice, for the health of our clients, but also for ourselves. Luckily, there is also a wealth of literature to support this stance, contributing to evidence based practice.
Meet Alice McNeil - Founder
​Hello, I'm Alice
If you’re thinking about working with me, it’s only fair you know a little about who I am and how I came to this work.
I’m a Chartered Physiotherapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, Accredited Somatic Counsellor and Continuing Education Provider with Yoga Alliance International. My work is rooted in evidence-based practice, but also shaped by the lived realities of what it means to be human - in body, in mind, and in relationship with the world around us.
I'm trained in Mindfulness Yin Yoga, hold Level 2 certification in Mindfulness-Based Interventions and MBSR, and bring in the deeply integrative lens of somatic counselling/therapy - which, to me, draws together the threads of all my trainings in a practical and compassionate way.
A Longstanding Curiosity
I’ve always been interested in people - what drives them, what makes them feel well, how we move through the world in both the physical and emotional sense. I’ve also always loved being outside: climbing, biking, travelling, camping, exploring.
That passion for people and nature led me to study a BA (Hons) in Outdoor Studies, followed by an MSc in Psychology, where I focused on how nature supports mental health, particularly in managing stress and anxiety.
An Unexpected Lesson in the Mountains
In 2013, while cycling from the UK to New Zealand with my husband Pete (our honeymoon!) I injured my back in the remote Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. Lying on the ground, unable to walk, looking up at the vast sky, I realised something that changed the course of everything:
Physical health doesn’t exist without psychological health,
and the environment you’re in really matters.
I took a break from the bike and trained as a Yoga Teacher in the Himalayas. That experience deepened my sense that the body and mind are inextricably linked, but I still didn’t yet have the tools to understand my injury fully, or how to heal it.
From the Bike to the Clinic
So, in the spirit of doing things thoroughly, I applied (while still cycling across Australia!) for an accelerated MSc in Physiotherapy. I’m not sure what they’d have made of my nomadic state at the time — but somehow, I got in.
Two challenging years later - far harder than the 22,000 km cycle - I completed my training with a Distinction, including research on Mindfulness and Persistent Pain. More importantly, I emerged pain-free with a foundation in evidence-based care that continues to guide my clinical work today.
Finding My Own Path
After working in the NHS, in rotations and in a musculoskeletal outpatients setting, I began to develop my own practice, combining Physiotherapy with Clinical Yoga, teaching classes, running workshops and leading retreats. It allowed me to work in the way I believed in, where body and mind are viewed as inextricably linked, and reconnecting with our bodies not only helps us to rehab from injuries, we have the knowledge to prevent them in the first place.
A Life More Wild
In 2022, now with two children, Pete and I moved to the Scottish Highlands. There’s something about the wildness and welcome of this place that reflects and ripples through my work: a deep respect for nature, for people, and for the in-between spaces where real change can unfold.
In August 2024, we took on the lease of the K.I.T.E. Centre, near Dingwall. It’s an off-grid barn, bathed in peace and birdsong. It feels magical. From this space, I offer 1:1 consultations (in-person and online), weekly yoga classes, retreats and courses.
It’s a joy to share this work from a place that feels so alive and held by the land. Whether you join me here in person or online from afar, I hope the sense of space, permission, and possibility carries through.