Emma’s Yoga Journey

I came to yoga in the midst of an eating disorder when I was 12. I saw pictures of beautiful ladies performing crazy postures all over social media and instantly started comparing myself to them, telling myself that ‘once I can move like that, then I’ll be happy’. So I started doing yoga. 

Initially, I was too scared to go to a yoga studio as I ‘hadn’t perfected yoga yet’ which is a pretty funny concept looking back. I started following youtube videos and forcing myself to do 1 or 2 classes a day. I loved yoga but sometimes it felt like another thing to tick off my daily to-do list.  

Then one day something clicked. 

I realised that while the classes I was doing were ‘yoga’, they were only scraping the surface of what yoga truly is. I dove deep into the spiritual and philosophical side of yoga and found refuge in those teachings. 

I started to realise that I was more than just my body and more than the school grades I received – both things that I attached my self-worth to. I started to live for the sense of stillness I found through my practice and from there I started to find myself again after feeling lost for so long. 

What is Emma doing now?

I’m currently in the final week of year 12 (yay!). I graduated from the 500 hr Diploma of Yoga last year at 15 years old and have since started teaching one-on-one kids classes, holding body image and yoga retreats, and I am teaching yoga at surfing retreats. 

I’ve also just finished a 12-month long research project looking into the effect of a short yoga-based warm-up on surfing performance and injury prevention titled ‘Yoga for Surfing’.

“Everything happens for a reason” – Emma’s favourite phrase

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would become a yoga teacher, especially at such a young age. 

As hard as experiencing a mental health issue can be, I know that without going through those tough times I wouldn’t have found yoga and I would be a completely different person. 

I’m definitely a huge believer that everything happens for a reason and am SO grateful for Michael and Lisa (and all of the other teachers at The Yoga Institute) for helping me become a yoga teacher! 

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