JOURNEY.
Welcome to my space, where my two passions can sit side by side; Yoga and Photography
YUGEN // One of my favourite words; a Japanese concept which I thought linked both Yoga and Photography perfectly.
Yugen is described as a profound, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe. It doesn't describe beauty itself, but it describes the feeling that you have when you see something beautiful, hear something profound, experience something you can’t quite describe. Yugen suggests something beyond what can be said. But it’s the awareness of this world, this experience.
Within our Yoga practice, we aim to find that awareness - to be present on the mat. When I pick up my camera, I find myself in that same deep awareness of the world and space around me.
To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill. To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds…
I began my Yoga journey after being diagnosed with an acute anxiety disorder, finding the time on my mat allowed me to free myself of the worries and stresses, and offer me an escape to somewhere calming.
I fell for Vinyasa, finding myself creating sequences to transition from movement to movement and explore where the practice could take me. The more I immersed myself into the Practice of Yoga, the more I knew this was something I wanted to introduce and share with others.
In 2019 I studied at Samyak Yoga in Mysore, India, where I qualified as a Registered Yoga Teacher. The knowledge I gathered from the practice of asana, philosophy, and positive thinking continues to guide me not only in my classes, but with whatever I do and wherever I go.
I began Yugen Yoga classes tucked away within a small space above Spout Cafe in Leek, which gave me the boost to find a bigger space in 2020.
I opened my Studio in our beautiful little town of Leek in October 2020 . It was a challenging year to open but enjoyed taking on new challenges such as the online teaching world! The Studio is ever growing and has since moved within the same building to where you will find me today.
I love seeing the Yoga community grow within Leek and seeing the studio blossom with other local teachers becoming part of the space.
I aspire to teach a class that leaves students wanting to challenge themselves, as well as finding that element of escapism through movement and breath.
Remember, being ‘good’ at Yoga isn’t a thing, you get the benefits from practising it. The benefit of Yoga is that you feel better and have a better connection to yourself and the world around you.
Cathy
x