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Yoga and Me

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Yoga has been part of my life since I first encountered it in 2003. Looking back, I can certainly recognise gradual changes in my inner world accompanied by obvious physical changes. 

 

Despite the complicated outer world, I still find peace inside me and know that life is full of beauty and excitement. Happiness isn't something you aim for, rather it is always there to feel in every single moment. Doing yoga, with full attention paid to the breath, makes us realise how important it is to live fully in each moment.

 

In 2008, I completed my first 200 hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in India, and I obtained a teaching qualification as an ISHTA (Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra and Ayurveda) yoga teacher. Since then I have been continuously studying various styles of yoga with highly respected teachers around the globe, as well as teaching small groups and individuals. I don't have a particular style I'm following, rather my yoga classes are a combination of all the styles I studied including Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Yin, Restorative, Drama, Shadow, Jivamukuti, Raja, Kundalini and many more including Kama and Bhakti yoga which aren't physical practice. I am grateful to all who have contributed to and helped shape my yoga style.

 

I feel the potential of yoga has been further expanded after completing my Elemental Yoga Therapy Teacher Training in Bali in 2015. It gave me a deeper level of understanding of the human being as part of nature. When we lose the balance of our 5 elements, which we all have within us as energy, we experience physical pain, mind imbalance or mental illness. Yoga is a model of natural medicine that brings harmony to all conditions of imbalance through respecting the nature of the elements within us. 

 

The meaning of the word "yoga" is "union" in Sanskrit. To unite your inner voice (intuition) and your action, or to harmonise your action and the laws of nature - these simple things seem not quite so simple in our busy, complicated world. To me yoga is an essential tool to bring me back to myself and lead me towards a simpler life. The simple life isn't a boring life. Simplicity brings joy, excitement and unexpected moments to your daily life. When there, your centre always remains calm. My aim is always to be a woman with flexibility and inner strength, both mentally and physically. 

Yoga with Nao

Voices

~Yoga with ​NAO. everyone's voice      (Videos are in Japanese only, sorry!)

Kiyomi (Private lesson)

Kiyomi was in the midst of a painful experience that shook her to the core of her life.

Through yoga, I learned to face myself and value myself.

And now this smile :)

She shared a lot of personal things during each lesson. Because it was a difficult time, Kiyomi's body was stiff at first, but by releasing her body, she was also able to release her stress. She was able to experience the power of yoga not only for the body but also for the mind.  She is a wonderful career woman who brings the practice and philosophy of yoga into her daily life. She is also now a certified yoga instructor!!

​Your voice (Group Class)

Comments from my lovely people

Nao was my great yoga instructor during my three-year stay in the UK. Her healing power made my UK life even more splendid!

I thought I had lots of experience in yoga before meeting her. However, her sessions were indeed an eye-opener for me. Even the easy-looking poses were profound and I realized those simple poses were even more difficult! I felt very much refreshed after each session. Her yoga flows and breathing techniques were also very valuable to me. Nao's sessions were always customized depending on our conditions. It was such a joy to have yoga sessions with such a professional instructor as Nao!

Regardless of your yoga experiences, Nao's sessions will meet your expectations for sure and I strongly recommend sessions with her! 

M Hirata, London

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