Hi to you & a very warm welcome
My name is Helena, a yoga teacher and business owner, and founder of Yoga Le Grá.
I live on the stunning Irish coastline near a beautiful village called Glenbeigh in the county of Kerry.
I adore the outdoors, being up the mountains, in the woods, sea dips, and long walks!
Yoga for me, is a way of life but it was not always that way ......
I used to think of yoga as just a physical exercise, like strength, and stretching, but at the end of my first yoga class (during savasana), I realised it encompasses so much more...
Walking up the steps to a New Zealand yoga studio changed the direction of my life forever...
Yes, my life has changed dramatically in the last 13 years!
I started practicing yoga in Wellington, New Zealand in 2011 for the physical benefits
(which are so wonderful!)
but it also had such an unexpected & profound influence on my life!
Before yoga, I was lost behind the chaos and noise of my mind,
and I had very unhealthy habits that were damaging my health, relationships, and well-being.
Slowly, with practice & and patience,
I began to rediscover who I was on a deep level,
and I allowed myself to make better choices
to create a much healthier and more compassionate life.
This journey is not an easy path, and like everyone in life, I face many challenges.
I have learned to see my life as an adventure on a roller-coaster with ups and down
and it can get very bumpy at times.
Yoga and Meditation,
Nature and Nurture
are anchors I use in my day-to-day life
to keep me grounded and sane ️
The roller coaster will happen, I am on it. This is life.
My past reaction was to be in fear all of the time,
clinging on for dear life...
but now I can relax into life,
accept what arises, and go with the flow a little more.
Being present in what is happening right now and, most importantly, breathing deeply
I qualified as a Vinyasa Yoga teacher in Bali in April 2015
I returned home and set up a Yoga Studio on Model Farm Road called
Yoga le Grá
Which I poured all my love into for nearly 4 years
and had the most profound experiences while meeting the best people!
The next step on my path took me onto the road traveling Ireland
and into the green pastures learning about Organic Growing
I loved working in exchange for Bed & Board, and an immersion into farming life!
It was truly eye-opening working for a different means instead of money :)
An epic hands-on learning experience that I carry with me today.
Creating from healthy, local, chemical-free produce is an ongoing passion of mine
I am an advocate for mindfulness and meditation.
I spent 2 years working in Dzogchen Beara,
a Buddhist retreat center on the Beara Peninsula
An incredibly immersive and enlightening experience
(not that I was enlightened ... lol)
I am a lover of Silence,
I believe Silence it is the language of God, the divine mother, our higher power :)
I have been on a couple of 10-day Silent Meditation Retreats
in Co. Clare & Go. Galway
I love to talk too (lol) and listen...
but I very much welcome silence and create space for it
I have completed many Yoga trainings over the years, including
200-hour: Awakened Life School of Yoga
200-hour: Himalaya Yoga Valley Cork
80-hour: Adventure Yoga with Stephen Ewashkiw
30-hour: Craft of Teaching Hatha Yoga with Jeanie Jyanti ,
30- hours: Restorative yoga with Jeanie Jyanti
30- hour: Yoga for Kids & Families with Rainbow Kids yoga
Next training Planned: 30-hour Chair Yoga with Claire Oborne - Summer 2024
So all and all .... I love to teach yoga!
I use different themes for classes and enjoy teaching from a joyful place.
I create welcoming nurturing spaces where the community can come,
practice yoga, move their bodies,
and explore alternative ways of healing while feeling right at home!
My intention is to show up to every class/event/retreat
with love and make yoga accessible to everybody.
I want to share what I have learned on my journey so far and
Share the benefits that yoga can offer people
with the potential to help people transform their lives
Yoga le Grá -
Yoga in English means "to Unite."
and le Grá "means "with love"
This was walking from Allihies village to Kenmare (we completed it over 3 days - about 90k walking we think ;)
self confessed Tree Hugger
West Cork ya Beauty
taken during my teacher training in Bali 2015 Sunrise Dolphin Boat tip
Joyful & Present
Adore in the garden Taken on my travels around Ireland
Oh I do love to be beside the seaside.....
tip of Ireland Innishowen
you can find me in the woods, amongst the trees :)