Yvonne henrietta O'Garro
Curiosity
Curiosity took me into my first yoga class, where I can recall saying “next week I’ll try it for a laugh”. Balāsana (Child’s Pose) was the pose that made me fall in love with yoga in 2006. Vicki Scarlett was the yoga teacher responsible for, unbeknownst to me, a life changing experience. May Vicki rest in eternal peace. A year later the life changing experience deepens as does my yoga practice on meeting Anna Ashby who inspired me to become a teacher, completing my 350-hour Yoga Teacher diploma with Anna in 2017.
Restorative Yoga & Me
“Restorative Yoga became part of my regular practice and today, being honest, I practice (and teach) more Restorative than Hatha Yoga. This is probably because Restorative Yoga has helped me to navigate some difficult phases in life, allowing me to reduce my stress levels and keep grounded, and provided space to rest when I was pushing twice as hard as a Black woman to be seen in the corporate world and dealing with the microaggressions that unfortunately are part of my life”.
“I love hearing the varying positive comments after a Restorative class, from some students feeling so relaxed it’s an effort to move or speak, feeling as if their bodies are screaming thank you and clearing mind blocks to allow progress.
I am thankful for the day I met Anna and discovered Restorative Yoga, a truly healing part of my life”
These are extracts from Anna Ashby's book, Restorative Yoga | Power, Presence and Practice. For Teachers & Trainees. I was honoured to be one of the models in Anna’s book as well as sharing my experience of Restorative Yoga.
Proud moments
Yogamatters Community Leader April 2021 - December 2022
Honoured to have been trusted to lead free weekly online classes in what started as a "test & trial" class for Yogamatters. It was very special offering Restorative & Hatha practice weekly plus inviting Guest Teachers/Studio Owners to share their offerings. I stepped down to cease online teaching and to provide the awesome Yogamatters community more variety, in essence, a schedule change.
BBC Radio London | 100 Londoners
I’m proud to be one of BBC Radio London's 100 Londoners, a project following inspiring people from the capital across their centenary (2022). I nominated myself due to being told on occasion that my retraining as a Yoga Teacher aged 50 was inspiring. I was interviewed a few times during their centenary, sharing my passion for yoga alongside being of service and how volunteering for Crisis and local community brings me a sense of purpose, sharing skills gained across my previous Retail Management, HR and now wellness career. Community yoga classes are also dear to my heart, offering funded practice to communities that have not previously experienced yoga is special.
Yoga in Healthcare Alliance (YIHA)
I’m also proud to be one of the tutors that contributes to decreasing burnout, stress/anxiety through offering gentle movements and breath practices for NHS staff through a 6 week wellbeing programme, Yoga4NHS. I also contributes to decreasing the burden on the NHS through a 10 week programme helping patients with borderline chronic health conditions to reconnect to their breath, body and community through Yoga4Health programmes. I’ve found both evidence-based programmes personally deeply fulfilling. Please see dedicated page for both programmes for more information.