OM_Yoga_UK_-_February_2017_

Why did you start yoga

I came to yoga as a way to deal with the death of

my dad. I didn’t want to be at home and, needing

something to distract myself, I started going to the

gym every night, and then to a yoga class outside

of the gym; I loved it and began to take yoga

classes every night instead. Then a friend took me

to a mindfulness class at a studio near me called Yoga

at the Mill in Chelmsford (where I now work) and it was incredible. I felt such a deep sense

of peace afterwards, I just knew yoga was something I wanted to share with everyone.

When my practice began to deepen and I started to understand the asanas and the

anatomy, I began to ‘feel’ my body all the time – I knew when I was tensing my shoulders

or jaw. I could feel myself breathing!

How has yoga changed your life?

After months of seeing my dad fight and lose his battle with cancer, yoga was an hour

to myself where I could switch off and slowly begin to heal. I applied for the 200 hour

intensive yoga course with the amazing Simon Low and his Yoga Academy. Two years and

four months later I quit my day job and took the plunge to teach yoga full time and work

with my best friend on our business The Sphere (facebook.com/thespherebrentwood).

Favourite yoga haunts

My yoga teacher (Lucia Cockroft) asked me to help at her retreat a year ago and I

could participate in classes. We were in legs up the wall in a beautiful converted barn

with big glass walls and all I could hear was the call of two owls. It was one of those

moments were you are aware that you are alive, and breathing, and everything was

so overwhelmingly beautiful and peaceful I cried! Another favourite place is the studio

where I work and practice. I’m usually early, so I roll my mat out, eyebag on, and take an

extra five minutes Savasana!

Best yoga moment

I have two (I’m sure there will be more!). The first when Lucia asked if I wanted to teach

at her studio. I couldn’t believe she was asking me to teach yoga to other people paying

to come. I’m so grateful and thankful to her for believing in me and giving me the

confidence to say to myself, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’ The second was when I graduated from

the Yoga Academy. After two years - and mostly hating anything to do with anatomy(!) -

I’d finished. I stood there with my certificates thinking ‘oh my god...what do I do now?’

Anything else

Taking the steps to hand in my resignation to a job that paid the bills, to now teaching

what I love, was terrifying but I am so thankful and grateful that I did. If you love it, then

do it. Nothing, except yourself, is holding you back. My favourite saying is this: “Once you

make a decision the whole universe conspires to make it happen.” That’s pretty incredible.

YOGA

CHANGED

MY LIFE

Don’t hold yourself back says

Sophie MacDonald

NAME: Sophie MacDonald

AGE: 28

OCCUPATION: Yoga Teacher,

Juicer

YOGA YEARS: 5

(teaching for three)

om beginnings

druyoga.com

[email protected]

20% off

retreats in

Snowdonia

Use code

omfeb

offer ends 28 February

Yoga Dance 27–29 Jan

Yoga & Mudra 3–6 Feb

Ayurveda, Tailored for You 3–5 Mar

Ayurvedic Cookery 10–12 Mar

Meditation Retreat 10–12 Mar

Yoga & Walking 31 Mar–3 Apr

Yoga & Walking 26–29 May

Yoga & Weight Loss 2–4 Jun

Yoga, Nutrition & Detox 14–16 Jul

Youth Summer Retreat 2–6 Aug

Yoga & Walking 3–6 Aug

Yoga, Nutrition & Detox 1–3 Sep

Ayurveda to

Balance Hormones 17–19 Nov

Dru third page.indd 1 19/12/2016 13: