Hi, I’m Katie! I’m (at time of writing) 31 years old, living in East Calder, West Lothian, with my husband and 2 cats while I work in technology for a big company – oh and of course, I am a yoga teacher as well!
My journey with yoga began nearly 10 years ago now. I had been diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome & Fibromyalgia in the years prior and I was trying to work out how to navigate living a “normal” modern life while suffering from these conditions. A doctor flippantly recommended I try some yoga after yet another breakdown – because the symptoms weren’t just physical. I went home and googled “yoga” and found some free classes on YouTube. This is when I learned that in yoga, they let you lie down at the end – and I was sold!
I learned that yoga can be a practice of accepting exactly who you are in any given moment, and working with that version of yourself and any constraints that may be present, to help alleviate symptoms such as pain, anxiety and fatigue. I also learned that your yoga practice can change every day, and doesn’t always have to involve doing fancy postures. Breathing, meditating and looking after yourself and those you care about are big parts of a yoga practice that don’t require vast levels of energy and flexibility.
Over the years, my practice deepened and it helped me so much that I decided I wanted to teach yoga in some capacity, to demonstrate to others how it can help them. I completed my first teacher training at Meadowlark Yoga in Edinburgh in 2023 where Ashtanga was the focus, and then studied neuro-biomechanics for yoga teachers with Celest Pereira. These courses are the foundation for all that I teach, with the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga at the heart, and a healthy respect for the nervous system in everything I teach.
So what are you waiting for? I’d love to share a yoga practice with you!
Katie Cunningham: The Sjogi Yogini 