Welcome to Yoga Debbie’s Yoga
A place to find calm, strength and equilibrium
Not just any yoga, this is mindfulness and movement for the world today, so you can forget the fancy pants, the perfect poses, and the zen-like images you see online.
This is about learning techniques to unclench your jaw, release tension and remember to actually breathe amidst the chaos of busy schedules, ever increasing bills and frustrating times. Whether you want to manage stress, gain flexibility, build strength, or simply find a more balanced, joyful approach to life, I’ve got you.
Be it group yoga classes from just £10 per class in Woodford Green, dedicated attention in one-to-one yoga sessions (I cover Woodford, Wanstead, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell and Loughton), or a personalised program designed just for you. I have the skill set to help you breathe and move, and to find more peace, balance and joy.
In case you’re wondering – Equilibrium simply means “balance”. When we talk about mental and physical equilibrium, we mean a mind and body that’s strong, flexible, and free from pain and disease.
Life is a balancing act: between our work and play; relationships and “me-time”; spending and saving; letting loose and knuckling down; we’re constantly pulled in different directions, with little time to take care of ourselves.
Eventually, we get that familiar feeling of being “off-balance” and disconnected from ourselves, which is where things start to go wrong.
The ancient practice of Yoga—which combines meditation and movement, and brought us the more modern practices of Pilates and mindfulness —is designed to restore that connection between you, your body, your mind and your life.
This is equilibrium.
About me
“Yoga Debbie” – a bit of background
I could go on about myself and all the hundreds of hours of training in different styles of Yoga and whatnot, but the best way for you to find out about me is to meet me in person for a class.
Of course if you’d like to read up about me first … I came to Yoga in the late 1990’s with ongoing back pain. In hindsight, I was totally disconnected from myself – numbing my pain, squashing my feelings, ignoring my intuition, and not taking good care of myself.
Back then, yoga was becoming better known, with Madonna famously swapping her weight-training regime for Ashtanga Yoga. Talking of her approach to fitness, she said:
“Yoga is a metaphor for life. You have to take it really slowly. You can’t rush. You can’t skip to the next position. You find yourself in very humiliating situations, but you can’t judge yourself. You just have to breathe, and let go. It is a workout for your mind, your body and your soul.”
It wasn’t the words that inspired me even though that is exactly it, but it was Madonna, and I was constantly in pain so I gave it go. Little did I know then the transformation yoga would create in me— not overnight, and not just in my body; but gradually, with consistent practice, I started to gain mastery over my thoughts, emotions, my energy, and how I respond – rather than react – with the world.
After practicing Yoga for ten years, I trained to gain a Diploma in Yoga with the British Wheel of Yoga – one of Britain’s longest-established schools, and I’ve been teaching since. Expanding my training to include different styles of Yoga, Pilates and Mindful Meditation, with a focus on practice as part of a wider wellness, stress-management and holistic health programme.
I love nothing more than sharing my knowledge to help you empower yourself to take your wellbeing into your own hands. So you, like me can use Yoga and Mindfulness to help keep yourself happy, well balanced, and connected to the deeper wisdom within – no matter what is going on outside.
About stress
What it is, what it does, and how to manage it
In the beginning: fight and flight
Stress is your natural response to emotional or mental tension. Back in the times when we hunted and foraged for food and were pursued by hungry predators, this response prepared our bodies to fight or take flight. Stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, trigger physical reactions that energise and ready your muscles while slowing other parts of your body that aren’t necessary for sprinting or taking a swipe in your moment of need.
Stress in our times
These days, our stress comes from a wide range of sources, including our jobs, relationships, living environment, finances, physical and mental health. While the danger may not have sharp teeth or claws, our bodies respond in the same way regardless – our blood pressure rises, our muscles tense, cholesterol and blood sugar spikes, and over time, if we don’t manage our stress, it can make us ill, with symptoms including:-
- muscular tension, joint stiffness and chronic pain
- insomnia and fatigue
- depression, anxiety and burnout
- inflammation and immunosuppression
- chronic disease and accelerated aging
While it’s not possible to live a stress-free life, it is possible to manage your stress so it doesn’t make you ill or, worst case, kill you.
Yoga, Pilates, Mindfulness & Meditation
Managing stress the healthy way
There are as many ways of managing stress as there are causes of it, and not all of them are healthy. Treats that cheer us up and chill us out aren’t always there, and if they are, we can over-use and abuse them, which makes things worse, and can even spiral into dependency and addiction issues.
Healthy techniques for managing stress address its symptoms directly. Exercise releases feel good hormones and lowers blood pressure; breath-work regulates our nervous system, heart rate and brain chemistry. Awareness practices help us to recognise and deal with stress as we encounter it. You can use Yoga, Pilates, Mindfulness, and Meditation for all these practices and benefits.
A couple of classes cost far less than a night out, without bloating you, giving you a hangover, or making you hate yourself.
Start your journey – join me on social media, sign up for my newsletter (links below), and get in touch to book a session or design a personalised programme to manage your stress and find more equilibrium.