Iyengar Yoga at the RNCM

27th November 2018

 

 

 

The Royal Northern College of music has become the first conservatoire to appoint a lecturer in musicians’ health and wellbeing, the Guardian reports.  In addition, they are offering yoga classes to students to help prevent injury.

Iyengar Yoga (UK) teacher Maureen Wray is currently employed by the College’s wind and brass department to teach yoga to their students.  Maureen, a trained violinist herself, explains how she came to teach Iyengar yoga:

“I stumbled upon Iyengar yoga around sixteen years ago on the recommendation of a friend. I had been through a challenging time in my life and was feeling the effects of stress. As a very keen runner I wasn’t at all sure that yoga would be for me. After a few sessions I really began to enjoy the way that I felt after the class. My body felt as though it had been physically challenged and yet I felt this wonderful release of tension. My mood always felt very positive.

“I slowly became more committed to regular class attendance and the practice of yoga then became a integral part of my life. After many years of working as a professional violinist I decided to train as an Iyengar teacher, qualifying in 2010. Yoga quite literally changed my life! I now feel privileged to have the opportunity to introduce others to the experience of Iyengar yoga through teaching my own classes.”