Michelle and Yoga
I'm a travel , food , animal, nature loving, mother of 2 grown up sons who I love dearly - and I also love Yoga. I took up yoga following a long and at times stressful career in the NHS working in learning disability and mental health services.
I have always had an interest in the body , mind and breath connection and had used various psychologically informed practices during my clinical work as a nurse, behaviour therapist ,coach and mentor. Supporting clients , patients and staff to regulate emotions , find space and restoration through systematic relaxation and use goals and intention setting whether for professional or self development or as a means to find balance and harmony within the stresses and challenges of life and work.
Whilst I supported others if I'm truly honest I didn't prioritise me, this impacted my health and I began experiencing debilitating migraines which were in part related to hormonal changes linked to peri-menopause but were also significantly impacted by my work/life balance , the impact of parenting and just general fatigue. Prioritising. a yoga practice allowed me to focus on my body, mind and breath bringing home some of the mindfulness and wellbeing approaches familiar to me in my clinical career.
Yoga gave me an interval in my hectic life , a space for me , a time to rest and an opportunity to meet other amazing women and men. Guiding yoga gives me joy and brings a smile to my face - I look forward to sharing my love of yoga with you all.
"Joy is our nature " - Sudhir Rishi
I completed my yoga teacher training as I wanted to share my love of yoga with others.
Keeping it real : Yoga isn't about the best ' Instagram pose' or who can stand on one leg for the longest time - it's about finding what's right for you! so.....
I like to keep it simple and through a range of classes teach a yoga flow that's open and accessible , where all are welcome and modifications can be made to suit most needs.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra - The yogic sleep
Yogic sleep is a state between being awake and falling asleep. Just that perfect point at which our conscious awareness would slip into a dream state. Here we can access our subconscious mind in a very powerful way as well as imprint powerful suggestions such as our Sankalpa (goals).
The effect of yoga Nidra is varied as is individual to you. However it is known that yoga Nidra can help with improving memory , sleep and fatigue. It has been used successfully with people recovering from addiction , trauma and chronic pain. Yoga Nidra invites you to find a deep state of mental and physical relaxation, to let go of overwhelming or negative thoughts and begin to increase awareness of the subtle ; physical , emotional , breath.
Deep State of RelaxationUnder the guidance of an experienced teacher, you will relax your nervous system in the most powerful way available to humans without chemical agents. Once you reach this deepest state of physical and mental relaxation the mind becomes receptive to new concepts.–Armand Sagredo
Ayurveda
I'm on a long journey to training as an Ayurveda practitioner - Ayurveda being the sister science to yoga. This holistic science compliments yoga as it considers all aspects of the body and mind, senses and lifestyle to maintain good health, with nutrition , breath and movement along with other cleansing practices. We may touch on Ayurveda in some of the classes or workshops and I'm always happy to discuss further if anyone is interested.
Massage
Communication whether verbal or non verbal and making connections with others has been such an important part of my personal and professional life and individual person centred approaches has essential in working with people with trauma , autistic people or people with cognitive difficulties. Likewise the value of touch in bringing about physiological change , a sense of containment or acceptance, building relationships. Touch can reduce blood pressure and heart rate and help us to feel calmer and less stressed. Building on previous training I was drawn to Ayurvedic yoga massage , this modality bringing together all the components of movement, breath work and touch to help and support others.
Here you will find a lot more information abut classes , themes we are working with such as Chakras , videos.
