Conventional therapeutic approaches and the normal gym training was only making the problems worse so, when he first came across the movement practice, he had nothing to lose.

"They were taking this approach of stealing tools and perspectives and concepts from all these different disciplines and it was working for me," Emerson said.

"I eventually got out of that situation where all the other approaches weren't working."

After this life-changing experience with the movement practice, Emerson decided to open his own movement studio in Canberra. It was the first of its kind in the capital.

Emerson founded Praksis three years ago, starting with classes in his backyard and local park, before opening a studio in Phillip, and then relocating to a larger space in Campbell, one-and-a-half years ago.

The movement practice takes tools from a range of different disciplines such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi and martial arts, and combining them to create something that aims to improve the relationship one has with their body.

"It is less about muscle gain and weight loss and even fitness, and more about 'Can I have a more full experience of my body?'," Emerson said.

The classes attract a wide range of age groups, with participants in their 80s taking up the movement practice.

One of the key groups attracted to Praksis, however, are people like Emerson who are trying to heal injuries or chronic pain.

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"Often it's people who are quite young and they want to increase their quality of life, or it's people are a little older and they've done a lot of different things that haven't worked," he said.

"They're coming from that place of injury and fear of the body. They've done some things that caused pain and now they're worried about everything. It's a powerful change to have happen in your life.

"I always use the example of if you have a headache, and your partner is like, 'Hey, how you doing?' you're not the best version of yourself. You're not going to go, 'I'm great. I've got this headache and that's a separate thing, but I'm doing great'. Injuries can be like that, especially people who have chronic problems, or just discomfort."

As well as the usual classes, Praksis is running free come and try classes in Haig Park on Wednesdays at 7.30am until the end of January as part of the ACT government's ReNewYou program.

The program will bring free exercise classes into the city centre, monthly.

"We're instead trying to use these morning sessions just to energise and ease into the day," Emerson says.

"Perhaps you woke up and you didn't feel like going and training hard, and we're trying to help you feel a little bit better so you slowly ramp up the energy from a place of sleep to a place of 'I'm ready to have a good day."

Go to Eventbrite to register for one of the ReNewYou Praksis classes. For more information go to praksis.com.au