By Geni Ebbetts

I met Brigitte about 15 years ago, not long after she had qualified as a yoga teacher, when I attended one of her classes in Milton Keynes. I’ve been practicing yoga since I was 13 (which is a lot longer than 15 years), yet Brigitte’s teaching just resonated with me like nothing had before and that one class, even though I didn’t realise at the time, began my journey towards qualifying as a teacher. Brigitte trained initially with Anusara Yoga, a style renowned for its focus on good alignment and spiritual expression and she was until 2012, an Anusara Inspired teacher. She has so much knowledge and has studied with the most amazing teachers like Tias Little and Rod Stryker and is qualified to teach therapeutic, somatic and yin yoga, most of all she teaches from her heart! I have been so honoured for her to be part of my journey, I have studied with her both before and after I qualified and we have been students together, including many mad road trips to workshops and trainings with other teachers.

When it came to adding more workshops for teachers to our offer at CAMYOGA it was a no brainer for me, Brigitte had to teach them. I have attended all of the workshops that she will be teaching for us (to which she’s added even more detail since I did them) and can guarantee that you will leave each workshop with so much knowledge and so many techniques to use in your classes, I can honestly say that I use something that I have learned with Brigitte in pretty much every class I teach and have shared just a tiny bit of what I have learnt with the students I have taught on our 200 hour teacher training. The great thing about all the workshops that Brigitte is delivering is that they are totally experiential so you get to feel and understand why the techniques you’ll develop will help your students get the best out of your classes and keep them coming back to you for more.

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 Here’s what you can expect from each workshop:

USING PROPS IS USING YOUR INTELLIGENCE
May 11 - 12, 2019

You’ll use every prop imageable and probably a few you’ve never considered. Working in a multitude of asana you’ll discover how to use props in every situation to enhance your students practice. You’ll get to experience what if feels like to use props in so many different ways so that you can get it right with your students. A whole lesson on my beginners course was based on what I learnt in this workshop! Genuinely what you learn will change the way you think about using props in your classes. Book now.

HANDS-ON ADJUSTMENTS AND TRANSLATING ENERGY THROUGH TOUCH
July 13 - 14, 2019

Whilst my 200 hr course included some hands on adjustment techniques this workshop changed how I thought about adjusting students, with their permission, in my classes. It helped me understand not only when students will benefit from adjustment, but also which type of assist will work best on any given occasion. Book now.

A PATENT TO CHOREOGRAPHING CLASSES AND SEQUENCING TOWARDS AN APEX POSE
September 14 - 15

I have used what I learnt in this workshop so much – this really is a common sense approach to building vinyasa classes to a peak/apex pose. You’ll concentrate on an anatomical and energetic approach to fitting postures seamlessly together and your students will love it! I use this approach in all my classes and it never ever fails! Book now.

All of Brigitte’s trainings that I have attended have been so rewarding, she has a wonderful way of making you work really hard without you realising it. You’ll learn and laugh I promise!

How Yoga Can Help You To Thrive Through University

by James Downs

Moving to a new town to start university can be both an exciting and daunting experience. Presented with new opportunities to learn, grow and meet people from a diverse range of backgrounds, expectations can be high that our university years will be the time of our lives. But navigating the opportunities and demands of university can be a tricky business.

Whilst many appear to be living their “best lives” here in Cambridge, it doesn’t take much digging to uncover that student life isn’t always that rosey. The stresses of deadlines and exams can take their toll. It can become all too easy to sacrifice sleep, self-care and even our mental and emotional wellbeing for the sake of good grades. Finding a sustainable balance between the work you need to do, and the rest, relaxation and enjoyment that your body and mind need in order to function well, is key.

This is where yoga comes in. In my experience, yoga can be a great teacher - and not just of postures with strange Sanskrit names. Coming to Cambridge to study psychology and education, I found it almost impossible to juggle all my coursework alongside the many university societies I had joined through a tendency to say “yes” to everything. In the end, this lead to a relapse in problems with eating that I had experienced since my teens. Without looking after my health, it didn’t matter how high my marks were - it wasn’t going to be sustainable. 

I’d always wanted to try yoga, and had heard of CAMYOGA. I’d planned to give it a try, but that plan sat with me for around 6 months - there was always something more important to do than take time out for myself. But eventually, I made it to an open day. Setting foot through the door and stepping onto the mat marked the start of one of the most valuable learning processes I have ever undertaken. Whilst I was studying the mind and behaviour in the classroom, I was learning all kinds of new lessons about myself in the yoga studio. These have helped me to find balance, feel more comfortable in my own body and move with more ease in my day to day life - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.

Here are some of the things that practicing yoga has taught me:

• Letting go of an “all-or-nothing” mindset is key to finding balance.

  The yoga sutras talk about a balance between “effort and ease” when practicing yoga postures. But this is an invaluable lesson for life too. Trying hard and doing your best can be hugely rewarding, but it is never an all-or-nothing game. If we don’t take rest, we can get exhausted and burn out. If we think that anything less than perfection is a failure, we can get paralysed, judge ourselves harshly when we don’t meet expectations, and even stop trying. Yoga teaches acceptance, and working with where you are without the need to be perfect. This can be a great antidote to a perfectionist culture where our performance matters. In yoga, there is no performance, nor any competition - even with yourself.

• Self-care has to come first.  Self-conduct has a prominent position in the philosophical roots of yoga. The founders of yoga saw our personal code of conduct as intimately related to how we treat others, with principles such as non-harming applying equally to ourselves and those we encounter. The physical practice of yoga is never about getting into a posture whatever the costs - risking injury and exhaustion just to get the perfect handstand or split. The same applies to university life - getting good grades should never come at the cost of your health. Carving out a space where you can step out of the demands of study won’t cost you marks - it will give the body and mind a chance to rest, improving your focus when you need it. Self-care isn’t just an act of generosity to yourself, either. Looking after yourself gives you more resources to contribute to your friendships and share in the enjoyable parts of being at university too.

• Mindfulness matters. Being as attentive as possible to the present moment, without judgement or wishing things were different, is central to yoga. When on the mat, we try to notice when our minds rehash the day we had before coming to the studio - or when thoughts rush onto whatever we have to do after class finishes. When the mind is so active, sticking with our movement and breath can be so difficult. The same is true in other areas of life. For example, when working on an essay or project for university, it helps to be able to focus on the here and now, rather than mentally rushing ahead to all the other things we need to do. Letting go of the things you can’t control - whether that’s the way your hips are shaped or the grades you were unhappy with - helps. Many of us only go to uni for a limited amount of time. Learning to appreciate the present moment can help us to fully notice that experience whilst it is here. 

Whether you are new to yoga, returning to practice, or an experienced yogi moving to Cambridge,  coming to classes at Camyoga might just help you as much as it helped me. Finding balance might start with wobbling your way through tree pose. But over time, yoga can also help you find a way to balance university life - with all its challenges and rewards.

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Like many Yogis, my Yoga journey began as a physical practice. After watching a documentary called “Happy” I decided that I needed Yoga in my life and I took part in the ‘Bad Yogi 30 Day Yoga challenge’. From there I was hooked! I joined a local gym that offered Yoga classes and started doing some ‘Yoga Challenges’ on Instagram to learn new poses!

Fast forward a few years and I decided I really wanted to deepen my Yoga practice and use my teaching skills (I am a Secondary School Music teacher) to perhaps teach some Yoga classes!

I found out about CAMYOGA at the OM Yoga show in London - they seemed so relaxed and friendly and they offered a 2 week intensive course in  August, which fit my school holidays perfectly! I spoke to some of my Yoga teachers at the gym and they all spoke so highly about CAMYOGA’s reputation and high standard of training, so I knew I’d picked the right course.

The 2 weeks intensive training honestly changed my life. My understanding and love of Yoga grew so much and my mind was opened up to the philosophical and spiritual aspects of Yoga that made me realise Yoga is so much more than what happens on the mat. It opened me up to a daily meditation practice that I honestly feel has had a huge impact on my day to day life. I loved exploring my own physical practice and realising that there was so much ego involved that I needed to remove to really deepen and develop. But most of all, I was grateful for the opportunity to work with the wonderful people I got to know during those 2 weeks - I loved eating breakfast with them in the sun, hearing all about their personal Yoga journeys and teaching and studying with them. They were a truly wonderful group of people and I have loved following their Yoga journey since we graduated in November. I must add that I absolutely loved the assessment days! I enjoyed getting to be apart of everyone's assessment lessons,having the opportunity to talk about how our 6 week courses had been and to share our lesson plans / course outlines etc. I actually posted a vlog about my teacher training journey, which can be found here.

Straight after graduating in November, I had the wonderful opportunity to cover a few classes for CamYoga at the their Buckden site (now closed). The support and encouragement from some of the wonderful Jivamukti teachers I met there (Hakan and Andy!) really helped me to kick start my own Yoga teaching business. 

In January, I set up two local Yoga flow classes in my local area, using my 6 weeks beginners course I had planned as part of the YTT. After completing the course they wanted to continue their Yoga journey, so the classes have continued to grow ever since! I also took on a weekly ‘Sweat Yoga’ class at a local gym, and from there my name was passed around to most of the gyms in Northamptonshire area, which means I each week I cover a wide range of classes (including pilates inspired Yoga and Yoga with weights!) and to work with a wide variety of people with differing experiences and expectations of Yoga. In my school holidays (especially this summer) I have been covering 2-3 classes a day! 

I have also started to bring Yoga into my full time teaching job, from holding Yoga sessions for staff and students who are preparing for their exams, to doing assemblies on mindfulness and meditation. Leading 600 Year 9 and 10 students through a short morning meditation was a wonderful experience!

My favourite thing so far has been holding Yoga Brunch events. Myself and 16 Yogis spend the morning together moving the body through a themed asana practice, meditating together and finally digging into a tasty Vegan brunch! I’ve been lucky enough to find a wonderful, local, vegan catering company, Bharita, who have provided the most delicious post-yoga dishes, from pancakes to tofu scrambled ‘eggs’. It is a truly moving experience to see people coming together and sharing their practice with each other - there are always so many smiles and giggles! I am hoping to hold these events every 2 months and am currently looking into organising a mini Yoga retreat with a local glamping company. I am also looking forward to working teaching with the new HotPodYoga franchise that is opening in Northampton in September!

From a personal perspective, Yoga teaching and developing my asana / meditation practice has really helped improve my mental wellbeing. My job as a secondary school teacher and Head of Year was becoming very overwhelming for me and I would often end up crying in the toilets as soon as I arrived to work in the morning. Nothing had changed at work - my job has always been demanding, but I was just not coping with the demands any more. I was working a full school day and then coming home and working until 11-12 pm every night. I just felt so physically and mentally exhausted. After my YTT, I developed a consistent morning Yoga and meditation practice that helped me start my day in a calm way. My readings of spiritual and philosophical texts helped me realise that there is nothing more important that the present moment and it helped me accept and surrender to the fact that I may never reach the bottom of my to-do list at work...and that is ok! Spending some of my evenings teaching Yoga made me realise there is so much more to life than my job. I am actually busier than I ever have been before, with teaching full time and teaching at least 4 Yoga classes a week on top of this, but I possibly the happiest I have ever been! People I work with often say “How do you stay so calm?”!

I am so grateful for having taken the plunge into YTT and for the positive impact it has had on my life as a whole. I have had so many wonderful experiences in the short time I have been teaching and I am so looking forward to seeing where this journey may take me in the future.

by Marie Newton
Website
Instagram

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What does Yin mean?

Taiji Symbol

Yin and Yang came from the Taoism philosophy. Taoism believes living in harmony with the universe and working with the universe’s natural flow (e.g. rather than trying to be the best, try and be simple).Yin and yang are the polarities of a whole, the complementary opposites of dark and light, cold and hot, soft and hard, female and male that allow all things to come into being. They are the two sides of a coin. One cannot exist without the other. Yin and yang are the vibration of the universe, the energy that informs all life. Together they form Taiji (a.k.a. Samadhi in the eight-fold path of yoga): a state of bliss through infinite potential and oneness. See picture to the left for the Taiji symbol.

As you can see from the picture, Yin (Black) and Yang (White) are not opposites, they are relative to one and other. Where you find Yin, Yang will be there and vice versa. 

Yin yoga postures, as created by founder Paulie Zink, are used to actualize the energetic and mystical attributes of various creatures and to stimulate the transformational properties of the five alchemical elements, thus enlivening and harmonizing these qualities within the body and animating the primal spirit that resides within us all. Integrating the power and healing aspects of these energies will help to balance emotions and put one into accord with the true nature of our being.

Traditional Yin Yoga founded by Paulie Zink stems from Hatha Yoga, Taoism philosophy, martial art, Qi Gong and observation of the natural environment. He underwent years of demanding training and esoteric disciplines which he mastered. He has taught thousands of classes since the 1970s, claimed three martial arts grand champions, choreographed routines for music videos and movies and featured in many magazines, articles and documentary programmes (e.g. BBC series “Jerry Hall’s Gurus”).

Elemental Flow and Yin Yoga are both sequences inspired by Paulie’s playful style of teaching that aim to rejuvenate students. Paulie taught me Yin Yoga as he intended it to be, finding Yang within Yin and Yin within Yang balancing the five natural elements. Incorporating continuous, smooth and circular motions that promotes ease, fluidity and grace in the body. Working with both static stretching and dynamic stretching, students are given the option to flow and pause depending on their energy level. 

In both Elemental Flow and Yin we will move in a circle and enhance our linear forward and backwards one direction movement in traditional Yoga. We will face all directions that represent the five natural elements and honour each every time we find our circular transition: east wood, south fire, west gold, north water, mother earth and father sky in the centre. 

Each week, we will focus on connecting and balancing the five natural elements in both Elemental Flow and Yin Yoga. These five natural elements correspond with the five elements that reside within our own body, fire, earth, metal, water and wood; heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys and liver. The two yoga classes are designed to follow the five element meridian pathway and complement each other. Elemental Flow balance wakens the awareness of all five elements and Yin focusing in depth on one particular element and the corresponding meridian pathway. For example, you might find water warrior challenging; in Yin, we would switch the focus to channelling the water element in our body which we are in excess of or craving for.  

What is the idea behind Elemental Flow?

Elemental Flow is designed with an emphasis on nature.

Students are invited to develop a connection to the five elements found within the environment and within the body. Finding harmony between humanity and nature so that we can both thrive. Allowing nature to connect us to a larger system where we can come to terms with what we cannot control and simply follow the order of nature. 

By following the order of nature, we are giving up our false sense of control that social media and consumer advertisement is constantly bombarding us with. Giving up the false sense of control over the weather, time, environment, sound, smell, other people, other vehicles, etc. When we give up these false senses of control, we give up our expectation and starting to look inwards with clarity over our behaviour, mindset, body and breath. 

Jacky teaches Elemental Flow & Yin on Wednesday evenings at Mitcham's Corner. Click here to get yourself booked in and see her other classes.

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About the Author

Jacky Kuo

Like most of the people who come to a CAMYOGA class, Jacky started practicing yoga because something wasn’t feeling right (namely poor posture and stress). Despite her career in Psychology research there simply aren’t enough accessible solutions for better wellbeing other than a weekly evening Ashtanga Classes.

As a student and a yoga teacher, Jacky is passionate about dynamic and energetic practise that allow you to ‘empty’ your mind and focus on alignment that continue off the mat. Jacky received her BWY yoga foundation certificate in October 2013 with Cam Yoga and completed her Ashtanga Vinsayas Flow Teacher Training RYS 200hrs in February 2017 in India.

Journey to Pincha Mayurasana

Disclaimer - remember to practice at your own pace and listen to your body. If anything hurts or pinches, come out of the pose safely and rest in balasana (child's pose).

Pincha Mayurasana
pinca = feather
mayura = peacock

Pincha Mayurasana or forearm balance proves for many, to be a fairly elusive asana. It requires strength, core and shoulder stability alongside good balance and courage. But with a strong foundation and (of course) practice it may prove easier than you might think.

We asked CAMYOGA teacher, James Downs to show us how he gets into Pincha.
 

Pincha Mayurasana Step-by-Step

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1. Set yourself up by coming into Dolphin with a brick or block between the palms. (Dolphin is similar to Downward Facing Dog, but with forearms flat on the floor and parallel to the long sides of the mat).

Squeeze the brick with your palms concentrating on broadening and stabilising the shoulders. Push the forearms firmly into the mat which will enable you to lift the crown of the head away from the floor.

Build strength by taking 5-10 breaths in this posture and then coming back down into child's pose and repeat 2-3 times.

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2. Flash Prep! Remove the block and then from Dolphin lift the left leg high - keep the shoulders strong and your core engaged.

If you'd like to go further, start walking the opposite hand towards the grounded foot and maybe grab hold of the heel. Breathe deeply for 5-10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Try a balance: Right forearm presses firmly into the mat, left arm at a right angle palm pressing down (think chaturanga alignment). See if you can lift the right leg and use the left tricep (upper arm) as a ledge to rest your left knee on - right leg lifting high.

Try a balance!

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3. Once you've done your conditioning (previous steps). It's time to try the full posture!

Start with your solid dolphin pose, bend one knee and keeping the other leg straight do a couple of bunny hops to get the feeling of going upside down. This may be where you stay, but eventually, you'll feel more comfortable and maybe even get both legs straight!

If you're worried about falling, you can always try this against a wall (palms facing the wall) but be mindful that you're not overarching or banana-ing your back.

Another way to try this against the wall is with dolphin against the wall. Come into dolphin with heels touching the wall. When you feel stable here, place the sole of the left foot onto the wall - your body and leg at a right angle, then bring the right foot up to meet it. Try lifting each leg up and maybe both at the same time!

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James teaches regularly at CAMYOGA Central and Mitcham's - check out the schedule here.

Follow James
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Twitter @Jamesldowns
Huffington Post James Downs

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Name:  Ali Cellini

Hometown:  this should be a short answer question but it never is for me! I grew up in Kenya – a small town called Malindi, though now my family is all in Nairobi. That is home, but England has also always felt like home as I grew up partially (on and off) here!

Training background:  I trained at a school called Purusha Yoga in San Francisco, where we studied in the Raja Yoga tradition – focused on Hatha, stemming into versions like Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative. Studying at Purusha was amazing as Joy Ravelli, the head instructor and owner of the studio, has been training teachers for more than 20 years, and the breadth of her experience, and that of the other teachers there, gave us a really in-depth well-rounded view on teaching, anatomy and the history and philosophy of yoga – enough to know that we were only scratching the surface and there is always so much more to learn!

What is your favourite yoga pose and why:  Downward dog. Well there are a few... but I'm going to stick with downward dog. I love it. It is essential. It is place where you don't have a reason to forget any part of the body – in it I can be aware of all things, and the connection between all things, and simultaneously it is a place of great surrender. I can feel the ground. I can feel my spine's length. It is hard work and then also shifts into almost feeling restorative at times. In those moments it feels like home. The place to return to and feel like everything is right in the world. 

What is your least favourite yoga pose and why:  Hmmm, well I'd say that I actually kind of love my least favourite poses! For example, gomukhasana – cow face pose – is so very uncomfortable in my body, but it offers me the special practice of finding ease in a place of difficulty... and afterwards I always feel better for it. It's also part of becoming more self-aware, and noticing the things you really need (sometimes not what you're naturally drawn to). It's not about feeling good right now, but about the health and benefits (and perhaps good feelings in those) that come over time.

What is one of your mantras?  Something like "Let what comes, come." I think often , in some form, about releasing the hold on things and the idea of control. And letting what is going to be, be. We do what we can, but we cannot control everything. It's about being decisive and also flexible – committed, but fluid. Being here with what is right now.

Do you have a go-to practice to get you through busy or challenging times?  Music. In any form. I sing, so singing really helps me. But listening to music, being surrounded and engulfed by it, and singing – besides yoga, that has helped me through the most difficult moments and feelings. I could sit and do that for hours in times of sadness. I put the music on and am driven by it in times of busyness. With the right music on, I feel like I can do anything. And tea. And long showers. I find that anything that is a "pause," or that helps to slow down time, helps you in the long run because you realise that everything that needs to get done will, and everything else won't matter.

What can students expect from your yoga classes?  In yoga, I found the ability to clear the space, to not feel surrounded, to release – I strive to channel this experience to others. To me yoga is like a dance; it is an expressive bodily language, and in it we move and search for the "sweet spots". My practice and my classes exist around this opportunity for clarity and expression – they are focused, challenging but accessible to all, but above all they are fun and inclusive. You will hear a lot of music – mostly unexpected! – and you will be provided with a place where you can come as you are (intentional Nirvana reference...). I believe in hard work and creating heat (tapas) where it counts and has purpose, but balancing this with softness and ease.

Where did you last go on holiday? Did you take your mat? My last holiday was in December and was actually my honeymoon! It was in Malta, was barely planned and was a beautiful, unexpected surprise of a place. I admit I did not take my mat as I was specifically there to have a break from EVERYTHING – we walked, ate, explored, and slept 10 hours every night! My practice in that period was to fully restore, and I'd say it was a massive success!

Something we may not know about you…   Well, there are so many things... I am a big Trekkie. A Star Trek fan. Very big. I love stories in general, fantasy and science fiction above all. And I do not watch TV. But Star Trek is something I will always watch. Next Generation is my number 1. But is followed very closely by the Original Series and DS9. And yes, I have related many, many things from Star Trek to yoga ...and used them in classes.

Live long and prosper.

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Catch Ali teaching at CAMYOGA:

Monday nights 20.00 at Mitcham's Corner. Click here to book.

Find out more about Ali on her website here.

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You might have been wondering what a couple of our new classes are all about - Literary Vinyasa Flow and Literary Yin Restorative.... We are very excited to announce brand new classes with one of our most popular teachers, Jessica Lawrence, find out more below...

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NEW
Literary Yoga Classes

with JEssicA LAWRENCE

"Growing up I could never quite contain myself to single areas of learning; I was a certified bookworm with a love of foreign linguistics and a penchant for dissection and astronomy, with an intense sideline in ballet. I studied Classical Greek at university so that I could understand myths and verbal morphology better and then went to work in publishing so that I could read other people’s ideas on everything from Baedecker to bike couriering.

What I am trying to say is that I have always found the world to be too huge to avoid being multi disciplinary.

So I decided as soon as I knew that I wanted to be a yoga teacher that I would want some help along the way from voices far more eloquent than mine. Combining my lifelong love of literature with my classes made complete sense to me from the beginning; the basic principles of yoga and a yogic life are a blueprint for making the most of human nature - and human nature is what almost every piece of literature deals with. Bringing two of my disciplines together has expanded both for me and aids in communicating complex and subtle lessons to my students, with the help of the beautiful words of the world’s best and wisest authors and the greatest tool any of us has - our bodies. 

In my classes students can expect to explore elements of yoga philosophy, using novels or meditative non fiction as a thematic framework and the ancient wisdom of yoga and the physical manifestations of this in asana as a practical method of application.

The first of my Tuesday evening classes - Literary Vinyasa Flow is all of the above with dynamic, creative, dance-like flows and more than a bit of levity, because one thing I take from my multi-disciplinary approach to life is that nothing should be taken too seriously.

The second class - Literary Yin Restorative will use its slower pace and quieter mood to explore one short story or poem within each 75 minutes. Working somewhere between yin and restorative and building up to and down from one single vinyasa we’ll have the time and the space to follow and absorb a simple philosophy from a short piece of literature, using the words as a metronome for peaceful sequences of poses. 

My aim in life has always been to expand my understanding in every direction and I hope you’ll join me in my classes for the ride."

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Join Jessica for her NEW regular classes at Great Shelford

Literary Vinyasa Flow
Tuesdays 18:30
Book here

Literary Yin Restorative
Tuesdays 20:00
Book here

Can't make Tuesdays?
Jessica teaches a flow class every Sunday at Great Shelford. 18.30 Book here.

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CAMYOGA Bursary Student Leads Fight Against Eating Disorders

- by James Downs

I started attending CAMYOGA in November 2016, after a long time of telling myself that “I really ought to go back to yoga soon”. Although I had tried yoga years ago - at a very different point in my life - I would be the first to admit that my knowledge of yoga at this point was quite limited. In this sense, coming to CAMYOGA was the beginning of a whole new journey for me. At the same time however, it came with a feeling of ‘coming home’, returning to something I had a profound sense of connection with. 

Despite not really seeing myself as a yogi back then, I somehow had a sense of confidence and trust in the process of becoming a yoga teacher. As I started to go regularly to classes at CAMYOGA, it seemed as though something was slowly being revealed in me that had been there all along. With every pose I learnt, I was uncovering a greater sense of knowing that yoga was something that simply had to be a part of my life. 

Of course, the idea of becoming a teacher was a scary and uncertain one - would I be any good? Was my practice good enough? Would anyone come to my classes? These anxieties however paled into insignificance when I reminded myself of my long recovery from severe anorexia and bulimia since my mid-teens. My life-threatening struggle with eating disorders showed me that if I could cope with that, I could cope with almost anything. For many years, my eating disorder had ground me down and taken away opportunities, time and health. Now however, I took a sense of confidence from tackling such a difficult condition that I (and even the doctors who treated me) thought I would never recover from. Now I was ready.

I already had so many ideas of what I could do with my teacher training: so many ways in which I  could use yoga for the good of others. I had a strong background as a mental health campaigner, having organised events to raise awareness and funds for mental health. From charity concerts and vegan cake sales to political hustings and speaking in Parliament, it seems natural to me to use and share personal talents to make a difference. In the same way, I had benefitted from yoga myself, and so I wanted to share it with others, hoping that they might find it useful for their own wellbeing or even as part of recovery from an eating disorder. 

The CAMYOGA Bursary has helped make my dream of using yoga to help other people experiencing eating disorders a reality. All of the plans and ideas I had, as wonderful as they may have been, would simply not have happened without the financial support of the teacher training Bursary. Soon after qualifying, I organised a “Yoga Against Eating Disorders” fundraising event, where I taught a class in my home city of Cardiff, raising funds for the Service for High Risk Eating Disorders in South East Wales. They had saved my life, and ever since being discharged I have worked with them to improve the support for other people going through similar difficulties. Having seen first-hand the level of pressure on their resources, I know that the £1000 that was raised at the yoga event will make a huge difference. 

I believe that there is so much potential for yoga to help people experiencing all kinds of mental and emotional difficulties - especially where these relate to the relationship between mind and body and anxieties around body image. Of course, yoga can be used unhelpfully and we can punish ourselves by pushing into pain, comparing ourselves to perfect Instagram photos and reinforcing unhelpful patterns of behaviour. This was certainly how I encountered yoga for the first time, when I would push my emaciated body in intense yoga classes to the point of passing out or being asked to leave the class. Because of this, I am especially passionate about promoting ways of practicing yoga that are beneficial for our mental health. Practicing yoga in a very compassionate way is what has given me the confidence to use my own body to help others to learn, and helped changed the way I think about my body from something I once wanted to destroy to something worth nurturing and celebrating.

To try and help promote yoga as a therapeutic rather than competitive or punitive practice, I’m trying to take my own personal experience and beliefs about yoga into my campaigning and academic work. On November 17th I gave a presentation and lead a workshop on the benefits of yoga at a national eating disorders conference in Brighton, exploring issues such a self image, body dissatisfaction and exercise in relation to eating problems. This builds upon outreach events I have already done with the wider student body at Cambridge University, at my own college here, and through teaching at NHS England on World Mental Health Day. As a psychology student, I am hoping to further my connection with the Service for High Risk Eating Disorders as part of my Masters thesis, and have set up an honorary contract with the service to teach yoga on a 1-1 basis with patients. Watch this space!

What strikes me most when I look back on my journey into teaching yoga is how much I’ve relied on the support not just of myself, but of so many people around me. Yoga is all about connection, union, joining. I have been so lucky to have everything fall into place at the right time, and all the necessary dots join together to make becoming a yoga teacher happen. A fundamental part of this was the CAMYOGA bursary, which enabled me to learn from inspiring teachers during an amazing teacher training. It helped me to find the support of tutors and fellow trainees, and I have continued to be supported by CAMYOGA as a graduate. Of course, I continue to learn from my students every time I teach. 

The generosity of the Bursary scheme motivates me to be generous with what I’ve learnt. Having the chance to use my skills towards making a real difference to others - especially for those struggling with eating disorders - has been hugely rewarding. For me, this is an example of what yoga is all about. 

Namaste!

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1) How long have you been vegan and what inspired the change?

LEANNE: Just over a year and a half. I did a 21 day vegan detox designed by Sharon Gannon, just before I did the Jivamukti Teacher training and I felt amazing after (it was pretty challenging over the 21 days though). During the Jivamukti Teacher training you eat strict vegan diet and I decided to carry on from there. Ethically and morally, it didn't make sense to go back. As Jivamukti students and teachers we are very pro animal rights, and speaking up for the voiceless animals we will often talk about vegan diet in class.

2) As a yoga teacher you probably have a high energy lifestyle, do you find that your veganism supports that?

LEANNE: Yes, totally, I have more energy now than I used to when I ate meat and even dairy, to an extent (I've been veggie since 2011) and my digestion works properly now, plus I get a well balanced diet.

3) Do you ever crave meat or dairy products?

LEANNE : No I don't crave meat or dairy but I do miss Cheese, I use to eat ALOT, probably too much, cheese, whenever you go out to eat the veggie option is usually covered with cheese which is not ideal. However, I couldn't go back to eating meat or dairy and I don't feel the need too. There are really good alternatives on the market, if you look for them. I know some people say "why would you eat something that looks like meat but isn't meat" and I think if it supports you in your way of life then why not? I often have Linda McCartney vegan sausages with mash and veg, when I feel the need for something hearty.

4) How do your friends and family react to your veganism?

LEANNE: Hmmm tricky one..!! I think people struggle with change sometimes, to start with it was quite tough..but 2 Christmas's on as a vegan my friends and family are beginning to understand it a bit more. I think the not understanding is more of a challenge than anything, veganism isn't widely promoted therefore people don't really know what it is. I'm often asked what I can/cant eat as  vegan..my standard response is Vegan's eat vegetables! I think it has been harder for them to adjust than me but that's because they dont have the same yogic belief system as me (not that you have to be yogi to be vegan) but now they know what I can/cant eat and how to modify dinner for me they are cool, if all else fails I provide my own vegan goods when I visit. On the other hand, some of my friends like to see it as a challenge and enjoy cooking a vegan meal.

5) What is your favourite vegan treat?

LEANNE - I have two - dark chocolate, ive always got a bar in the fridge and Swedish Glace Ice cream, its soooo good you cant tell its soya and you can get it in most supermarkets now.

Leanne Jones teaches Jivamukti at Camyoga. Click here to view her classes.