MY YOGA
JOURNEY
I have practised Yoga for over 20 years and found a deep sense of clam, grounding and connection through the practice.
In more recent years I found that the connection with myself had diminished and I was no longer listening to my body as I raced through my busy life at a break-neck speed, until something did break! I found myself incapacitated with a herniated disc, sciatica and unable to move.
I had ignored the signs for years; the inability to stand/sit in one position for more than a few minutes; accepting my norm was to be laid up on my floor periodically each year; nerve damage; constantly taking painkillers. So after years of warning signs and my body SCREAMING at me, it finally had enough.
It was only after this a very difficult recovery that I started to listening to my body again, and that is when I decided to become a yoga teacher. The irony is not lost on me that at the point my body was at its weakest and most fragile, I wanted to teach one of the most physical and demanding disciplines. However, I learnt that yoga is much more than a physical practice, it is still, mindful and accepting of our needs and abilities in each moment.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
A YOGA TEACHER
My injuries have shown me that we do not need to be the instagram-able long-limbed person to practice yoga, nor do you have to be able to achieve the full expression of each posture
(asana). You need to have patience, calmness, commitment, acceptance, understanding and love.
I'm honoured to work with individuals who want to use yoga as self-care practice, or who want to use Yoga as a healing modality, which I truly believe it is.
As a Coach, Yoga speaks to me as it provides a system of complete holistic Wellbeing for the body, mind and emotions. I focus on alignment and strength of the spine as the literal backbone of life (especially as I neglected mine and now acknowledge its importance beyond anything else).
I am deeply fascinated by the connections within the body; physically, energetically and emotionally, and working in this way we can locate where we hold our past, our emotions, our traumas, our beliefs and our values. Which then allows us to release the things that are holding us back and build upon the things that align with our true selves.
What I have learnt through the study of yoga and anatomy of the nervous system has influenced my coaching practice and helps me to take a holistic 360 approach. The links between our emotional, mental and physical health are key and must be approached collectively.
Where other modalities might benefit you, I will always signpost to these alternatives.