How to Pay Attention to the Present Moment...Or how Mind the Yoga got its name

When I was holding yoga classes under Peter Walker’s ‘Peace Doves’ art installation in January 2024 at St Albans Cathedral, I was interviewed by local radio station Mix 92.6 and the presenter asked me a question which, to be honest, I had been waiting for someone to ask! Why did I call my yoga teaching business Mind the Yoga?

The name came about because of my intention that my yoga practice, and how I shared it and taught others, should not be solely about the physical practice, but also about taking care of our minds. The addition of the word ‘mind’ was important in showing that I was all about empowering my students to take care of their emotional and spiritual wellbeing as well as their bodies. Mindfulness and paying attention to the body and breath to come more fully into the present moment would be very much weaved into everything that I taught. It is still a fundamental part of what I do.

When I explained this in the radio interview the presenter found that ‘Pay attention!’ reminded him of something you would hear at school - pay attention, listen, wake up, sit up straight, pull your socks up, that sort of thing. But I was thinking more of the ‘Mind the Gap’ notices at a train station. It’s all about noticing and making sure you pay attention to the small gap between the train and the platform so that you don’t fall. Practicalities aside, for me a deep sense of paying attention to everything in life, the little things, the big things, the wonderful, joyous things and, just as importantly the awful, difficult, boring things is where the beauty of our life lies. I deeply believe that this life is a gift, but I also believe that life is not meant to be easy. We live our lives fully when we embody everything we are experiencing, fully and without judgment, by paying attention to things as and when they are happening rather than being lured by the numbing drug of distraction.

To experience this in a yoga practice, minding the gap can be a tool to use in our breath work. Sometimes I encourage my students to see if they can drop into that moment when your in-breath is full and done, and your body is naturally ready to exhale the air from your lungs. There is a split second pause of total stillness between the inhale and the exhale, the exhale and the inhale. Repeatedly ‘minding that gap’, that moment of stillness, in everything that we do allows you to practice finding peace in being fully present in each moment, whatever it is throwing at you.

So Mind the Yoga is not just a business that teaches people how to develop a movement practice based on yogic principles. It's about your whole body, mind, and spirit. And if you come to my classes, you'll be able to gradually learn how to pay attention as well as find a sense of just stepping away from the hustle and bustle of the every day, just for an hour or so, into the peace of the present moment.

If you feel inspired to learn more about how yoga and meditation can help you practice paying attention to the present moment, I can teach you! Here are some ways to work with me:

Join my Meditation Course

Come to a Class

Book a One to One Session