Yoga is a passion of mine and I have been practicing it for many years.
My first class was an Ashtanga yoga class. I had never done yoga before and was unprepared for how good I felt after it. Over time as I attended classes and started to practice at home, I began to feel taller, lighter and more spacious in my body. My breathing and fitness improved. In addition I had the unexpected boost of feeling more energetic and aware. The more I practiced yoga the more I wanted to study it more deeply.
I started to train as a yoga teacher with the Irish Yoga Association in 2002. The course was based on the Iyengar yoga training method and taught me about the anatomical structure of the body, the physiology of breathing and how to teach various types of yoga, from general classes to prenatal yoga and yoga for therapy. In addition we studied philosophy, meditation and Sanskrit.
My studies took me to India where I practiced yoga under the guidance of Lino Miele and understood the discipline and dedication involved in regular sustained practice. I then set up my own classes teaching Vinyasa and Dynamic Hatha classes in Dublin. My training finished in 2005 and coincided with the birth of my son. I practiced yoga throughout my pregnancy up until and during labour. I was amazed to witness first hand how effective deep breathing and meditation are for labour. I found that yoga really helped me to get back into shape physically and mentally after the birth.
I set up prenatal and postnatal yoga classes with the aim of helping other women stay fit, healthy and relaxed. My classes focus on keeping the body as open and strong as possible and there is a lot of emphasis on deep breathing and relaxation techniques for labour. It is always rewarding to hear back how breathing and yoga help in labour and postnatal recovery.
I now teach prenatal yoga, dynamic hatha yoga and meditation sessions and workshops. I have studied with Paul Dallaghan in Yoga Thailand, Donna Fahri, Godfrey Devereux, Danielle Arin and Bhante Wilme. It is a great pleasure to be able to travel and practice yoga with dedicated teachers all over the world. It is equally rewarding to practice alone and enjoy continuously learning.
In addition to my Yoga studies, I have an Hons BA in French and English and a diploma in Translation studies. I worked for many years as a translator and editor and now write freelance fulltime as well as run my yoga classes. I am glad I found Yoga when I did. It has given me a wider perspective on life and it helps me to balance everything.
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