Hazel Marr

“Yoga is an art, a science and a philosophy. It touches the life of man at every level: physical, mental, spiritual. It is a practical method for making one's life purposeful, useful and noble.”
Iyengar

My approach to teaching is that yoga can be enjoyed by everyone. I encourage students to learn to listen to their own body and breath and gain the confidence to make their own decisions and modifications in poses. As we age, yoga can help to increase and maintain strength, flexibility, balance and importantly, a sense of equilibrium. Feeling positive about how we relate to and move our body can transfer as a positive feeling into our daily life.

My first yoga class was at Edinburgh University in 1982. Studying with different teachers and styles, I eventually found Iyengar yoga classes when I moved to Inverness in 1998. My practice became more serious from that time and, after four years of teacher training (having a baby in that time!) I finally completed my training with the Edinburgh Iyengar Centre in 2006. I have taught students of all ages since that time.

My interest in anatomy and the effects which gravity has on our body alignment, movement and breathing has grown over the years and increasingly this is reflected in my own practice and in my teaching. The teachings of BKS Iyengar as well as Leslie Kaminoff and Vanda Scaravelli continue to strongly influence me. I completed an 8 week Mindfulness meditation course in 2013 and have built up to a regular meditation practice since that time.

I am currently furthering my studies by taking a diploma in remedial massage, cancer care massage and ongoing Yoga Anatomy Diploma studies with Leslie Kaminoff, founder of the Breathing Project, New York and author of Yoga Anatomy

A further area of increasing interest to me is pelvic floor dysfunction which, I realise through my contact with post-natal and post-menopausal women, is extremely common but rarely openly discussed.

Although currently busy with massage studies, I hope to restart my regular Sunday morning workshops at TKD centre soon. I do a small number of private 1:1 sessions.