Rebecca's Yoga & Sport Bio
I started yoga in 2008 as a way of managing stress and was surprised by how much better it made me feel, even if I only managed 15 or 20 minutes a day. Ever since then I've wanted to share my learning and experience to help others find a way to cope with day to day life too. I then discovered how beneficial yoga was in my own sports training and performance, helping me to achieve goals I never thought possible.
My initial teacher training in 2011 was with Anne-Marie Newland in Sun Power Yoga - a blend of three traditional yoga forms Sivananda, Ashtanga and Iyengar. Sun Power Yoga is fantastic for athletes as it includes dynamic movement in each session, with a strong attention to alignment of the body to ensure you're using the most effective muscles to hold the body in each posture.
I then continued my training with Hayley Winter at the Institute of Yoga Sport Science ® in becoming a Yoga Sports CoachTM. This training enables me to create an athlete-centred programme for athletes of any sport, helping to bring sport-specific yoga techniques into their training schedule. The results of extensive research carried out by YSS students speaks for itself - many found measurable improvements in athlete performance following a 10 week programme. We estimate a 1% improvement by including yoga into sports training - which can mean the difference between medal and none for elite athletes. For recreational sports people the gains may be greater.
I've also trained with Srivatsa Ramaswami in the Vinyasa Krama tradition - also using a dynamic practice tailored to individual student's needs - and Uma Dinsmore Tuli for yoga nidra. From my travels I've been influenced in a range of yoga practices including Sivananda as taught in India (Kerala) and Kundalini yoga.
As a competitive freediver I set 5 UK records swimming underwater on one breath, including 145m breaststroke and 189m with a monofin, swimming like a mermaid. This got me a page 3 slot in the Daily Telegraph! I won the Pool National Championships in 2014, and represented GB at two World Championships. I stopped competing in 2015 due to illness and to have a family. We are now proud (but tired) parents of an almost 3 year old!
Since retiring from freediving, I have felt the call to share the unique benefits that apnea can have for athletes, as demonstrated by numerous scientific studies, including greater oxygen uptake through spleen release of red blood cells and better oxygen delivery by training in a state of high carbon dioxide. I found the Oxygen Advantage approach ticked all these boxes, and as an instructor I help athletes ensure functional breathing patterns and then harness the potential in their breath to achieve excellence.
My initial teacher training in 2011 was with Anne-Marie Newland in Sun Power Yoga - a blend of three traditional yoga forms Sivananda, Ashtanga and Iyengar. Sun Power Yoga is fantastic for athletes as it includes dynamic movement in each session, with a strong attention to alignment of the body to ensure you're using the most effective muscles to hold the body in each posture.
I then continued my training with Hayley Winter at the Institute of Yoga Sport Science ® in becoming a Yoga Sports CoachTM. This training enables me to create an athlete-centred programme for athletes of any sport, helping to bring sport-specific yoga techniques into their training schedule. The results of extensive research carried out by YSS students speaks for itself - many found measurable improvements in athlete performance following a 10 week programme. We estimate a 1% improvement by including yoga into sports training - which can mean the difference between medal and none for elite athletes. For recreational sports people the gains may be greater.
I've also trained with Srivatsa Ramaswami in the Vinyasa Krama tradition - also using a dynamic practice tailored to individual student's needs - and Uma Dinsmore Tuli for yoga nidra. From my travels I've been influenced in a range of yoga practices including Sivananda as taught in India (Kerala) and Kundalini yoga.
As a competitive freediver I set 5 UK records swimming underwater on one breath, including 145m breaststroke and 189m with a monofin, swimming like a mermaid. This got me a page 3 slot in the Daily Telegraph! I won the Pool National Championships in 2014, and represented GB at two World Championships. I stopped competing in 2015 due to illness and to have a family. We are now proud (but tired) parents of an almost 3 year old!
Since retiring from freediving, I have felt the call to share the unique benefits that apnea can have for athletes, as demonstrated by numerous scientific studies, including greater oxygen uptake through spleen release of red blood cells and better oxygen delivery by training in a state of high carbon dioxide. I found the Oxygen Advantage approach ticked all these boxes, and as an instructor I help athletes ensure functional breathing patterns and then harness the potential in their breath to achieve excellence.
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My teaching qualifications
- Sun Power Yoga teacher (200 hrs) - CYQ/YMCA, REPs Level 3
- Sun Aqua teacher (yoga in the pool)
- Oxygen Advantage Instructor
- Yoga Sports CoachTM
- SUP and SUP yoga instructor (stand-up paddleboard) with BSUPA
- Registered and insured with REPs - Register of Exercise Professionals
- Emergency First Responder (First Aid)
- Sun Power Yoga teacher (200 hrs) - CYQ/YMCA, REPs Level 3
- Sun Aqua teacher (yoga in the pool)
- Oxygen Advantage Instructor
- Yoga Sports CoachTM
- SUP and SUP yoga instructor (stand-up paddleboard) with BSUPA
- Registered and insured with REPs - Register of Exercise Professionals
- Emergency First Responder (First Aid)
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