Sarah's Yoga Journey
AUGUST 2017 | Wai Lin Coultas
GROWING UP in a health and fitness-conscious family and being plagued by back issues for many years induced Sarah Walsh to take up yoga ten years ago to ease the pain while strengthening her body’s support.
“When yoga is practised as it was traditionally intended, with focused awareness, it is a lot more than just a physical practice. It becomes a moving meditation which calms and balances the entire system – body, mind and emotions,” Sarah shared.
While on a trip to Nepal and waiting for family to join her in exploring Tibet, she jumped at the chance of taking a Nepalese yoga class. From 8.00am to 5.00pm for the next 10 days, she followed a program of Meditation, Massage, Shatkarmas, Asana, Reiki and discussions on the Yogic philosophy of bridging the gap between mind and body to live meaningfully and purposefully.
This study of herself and Yoga ignited her curiosity, excitement and hunger for more. “After travels with my family, I booked in to do Teacher Training to deepen my own practice and understanding.”
One month of Teacher Training was extended by an extra five months to teach Yoga classes. Sarah also helped in the clinic and learned traditional massage as well as Reiki techniques. She even learned to cook local dishes and ancient therapeutic health and healing Ayurvedic recipes, and co-authored the book “Chetena Yoga”.
After returning home to Mornington Peninsula, she found a tribe of like-minded people at The Yoga Room. Her experience in Nepal had created a keen interest in Yoga in its entirety rather than just the physical practice, and Ashtanga training offered her just that. “Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic practice following a set sequence of postures in which breath and movement are synchronised, producing an internal heat which in turn purifies the body, making the practice a moving meditation,” explains Sarah.
Wanting to delve a little deeper, she applied to do a six-months online Ashtanga Teacher Training study, plus a month of Centred Yoga in Thailand. “Thailand seemed to take it to the next level of technique and understanding. It placed much more importance on alignment, and on creating a safe and sustainable practice.”
Sarah spent some years as Assistant Manager and yoga teacher at Continental House, a retreat centre in Victoria’s Hepburn Springs. Her yoga teaching has since complemented “Nature’s Wheel”; her husband’s therapeutic massage business.
In 2016, they moved to Tasmania and established Meander Valley Wellness together. Her Yoga classes will continue in Term 3 at Deloraine House. She also offers private classes for groups, individuals, workshops, retreats and meditation sessions.
Contact Meander Valley Wellness on Instagram, Facebook or 0420 518 330. Email meandervalleywellness@gmail.com
Photo | Mike Moores
