Yoga
Yoga has been a part of my life for over 20 years. It started with the late-90s fad led by Madonna and Geri Halliwell. We all have to start somewhere, right? Yoga stayed with me through various videos, gyms, teachers, and to self practice when none of these were available.
In 2008 I found my teacher, Debbie Farrar. As well as forming a firm friendship, Debbie has guided me through the deeper, philosophical aspects of yoga. I’ve seen her style evolve and my own appreciation of yoga has evolved with it. She introduced me to meditation and mantra, tantric and Vedic texts. She has also taught me well in anatomy and physiology.
While I went through the (admittedly, self inflicted) pain of the separation, my yoga mat became my sanctuary. I threw myself into volunteering which helped to fill the hole in my quest for a purpose to my life, but was not perhaps suited to my skills. I completed my yoga teacher training, unsure as to whether I wanted to teach or just study for my own benefit. Studying yoga has increased my sense of connectedness between all beings. The knowledge that everything I do can and does have an impact on other people, even small things.
As I deepened my yoga practice of 20 years and finally completed my comprehensive yoga teacher training, the pieces started to fall into place. Around the same time I studied the science of happiness and wellbeing. A yoga workshop with teacher and osteopath Peter Blackaby was a lightbulb moment. He spoke about neuroplasticity in both our bodies and our brains and I realised just how much the science of yoga correlated to the science of happiness and wellbeing.
Yoga teaches me that the beginning and end aren’t the most important things, it’s the path we take. It doesn’t matter that my yoga journey started on the back of a fad. Yoga brings attention to the experience of the present moment as a place of quiet contentment – scientific studies show a direct correlation between our sense of wellbeing and whether we are paying attention to the things we are doing right now.
Yoga helps me find a balance between taking responsibility for my own actions and impact and being accepting that the world has many moving parts and that I cannot bend them all to my will. Like the ‘Serenity Prayer’, we have to change the things we can change, accept the things we can’t change and have the wisdom to know the difference. This includes self acceptance. But we can’t change anything until we accept the reality of a situation
My physical practice is gentle, methodical and sensible. It is not concerned with making shapes or contortion, but on how the body feels both at rest and in motion. We use repetitive movement to rewrite the neuro-muscular pathways and change the way we physically feel. The meditative quality of the asana creates space and peace in our mind.
I approach yoga and holistics from a scientific point of view. I’m not very “woo-woo” but I believe that a lot of techniques and therapies that are perceived as woo-woo should have a place in modern society to help people with their mental and physical health, direction and life satisfaction.
In studying both yoga and the science of wellbeing I have found many similarities, and that a lot of wisdom in the ancient teachings that can be applied to modern life. I like to take complicated concepts and simplify them for people to understand them more easily. I love to introduce people to the deeper concepts of yoga and show how relevant they are to their lives.
Classes and Teaching
Mat Yoga, Monday, 7:30pm, Tatton Community Centre.
Felicity’s yoga is nourishing and mindful, giving your body a chance to feel it’s way through to better motion, and your mind a chance to release from other thoughts as you listen solely to the sensations in your body and what your body is telling you. Adaptation is always available to simplify or challenge further. All abilities and experience levels are respected and accepted. Class ends with a blissful meditation to leave you floating into the rest of your evening
Private Yoga.
Interested in starting your own yoga journey? I offer 1-2-1 classes, online and in person at my yoga studio in Chorley.
