For as long as I can remember I have loved movement and using my body to the full. My mum says that I never walked anywhere- I cartwheeled.
Physiotherapy was on obvious career choice for me, and I qualified as a physiotherapist in 2001. I have worked as a physio in the NHS for the last 15 years (aside from a few maternity leaves). I love my job in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where I mainly work on the medical wards, helping to get (often older) people back on their feet after a period of illness. For all the shortcomings of the NHS, it is a wonderful organisation and one which I am proud to be a part of.
I began attending yoga classes about 10 years ago, and I immediately enjoyed the classes; the physical postures reminded me of the gymnastics I had done as a child. Although I remember being a bit mystified when the teacher kept telling us to "breathe"... I thought 'well, of course I am breathing!' It wasn't until, after a couple of years, I had a few months out of going to classes, that I noticed my mind started racing, I wasn't sleeping so well, and I realised that yoga was having a bigger impact on my whole life than I first thought. And that maybe there was something more to all this 'breathing'?!
So I started taking my yoga practice a bit more seriously and I began training as a yoga teacher in April 2016 and qualified in January 2017. The course was amazing and I am so excited that I am now beginning to share this life-changing practice with others, hopefully many of whom will be coming to yoga for the very first time.
My aim is to encourage as many people as possible to give yoga a try, especially the ones who think yoga is 'not for them'. It is not about being bendy or stretchy. It is about getting to know yourself better: your body, your mind, your emotions. And once we get to know ourselves a little better, we can start to accept ourselves (and others) for who we really are.
I hope that my classes are challenging yet fun and leave you feeling energised but calm.
Hopefully see you on the mat!
