About me
I have practised Yoga since 2001 and trained as a teacher with the Yoga Therapy & Training Centre and the Yoga Room in Ireland. I continue to study to deepen my understanding of this discipline. I am honoured to share the little that I know with anybody who wishes to explore the wonderful gift of Yoga.
My background is in Teaching, I worked for many years in Training and Development, specializing in technologies applied to learning.
I came across Yoga back in 2001, as I was looking for a way to release tension and to do some gentle physical activity, I found a Yoga class held locally and decided to give it a try.
I knew immediately that was the right choice for me. The mindful movements, the attention paid to how a certain posture felt in the body, the practices to slow down a constant racing mind, it all provided an opportunity to create space and freedom in the physical body, by stretching and strengthening it, and a way to explore stillness and the quietening of the mind in a world in constant fluctuation and overall it gave me a better awareness.
The passion for Yoga grew as I developed a daily self-practice, in 2007 I decided to enrol in a teacher training programme.
I got a 200-hour teacher diploma in 2008 with the YTTC (Yoga Therapy & Training Centre), in Ireland.
and completed a 500-hour teacher training programme with the Yoga Room , in Ireland, in May 2013.
In 2018 I got a 90 hour Pregnancy Teacher certificate with YogaGro.
In March 2022 I have completed a Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) Foundational Training with the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at Justice Resource Institute (U.S.A.)
About my classes
The word Yoga derives from the Sanskrit root “Yuj”, to join, and it means unity. One of the interpretations of this unity relates to regaining the lost harmony and union between the different aspects of our being – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, in this sense Yoga can be regarded as the oldest method for self-development and personal growth.
In its deepest meaning, Yoga is the union of the individual with the whole of the existence. Yoga practices are regarded as a tool to eventually experience this union, what is known as “self-realization”.
Some of the Yoga practices that we work with in our classes include physical posture work (asanas), breathing (pranayama), relaxation and the calming of the mind to prepare for our meditation practice.
The breath plays a major role in a Yoga class; proper breathing allows you to move smoothly between postures and keeps the mind focused. The minute you start to work with your breath, not against it, is when you will get most of the benefits from a Yoga class.
Yoga is a discipline that can be practised by people of any age and level of ability and you should remember that you are not being judged in a Yoga class.
We all have to work within our own limitations and strengths. My role is to make sure that you approach the practices in a way that is safe and appropriate to you. Emphasis is given to safe body alignment in all postures and this pretty much depends on one’s range of movement, mobility restrictions and even on the way that each body is uniquely built. So let’s set aside this idea that you should be able to “perform” a certain posture and that this should look a certain way, as all the practices that we do, including the asanas, are done with a specific purpose, which goes beyond getting fit and in shape, even though there are undeniable physical benefits deriving from Yoga.
There is no need to focus on the people around you in the class, instead approach the practices with an attitude of openness and self-acceptance. In this way you will be able to practice consciously and with awareness to create health, balance and joy.
About Yoganamara
“Na mara” comes from the Irish meaning of the sea.
I feel there is a natural affinity between the rhythmical movement of the waves in the sea and the natural flow of the breath, which is a key element of a Yoga practice. This imagery inspired the name of my website.
Breathing into wellbeing
“When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.”
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
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