Yoga rewards
Maureen Ryan cannot imagine life without yoga - it has been her passion, her career, her relaxation and her therapy.
Yoga gave Maureen the ability to “switch off the stresses of life” and as a teacher, she took thousands of students along on her journey.
But, after 44 years, Maureen led her final classes in December ahead of her retirement.
“It has been a long and rewarding journey. I couldn’t imagine what my life would’ve been without it.”
With four young sons and a newborn daughter in 1972, Maureen turned to yoga for relaxation and a release from the pressures of everyday life.
“I started looking for something that would be relaxing, easy but with movement, fulfilling and would help me cope with the stresses of everyday life. Yoga ticked all the boxes.
Maureen’s yoga journey began while they were living in Benalla, but in the following year she, her husband Alan and their young family moved to Warragul where Alan was appointed the ANZ Bank manager.
It was a busy time for the young family but Maureen was keen to find a yoga class.
For Maureen, it gave her holistic fulfillment in mind and body.
“I still remember that feeling of having found what I had been searching for.
“I was able to cope so much better, it gave me better coping skills and brought a sense of calm to me.
“One of the things you learn in yoga is breathing. It helps to slow your pulse and heartbeat, so it slows your whole nervous system. “I had tools in yoga that I could apply to life. Maureen’s teaching days began with Proceed education centre in Warragul as an unpaid class leader.
Striving to better herself and learn more about what had become her passion, she undertook a two year course with the Gita School of Yoga.
This later extended to further training with the Shivanda School of Yoga and a diploma in 1977 with the International Yoga Teacher’s Association.
But, keen to learn another form of yoga, in 2001, Maureen took on another four years study and training to learn Dru yoga.
Maureen has combined the different yoga studies into her own teachings over the years, developing what she felt was right for her and her clients
Many of Maureen’s clients were with her throughout the 44 years, which began teaching in community halls, schools and local buildings to establishing a centre on her Warragul property.
She has taught yoga to all ages, from children to her oldest client who was 92-years-old.
In retirement, Maureen said she is looking forward to spending time with her husband Alan and their five children, 18 grandchildren and six grandchildren (and still counting), some of whom live overseas.
While she has decided she won’t be going to the studio, even as a client, she knows Warragul Yoga Centre will continue in the good hands of Carolyn King who has been a client with Maureen for 11 years and a teacher for five years.
A knee injury contributed to the timing of Maureen’s decision to retire, but also the fact she knew the centre would be “in the right hands” with Carolyn.
“Retirement really was a difficult decision to make, and very emotional.
“I have met so many beautiful people…students that are my friends.
“Even though they say they got so much from me, they gave me so much as well.
“You get to know people and we share confidences. But I’m not getting any younger and I wanted to spend more time smelling the roses going on trips, camping and holidays,” she said.
Maureen said yoga had been therapeutic for her physically, emotionally and mentally – “it is holistic on every level.”
And as a teacher, she said one of her greatest rewards was clients saying “how did you know that’s exactly what I needed.”