BASI-certified Instructors
Luma Pilates, in Edinburgh's New Town, is led by Lucia Poulter, a Comprehensive BASI-certified instructor with 26 years of teaching experience.
Three of our Reformer instructors hold comprehensive, full-apparatus qualifications – the highest tier of Pilates training available. This page explains what that means and what it looks like in practice at Luma.
What is BASI Comprehensive certification?
BASI stands for Body Arts and Science International, a Pilates training organisation founded by Rael Isacowitz and regarded as one of the most rigorous in the field. A BASI Comprehensive qualification is the highest tier of BASI training: it covers the full classical apparatus (Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Ladder Barrel and mat), requires substantial anatomy and kinesiology study, documented supervised teaching hours and formal assessment throughout.
It is not a short course or a module qualification. The comprehensive programme typically takes between one and three years to complete, and graduates are trained to work across the whole apparatus, not just on the Reformer.
BASI is one of a small number of training organisations whose comprehensive programmes are recognised internationally as full-system qualifications. Others in that category include STOTT PILATES and The Pilates Center Boulder. These are distinct from shorter Reformer-only courses, which train instructors on a single piece of equipment but do not cover the broader apparatus, anatomy or teaching methodology to the same depth.
Why the level of training matters
Pilates teaching is not a statutorily regulated profession in the United Kingdom. Anyone can call themselves a Pilates instructor regardless of their training background, which makes it difficult for clients to evaluate qualification claims without understanding the landscape.
The practical difference between a comprehensively trained instructor and one who holds a shorter Reformer-only qualification is significant. A comprehensive instructor has studied how the whole apparatus system works together, has a deeper grounding in anatomy, and has been assessed on their teaching across multiple pieces of equipment. That broader training changes how they read a client's movement, how they adapt exercises, and how they progress someone safely over time.
This matters most for clients working with an injury, a chronic condition, or returning to exercise after time away. It also matters for clients who want to develop a serious, lasting practice rather than follow a class format.
When you ask an instructor about their training, a confident and clear answer is itself useful information. A comprehensively trained instructor should be able to explain the programme they completed, the organisation they trained with, and what the qualification covers.
For a fuller guide to Pilates qualification levels and what to look for, see our article on Reformer Pilates instructor qualifications in Edinburgh.
Luma's qualified instructors
Five of Luma's Reformer instructors hold named-system qualifications from internationally recognised training organisations. Three hold comprehensive, full-apparatus qualifications.
Comprehensive qualifications
What does BASI Comprehensive mean?
A full-apparatus qualification covering the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Ladder Barrel and mat. Graduates complete substantial anatomy and kinesiology study, documented supervised teaching hours and formal assessment throughout the programme. It is one of a small number of internationally recognised full-system certifications, alongside STOTT PILATES Comprehensive and The Pilates Center Boulder.
Lucia Poulter, lead instructor and co-founder, holds Comprehensive BASI certification with 26 years of teaching experience across four continents. She teaches across the full programme, from Fundamentals to Level 3, and sets the standard for how Luma approaches correction-led teaching.
Anna Marchington is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher through the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP), an NCCA-accredited body and the leading national certification standard in the United States, with 20 years of teaching experience. NPCP certification requires comprehensive training equivalent in scope and rigour to BASI Comprehensive.
Agi Falenta completed a Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training programme and is also a Balanced Body Reformer instructor and a certified Pink Ribbon Program specialist in exercise for people affected by breast cancer. She has 30 years of teaching experience.
STOTT PILATES qualifications
Alex Sandgren and Julia Govan hold STOTT PILATES Reformer and mat qualifications. STOTT is one of the world's leading Pilates training organisations, known for its biomechanically refined approach and rigorous certification standards. Both Alex and Julia trained to a named-system standard on the Reformer and mat, and bring that grounding to every class they teach.
Classes and how to start
Luma's Reformer programme runs from Fundamentals through to Level 3. New clients start at Reformer Fundamentals: a beginners' class designed for people with no prior experience. Classes are capped at ten. No fitness level is required.
The introductory offer for new Reformer clients is three Fundamentals classes for £48.
If you have an injury or a specific health condition, email us before your first class so your instructor can prepare appropriately.
Key takeaways
BASI Comprehensive is a full-apparatus qualification covering Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Ladder Barrel and mat, with anatomy study, supervised hours and formal assessment throughout.
Pilates teaching is not regulated in the UK, so instructor qualifications vary significantly between studios.
Three of Luma's Reformer instructors hold comprehensive, full-apparatus qualifications. Lead instructor Lucia Poulter holds Comprehensive BASI certification with 26 years of experience.
Luma classes are capped at ten and every session is correction-led, with verbal and hands-on cues throughout.
New clients start at Reformer Fundamentals. The introductory offer is three classes for £48.