Anna Taylor, Yoga Therapist, Mindfulness Instructor
I began practicing yoga 20 years ago in a bid to cope more
effectively with the stresses of busy London life and work. As the
years passed and I continued to reap the benefits I was increasingly
drawn to passing these tools on to others. In 2008 I headed to India
to train in Hatha yoga and returned to London inspired to teach. A
desire to continue learning and developing led me to train in Vinyasa
in 2010, however, I soon realised that it was the therapeutic aspect
of yoga that interested me the most.
Having undertaken various intensives with Bo Forbes (a
psychotherapist and yoga therapist who draws on restorative yoga,
mindfulness and neuroscience) I knew this was a path I wanted
to follow. I enrolled onto the Yoga Therapy Diploma run by Yoga
Campus and later the Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion into
Professional Practice qualification with MindfulnessUK. Both courses
Mindfulness & yoga teaching
Three yoga teachers share their experience of mindfulness and the benefits to
themselves, both personally and professionally, and how it has helped their students
paved the way for me to teach yoga in a way that follows my heart -
with an emphasis that we are teaching individuals with all their joys,
complexities and challenges, and not just teaching poses.
I have gained so many benefits from mindfulness myself; meeting
myself with a more balanced awareness, gaining insights into my
own tendencies, savouring life’s joys and meeting my own challenges
with greater compassion rather than self-criticism.
I now weave mindfulness and compassion through all my teaching:
group Yin and Vinyasa classes, one-to-one therapeutic work, as well
as offering a regular six-week mindfulness and compassion course.
The response from students has been so positive, a reminder that
we all sometimes need support to access connection, calmness and
compassion.
As a teacher I am more present with my students as well as in my
own life.Yoga & mindfulness special