Who / what has been your biggest teacher?
So biggest teacher has probably been my body, mostly when it had to tell myself I’d pushed it too far. In my late 20’s I had post viral fatigue after glandular fever, I’d been working way too much as a mental health nurse and pushing too hard, my body had had enough and I had 4 months in bed, it sucked, but I’ve learned that less can be more since then. Me and my body are much more in tune these days, yoga has really helped with that. And a couple of injuries along the way to remind me I don’t have to go to my absolute limits. One of my favourite quotes to share is “if you listen to your body when it whispers, you’ll never have to hear it scream.” That!
In terms of people, Melanie Cooper has taught me SO much, she’s amazing. Luckily I met her only a few years into my practice and she taught me I could soften things including Ashtanga. She also really helped me to be more discerning, something I try and encourage others to do too, it’s so important to learn to listen to yourself and trust what you hear.
How has your practice changed over time?
My practice has softened a lot over the years, sometimes it’s strong, but sometimes not. I used to be very all or nothing with my practice, now I’m more something is better than nothing, this usually means I spend more time practicing than with my last approach as I’m not forcing anything.
What are you really vibing at the moment? Could be a pose, teacher, class, music etc
Right now I am LOVING inversions. A few years ago I injured myself and was told I’d probably not ever be able to do Pincha Mayurasana. So I never tried. Last week I was doing my yin practice and suddenly had the urge to have a go and much to my surprise I got into it! So I’m really enjoying playing with that and I love a good handstand. And a lot of Yin stuff for the hips.
Tell us about your relationship with Wild Wolfs? Can you share some of your favourite memories with us?
So with Wild Wolf’s, I saw them online and loved the look so I dropped them an email, way back when just after they’d opened doors.
I went along and met Jess & Steph, we bonded over our northern roots and the rest is history. I’ve been there over 4 years now and it’s always felt like a home from home. I have so many happy memories there, I’ve enjoyed teaching every single class, we often have a giggle which I love. More favourite times were when I’d come and do Jess’s lunchtime Yin on a Tuesday and then we would go and eat cake downstairs before the cafe shut, Yin and cake was an awesome combo.
We look forward to welcoming Rach back in the physical space later this summer <3