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A cozy, welcoming yoga studio nestled in the Irish countryside.

18/09/2025

Honouring Life, Not Fearing Death

The other morning, after a yoga practice full of hip openers that always get me thinking deeply, I found myself wondering: Why do I work so hard to stay fit, healthy, and youthful?

Was it because I feared my own mortality? Or was it something else?

Buddhist teachings remind us of impermanence - that nothing lasts, everything changes, and when we cling or resist, we suffer. Aging, shifting energy, even loss… they’re all part of life’s natural flow.

So perhaps the hours in the gym, the mindful food choices, and the yoga practice aren’t about fighting against the inevitable. Perhaps they are about something gentler, more grounded: honouring the life I have.

Choosing energy over stagnation.
Vitality over apathy.
Presence over disconnection.

When I move - whether it’s lifting weights, stepping onto my mat, or cartwheeling in the garden - I’m not trying to outrun age or cheat time. I’m choosing to live fully, right here, right now.

So the next time your motivation dips, or you feel like your progress has slowed, try shifting the question. Instead of asking “What am I working against?” ask “What am I working for?”

Maybe it’s strength.
Maybe it’s energy.
Maybe it’s simply the joy of being here, alive, and able to move.

Because in the end, it isn’t about fearing death.
It’s about loving life.

(This is a shorter version of a blog I wrote which is now available to read on my website… click the link in my bio to check it out 🤓)

10/09/2025

Grateful at 51 ✨🌻

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every birthday wish, every kind word, every gift, and every little bit of love I’ve received. I feel so deeply grateful - not only for the people who surround me, but for the privilege of growing older.

Grateful that my body and mind continue to let me do the things I’ve always loved… and even discover new ones. 💪🏼💛

Because as the ever-wise David Bowie once said:
“Aging is an extraordinary process, where you become the person you always should have been.”

And today, I feel that more than ever.

Here’s to more years, more strength, more softness, more becoming. ✨🙏🏼

📸 Credit:

09/09/2025

51 today 💛

Woke up smiling, messy hair and all because today I’ve been around the sun 51 times. 🌞✨

When I turned 50 last year, I thought I had so much to celebrate - and I did. But this past year? I have even more.

Over the years, I’ve learned little pieces about myself… things to change, things to embrace. Like many of us, I’ve been through my share of hardships. And yes - every single one has changed me. Not always for the better. I know my flaws, I know my demons. Don’t we all?

But do you know what I learned this last year? the voice inside your head, the one that speaks to you daily, is everything. That voice becomes your cause and effect. Your mindset.

For a long time, I convinced myself I had to “endure” midlife. The mindset. The body. The aches. I kept asking, why didn’t you appreciate your younger self?

But then I did a thing. I changed that voice. I told myself I wasn’t just going to appreciate my younger self, I was going to bring her back.

By eating smarter. Training smarter. Moving with intention. And taking care of the mind stuff!

And do you know what happened? My body thanked me.
With more energy.
With better sleep.
With less aches and pains.
And with more flexibility than I’ve had in years.

So today, at 51, I don’t just celebrate another year around the sun.
I celebrate the choice I made - to live, to move, to thrive. ❤️🎉🥳

04/09/2025

✨ Returning, Not Starting Again ✨

As we step back onto our mats next week, I wonder how many of us will say to ourselves:
“Yoga is starting again.”
“Classes are starting again.”
“I’m starting my practice again.”

But here’s the thing… when we say starting again, it can sound like we’re wiping the slate clean and beginning from scratch. And I don’t believe that’s the truth.

We’re not starting again.
We’re simply returning.

Returning to our practice.
Returning to what feels familiar.
Returning to what our body, mind, and soul already know.

Because the practice lives within you, in your breath, in your bones, in your being. Even if it’s your first time, think of it not as beginning something new, but as coming home to yourself.

And that is what awaits you this term - a welcome home.
A return home.
To your breath.
To your body.
To you. 🌿✨

02/09/2025

🌿 Life is a balancing act

Every step we take is guided by the choices we make - some steady, some shaky, all part of our path.

This week, I was chatting with a good friend about our summers. I shared about my photoshoot, and she told me about walking the Camino. Two very different experiences, yet both full of challenge, focus, and lessons learned.

In our conversation she said something that really stayed with me:

"It’s all well and good living this lifestyle, but for some it’s not that simple. You have to know your why. And when you find it - ask why again. And then again. Until you reach the core of it. Because when you truly know your why, that’s when it becomes easier to shift your mindset, and with it, your lifestyle."

It isn’t about photoshoots or walking the Camino - those are just milestones along the way. The real work is far simpler, and far deeper too.

✨ What is your why?

And when you think you’ve found it… ask again.

01/09/2025

August - what a month you were!

The one where I pushed my limits, stepped out of my comfort zone, and achieved things I never thought possible.

A month of sunsets and slow walks, yoga mats and gym sessions, photoshoot prep and the big weekend itself, lunches with my boys and moments with new friends.

A camera roll full of memories, but more importantly… a heart full of gratitude. 💛

Here’s to carrying that energy into September
🌿🍂

What’s one thing you’re grateful for from August? Let me know in the comments 👇🏼

❤️❤️❤️

27/08/2025

✨ When life throws you a curve ball… do you stand tall, ground yourself, and meet it head on?

✨ Or do you let it pass by, hoping it will somehow work itself out?

I’ve had more than my fair share of curve balls. And yes, I’ve let a few slip past. But mostly, I’ve faced them, and I’ve swung hard. Because each time, I remember how resilient I am.

The truth is, I’m tougher than I often give myself credit for. Not in a hardened way, but in a weathered and wise way. The kind of tough that comes from falling down, from standing back up, from loving deeply, and from learning along the way.

This one life we’re given, I don’t intend to waste it in turmoil, or wrapped up in should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.

It’s not about numbers, or follows, or measuring yourself against someone else’s path. It’s about how you show up for yourself. It’s about the love you cultivate and the love you share - with people, with the world, with yourself.

✨ Let this be your reminder to live your life and love it! ✨

Photo credit 📸

21/08/2025

At 50, I don’t feel 50. And here’s why…

I only discovered the gym about 3 years ago right around the same time I realised I was perimenopausal.

I’ve always loved to move my body - running, dancing, yoga. But suddenly none of it was working for my new body.

Cardio and deficits left me exhausted, injured and frustrated.

As a yoga teacher, I knew the risks of overstretching, but when I trained 24 years ago no one mentioned the importance of building muscle to support flexibility and prevent injury.

So I got curious.
I signed up with the best nutrition coach
Got my hormones checked with my GP, started HRT, and found a PT who helped me chase every goal from running pain-free to stronger handstands and backbends.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that I was building something much bigger than just muscle.
I was building strength, resilience, and a healthier, more flexible me.

At 50. ✨

—

Never did I think I’d do something like this - a photoshoot that challenged me physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But here’s the truth: not just through 14 weeks of prep, but afterwards too, my body has never felt better.

💪 I lift heavy and I’m injury free.
💙 I love my cardio sessions.
🍽️ My relationship with food is the healthiest it’s ever been (after a childhood of 80s fad diets, that’s huge).

For a long time, I thought I just had to ‘accept’ the menopause belly, aching joints, and overstretched hamstrings.
But that wasn’t the full story.

—

So here’s my message to anyone who thinks they’re ‘too old’:
👉" YOU'RE NOT"

We all have choices. You can let the candles on your cake define you… or you can let how you feel guide you.

Because at 50, I can honestly say:
I don’t feel 50.
And I don’t plan to let that number tell me otherwise. 🖤

And finally huge gratitude to
You encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and show not just the yoga I love,
but the strength I’ve built in the gym too.
You said, “There’s no point doing all that work and not showing it off.”
You showed me how to pose like a gym queen and then you let me shine in the way I love most - through yoga.

🖤✨

12/08/2025

It started with one small comment in the gym… and turned into one of the best decisions of my life 🌱

When I decided to do a photo shoot, I never imagined how much I’d fall in love with the training and the prep. That’s what lit me up the most. The shoot itself? That was the beautiful bow that tied it all together. But the habits, strength, and mindset I built along the way, they’re mine for life.

It all started when a lovely young lady in the gym casually suggested, “You should do a photo shoot.” That tiny seed landed, and without me even realising, I began watering it with consistent action, discipline, and belief. And it grew.

The prep taught me choices matter. Food choices. Movement choices. Lifestyle choices. Every single one has a consequence, and I now choose with intention, knowing they’re setting me up for longevity, health, and strength well into the future.

I couldn’t have walked this path without the quiet, constant belief of my coach someone who saw what I could do long before I did. Her guidance has been a game-changer, and I’ll always be grateful for that.

From the weekend itself, I walked away with so much more than photos. I gained unshakable confidence, a mindset that no longer gives a flying f**k what people think, and a determination to live life on my own terms. And yes, most importantly I also gained two incredible friends for life. Strong, like-minded women who inspire me endlessly.

Age is irrelevant. You can still have dreams. You can still achieve them. You can still decide to go for it, and win.

So plant that seed, water it, nurture it… and watch it grow into something more beautiful than you ever imagined. 🌱💪🏼✨

08/08/2025

NEW CLASS ✨💪🏼

"Weekend Warrior" is here.

A strength-based yoga class to help you feel strong, steady, and empowered.

We’ll move with intention, build strength using weights and bands, and finish with yoga nidra to recharge your nervous system.
The perfect blend of strength + soul.

Starts Saturday 13 Sept

6-week course | Online Booking now open

07/08/2025

You’re invited to return, to your breath, your body, your rhythm.

This is a 7-week yoga series to help you come home to your practice after the swirl of summer.
Whether you're re-establishing routine or simply craving quiet space, this term offers strength, softness, and soulful reconnection.

🌿 Starts Tuesday 9 September
📍 Booking essential - link in bio
🧘🏼‍♀️ Your mat is waiting.

29/07/2025

"Extremes are easy. Balance is hard."

I heard this quote recently and it resonated so much I had to tell you why! Because it's exactly what this photoshoot prep has taught me.

Twelve weeks of choosing growth, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The truth? It was never about the aesthetics. The photos are simply the receipt of a job well done. The real work is happening in the lead-up. In the discipline. In the quiet decisions. In the mindset shifts.

And here’s the beautiful twist: I feel better than ever. No niggles, no injuries. Some of the best sleep I’ve had in years and an energy I thought I'd lost. But most importantly, I feel at home in my body.

The real challenge begins after the shoot… in the integration, the balance, the sustaining of all this goodness.

Because extremes? Anyone can push for a short while. But learning how to live well… every day… with grace and strength? That’s the magic. ✨💫

Address

Ballincollig Near Ovens
Cork
P31TD81

Website

http://www.theyogaden.ie/

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About the hub

All I can say is the universe works in amazing ways. After training as a yoga instructor over 15 years ago, I dreamed of having my own yoga studio. It never showed signs of happening. I have taught in a number of venues around Cork stopping briefly to start a family. After 4 boys and a move to the country I had laid to rest my dream of having my own studio. Instead I added feathers to my cap and trained as a postnatal doula. Through following this path it let me back onto my yoga teaching journey. Right up to this moment when an opportunity too good to pass up presented itself. A beautiful space right here in the heart of the Killumney countryside became available and has allowed me to turn it into a tranquil wellness hub. Making classes like yoga, pilates and tai chi available in the countryside in a countryside setting.