My Journey into Yoga Therapy

Spring and Easter representing new life and new beginnings and for me a new chapter in my yoga journey starts on Thursday. I'm very excited and also terrified! I've haven't done any studying on this level since my degree and that was a very long time ago, back when you could still submit handwritten essays! So I'm embarking on a two year Yoga Therapy diploma with The Minded Institute. A place where Yoga meets science, and is used in theraputic ways to support individual health and wellbeing. There is an increasing body of research evidence that supports the benefits and efficacy of yoga, encompasing asana, pranayama and meditation. I'm sure many of you come to yoga class because it makes you feel good, but do we truly know why and what is happening in our bodies and minds to make us feel this way?

So the science nerd in me is going to revel in this course and I can't wait to bring this knowledge and learning into our classes.

Yoga's origin is in scientific study into the workings of the human mind and body, 2000 year old texts explaining the importance of self-study, self-realisation and ultimately self-transformation. Yoga, meaning "union" recognises the connection of the two and how they can influence each other and the power within this relationship. As we apply some of these methods and principles in a modern mind body context, supported by robust scientific research, it opens up so many more opportunities for yoga's theraputic use.

I started my yoga journey in my early 20's, mainly because Madonna did it, I didn't like running and I wanted to do something healthly for my body. That's all I was looking for, and I kept going back. I didn't achieve a body like Madonna's, but I did unexpectadly find a tool that helped me through life's day to day stresses, a challenging career, relationships, motherhood and huge change. Yoga and meditation were my constants. Even if I'd had a rubbish day at work and just felt like going to bed and shutting the world out, dragging myself to my yoga class was the best tonic.

So in 2016 when the opportunity came and the timing was right to train as a Yoga Teacher, I just knew it was the right path for me. Now it's 2021 and here I am at the start of a new exciting part of my journey to be a Yoga Therapist, using all that I've learnt and experienced along the way and delving deeper into what Yoga can do for us and how it can support our overall health and wellbeing. Let's do this!