I am Davey Johnston, a competitive cyclist, racing for a local cycling team.

I am also a cycling coach, mountain bike leader, and mental health first aider.

I first came to Yoga as a way of helping me cope with my depression and anxiety. 

I soon realised that Yoga provided me with a perfect system to understand and manage my mind and body from all of the challenges of modern life along with the stresses and strains of riding and racing my bike.

As well as the benefits of increased muscle and joint strength and stability, Yoga also improves our flexibility which is key after spending long hours on the bike. 

That added flexibility can also allow us to recover faster after training.

The added awareness that Yoga gives us into the effects of our breath, and the ability to control that, allows us to stay relaxed and focussed even when making really big efforts in a sporting environment.  

I have found that Yoga gives me the tools to help me look after my mental health, whether that be as a result of my mental illness, stressful situations, or even just dealing with pre-race nerves.  

As athletes we are frequently using the same groups of muscles in a repetitive way,  often without a real understanding of how that can cause imbalances; leading to discomfort and increasing the risk of injury.

My Yoga class aims to bring some much needed balance back into our bodies; making sure that we look after those key muscle groups that support and propel us through our sporting endeavours, but also caring for and nurturing the mind and body as a whole, so that we can be happy and having fun as we take on whatever the world has in store for us.