ve been practising yoga since I was in my early twenties, over 20 years ago. I first trained to teach in 2014 at The Yoga Room in Dublin with Ciara Cronin and Tony Purcell, both of whom have had a significant influence on my practice and style of teaching.
I then trained in Pregnancy and Post-Natal Yoga at The Elbow Room, also in Dublin, with the wonderful Melissa Curtis.
I'm currently taking advanced-level training with Tiffany Cruikshank's Yoga Medicine and loving every minute of this rigorous, evidence-based course of study.
Over the past seven years, I have taught several classes per week in the mental health departments of Dublin hospitals for both in- and out-patient services. This experience has been formative to my personal teaching philosophy and to my desire to make yoga accessible to people who might never before have considered practising yoga or meditating.
In addition to these classes, I’ve taught students in various studios, corporate spaces, outdoors and in their own homes.
I found yoga at a local gym while I was at university. The first classes I took were ashtanga vinyasa classes. I had always loved to move and right away this way of moving seemed to work for me. I increased my flexibility but I also acquired greater stability and body awareness. Quickly, I fell in love with the synchronicity of movement with breath.
The asana practice (linked physical postures) became my moving meditation, which helped me to calm myself and improve my ability to focus.
In my late twenties a non-yoga related injury forced me to stop practicing asana entirely for several years. Yoga helped me to recover from this injury and when I did I practised ashtanga, vinyasa, power yoga, Bikram yoga and restorative styles.
I’ve practised through two pregnancies and post-natal periods. I credit yoga with helping me to cope better with birth and recover faster afterwards. Plus, my practice helps me to manage the trials and everyday frustrations of motherhood (and to recognise the abundant joys!).
I’ve taught lots of different types and levels of yoga, from gentle mindful movement to fast-paced vinyasa but there is one thing that links all of my classes - breath. Breath awareness and movement with breath feature in every class I teach, because how we breathe matters. If we can breathe better and meditate for just a few minutes regularly we are better able to cope with whatever life throws at us.
I want to help my students become strong, not just physically strong but mentally resilient too. Strength takes work but sometimes the hardest work involves becoming softer, more gentle and finding ease.
I am passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone because I believe that each and every one of us can benefit from the tools that yoga provides us with, if we make the practice our own.
