Hello :) my name is Julia. I have been practicing yoga regularly since 1994 and teaching yoga since 2003. I organise and teach workshops and yoga holidays in the UK, Cyprus, Russia, India and Nepal.
I always had interests in different areas: science, art and physical activities. Yoga combines everything, and allows me to express all sides of my personality.
The first time I heard about yoga was in my early childhood (1978 ) when I saw a TV programme about India and the miracles of yoga. I was fascinated by this subject and since then I have always tried to learn some more about it.
The first time I participated in a yoga class was in my teens (1989) when I joined a health group to help me recover after bronchitis. I was taught how to perform a few simple breathing and physical exercises based on yoga. I have been amazed how much you yourself can do for your own health and well-being. I continued to practice yoga at home and I have also become a vegetarian.
In 1994 I suffered an accident doing gymnastics at University and as a result broke my spine. Again, I used yoga to help my recovery (private one to one sessions and then regular classes three times a week).
During my studies at Medical University (Russia 1993-2000) I became increasingly more interested in a healthy lifestyle and a holistic approach to preventing illnesses and maintaining physical health and mental well-being. After graduation I worked as a doctor and also took part as an assistant in scientific research run by the University. This involved monitoring the effects of relaxation, classical music and aromatherapy on particular medical conditions.
Seeing my interest and progress in yoga practice, my yoga teacher recommended I become a yoga teacher myself. I embraced this idea because of my own experience and my observations as a doctor and therefore I truly believed in the benefits of yoga.
I finished a course as a fitness yoga instructor in 2003 (Moscow, Russia) and started teaching yoga at fitness clubs. For deeper knowledge and understanding I attended an Iyengar Yoga teaching course (Moscow, Russia) and received a certificate in 2005.
I moved to England in 2005 and yoga helped me to assimilate into British culture, make friends and cope with ups and downs of my private life. I immediately joined my local fitness club (David Lloyd Warrington) and went to yoga classes. Later on I joined Iyengar Yoga classes (teachers only) in MDIYI for professional development.
I organised a yoga room at home equipped with a Yoga Wall and other yoga equipment (e.g. yoga chair, arch, benches, bolsters, blocks and bricks) so I could improve my own practice and teach my family and friends.
Since 2005 I have been covering yoga classes at fitness clubs and leisure centres and then from 2009 to present I have been teaching yoga classes in David Lloyd Warrington and Village Hotel Warrington.
I teach yoga for the local Indian society (including ladies only classes) and participate in cultural events and celebrations which help me to learn more about Indian culture.
I was fortunate to see His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama at his lectures in Manchester in June 2012. The impact on me from this meeting was beyond my expectations. It was not just about learning some valuable information for the mind to process but more of a spiritual experience of true understanding at the deeper levels and a feeling of acceptance and peace.
My second passion is travelling. Wherever I go (a peaceful seaside holiday in a faraway exotic country, a busy and exciting city break or a relaxing walk at the local National Trust property), I find some time to practise yoga to feel myself in tune with nature and people around me.
I practise different styles of yoga from the more physically demanding to the more spiritually focused.
For my professional development and better understanding my clients’ perspective I use all varieties of sources available in our modern life:
- Studying books about different aspects of yoga;
- Subscribing to yoga magazines;
- Reading articles about yoga in the press and internet;
- Attending the annual London Yoga Show and Manchester Mind, Body and Spirit Festival;
- Attending and organising yoga workshops, lectures and yoga holidays in the UK, Italy, Cyprus, Russia, India and Nepal.
