Why Yoga?
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. BUDDHA
Yoga has become incredibly popular in the UK in recent years. The practice is rooted in Indian Philosophy and closely related to Buddhist philosophy and the practice of mindfulness. Traditionally the teachings of yoga were passed down one-to-one from teacher to student with the emphasis on spiritual growth. As yoga has become more popular in the west much focus has been placed on just asana or postures, taught in larger classes, though these days there is a style to suit absolutely everyone, from a slow, relaxed class based on mindfulness and gentle movement to rest and recharge batteries through to a strong workout style dynamic class which will get you sweating and feeling shiny and invigorated.
Yoga and Me
Yoga has been the common thread running through my life since 2001 and yoga in one form or another is always the place I return to when I want to feel that I am ‘home’. I have been teaching since 2008 having trained with Yogacampus in London and I later qualified to teach pregnancy yoga with Nadia Narain at triyoga. My practice is influenced by various styles and I have trained with some amazing teachers including Jeff Phenix, Mathew Sanford, John Scott, Tias Little and Anna Ashby.
Since 2011, working with women during pregnancy and postnatally as they start their journey into motherhood has become the core of my yoga teaching, all the more so since the birth of my daughter in 2012 where I was able to draw on wisdom from various teachers and practices from yoga to hypnobirthing to mindfulness. I believe that yoga is a powerful tool to support women by reminding them that they are designed for the natural processes of pregnancy, birth and nurturing their babies and helping them to stay focused on the present moment through strengthening, relaxation, and breathing. Transitioning into motherhood is a confusing time and there is a lot of conflicting 'advice' around which can very easily knock us off centre. I aim to offer a toolkit of techniques and information from which you can pick and choose to support you on all levels, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Finding Your Yoga
My regular classes and those for pregnant and postnatal women are based around asana (postures) but incorporate elements of all of aspects of yoga including pranayama (breathing), concentration exercises, relaxation or meditation and information about the moral philosophy of yoga. There is a focus on internal awareness and grounding as a basis for building strength and flexibility.
The beauty of it is that you can take what works for you – whether you want to increase your strength and flexibility or learn to calm the mind and reduce stress... or you may have a specific injury or condition that you want to work with or be interested in learning more about the spiritual side of yoga. I will adapt the yoga style to suit the student(s) in front of me whether I'm working with a group with an individual on a one to one basis.
I will encourage you to challenge yourself but also to tune into your needs and recognise when less is more.
Benefits of Yoga
Some of the benefits of a regular yoga practice are:
Yoga holds the key to finding space – in the physical body, in our breath, our thoughts and our connection with the rest of the world – inside the city and out of it.
"I have taken the breathing, the positions and the awareness into my daily life. Yoga now has an influence on me from when I wake up in the morning to when I go to bed. Yoga always puts me in a better place, more relaxed, more energized, more limber, less stressed." (Still Space Yoga Student, London)
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. BUDDHA
Yoga has become incredibly popular in the UK in recent years. The practice is rooted in Indian Philosophy and closely related to Buddhist philosophy and the practice of mindfulness. Traditionally the teachings of yoga were passed down one-to-one from teacher to student with the emphasis on spiritual growth. As yoga has become more popular in the west much focus has been placed on just asana or postures, taught in larger classes, though these days there is a style to suit absolutely everyone, from a slow, relaxed class based on mindfulness and gentle movement to rest and recharge batteries through to a strong workout style dynamic class which will get you sweating and feeling shiny and invigorated.
Yoga and Me
Yoga has been the common thread running through my life since 2001 and yoga in one form or another is always the place I return to when I want to feel that I am ‘home’. I have been teaching since 2008 having trained with Yogacampus in London and I later qualified to teach pregnancy yoga with Nadia Narain at triyoga. My practice is influenced by various styles and I have trained with some amazing teachers including Jeff Phenix, Mathew Sanford, John Scott, Tias Little and Anna Ashby.
Since 2011, working with women during pregnancy and postnatally as they start their journey into motherhood has become the core of my yoga teaching, all the more so since the birth of my daughter in 2012 where I was able to draw on wisdom from various teachers and practices from yoga to hypnobirthing to mindfulness. I believe that yoga is a powerful tool to support women by reminding them that they are designed for the natural processes of pregnancy, birth and nurturing their babies and helping them to stay focused on the present moment through strengthening, relaxation, and breathing. Transitioning into motherhood is a confusing time and there is a lot of conflicting 'advice' around which can very easily knock us off centre. I aim to offer a toolkit of techniques and information from which you can pick and choose to support you on all levels, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Finding Your Yoga
My regular classes and those for pregnant and postnatal women are based around asana (postures) but incorporate elements of all of aspects of yoga including pranayama (breathing), concentration exercises, relaxation or meditation and information about the moral philosophy of yoga. There is a focus on internal awareness and grounding as a basis for building strength and flexibility.
The beauty of it is that you can take what works for you – whether you want to increase your strength and flexibility or learn to calm the mind and reduce stress... or you may have a specific injury or condition that you want to work with or be interested in learning more about the spiritual side of yoga. I will adapt the yoga style to suit the student(s) in front of me whether I'm working with a group with an individual on a one to one basis.
I will encourage you to challenge yourself but also to tune into your needs and recognise when less is more.
Benefits of Yoga
Some of the benefits of a regular yoga practice are:
- Learning a toolkit of techniques to manage stress and anxiety
- Increased strength and flexibility
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Lower levels of stress
- Sense of calm and peace
- Deep relaxation
- Reduction in stress and anxiety
- Improved joint health and mobility
- Improved digestion
- Aided recovery from illness
Yoga holds the key to finding space – in the physical body, in our breath, our thoughts and our connection with the rest of the world – inside the city and out of it.
"I have taken the breathing, the positions and the awareness into my daily life. Yoga now has an influence on me from when I wake up in the morning to when I go to bed. Yoga always puts me in a better place, more relaxed, more energized, more limber, less stressed." (Still Space Yoga Student, London)
