Yoga is a practice for mental and emotional health as much as physical and everyone can practice yoga in a way suitable for them.  Our needs change over time and we can adapt our yoga practice to support our spiritual growth.  

Drawn to yoga to quiet my mind and bring balance into my life,  I found it worked! I decided to teach yoga to help others access the same tools to improve their own well-being. Change takes time and is a an ongoing process and although everyone's path is unique. Here is part of my journey.

Hot Yoga
In 2013, I completed the Hot Yoga Teacher Training at Absolute Yoga Academy. I liked working in the heat and the asana practice helped me to calm my mind as well as strengthening my body and giving me confidence.

Going with the flow
After teaching hot yoga at Forty Degrees hot yoga studio in Amsterdam for a few months, I decided to try the popular Astanga Vinyasa system as developed by P. Jois. This led me to practice Mysore style in Amsterdam. Early 2015, I completed a training at Delight yoga to deepen my understanding of the Astanga Primary series.

Trauma-sensitive Yoga
Of the many workshops and shorter trainings I have completed over the years a training on how to teach trauma-sensitive yoga has been impactful. In June 2015, I completed the Trauma Center Yoga Program training with David Emerson. Research carried out at the Trauma Center shows that yoga techniques can be adapted and used to support the well-being and transformation of people who have gone through deeply traumatizing experiences in their lives. 

 Vinyasa Krama Yoga -- going back to the source
In November and December 2015 I took a 100-hr advanced teacher training in Vinyasa krama with Srivatsa Ramaswami, a pupil of Krishnamacharya for over 30 years . As well as asana and vinyasas, we practiced pranayama (breathing exercises) and yoga for the internal organs. Overall this training focused on using yoga practices to address the specific needs of individuals. We studied the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, which included an overview of the goal of (Kaivalya or spiritual freedom) and the means of attaining the goal as explained in the sutras, translated by Ramaswami, word by word, chapter by chapter. Then, in January 2018, I returned to India to follow Ramaswami Srivatsa's course in the ancient philosophical text, Samkhyakarika. I continue to train with Ramaswami Srivatsa when the opportunity arises. 

Yin yoga - a modern approach to a gentle practice
Yin yoga is becoming increasingly popular, and after practicing this totally different yoga style, which blends mindfulness, functional yoga, and where poses are held long and patiently to stress bones, ligaments, tendons in a healthy and regenerative way, I followed a Yin and Anatomy training with Anat Geiger and Marcel de Vis. 

Integrated approach to wellbeing with yoga

In July 2019, I followed a professional training at Svastha Yoga on integrated yoga practice which brought together the most effective aspects of traditional yoga and ayurveda combined with modern practices in healthcare. I learned a skill-based approach, empowering the person seeking guidance to use yoga as prevention in an integrated practice towards well-being. This programme was led by Gunter Neissen. which allows me to grow as a yoga teacher, having at my fingertips general principles to safely and effectively address disabilities and ill-health through yoga and help people move away from pain to well-being in their lives. So far I have done one module specifically working with the upper body, thoracic spine, shoulders, neck, arms and hands.

As well as giving Art Awake workshops to help people recover their creative passion, and guest yoga classes, I currently teach Hot yoga, Flow yoga, Yin yoga and Vinyasa Krama Yoga at Hot Yoga Eindhoven.