I connected with Pippa at the end of last year as she has recently opened a new yoga venue locally, which I stumbled across when my regular weekly class wasn’t on one week and I was researching alternatives online, I am so glad I did, the two yoga therapists I have met through The Little Breathing Space (Pippa and Sam – 10 questions post with Sam also coming up in the next couple of months) are both such kindred spirits and have become instant friends. I have never really come across yoga before so dedicated to women and our bodies and the unique challenges we face. Pippa’s specialism is Mums and Mums-to-be, and I only wish I had found her when I was pregnant.
Though its something which I kind of kick myself for now, I was anxious about joining a pregnancy yoga once I found out I was having twins as I was sure that I wanted a c-section and didn’t want people to judge me, its something which if I could re-live now I definitely would go to as I know, having met the people who run them that it would be just fine and they would be supportive of my birth choices. So if you find yourself in the same boat as I was, please don’t be put off, these classes are multidimensional, as birth is, and pregnancy, and women and you can meet some incredible women through them and feel so nurtured by their love and support.
I was lucky enough to go along to one of Pippa’s yoga classes this month for Mum’s, which she is currently running in the Little Breathing Space once a month, for 2 hours on a Sunday evening. The format is so therapeutic, you sit in a circle, by far my favourite way to practice yoga, and you start by sharing a bit about you and where you are from, how old your kids are and what your challenges and joys have been in the last week or two. It was so nice to hear so much common ground from a selection of local women, with all different ages of children. It is honestly one of my favourite things about becoming a parent is that you become part of a club, and regardless of whether you see eye to eye on every little thing there is just a base understanding that you get each other on a fundamental level, and I really did feel this throughout the whole class. We then went on to some self massage, hatha yoga and yoga nidra, it was all just wonderful and healing and supportive and so loving and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I can definitely see it becoming a regular (as possible) indulgence for me.
My goal of these series of posts is to give the sense of sitting down at home and having a nice cup of tea and talking about our lives with like-minded and inspirational women, whether in reality we do that online or face to face :), a goal within that for 2020 is to build on my new Wellness Page, is to try and interview different yoga and alternative therapists in the local area once a month, there are so many popping up and its just such a wonderful community which I am so proud to be a part of and it has given so much to my life that I hope that it will inspire you to try too :). God knows we all deserve to have more self-care and wellness in this crazy thing we call life.
Here’s the interview:
Hi Pippa, thank you for collaborating with JamJarGill.com…
Q1. Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your yoga business?
I live in Bromham, Bedfordshire (near Bedford) with my husband, three children, dog and cat. I moved from North London to the Bedford area in 2009.
Since then, as Karma Birth and Karma Nurture, I have primarily run specialist yoga classes, workshops and mini-retreats for pregnant and new mums and babies; this is alongside being a Thai Yoga Massage & Reiki Therapist and Doula (professional yet non-medical birth support).
Q2. How did you come across yoga in your own life?
I have been practising yoga myself for about 15 years now. When I was pregnant with my first son in 2005, I had a rewarding yet stressful career at MTV Europe. A friend of mine introduced me to the concept of Active Birth and Pregnancy Yoga, and recommended I attend classes. I was very lucky to live near The Active Birth Centre in North London, which is where I began classes about 20 weeks into this that pregnancy. They turned out to be life-changing.
Initially, they were my 2-hour-per-week “oasis of calm”, providing relief from my stressful TV job and otherwise hectic life in the city.
From there began a gradual process, whereby I could ease my pregnancy aches and pains, connect with my baby, feel relaxed and energised, gain confidence and knowledge about the birth process. I also went back after my baby was born, to postnatal yoga. Yoga has been a huge part of my life ever since.
Q3. What style of yoga do you practice and what is your reason for this choice? What have you personally got out of it?
The yoga I learnt then, and which I love the most, is hatha yoga, with a Vanda Scaravelli-inspired approach. This is perfect for during and after pregnancy as it is very gentle, with focus on the breath, patience, grounding, creating space within, gravity, and listening to the body. It’s also very helpful for motherhood and life in general.
I have had chronic lower back pain since childhood, and this approach to yoga, rather than trying to force or over stretch the body, embraces gentle movement, kindness, and a mindset of working with the body rather than against it, reducing pain and discomfort. It has proved a very powerful and useful practise for birth, times of stress, and pain. I love that I am always learning more about it and experiencing the benefits for myself; that way I can pass this on to my clients in a very tangible way.
Q4. What are the health benefits of yoga from your perspective?
In addition to what I’ve already mentioned above, we can all greatly benefit from healthy breathing that yoga promotes. Breathing well helps release muscular and mental tension, releases endorphins which give us that positive feeling of wellbeing. Practised regularly this can counteract feelings of stress and anxiety we experience in our busy lives, therefore increasing our overall health and immune system. We can more easily tune into our body and what our needs are.
Being in a yoga class is often a safe space, held by the teacher. It encourages us to be more in the moment and this can lead to us noticing how we are feeling, expressing ourselves and meeting our own needs, therefore being less likely to “hold it in”, letting things build up, creating more tension. On a physical level, we can activate parts of the body that have been passive, and therefore open up neurological pathways for positive movement and good posture, again leading to more body awareness. In our culture we tend to think of our mind and body – our mental health and physical health – as being quite separate things. They are not. Yoga helps us to feel integrated with the mind, body, breath, our energy. It can relax and invigorate us. For me, practising yoga is like a “reset button”.
Q5. How did you train to become a yoga teacher, and did you come to start your yoga business? How did you get your idea or concept for the business? What was your mission at the outset?
After my first baby’s 1st birthday, I decided to train to specialise in Active Birth and Pregnancy Yoga, as it had had such a positive impact on my own experience of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal weeks and months. So I attended some foundation courses. I then had my second baby and when he was about 8 months I left my TV job and started my apprenticeship which lasted about 9 months. I actually qualified the day before I moved from London to Bedford. Within a month I had started running my own Pregnancy Yoga class in a local hall. I had a deep desire to recreate the relaxation, birth preparation and support system in place, that I had experienced, and to pass on that wisdom.
Since starting off teaching Pregnancy Yoga I have embarked on many additional courses including Postnatal Yoga, Baby Massage, Reiki (to Master level), Indian Head and Thai Yoga Massage and Doula training. The mission is to bring all this knowledge and these services I can offer into holistic wellbeing and support packages for women from pregnancy into parenthood and beyond.
Q6. When and how did you decide to work for yourself?
As soon as I started my training. I knew I would be self-employed. It was a big step for me, but I was so focussed I knew it was the right thing for me to do, and it worked around me having 2 young boys at the time, too. I also knew I had great support in my yoga teachers/mentors. I sometimes work for other yoga studios on a freelance basis, always keeping true to my own brand and style.
Q7. Tell us about Little Breathing Space (aka Cabin @ The Granary Yoga Studio) and how it came into being and what is used for?
There is an established yoga studio at the Granary on Manor Farm, and the cabin was built so that some of the teachers would have a smaller, separate and more intimate space for small groups, 121s and treatments. It’s a perfect size for that, and also has ample space for yoga and massage equipment, a kitchenette and WC, so it’s a self-contained little studio.
It opened in January 2019, and I started using it for some of my pre and postnatal and women’s yoga classes and birth preparation workshops. In June, I was asked if I would like to take over running the cabin, as I had been looking for a base to run most of my business from. Now the cabin is named Little Breathing Space, which suits it down to the ground! It’s a little rustic holistic hideaway, and it really does feel like a break away to experience peace and quiet in such beautiful and serene surroundings.
I rent the space out to share it with other teachers and therapists, and we all love using it (and the clients love coming).
Q8. When and where and what are your classes? And how do you book them?
Active Birth Pregnancy Yoga runs at Little Breathing Space on Monday evenings, Biddenham Village Hall on Saturday mornings and also at another nearby local yoga studio.
Postnatal Yoga classes, which incorporate Baby Massage, are held at Little Breathing Space on Monday mornings, and I also have a yoga class for mums and older babies on Friday mornings.
Monthly on Sunday evenings, I hold a Women’s Wellbeing class (not for pregnancy or with babies) at Little Breathing Space.
Most of my classes are 2 hours in duration to include a “women’s circle” element; herbal tea and snack, and chat. Within these sessions, women find information, support and friendships. It’s really special and I feel so lucky to be able to offer this.
You can book here: www.bookwhen.com/karmanurture
Q9. Do you have any book /web or music recommendations to use with your yoga and mindfulness practices?
I absolutely love “Kali Mantra” by Hein Braat and use it sometimes for my group or personal practise. The vibrations in his voice are amazing!
“Awakening The Spine” by Vanda Scaravelli, and “Breathe” by Sandra Sabatini are my favourite yoga books. I often quote from the latter. I also love “Bringing Yoga to Life” by Donna Fahri, “A Gentler Strength” by Paddy O’Brien and “See How Yoga Feels” by Su Sareen.
I tend not to access yoga instruction on video as I prefer a personalised approach.
Q10. What’s your favourite thing about being a yoga teacher?
Being able to pass on a wisdom that was passed to me. To see the positive changes it can bring to people, especially when it’s at such a special time of their lives. Yoga helps us evolve into motherhood with a deep wisdom and support and I feel so lucky that this work found me.
You can find Pippa on:
I hope you find this an interesting read, I do hope to expand this section of my blog further to talk to inspiring women from all walks of life to get an insight into their worlds. Please do drop me a line at gill@jamjargill.com if you are interested in getting involved in my next 10 Questions post 🙂