"In 2011 I found myself having major spinal surgery, a mini stroke scare and am now left with a complex neurological invisible disability. Then I realised health isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach - just like yoga”
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"I found yoga in 2016 by accident after being told to avoid it due to my spinal issues. The medical advice I was given was not wrong, but just a lack of understanding about yoga and how inclusive it can be. I had been on my own deep healing journey for 5 years. A journey that took me from being a fit and athletic woman, who believed deeply in herself and pushed through psychological and physical pain barriers in work and sport, to a woman who can no longer exercise, work or live the life she visualised.
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The complexity of my condition meant that there was little to no medical support or advice so I found myself on my own, using self care as healthcare to find inner peace and purpose, despite a huge life change. I realised that working on my mind, my body and connecting deeply to my soul was key to finding health in a different way. I trusted my instincts when I came across a retreat in Spain and decided to go - despite the fact I had never done yoga and had been advised to avoid. The leader, Sharron, was a wonderful yoga teacher who taught me very quickly that yoga was much more than the asanas and not about pushing or forcing. She also taught me that there were so many types of yoga that I was bound to find one I could do.
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I joined my local yoga studio when I arrived home and quickly became hooked. So much so, that I am now a fully qualified Zen and Restorative Yoga teacher and have just taken my first retreaters back to the Spanish mountains were my journey began! Yoga has been a big part of my healing and helps with symptom control. It’s also given me a community that I lost after playing sport for many years. I love sharing it with other people who also want to heal, connect deeply with themselves and the Universe."
