Training again- constantly learning on and off the mat!
Its been a busy 2023 for many reasons, but from a yoga perspective, my passion and enthusiasm to learn more has kept my busy, grounded and connected.
In March I traveled to D’Alijo retreat centre near Porto for a week of advanced meditation training with my teacher Dhugal. I met so many like minded people, learned so much around the subject of meditation - namely the Neiijing Tu (the chart of the inner landscape). There were many ‘ah ha’ moments, laughter, tears, sleep and incredible food too!). My meditation practice is solid, and I have been so lucky to be able to share this with you in classes and workshops. The Daoist philisophy is based on that of simplicity - pairing things back to reveal the true self within, without all the layers that we cover ourselves in.
It reminds me of a book title by Gary Bishop - Un@£%k Yourself - Get out of your head and into your Life. On my list to read!
One of the biggest take home messages for me was just this!
The Tao Te Ching (formative Chinese Philiosophical text) - talks about the ebb and flow of life and the 3 jewels of Taoism -
Compassion, kindness, love
Moderation Simplicity, frugality
Humility and Modesty
I always feel its important to allow learnings to settle a little before teaching, so only recently added the wee 5 minutes of meditation into class - this isn’t long, but it is great starting point especially if you have never meditated before.
After a busy summer I am now entering the final stages of my breath therapy training, having just submitted my case studies for marking ahead of certification if I am successful.
Breathing is a fundamental part of yoga - known as pranayama. In recent years we have seen an influx of trainings, some of them even appearing on the television. There are so many courses out there which focus on upregulation of the nervous system, but I felt it was really important to choose a course that offered both, after all, a healthy nervous system is one that can cope well with both up and down regulation.
I intend to offer breath assessments on a 1 to 1 basis as well as some group sessions, which are lovingly called Breathe Braw, in 2024.
The last 2 trainings of 2023 are Aromatherapy for Yoga teachers - which has been useful, inspiring and eye opening. Oils need to be used with caution and are not necessarily suitable for all. Look out for roller ball mixes in Coorie Christmas this year - with one to take home!
Yoga for Osteoporosis will be my final training of the year - I really wanted to add this to my portfolio as it particularly complements the Menopause Yoga training that I undertook in 2020.
As I often mention in class, its YOUR body, YOUR yoga. I am a facilitator that holds space in a safe manner to allow you to experience what is right for you. Classes are prepared with care, with a specific theme so that you can enjoy the session and hopefully leave feeling relaxed, often with a wee bit extra knowledge about the world, and most importantly, yourself - isn’t learning what we do every day after all?