I approach each class with an open mind, and am fully aware from my own experience that the ‘traditional’ pose is not always realistic.  Despite years of practice, there are some poses that I will never be able to do, and I am a teacher! I take a functional approach to teaching, if you are unable to touch your toes, it could still be the case even after hours of practice, it may become more comfortable trying to get there and I encourage a respect for your physical limits.  Our bodies are not made the same or equal, even the difference between morning and evening in the same person can be staggering.  My emphasis is on a safe and enjoyable practice using props and offer modifications/variations to the traditional poses.  I try to teach with common sense, a sense of humour and everyday language and am always happy to answer questions.

Given my love of the outdoors and my Yoga Hikes business, I have gravitated towards teaching yoga to active and outdoors folks, runners, cyclists and climbers but yoga is a great thing, it can be adapted and delivered to any audience.  I have had 1-1 clients of all ages, all looking for different things from their practice.  I am also a big fan of taking rest, and in the last few years have taken up more restorative and yin yoga (the slow type of yoga where you stay close to the ground) and have bought this into my teaching as we all need to pause and rest.  To complement this, I also teach a more moving practice in the mornings as we are always seeking that balance between the yin (slow) and yang (more dynamic) forms so my morning and evening classes are very different. As our bodies age, a different focus may be required for maintaining muscle mass and bone density and yoga, particularly the standing poses, can help with weight bearing, coordination, mobility and flexibility.

My Approach to Teaching Yoga