Yoga is an ever evolving journey . . a path of transformation, where we can but grow and improve.
I started on this journey when I was a young teen. It was fascinating to see my stressed and knackered parents coming home from an evening class energised and giggling once again. Books on mum’s shelves whetted my appetite and I explored asanas at home.
It was when I was working in London in my 20s that I really started taking yoga seriously. I was supposedly living the dream working in tv, but the reality was quite a nightmare. Yoga provided real solace and sanctuary. I loved how my body and mind could feel. And I loved finding great teachers.
After a couple of years of naiivity and exloitation, I left the tv industry and retrained as a therapist. Qualifications in Counselling, Hypnotherapy, NLP, Kinesiology, Reflexology and Healing enabled me to help people. My desire to help make this world a better place, so thwarted by the egos in televison, could be met in this more intimate way.
Throughout my 30’s yoga helped me walk the talk as I worked as a natural health therapist. ie not complementary, not alternative but natural. Apart from seeing clients, I led workshops, gave talks and wrote a guidebook on Natural Health for my local region. During this time Meditation became more and more important to me too. Doors of perception opened and gifts of guidance materialised.
In my 40s I discovered to my great delight that yoga wasn’t just about asana or meditation. It was deeply inspiring to find that the mind.body.spirit modalities I’d been practicing for decades had their roots in this ancient science. I trained as a yoga teacher and before long had thriving classes in the city of York, way before yoga was on every street corner. Workshops and retreats followed as a matter of course.
Training didn’t stop. I undertook further indepth study in Therapeutic Yoga. Here I could combine my work as a therapist and teacher with individuals as well as groups.
Other teachers: chant master Muz Murray, Restorative queen Judith Lasater, activist David Sye, genius Bill Wood further nourished and informed my practice. Mandala Yoga ashram gave me a solid base from which to explore yogic wisdom shared over millenia.
In my 50s I was invited to join the board of the York faculty of Yogacampus, one of the UKs leading Yoga Teacher Training organisations. It was great to co-lead 5 groups of trainees and to grow as a trainer myself.
Now, having joined the 60’s club, life has well and truly begun. I am finally beginning to really understand what yoga is and how to live it. I have a book in me to write and my own Teacher Training course to develop. And in the meantime, between classes, clients, workshops and retreats there is a love of being out in nature to celebrate.
This is where yoga really comes to life.
