It is good to meet you, thanks for stopping by.
I want to tell you a bit about my journey into Yoga and why I chose to become a Yoga Teacher. Make yourself a tea, get comfy and let me tell you some stuff.
When I look around I see a population in which people are waking up to the power and presence of who they are. I’m so happy to see gradual awakening, as it reminds me that we humans are all on a path together and I think that this life is a path which leads us to experience, discover and recover who we really are. Recovery is one of my ‘Whys’ at the heart of You’re Enough Yoga.
Something else I see when I look around is a population grappling with stress. Stress can cause anxiety, depression, despair and also untold amounts of conditions for the physical body. More and more research is exposing before our very eyes the impact which stress can have upon us, upon our whole being of mind, body and spirit. You may like to have a look at the writings of Dr Gabor Mate on this topic. Stress exacerbates chronic and festering ailments like Irritable Bowl Syndrome, Acid Reflux, Migraines (which I used to suffer terribly with) and also lingering aches and pains around the body.
Stress also triggers one’s potential for addictions, PTSD and Eating Disorders. I have suffered with all of the conditions I have mentioned. Yoga has helped me recover. I am not saying to that Yoga is a cure, but I am saying that Yoga is a path which can help us to heal. Yoga can help us to recover who we are, I know this because Yoga helps me walk the talk that I am enough. You too are enough just as you are.
I struggled with Yoga when I first went to a class, over ten years ago. My mind would race and I felt clumsy and out of place. There seemed to be a new and more complicated instruction from the teacher coming at the class every two seconds and I left feeling more rattled then when I turned up! I didn’t give Yoga another chance until I had hit rock bottom from Anorexia Nervosa and there were some big challenges in my life.I have a friend who has been teaching Yoga for a very long time and on one of my darkest days, she offered to come to my home and teach me some relaxing yoga which she said would help “take the edge off” and let me feel calmer. I trusted her and so I said yes to her generous offer. Looking back, this was one of the most important Yesses I’ve said in my life.
This one to one yoga lesson was soft, calming and to my relief, minimal instructions were given. My friend covered me with a blanket at the end of the session to let me rest and receive the relaxation of Savasana, which is when you lie on your back to chill out at the end of class. I had never ever felt so at home and at peace with myself. For a few moments, life felt simple and that there was nothing to do, other than be. It is one of my greatest delights to be able to teach one to one yoga myself now.
Since that day in 2014 I gradually developed my Yoga practice. I tried many styles of Yoga to see which felt like ‘my yoga’ from the regimen and sweat of Ashtanga Yoga to the stillness of Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep). I definitely encourage people to try various styles of Yoga to see what you like, and once you’ve found one style you really like, you don’t even have to stick to just that style. It’s good to mix things up. That’s how I found my yoga practice and the style in which I teach.
My teacher training course focused on Hatha Yoga (more about Hatha here). This medieval form of physical yoga practice very much informs my teaching style and my holistic approach to life. Hatha Yoga is about experiencing and uniting opposites so that they body can experience many sensations, all of which promote wellness, vitality and enable the body’s relaxation response to awaken. When we cultivate the relaxation response by dedicating small amounts of time to practise resting we are giving ourselves chance to re-align, regroup and give body and mind the break they so desperately need. Rest is not a luxury to be earned. Rest it a priority for alleviating stress.
As well as teaching Yoga, I am a practising Reiki Master/Teacher. I founded my Reiki business, Reiki Renge (pronounced ren-gay after the Japanese for Lotus) in 2017 and I regularly see clients for Reiki appointments. I also teach the spiritual system of Reiki to students. The beautiful Japanese system of Reiki is a path which points us in the direction of our true selves, much like Yoga! Blending the traditions of Yoga and Reiki means that my own practice is dedicated to unifying mind, body and spirit which everyday peels back another layer to let the authentic self shine. The more I peeled away (habits, addiction, unhelpful thinking) the more I became acquainted with my true self. The true self is enough.
I teach Yoga because when taught with patience and compassion, it is an accessible practice than can let people feel good. I want YOU to feel good. When we feel good, our stress levels decrease, when stress levels decrease our body’s can move from protection mode into the growth zone. The growth zone is where healing happens and feelings of wellbeing and relaxation occur. The cell biologist Bruce Lipton PHD writes at length about the importance of relaxation as a catalyst for allowing our bodies to recover from anything from PTSD to low level anxiety. When we feel at home with who we are, when we feel we are enough, we can thrive.
No more not enough, no more too much. You are enough just as you are.
Let’s Thrive Together.