I'd like to first welcome you again to my website and thank you for dropping in on this page to learn a bit more about me. I wanted the website itself to be all about helping you, so I decided to make a blog of my "about" section instead.
Here's my yoga journey...the short version!
I've always been interested in yoga but never got to study and practice until I found out I was pregnant back in 2002. It started off as a prenatal exercise and quickly became a passion.
I started learning everything I could but had doubts because, I didn't have the "yoga body" and all the arm balances and inversions felt so intimidating. Plus, I was busy with other aspects of life, mainly in my corporate career, and wondered how I could fit this new passion in my limited every-day living.
But I still wanted to become a teacher and realised my yoga passion revolved around these principles:
How to attain maximum benefit while keeping the body safe in its alignment, muscle engagement and joint articulation;
How to take the challenges I encountered on the mat, off the mat and into my head space;
That I could be who I was physically [40-something, round and had a mommy-belly] and still be an effective, engaged and mindful yoga practitioner;
How to fit yoga into my busy life; and
How can I help others who are in the same body, heart and head space as I was do the same.
A few years on, I still believe in these ideals and they have influenced my sequencing system and style of teaching.
Backgrounds and all that!
Here's my Yoga Teacher Training.
Level 2 Yoga Australia Registered Teacher
500Hrs Advanced Diploma in Yoga Teaching with Australian Yoga Academy
120Hrs Masters of Yoga with Australian Yoga Academy
Certificates in Pranayama, Ayurvedic Healing, Vinyasa Teaching and Meditation.
I also have the following in continuing professional development:
80Hrs non-contact Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga© Training with Sadie Nardini with 20 -hour Certificates in
Evolution Teacher Training
Revolution Yoga Anatomy Teacher Training
Total Transformation Yoga Teacher Training
The Journey Teacher Training
...in addition to 15Hrs non-contact Yoga Shred© Training, also with Sadie Nardini
I also have 75Hrs Level 1 YogAlign® Teacher Training with Michaelle Edwards and currently close to 200 hours in various workshops and teacher training.
My teaching focus - deconstructing and demystifying yoga
I believe in deconstructing and demystifying yoga. This means what you'll get from my classes are practical instructions, clear language and relatable implementations of poses and flows. You will get modifications to the poses and are encouraged to choose your options.
Even in an in-studio class, I would always say that while we, as the human species, are all the same, we are also all unique. A variation of a pose for one person may be unattainable for another for a number of reasons. This is why I always encourage you to choose your pose.
My instructions for the physical class is also reflected in my blogs and videos. I aim to demystify and ground yoga philosophies and thinking in mindsets or mind-shifts that make them relatable in our modern life. I even talk about enlightenment as something we can experience and live everyday.
There are a lot of information and content on my Mad Yogi website and you are invited to take your time to look around. Come back when you need to, do a class, have a read or a listen and enjoy!
...for those who are curious (and because I was asked this question) I live in Melbourne, Australia.