Have you ever yearned for a practice that unites physical movement with mental clarity? Perhaps you seek a path to inner peace and a deeper connection to yourself.
Today, Mystic Mag introduces Jillian Edmundson, a Yoga Teacher on a mission to share the transformative power of yoga and mindfulness.
What motivated you to become a yoga teacher and organize yoga and mindfulness retreats?
I had been practicing yoga for about 16 years when I decided I wanted to teach yoga to two others. While I was practicing yoga, in 2008 I was studying for my BSc honors in Complementary Medicine and Health Sciences at Salford university. It was during this time of study that I almost accidentally ended up studying mindfulness which was an optional module. Since I didn’t feel motivated to take the other option, I sort of had to take this module in order to complete my course.
From the first class I knew that this new thing called mindfulness was something I wanted to experience more. At that time mindfulness was a new phenomenon in the UK, at least as far as I am aware. It wasn’t on the end of everyone’s tongue like it is now. I would say that studying mindfulness had a huge positive impact on my personal life and certainly contributed to shaping it thereafter. I continued with my practice daily and after several years, as I already had my teacher’s certificate, I then went on to teach mindfulness.
On completion of my yoga teacher training in 2013 I began teaching yoga classes and soon after I decided to combine both the mindfulness and the yoga into retreats. It seemed like a natural unraveling, that these two complementary approaches would be placed nicely together in a
Describe your experience with yoga and mindfulness practices.
Really, yoga is mindfulness. You do cultivate present moment awareness during yoga practice, and it certainly increases your awareness of your thoughts and emotions. Yoga has really helped me tune into my body and notice subtler experiences that I would otherwise not have been aware of. My experience of yoga has changed over the years and now yoga philosophy is just as important to me as my asana practice.
Mindfulness practice has certainly helped me in cultivating attitudinal qualities of mindfulness such as compassion, present moment awareness not attachment, responding rather than reacting to thoughts or situations, having an open sense of curiosity, and acceptance. These qualities can be brought into the yoga practice during asana, during meditation, and, also off the mat during my daily life. One thing I understand about mindfulness is you never reach the top, there is not an end game involved, rather it is a continual unfolding of how I can experience my being in this world. Of course, there are many moments where I am not mindful but I tell myself once I am aware of this I am somewhat mindful, so I will be less likely to repeat unhealthy behaviors.
How do you handle challenging situations or students in a yoga class or retreat setting?
When I encounter challenging situations or students in a yoga class or retreat setting the first thing I do is simply pause and take a breath. I have to notice where I am during this happening. Where is my head? What am I thinking and feeling? I do this to prevent reacting. I do try to suspend my own judgments and look at the situation as objectively as I can, and also appreciate that all of us are behaving in the way that we think is the right way at that time. I intend in these situations to be consciously compassionate and understanding of the other as much as I can. I do think this helps in resolving difficulties between people.
What style(s) of yoga and mindfulness do you practice, and why do you resonate with these styles?
I practice Hatha yoga, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra yoga, kundalini yoga and Kriya yoga.
I practice classical Hatha yoga, as well as asana practice, I also practice pranayama and meditation and philosophy. I do try to revive the broad scope and elements of Hatha yoga within my classes and retreats. I find Yin yoga very beneficial for the nervous system-as life is very busy and can be very stressful, for me, Yin yoga helps balance this and I am sure I can feel it working on my parasympathetic nervous system. Yoga Nidra also works on the parasympathetic nervous system, and I find it a most nourishing practice. On the other hand, kundalini yoga is very expressive and high energy and I like this too. I find kundalini yoga very uplifting and energizing. I am committed to practicing Kriya yoga daily and this can take between 20 minutes to half an hour. Kriya yoga can speed up the spiritual evolution of an individual and this motivates me to practice.
Regarding mindfulness, I follow the Kabat Zinn framework which is what I was taught at Salford University. This resonates with me as there is no deep religious practices even though it stems from Buddhist roots.
Can you share an example of a transformative experience you’ve had with yoga or mindfulness, and how it has influenced your life?
I feel that both mindfulness and yoga have truly transformed my life. Through both practices there have been certain realizations that seemed to appear spontaneously. However, I feel it is being disciplined in both practices over a long period of time shows the biggest transformation. These practices are inextricably linked together, and I feel they are both a part of me. Both practices influence my daily decisions and behaviors and so I could say that they have become embedded within my core values.
How do you plan to create a supportive and inclusive environment for students or participants with diverse backgrounds and abilities?
I plan to create a supportive inclusive environment for students from diverse backgrounds and abilities by saying all are welcome! When I hear people say I can’t do yoga because I’m not bendy which is quite common and sad to hear, I will do a little talk on what yoga is about and remind them that ‘blessed are the rigid’. I forget where I heard this, but it is stuck with me – we do not need to be super bendy to practice yoga! This is just an example as there are many myths and blocks to why people might not want to practice yoga which is beyond the scope of this interview.
I do try to promote in yoga teacher training, that all are welcome who have the passion for yoga and have had some experience practicing. I want to dispel the myth about the perfect looking/being yoga teacher.
To learn more about Jillian Edmundson and her work, please visit https://www.theholisticcoachhouse.co.uk/
