About Janine, founder of This Is Yoga
One of my first memories is of my mum stretching her legs out in front of her and folding forward to touch her toes in our lounge. I remember trying to copy her and asking what she was doing. “Yoga,” she replied.
It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I went to my first yoga class – and I was hooked. For all the sport I grew up with, yoga gave me another connection, another type of freedom. Vinyasa, astanga, sivananda, anusara, jivamukti, kundalini, bikhram, yin…. I bounced from class to class to get my yoga high when I worked in London. Finally I found my groove – a passion for the dance and rhythm of vinyasa flow contrasted with delicious restorative yin.
Teacher training was about a lust to learn more. As someone who loathed public speaking of any sort, I thought learning how to stand up in front of a room full of people when my tummy was in knots, and make them relax, was a big challenge and a very good skill to learn, not just for teaching yoga, but for life.
I qualified in 2005 after completing a British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance accredited course with the Yoga Academy and, despite having no intention to teach, I loved it. I loved the peace and the energy, but most of all I loved the way students left class with smiles on their faces, somehow lighter and taller. It provided a lovely balance to my work in a busy newsroom. I carried on exploring yoga, attending workshops and training with the likes of Paul Grilley, Sarah Powers, Sianna Sherman, Uma Dinsmore Tuli and Shiva Rea.
Since moving to Ireland in 2010, I have completed my prenatal and postnatal mum and baby yoga teacher training at The Elbow Room, my Womb yoga training with Uma Dinsmore Tuli and Yoga for Teenagers course with Yoga Therapy Ireland among others. Writing about yoga and wellbeing in national newspaper columns and articles also kept me busy.
Becoming a mum has changed my practice. Yoga helped to protect my back when lugging toddlers around, deal with serious sleep deprivation and find a sense of calm and stability in my body and mind when life is so very busy.
I truly believe that yoga is for absolutely everyone and it should be accessible for all. It’s not about being able to throw crazy shapes; it’s about feeling all the feels, rooting down and going deep inside without judgment to find a bit of peace and space in our lives
Teachers at The Studio
Reviews
I cannot recommend Janine’s pregnancy yoga classes enough. She is absolutely amazing at what she does! I really looked forward to the classes every week! They were great both mentally and physically for pregnancy and delivery preparations. Can’t wait to try the Mother & Baby Yoga next!
Leighann Curran
Janine is a fantastic prenatal yoga teacher – she has an abundance of knowledge. She really cares and is so passionate about what she does. She helped me prepare for labour both physically and mentally. I highly recommend her class for future Moms-to-be!
Jayne Clarke
I have been attending Janine’s yoga classes for over a year now and I can’t praise her highly enough. She puts a huge amount of preparation into each class and creates a very comprehensive and engaging programme every week. She is always aware of the strengths and limitations of each person in the class so that I always feel that I am being expertly guided. These are really the best yoga classes I have ever attended and I find them hugely beneficial.
Chloe Jenner
I have been going to yoga classes with Janine for five years and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She is an inspirational yoga teacher. The hour I spend at her yoga class is the most important and and enjoyable hour of my week. Consider yourself lucky if you get to join her classes!Terri O’Sullivan
This is a brilliant yoga class. I started the class after hurting my back. Janine eased me into the practice and was very aware of my injury the whole time. The class has really helped me to recover and maintain my fitness and flexibility.
Grace Wills