I first came across Kundalini Yoga seven years ago when a friend recommended I give it a try to help my back and neck injury. I felt like I’d tried many different physical activities and therapies and nothing had ever helped. She said to go with an open mind and let her know how my first class went. After the class, I felt a sense of calm that I’d never felt before and from that moment I’ve gone to a regular weekly class.
I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease in 2011 after an accident at work (a large kitchen cupboard fell on the back of my head, neck and shoulders), I ended up in the hospital with 13 damaged vertebrae and soft tissue damage, where I was bed-bound for three months. After many medical scans, the doctors told me that the injuries sustained from the accident had accelerated the ageing of my spine by at least 11 years, with risks of developing arthritis in the future.
For years after the accident, I suffered from chronic pain and depression and couldn’t do the physical activities I had always been able to do before – my life felt a mess and I was only in my early 20s at the time. I went to physiotherapy, pilates, hatha yoga – you name it I tried everything but nothing seemed to alleviate my pain. It’s when my good friend recommended trying Kundalini Yoga and its holistic approach that I finally found something which brought me peace and helped manage my back pain.
I made the leap to start an intensive Kundalini Yoga teaching training course in 2017 but soon gave up because I knew deep down I wasn’t ready to embark on that path and physically I didn’t feel strong enough. Losing confidence from that experience, I knew I had to go slowly and be kind to myself. A year later I went to Paris for Guru Dass Kaur’s ‘Child Play Yoga’ course, which I absolutely loved.
“After many medical scans, the doctors told me that the injuries sustained from the accident had accelerated the ageing of my spine by at least 11 years”
By 2019, my inner and outer strength had really come on and chose I-SKY as my school to start my Level 1 Kundalini Yoga teacher training. I was drawn to the slower pace of learning (one residential weekend a month over a year) and it gave me time to really focus, dig in and let Kundalini Yoga and yogic philosophy become part of my everyday life. I would highly recommend I-SKY as a school and all the teachers were absolutely fantastic.
I now teach Kundalini Yoga to children, teenagers and adults, whilst juggling running a music production business with my husband. The lockdown has bought many new opportunities, including being approached to teach children with special needs yoga and meditation over Zoom who are in Care. It can be challenging at times but the satisfaction of seeing the positive effects it can bring to the children’s behaviour and their sense of self is incredible. I also teach children’s and teens yoga through a wonderful company called Happy Little Yogi.
I absolutely love teaching Kundalini Yoga and meditation to adults too and currently run regular Zoom sessions, however, nothing beats teaching face to face – something I’m looking forward to getting back to when the world is well again.
You can connect with Stacey online.
Kundalini Yoga and Meditation class will be on Monday, February 8th at 7.15 pm.
Teens yoga session as part of an ‘Exploring The Elements’ series at 6 pm for Happy Little Yog Wednesday 3rd February
e-mail hello@staceyjayyoga.com | info www.staceyjayyoga.com