ABOUT ME
From my earliest exposure to mindful practices, a seed was planted that has grown into a passion for yoga. My mum gave me a cassette tape of progressive muscle relaxation to help me sleep as a child, and my father attended some mysterious classes that I thought had something to do with yoghurt!
Yoga, mindfulness and meditation in its various forms have been a regular part of my life since late 2001 when I experienced a severe bout of anxiety and depression. I began to use the relaxation techniques I had learnt as a child every night before bed and sought out books about mindfulness and meditation by authors such as The Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat Zinn. While travelling I taught myself yoga from books and dropped into classes when I could.
Amy McKenzie xx
I attended the St Kilda Iyengar Yoga School in 2004 and later studied Iyengar yoga under Beverley Boyd in Nagambie for 10 years. I attended meditation classes between 2002 and 2004, with personal practice waxing and waning over the years.
I have completed two modules of Meditation Teacher Training at the Gawler Foundation's Yarra Valley Living Centre. My Diploma of Classical Yoga was obtained at the Australian College of Classical Yoga under the principal teacher, Swami Shantananda (Mataji). I found Mataji's teachings on yogic philosophy to be most inspiring and I went on to complete a Diploma in Meditation and Mindfulness with her the following year.
I have found that regular practice of mindfulness, meditation and yoga have a profound effect on my outlook on life and sense of wellbeing, in body, mind and the less tangible that we may refer to as spirit.
Since I was a child I have wanted to make a difference in the world. I care deeply for the planet and all sentient beings. I have been on a journey over the past 20 years searching for a way to live a life of truth, love and integrity. I have had many personal struggles along the way but have come to a place of relative peace within myself and in my life as a mother of 10 and 7 year old boys. Before training to be a yoga teacher, most of my reading regarding self development was been related to Buddhist traditions and I still hold these teachings dear. I believe that living a yogic life is a great step towards being the difference I want to see in the world. It helps me to function more effectively as a human being and a mother, and to be of service to others.
UPDATE:
Things have been different since I burnt out in 2019 and had a break down in 2020. All of what I wrote above was true at the time and there are many for which it is true for a lifetime. For me, for now, I am finding a new relationship with yoga practice, including meditation. I have been though a long grieving period. I now have diagnoses of Autism and serious mental health conditions that explain the boom and bust cycles throughout my life and my great difficulty in cultivating a still mind. I also have diagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome which restricts my asana practice (yoga postures) to seldom. Feel free to contact me to chat about my experience with yoga and chronic illness or to enquire about one-off classes. I hope to return to sharing my love of yoga with you all in the future.