My Journey to Teaching

I definitely didn’t wake up one day and think I’m going to be a Yoga, Pilates and Barre fitness instructor. I wanted a career on the stage, performing in musical theatre. When I was 16 mum encouraged to get my first teaching qualification in Level 2 Exercise to music. I have always been confident, even at a young age and mum knew I would be able to lead a group of people in an exercise class. I found the practical easy, picking steps up quickly and choreographing my own routines, however I’m dyslectic and really struggled to complete the anatomy and physiology theory paper. On my 3rd attempt I was given a reader and at long last I PASSED! I just needed a little help. I then started collage and studied Musical Theatre. Whilst in college I started lifeguarding for a local sport centre where my dad taught swimming. I didn’t mind the job, but I knew it was not what I wanted for the rest of my life. Throughout collage teachers would say, “what is your goal Adriana, you need to prepare for uni” I knew in my heart Uni was not for me. I started to feel quite lost and experienced a knock in my confidence after an unhealthy relationship. I didn’t feel myself and was unsure who I was supposed to be. I took a break and went travelling. I worked 2 ski seasons in the French Alps. There’s something about the mountains that’s so peaceful and beautiful. I met some amazing people from all over the world, who are still in my life today. Between seasons I had my favourite adventure with my sister Charlotte. We travelled to Bali for a holiday of a lifetime. Bali is a very spiritual place with lovely people. We had so many incredible experiences including scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, seeing wild dolphins, visiting temples and even meeting the locals for a cooking lesson. I felt happy and regained my confidence, I was once again, full of energy and felt blessed to have these opportunities and experiences.  As part of the same summer, I went to Greece, which has a special place in my family’s hearts. We return to a little island named Poros every year. I feel I have spiritual connection with the island and the people. It was at the end of the summer, I decided to progress my teaching and get a Level 3 Pilates qualification. My mum had started her own business and I would be able to teach for her. I was able to start teaching Pilates straight after qualifying and then with my ETM and ballet training, I was able to start running barre classes for mum and other studios. I loved teaching and it was suggested I train as a Yoga teacher but I was not sure, it had never really interested me and the spiritual side scared me. In the summer of 2018 I started my Yoga journey. I learnt that Yoga is not a religion but a beautiful lifestyle, the spirt was nothing to be scared of but something to embrace and the physical practice (asana) was only one part of the practice created to help balance and understand the physical body. I felt as if light was shining down on me, filling me with purpose and guiding me into this new world of Yoga. I was ready to share the knowledge I had with the world and start working on my own practice. I started teaching more classes and found my lifeguarding shifts where clashing with my dream to teach full time. So decided to stop lifeguarding and to build a teaching career, this felt great. Doors started opening for me with other studios and I soon realised this is what I want to do full time. At the time, I didn’t have enough classes to earn a living and unless you know someone to introduce you, it’s not easy getting your name on the cover list to teach at new gyms or studios. I found out that the Fitness Industry is not always welcoming even-though we should be working together to build a network. I am currently teaching swimming, Yoga, Pilates and Barre Pilates, as well as managing a Yoga studio. I now earn enough to support myself.

I work every day although it does not feel like working! I still have time to improve my own practice and plan what I need for classes. I enjoy going to classes to continue to grow as a teacher and a person. I have an interest in crystals and wish to learn more about this Yogi world.

What have I learnt so far? That everything happens for a reason even if at the time you don’t see it and with each experience we become stronger and wiser. We are all on a path and the universe will guide us if we let it. Do the things that make you happy and stay connected with the people you love.

My next trip is to Thailand. I look forward to sharing my travelling journey with you.

Body, Mind and Spirit

Stones balance on a background of blue sky and sea. Concept of balance and harmony. Rock zen

This meditation is about connecting body, mind and spirit. Both Yoga and meditation can be used to help connect body, mind and spirt. This Meditation will work best, as you finish your Yoga practice. The connection of body, mind and spirt is about balance. Giving the same amount of time and energy to each. This meditation will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and what you need right now. You may find the mind takes over and will not allow you to connect with your ‘spirt’, if this is happening we need to allow more time for our minds to let go, and open to the idea of a spiritual connection.

Start by relaxing the physical body, laying on your back, in “Savasana” let your feet roll open and your arms rest at your sides. If you need extra support, you can place a pillow under your head or lower back for more comfort and bend your knees if you need to support your lower back. Once you are comfortable take a moment to connect with your breath. Allow your breath to flow naturally. Then scan your body, staring at your feet and say to yourself “my feet are relaxed” continue for the whole body. Notice any tension or tenderness, as you work your way up and allow these areas to relax and soften. 

Relax your mind, notice what thoughts are coming in and why? Picture each thought as a cloud and on your exhale allow it to float pass, let go of any negative thoughts and allow your mind to have peace. 

For your ‘spirt’, visualise a white light above you head, illuminating over your whole body. Try to connect with yourself outside of the physical body, see yourself as a second person and notice the glowing white light. Visualise your body, mind and spirt become one and feel the energy flow through you. Start to take deeper breaths and bring your awareness back to the physical body.

Sit upright, in a comfortable position and allow your worldly presence to focus again. Inhale reach your arms above your head, bring your hands to prayer, symbolising a connection to your spirt, lower your hands down to your third eye (the space between your eyebrows) symbolising your mind and then down to your heart symbolising your body. You can do this more than once, try holding your hands over any area that needs help balancing.

Waterfall Meditation

If you fear water and are not able to swim, you will need to imagine/believe that you can.  You will need to visualise yourself as a strong, confident swimmer and that you feel safe.

Water symbolises life and refection. Waterfall meditation is the perfect way to connect with the body as we are made up of at least 50% water. Water is very calming and pure. This meditation uses the beauty of water to help clear the mind and refresh the body. It helps with stress, anxiety, insomnia and letting go of any unwanted energy. This meditation will help to balance the Sacral Chakra ‘Svadisthana’ and will help you feel relaxed, joyful and will enhance creativity.

This meditation works best if you can hear or see water. Start by laying on your back, in “Savasana” let your feet roll open and your arms rest at your sides. If you need extra support, you can place a pillow under your head or lower back for more comfort and bend your knees if you need to support your lower back. Once you are comfortable take a moment to connect with your breath. Breath in and out through your nose, slowly lengthening and deepening your breath. On the exhale allow your body to relax and sink into the earth. Once you feel relaxed, allow your breath to flow naturally and tune in to the sound of water. How does water make you feel? What comes to mind when you think of water?

Keep your breath flowing naturally, on each inhale visualise a water droplet forming and on the exhale the water droplet falls onto your body. Where is the water drawn to and where does it fall? Do the droplets fall on one area or do they cover your body? When the droplet touches your body, it feels cool and healing. Soon the droplets start to form a river around you. The water is clear and sparkles in the sunlight. You bathe in the river; it feels refreshing and your skin begins to sparkle. You dip your face in the water, it is silent under the water and peaceful. Your start to swim down the river allowing the water to guide you. You come to a waterfall, it is beautiful, slowly getting closer and closer. Look into the waterfall, you see your reflection, do you like the person you see? Under your feet you notice orange pebbles. Pick up a pebble and wright something you need to let go of, to feel better in yourself; for example, ‘negativity’. Now throw the pebble in to the waterfall and watch as it washes away. Take a moment to think about what you need; for example, ‘love’ and ‘joy’. You begin to see these words form in the waterfall. You stand under the waterfall and soak up all the energy you need.

Bring your focus back to your breath. Start to deepen the breath, breathing into your belly. Place your hands on your belly and feel your hands rise and lower with each breath. As you inhale visualise breathing in the colour orange, this colour travels around your body and on your exhale stops at the Sacral Chakra. Now with each breath the orange colour becomes brighter. Stay here as long as you feel your need.

“If a drop of water falls in a lake, there is no identity. But if it falls on a lotus leaf, it shines like a pearl. So choose the best place, where you will shine.”

Richa Som