A painful back led Anna Georgiou to yoga. Five years later she is in her final year of the British Wheel of Yoga teaching course. It's has been hard work and a big commitment but so far there are no regrets.
What led you along the yoga path?
A bad back first drew me to yoga! I had been dancing for 20 years and seven years ago I developed a severe back ache. The osteopath I was seeing at the time told me to go and do yoga, so I did.
How long were you practising before you trained as a teacher?
Four and a half years, three years practising Shadow Yoga before meeting my present teacher, Tara Fraser.
Which training course did you/are you doing, and why?
I am on the final unit of the British Wheel of Yoga diploma. My main reason was because Tara was teaching it and I wanted to train with her.
I also felt the longer course would be more suitable for absorbing all the aspects of yoga it covered and to gently ease me into teaching.
What type of yoga will you teach, and what drew you to this style?
My style is based on Hatha with other styles brought in. I am influenced by Tara's Viniyoga so I tend to do short flowing sequences focusing on breath with movement and attention to correct alignment.
Sometimes my classes can be fairly gentle and other times a little more strenuous and dynamic - according to how I feel or what students want! Yoga is a life long learning process.
How do you think you will fit your own practice around your teaching?
It's been very difficult and my own practice has definitely been compromised and taken a back seat. I currently also have a full time job. I tend to practice at the weekends, doing as many classes and workshops with different teachers as possible.
What drew you to teaching?
it's not something I really thought about or wanted to do and once I signed up I actually got cold feet and changed my mind! But Tara encouraged me to stay and I have no regrets.
What do you think makes a good yoga teacher?
You need to be passionate about yoga, which will come across in your teaching. You also need to be dedicated and know your stuff! Good observation and a little empathy help too.
To you, what are the most important elements of yoga?
Yoga is a combination of all the elements put together. The most challenging aspect for me personally is meditation.
Do you think we in 'the West' give enough time and attention to meditation?
Definitely not, mainly because the majority of people find it very difficult to set aside time to meditate, because of the variety of distractions that are available.
From an early age, most western children become addicted to external entertainment, either in the form of organised activities, TV or video games.
Introspection is not encouraged and as we grow older our amount of spare time diminishes as we struggle with work, family and, if we are lucky, social commitments.
Our materialistic society requires us to work long hours so that we can afford both our basic needs and those needs that today's society require we crave. I believe that these forces are being felt by all but the most isolated communities.
How is yoga perceived in the UK now? Do you think it will continue to grow in popularity?
At present its very popular. I teach at a leisure centre, and there are usually around 15 to 20 people in the class.
I was curious to know the reason why these people practiced yoga so I did a survey and asked them to fill in a form. I found the students wanted to do yoga for the physical exercise, combined with a bit of relaxing to help them de-stress.
However, because yoga is not purely about the physical exercise, it is an activity anyone can take up at any age. I think it will steadily continue to grow.
What advice do you have for someone currently training, or considering it as a future career?
It's hard work in terms of the amount of work you need to produce - but what you put in, you get out. I can't say you must be certain you want to do it because I wasn't. The important thing is to love it and enjoy it.
