A little bit about me
My training and teaching journey
Shortly after my first son was born I decided to leave a fifteen year corporate career in Sustainability and Environment and re-train as a Yoga teacher and as a Doula. In 2017 founded my business Mama Gives Light and started offering doula services and teaching pregnancy and postnatal yoga in various studios and health centres around Edinburgh.
In 2017 I started practising Ashtanga Yoga and I also found one of my favourite styles of yoga - Vinyasa Flow. I also started attending weekly Chanting & Philosophy sessions and practising with one of my dearest teachers, Sarah Hatcher.
Between 2017 and 2019 I completed the 85hr Pregnancy Yoga Training with Sally Parkes and then went into a deeper study of pregnancy and postnatal yoga by completing the British Wheel of Yoga 85hr Pregnancy Module and the 85hr Postnatal Module with the wonderful Judy Cameron. I was lucky that the Pregnancy Module coincided with my second pregnancy and I then began the Postnatal Module when my son was just a few weeks old. So I absorbed these teachings whilst going through the physical process of being pregnant and going through the postnatal period.
How it all began
The first time I attended a yoga class I fell asleep! My friend had to wake me up as I was happily snoring at the end of śavāsana. I was 19 years old and it was a hot summer day in my hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, so that was one great way to cool down! I didn't think much more of it and carried on with my life. Little did I know back then that two decades later I would be dedicating my life to teach and share this wonderful practice. For me, yoga has evolved from what I thought was just a physical practice, to be completely embedded into who I am and in the way I strive to lead my life.
It wasn't until I came to live in Edinburgh in 2006 that I found a consistent yoga practice and I discovered the wonderful Iyengar Centre. I love the focus on alignment and precision that the Iyengar style of yoga requires and this is a place dear to my heart where I continue to practise whenever I can.
In 2015 I got pregnant with my first child and that was when my yoga journey truly began and when I found the more established daily practice that my body and mind were craving. My yoga practice kept me strong, focused and healthy during pregnancy and in preparation for birth and for motherhood. Now as a mother of three, I continue exploring all aspects of my yoga practice.
Returning to my practice after the birth of my children has been a learning curve full of challenges and surprises. But a rewarding journey that keeps reminding me the importance of an all encompassing yoga practice.
In 2018 I completed the 200hr Teacher Training at Meadowlark Yoga. This comprehensive training gave me the opportunity to deepen my study of Ashtanga Yoga and the Mysore style of practice. It also offered a rich and comprehensive knowledge of the eight limbs of yoga, anatomy, chanting and philosophy.
In 2021 I graduated from the Active Birth Teacher Training with Janet Balaskas. After wanting to study with Janet for years, I have finally had the opportunity to sit as her student.
In 2022 I completed the YogaBirth 300 training, the most comprehensive pregnancy yoga teacher training in the UK. This year-long training coincided with my third pregnancy and since then I have incorporated this specialist yoga-based approach into my classes which blends practical information with birth knowledge to support my students throughout their pregnancies and after their babies are born.
About my teaching
I aim for my classes to be welcoming and inclusive. I am here to guide you and support you, but you are your greatest teacher. After practising yoga for almost two decades, I still continue learning and exploring different styles and I want my classes to reflect that we are all eternal students.
I combine my experience practising Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga and studying Chanting and Philosophy, to offer classes that can give you the opportunity to feel comfortable in your own body, to work gradually and explore the beauty of this practice at your own pace and with deepest respect to who you are right now.
In my YogaBirth prenatal classes, I incorporate a unique way of teaching that honours the pregnant body and its innate wisdom to give birth, with deep discussion and knowledge, whilst being inspired by the lineage of yoga as taught by Vanda Scaravelli.
I teach āsana and prāṇāyāma in all of my classes. I hope that you can leave my classes feeling balanced, calm and strong in body, mind and soul.
Wherever you are in life, my aim is to encourage you to listen to your body, to take things gradually and to discover by yourself that yoga is a lifetime practice and once you find the rhythm that works for you, this millennial and wonderful practice will be with you during all the peaks and troughs of life.
In gratitude
I am blessed to have the guidance of wonderful teachers, who continue to inspire me and support my yoga practice on and off the mat. It is a pleasure and an honour to be your student and it is through your teachings that I continue to grow.
To you I am always grateful: Sarah Hatcher, for your friendship and your guidance. Judy Cameron, Nicola Goodall, Tessa Welsh, Cáitlin Heavey and Janet Balaskas: For your vast knowledge and infinite kindness. Helen Gillespie, Angie Lake and Clare Stephen. And to all the wonderful teachers at the Iyengar Yoga Centre in Edinburgh - Thank you!
To you my dear students, know that I also learn from you each time we meet. Thank you for trusting me to be your teacher and holding space for you and for allowing me to share this practice with you.
And last but not least, to my three little boys, my greatest teachers. For reminding me to stay present in body, mind and soul. Thank you for letting me explore and mindfully re-discover the world by your side.
