GRACE HOUSTON

I trained as a dancer till I was 18, so movement was always a huge part of my life and general happiness. It wasn’t until I was in my mid to late twenties that I really started connected with yoga. I think I was feeling a bit lost at that time. I started going to Andrea Everingham’s classes in Chorlton and everything just clicked. It always felt like coming out of a therapy session. Knowing how much yoga has helped with my mental health and seeing so many people that could benefit from it, I just had this really overwhelming feeling that I needed to share that with other people, hoping it might help them.

I have had solid practice for about 6 years now. I trained with Patrick Beach and Carling Harps through Awakening Yoga. It is pretty much the same as Vinyasa yoga, but they have curated a yoga practice which is more accessible for different bodies than some of the traditional yoga practices. In my classes, there is a focus on the ‘flow’ element. I aim to guide my students into a state of continuous movement, where their bodies and minds sync with their breath. It normally gets pretty sweaty!

Yoga has had a huge impact on my life. It has reconnected me with my body and is integral to keeping me happy. It’s so crucial to my mental health that if a few days go by and I haven’t been able to practice for whatever reason, my mood and outlook on life can drop drastically.

During covid, I got so used to practising at home that I did start to actually enjoy it and nowadays I find it hard to fit in getting to classes, so my practice is 99% of the time a solo at-home practice. I don’t think you can beat going into a studio though. Changing locations and stepping into a space that you associate completely with mindfulness is really great. Also, sharing that experience with like-minded people is something you can’t beat and offers even more connections. It’s impossible to recreate that atmosphere at home on your own.

This isn’t a yoga quote but someone told me once the ‘Know thyself’ quote, which I think comes from Ancient Greece. This quote really resonates with me because I think it’s so important to understand who you are. Find out what makes you the way you are, and understand your feelings and strengths and weaknesses. This informs everything you do in life and it’s one thing that we all can do.

This question feels funny to me because I don’t feel like I’m in any sort of position to dish out life advice! I very much feel like I am still learning and growing as we all are. I think.... always be yourself. That’s one of the most important things in life in my experience, to not feel like you need to change who you are for anyone or any situation. Be yourself... boldly. And I guess also be mindful of how you treat people. Everything is connected. Every action or word that comes out of your mouth has a direct effect on someone else, we as humans have a responsibility to be kind to one another. There is enough pain in life as it is.