I first tried yoga in 2003 as a way to manage lower back pain and, to be honest, I really hated my first few classes. Even though I was fit and had done competitive gymnastics and ballet for many years, the yoga postures and language were completely foreign and I felt really uncoordinated. I didn’t like not knowing what the sanskrit terms meant, how to move my body into the right shape or what came next and felt pretty lost.
I was really tempted to just throw it all in and go back to my comfort zone at the gym. Thankfully I persevered, joined a beginner’s course, and got one-on-one guidance from some wonderful teachers. Slowly it all started making sense. I began feeling more comfortable and enjoying my yoga.
I kept practising on and off for several years, enjoying the physical and mental challenge of learning new and increasingly more difficult postures. I would always feel more relaxed and energised after class but was really only using yoga as part of my physical training routine. That is, until some fantastic, senior teachers introduced me to other aspects of yoga – meditation, philosophy and breathwork. Through their guidance I discovered the holistic benefits of yoga for fostering greater awareness and insight.
To be honest what I discovered about myself wasn’t always pleasant. Once I was more attuned to my thought patterns and emotional responses, I soon found out lots of things about myself I really disliked. I discovered my habit of always wanting to be right, my fear of looking like I didn’t know something I thought I should, my tendency to boost my fragile ego by proving myself through overwork, my desire to change others and try to control situations. I can’t say I’ve mastered all those bad habits – it’s a daily practice – but I’m certainly more aware of them now and able to more quickly recognise and modify my behaviour. Meditation has definitely helped me find more space to pause before I react to situations.
In 2016 I became a yoga teacher because I wanted to share all the benefits of yoga I’ve discovered with as many people as I could. I truly believe if more people do yoga, the world can be a kinder, better place.
Graduating from my first 200 hour teacher training was like graduating from kindergarten. I felt so excited with all my newfound knowledge but realised how much more there was to learn. It was like a whole new world had been opened to me. Since then I’ve kept learning, doing more training every year and going to as many workshops as time and money allows.
Over the past 14 years my yoga practice has taught me more resilience, compassion and optimism. I can now face my relationships and the challenges of my life with more authenticity, openness and acceptance and for that I’m grateful. It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I’m looking forward to the next chapters.
Inner Compass Yoga 