Behind the walls of some of our CHEQS residences, people are busy running small businesses.
This month we put the SPOTLIGHT ON……Michelle Parkinson
I started Cotswold Yoga and Wellbeing courses in August 2016, after moving to the Cotswolds to escape the busy Oxford life. I initially tailored courses to health and wellbeing, massage, change and healing, and then branched out into yoga a few years later. I began to learn about yoga whilst at university, learning Ashtanga from books and using Ayurveda herbs for cooking and wellbeing. Through looking after my body and my mind, I found the solace and comfort I needed to see me through my first degree course. I never thought some 20 years later this way of life would become my main source of income and inspiration!
After working globally for large international aid and humanitarian organisations, yoga and meditation helped me to get out of my head and into my body, to stop the mental chatter of an overworked, anxious mind, and get rid of the extra pounds which desk-based jobs had helped me to gain. I wanted to share the knowledge and benefits I had gained, so I began teaching and giving ‘change courses’ and simple massage. This then led to me completing my Vinyasa Flow Yoga teaching qualification and the brand – Cotswold Yoga and Wellbeing – was born. I really wanted to bridge the gap between busy city-based studios with the benefits of rural living, and smaller rural studios or even home practices. I offer one-to-one tuition, and small group classes in and around the Cotswolds.
Yoga and wellbeing cover so many different aspects to the work-life balance, from getting the right amount of sleep, choosing the right career path, to getting the right amounts of exercise and rest to maintain a sense of equilibrium. Balance and routine can create comfort and familiarity in tough times, particularly in the current post-COVID climate. A time to withdraw and connect to yourself, yoga works on the nervous system to detach you from the fight or flight stress response, to help ease you back into everyday normality. Joining a yoga community class helps connect with others, and provides a network of friends.
If you are feeling lost or stuck, or in need of some movement for injury recovery and rehabilitation, or even just need some ‘me time’ – roll out your mat, find a cosy corner and give me a call. www.cotswoldyogacourses.com
