Classes

Katy Coe

My yoga journey began nearly 20 years ago; in chronic pain and mild desperation, I signed up to an Iyengar yoga class, in the hope it would help my shoulder heal from an injury. I saw the benefits of yoga on my body relatively quickly, but I also began to realise the deeper, positive impact yoga was having on my whole being. I found a sense of inner calm that was completely new to me, and I loved it. My yoga practice became a steady thread in my life, as I juggled motherhood and the increasing demands of a corporate career. Even when life was busy and my children were small, I always felt drawn back to my mat. That weekly class became my precious “me time”, my space to breathe, reconnect and restore. Then, in 2017 at the age of 43, life threw me a curveball. Following a routine surgical procedure, I suddenly developed serious complications and became critically ill. What should have been an overnight stop in hospital, turned into almost a month-long stay. Recovery at home was frustratingly slow and painful, I could no longer be the mum I wanted to be and my carefully built career was gone. It was an incredibly tough time, and although I was deeply grateful to be alive, I missed the active, social and independent version of myself I had once known. It was hubby who suggested I go back to yoga, but I wouldn’t entertain it, for ages. I was too embarrassed and worried how I would be perceived. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. When I finally mustered the courage and returned to my class, I was welcomed back like an old friend, with kindness, compassion and understanding, My teacher met me exactly where I was and created a safe space for me to practice at my own pace. It felt like coming home. That experience planted a seed, I realised how powerful and life altering it is to feel supported, accepted and safe in a yoga space. With my professional background and long standing love of training colleagues, I felt called to share that same experience with others. The call was a whisper at first, so I started small, nervously enrolling with Claire Hall at Om Yoga Works on her first Foundation Course with British Wheel of Yoga, telling myself that if I could complete the course, I might, just might, take it further. I never expected that I would develop such a deep passion for yoga philosophy and ethical practice. I am currently completing my Yoga Teacher Diploma with the British Wheel of Yoga and I am designing and teaching a beginners’ yoga course as part of my training. I am still learning, but I teach from a place of lived experience, compassion and care. My aim is to create a warm, welcoming environment where you can begin your yoga journey feeling supported, respected and encouraged — working at your own pace, exactly as you are. View my profile