Melberry Yoga

25/05/2023

I really wish I hadn't cut my head off in this photo 😅

I've been struggling so much physically the last few weeks, getting this deep into this pose felt like a huge accomplishment! I've been practicing yoga for sixteen years, and I've generally had a lot of ease and space in my movements. So struggling to roll over in bed and being unable to put my shoes on has been challenging me immensely. So it's really important to remember to be kind, and be patient, and that nothing is permanent (even pregnancy, which has lasted approximately 568 months so far).

What have you accomplished lately, however small? Celebrate the win!

21/04/2023

Grateful for my mat today. I've been feeling SO uncomfortable, I don't know how I'm going to make it ten more weeks! Actually, I do know how - lots of yoga of course!

07/04/2023

“Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.” ~ Carrie Fisher

02/04/2023

Incorporated backbends into my practice today. I've been feeling very lethargic and tired, and this invigorated me. I also needed the backbends on an energetic level - they represent looking towards the future. You can't see where you're going, just like we can't see the future, but you open your heart to it anyway.

Accepting the changes in my body has been difficult. Previously being able to do the full camel pose (where you lean back so much that you end up with your head between your feet), this was the extent of my camel today. At the same time I'm completely in awe of the little man growing inside my womb. Pregnancy is wild!

17/03/2023

I've been put on bed rest, but I felt a strong need to move and breathe. So I flowed through this super gentle sequence for about ten minutes, which hits all the good spots.

Hold each pose for five breaths:
*Cat/cow
*Wrist stretches - first knuckles down, fingers towards knees, then palm down, hand externally rotated with fingers towards knees
*Toe stretch
*Ankle stretch (can lift knees here)
* Thread the needle
*Pigeon
*Savasana

Don't mind the double chin, I seem to be picking up baby weight exclusively on my tummy and my face 🤣

11/03/2023

Feeling inspired to practice, I lit my candles, put my music on and settled into child's pose. Only to feel overwhelmingly nauseous.

So yoga today was a few minutes with my legs up the wall, followed by some serious couch potato time.

Your body needs different things on different days. Make sure you honour those needs ❤️

30/12/2022

I had such grand designs of getting back into teaching yoga, but we all know that life has other plans! I am happy to announce that I am pregnant 🤰🤰🤰

I've been a bit quiet lately, because I am learning how to move in my ever-changing body (while navigating terrible morning sickness). I hope to keep up my yoga practice to keep my body strong and flexible and healthy throughout pregnancy, birth and after.

I invite you to follow along this journey I have embarked upon. I'll try to post semi-regularly, not as a teaching tool but to document everything I am learning 💟

15/12/2022

I learnt so much on this amazing journey. How trauma is stored in the body, and how yoga (in conjunction with talk therapy) can start to heal deep wounds. Even though I have been teaching yoga for over a decade, it made me realise how much deeper I can still go in this incredible modality.

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. And I am so grateful to my family for allowing me the opportunity to attend the course.

07/11/2022

31/10/2022

Join me for the entire month of November for a daily reset. We'll be doing basic poses that are beginner friendly. Movements that are easy on the body and give the mind a break from the craziness of daily life.

23/10/2022

What are the differences between Cobra and Upward Facing Dog?

In a nutshell: In Cobra, the feet, thighs and hips are on the ground, and a slight bend in the elbows is maintained. In Upward Facing Dog, the thighs and hips are lifted and the arms are straight. In both, the emphasis is on pulling the chest forward and engaging every part of the spine. This will look different for every person depending on your body.

Which one is better? The one that feels right to you on the day 😊

22/10/2022

My first Trauma Sensitive Yoga class! Come join me!

19/10/2022

Life isn't always sunshine and roses. Life can really suck sometimes. Pretending everything is fine does not automatically make things better.

Something I have learned recently is that the human spirit is incredibly nuanced and subtle. A myriad of seemingly conflicting emotions can exist in harmony, like heartbreak and gratitude. Feeling the bad doesn't diminish the good.

14/10/2022

I spent the day at , attending a conference on transformation in education. What struck me is just how much trauma we have as a society, and how insidious the effects are. We addressed ways to heal, and not perpetuate, this trauma.

Although this was in the context of education, I linked what I was learning to my knowledge of yoga, and yoga for trauma specifically. When we can heal the parts of ourselves that are broken, we will be able to heal our society as a whole. Yoga kickstarted my healing journey many years ago, and although I have at times strayed from my mat, yoga has always been there to catch me when I fall.

How has yoga helped you heal?

11/10/2022

Hello friends!

It's been about five years since I last used this platform, and SO much has changed. I got a few degrees, had a major career change, and experienced extreme heartbreak. One thing that has stayed constant, however, is yoga. I haven't always been very disciplined in my practice, but getting back onto my mat always feels like coming home.

That being said, as life changes and grows in new directions, one's yoga practice needs to stay flexible and accommodate those changes as well. So I am embarking on a new journey: Trauma Sensitive Yoga. I am doing this mostly to help me heal from some very painful experiences, but there is a possibility that in the future I can share this practice with others.

Follow me on Instagram

More developments coming soon watch this space!

11/10/2022