My Journey into Yoga
“It’s fascinating how yoga and meditation can positively improve mood.” An excerpt from my journal - 2018
I have been practising yoga on and off throughout my life, but it was eight years ago that I began practising yoga regularly, in fact daily. I had just hit 40, and I was feeling a little stiff, a bit dowdy and a little ‘old’. On a whim I googled ‘yoga for weight loss’ and the first item was a video with Adriene Mishler on YouTube, the now very familiar ‘Yoga with Adriene.’ I had a go at that video, and it was love at first sight. Immediately afterwards I felt taller, like I had more space in my body. The endorphins were flowing through me and I felt a sense of joy and peace. Now at first it was hard; I had not been working out or keeping fit at all for the past few years. The next day my entire body was stiff and sore all over, but despite this, I persisted. Day after day, a new video, and day after day it got a little easier.
Dedicating myself to my yoga journey
I signed up to a course with Adriene and became part of her online community. The more yoga I did, the more I wanted to learn. As it became part of my daily routine, I noticed the benefits that yoga could offer, and I felt like it was slowly changing my life.
I had spent my twenties and much of my thirties in a state of anxiety. As a primary school teacher, I was used to bursts of intense work during term time and then expansive days to fill during the holidays. I suffered from insomnia, anxiety about my health and of moments of uncontrollable blushing throughout this time. As I established a regular yoga practice, I saw these conditions of anxiety begin to subside. I began to feel much more grounded and content. Of course, yoga is not a magic pill that will cure anxiety or any other conditions instantly and every person is different. However, I have found that, for me, yoga cultivates confidence, strength, and calm both on and off the mat.
Furthering my learning & love of yoga
In 2015 I signed up for a foundation course with The British Wheel of Yoga. This course prepared me well for the teacher training that I would go on to complete. It offered a good grounding in yoga history and philosophy, alongside different forms of relaxation, breathing practices and meditation.
I am a dreamer; I dreamt of training to teach yoga for years before I finally committed to it. I felt strongly that I wanted to share the benefits of yoga with others. I did my 200 hour training with Bristol School of Yoga and the course was perfect for me as it was a weekend only course. Part of the reason it took me so long to get around to signing up was because I could not see how I could fit my training in as well as continue to teach in a school. Despite Covid, I completed the course in September 2020. It was an amazing journey and a dream come true. I met an amazing community of women and we have continued to support each other on our path as fledgling teachers.
Yoga is a lifelong journey
It feels to me like yoga is a lifelong journey. I continue to learn, to study, to think about the ways in which I can share this practice with others. I hope to inspire my friends, family, and community to begin to move their bodies with intention, connect to breath and to begin to cultivate a sense of ease, of calm into their lives. I hope to inspire YOU to meet me on the mat soon!