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the yoga phenomenon
Scottish yoga teacher's |
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There has been a massive rise in the popularity of yoga in recent years. In America it is huge, with many yoga centres in every state, and is the first choice for people seriously wanting to keep body and mind healthy. Now the same interest is being widely embraced in the UK. Said June "It's interesting to see that this summer, for the first time, we have the excellent American 'Yoga Journal' on the shelves of our largest High Street newsagents whereas up til now you had to send to the States for it." Wanting to 'find a balance' is becoming a priority for men and women of all ages as we endeavour to find spaces in our lives for work, relationships, home, family and friends. "Many of us end up exhausted with so many demands on our time. A lot of our energy resources can be consumed by thinking about things that actually aren't happening at the time and yoga practice incorporates methods of helping us to change that, and have a broader and deeper understanding of how to live skillfully and happily" she adds. A yoga teacher since l976, June Mitchell is well-known as an inspiring and enthusiastic teacher whose style has evolved over the years to include the flowing and focused Astanga Vinyasa, as well as restorative and therapeutic classical Hatha Yoga. Growing up in Edinburgh June Cathro, as she was then, was sporty at school. "Especially hockey and tennis, and although I was keen to go to art college, I ended up doing what many 'nice young girls' did in those days - going to secretarial college. However, I found I was good at it and worked as a private secretary in Scotland, London and Ireland. Throughout this time, I travelled in France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, living in Verona for a year studying Italian before returning to the UK, and those years began my love affair with Europe. Then a group of us decided to go to the Club Med in Corfu and it was on this holiday that I discovered yoga. My friends were all sleeping off a rather heavy, liquid lunch but as I have never been a great drinker, I began to wander along the beach and found a young French girl setting out bamboo yoga mats on the sand. I asked her what she was doing - and that afternoon, quite literally, changed the course of my life". Finding a class that suits you is important, as there are many different styles of teaching and with yoga particularly, the teacher's personal practice and experience very much show through the manner and method of their instruction. Continues June "there should always be lightness and fun. Yoga postures are quite hard to do, even more so with astanga vinyasa as the postures flow continuously from one to the other as you build confidence and strength. So you don't want to put yourself under any pressure to get it exactly right - everything will come together with time and practise. What is important is the action itself and your intent. While consistent yoga practice will make your body strong, vibrant and flexible, yoga without the spiritual, holistic side is acrobatics. It should always be seen as nurturing, awakening and transforming on many levels. Regular practise over the years will help to develop harmony, wisdom and integrity and these most valid qualities are every bit as significant as the physical improvements that are experienced". June Mitchell now lives in rural Perthshire and teaches between Dundee in the east and Glasgow in the west. Her two sons have both taken up careers in sports, with elder son, Andrew, recently completing a degree in Sport Management from Edinburgh University and Robbie based in Courchevel, France as a BASI Ski Instructor.
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