Amanahbody is a classically rooted Pilates studio based in Leeds, North England

A rare, intentional space devoted to the original Contrology method.

Drawing from the foundational work of Joseph Pilates, and Clara Pilates the practice honours the body’s innate intelligence: the kind we carry from the moment we arrive in the world.

Amanahbody brings this depth of lineage to the North intentionally, and with reverence.

The word Amanah

In Arabic, means trust, integrity, and responsibility.
In Islamic tradition, the body itself is an Amanah a sacred trust from the Creator,
to be tended with care, dignity, and gratitude.

Amanahbody carries this philosophy into movement:
to treat the body as a gift, to move with purpose, and to remember the wisdom already within.

The body already knows.

It remembers how to crawl, reach, rise and how to recover.
Through Contrology, it learns again to trust itself.

The Method

Through the full Classical system, Amanahbody supports clients to:

  1. Strengthen the body uniformly.
  2. Restore alignment and vitality.
  3. Invigorate the mind.
  4. Elevate the spirit.

Founded by a classically trained teacher in the Jay Grimes lineage.
Amanahbody is committed to preserving the method with depth and clarity.

Amanahbody is a quiet, curated space for intelligent movement, restoration, and return housed within a fully equipped Classical Pilates studio.

Trust the body. Honour the work. Move with integrity.

The Apparatus

Amanahbody is equipped with classical Contrology apparatus built to traditional specifications.

Handcrafted by a small number of highly respected makers, the apparatus reflects the original engineering, dimensions, spring tension, and craftsmanship developed by Joseph Pilates to support the method and its progression as intended.

The resistance profile, carriage depth, and geometry are calibrated to preserve the integrity of the method and the experience of the work.

Founder - Shamz

Shamz is the founder and guiding teacher of Amanahbody.
Her studies began in Personal Training, later deepening into NeuroPilates under Heba Abdel Gawad, Clinical Pilates, and finally the linage Contrology | Pilates  method  trained under Susanna Foustok and continuing mentorship with Gloria Gasperi within the Jay Grimes lineage.

Continued education has been a lifelong endeavour for Shamz one that quite literally gives life to her work. She remains devoted to studying with great teachers across the linage, believing that the practice of Contrology is an ever deepening craft: one refined through humility, observation, disciplined practice and continued learning.

Founders note

I am devoted to sharing the magic of Contrology | Pilates  with everyone.
To me, the method is an intelligent tuning system teaching the body to move as a whole while creating space within, so that one may do life better.

Amanahbody was created from my heart.

From the progressive membership to the membership-only access to redeeming the ‘try out’ class everything here is carefully curated with love, intention, and thought, so that you can learn the Pilates movement philosophy successfully and feel both challenged and supported within the work.

I am so excited for you to try all the apparatus in the system from the small, mighty Toe Corrector to the towering Guillotine.

Movement is the language of trust

Amanahbody looks forward to gradually growing its teaching community with teachers who embody the studios ethos of linage, continued learning, and dedication to the craft of practice and teaching.

Thank you for trusting me with your bodies.

Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.

Joseph Pilates