Melissa Softley

I initially undertook Womens Yoga Therapy trainings with Uma to add another string to my bow as a yoga teacher. What happened during the course of this training was a profound shift in my connection to myself as a woman. I realised that this training was for me. To honour and reconnect with what being a woman was to me. A place to shed my tears, sing and dance and laugh until my belly hurt. All of this with my sisters in yoga and within this context of yoga for women.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I run a studio in a friendly market town called Beccles in Suffolk. The studio opened in 2011 and offers yoga for all ages and abilities with an emphasis on therapeutic aspects of yoga, the studio has a wonderful community feel and is a welcome nurturing space. Having completed 5½ years training in yoga . Initially I trained with the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and then the Yoga Biomedical Trust/ yoga campus to become a yoga therapist, i have been teaching yoga classes since 2000 to adults and children of all ages and working with individuals in one to one sessions – either to deepen their yoga practice, or as therapy to manage or recover from an illness, also helping children with developmental and emotional problems. Before teaching yoga I was a RGN, nursing for 20years my interest has always been in holistic health so alongside nursing I trained as a complementary therapist, my skills include head massage, massage, anatomy and physiology and reflexology. I specialized in yoga for children with Swami Vedantananda Saraswati from the satyananda tradition. Having written a training course and manual, I have run the BWY children’s module for 10 years. Yoga is intrinsically linked with nature, another one of my passions, and the practices involve the body, mind and spirit through a simple set of universal values and practical techniques. The practice of yoga completely resonates with me, endlessly fascinates me and it has given me practical tools which continue to help me to make positive changes in my life. Yoga Nidra being the best practice of all. The practice of yoga provides comfort, restoration and release, transforming challenges into joy, growth and creativity through the endless cycles of life. I have observed how yoga has transformed the lives of others in many curious and interesting ways, like taking control and managing chronic conditions. I take all that I have learnt from this profound experience into my classes, workshops and into my one to one sessions. I have trainings in yoga anatomy, physiology and therapeutics, pranayama, meditation, Yoga Nidra, Yoga for mental health and in my formative yogini years took regular trainings with Angela Farmer. Most recently I have been exploring somatics and embodied anatomy led by an interest in exploring developmental movement patterns, authentic movement and a concious, respectful and non judgemental holding of individual space for healing. The heart of my yoga is my practice, learning and teaching of a Scaravelli Inspired yoga, which is in definition a very feminine yoga practice as it offers a softening of our outer form and an alert and responsive awakening of the inner body.