the yoga den
For as long as I can remember I have loved movement and using my body to the
full. My mum said 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 since then (aside from a few maternity
leaves). I am currently on a career break from 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 in 2005, 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 as 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 finally began training as a yoga
teacher in April 2016. I live in beautiful East Lothian, Scotland, with my
husband and our 5 children (the twins arrival in 2018 was a bit of a surprise to
say the least!), so family life is a full-time job in itself and finding time
for my own personal yoga practice can sometimes be a challenge. The last few
years have been an intense period of my life, with all the demands of a large
young family, and also having cared for, and lost, both of my parents within
just a few years. My yoga practice is truly what keeps me grounded and balanced.
It helps me to negotiate all the ripples, waves and storms of life with
acceptance, clarity, strength and peace. I opened The Yoga Den, in the gorgeous
and friendly village of East Linton in July 2020 - perhaps not the best year to
open a new yoga studio, but we made it through covid! When I qualified as a yoga
teacher, I only ever intended to teach a couple of yoga classes a week, to have
my own studio feels like a bit of a crazy dream! I am so happy that other
amazing teachers & therapists can join me in providing this healing space to
serve the community of East Lothian, and beyond.
