About Gillie Sutherland
My Journey Into Yoga
For 30 years I have been studying the field of wellbeing, but I believe that the best teacher and inspiration for my yoga has been my own personal experiences. From a young age, I had a passion for human movement and considered dance the ultimate art form, with the body as the instrument.
At age 18, I was preparing for a career in dance when I broke my back in a car accident. This ended up being a gift, which has brought me to understand my life purpose of helping others take responsibility for their own health and learn to heal the body.
I went on to take a BA (Hons) degree in Physical Education, where I learned how the body works, as well as the part the mind plays. It took a few years, but through exploring the field of mind-body medicine, and in particular, Alexander Technique which was the subject of my dissertation, I had a healthy, happy back again.
I started teaching fitness classes back in 1993, and was a Trainer and Assessor for the health and fitness industry, and also studied as a Life Coach, but it has been over the past 5 years that I have realised that it is yoga that is everything that I ever learned all put together in one modality. Three years ago, I decided I needed to fully immerse myself in yoga, and I went to study and travel in India for a year, where I deepened my knowledge of yoga and ayurveda. It was there that I really got what it was to be living and breathing yoga, but also that we also had the right to find our own way that works for us.
My Yoga Philosophy
For me, it is all about balance. The body needs to be in balance, with a mix strength and flexibility, balance of the systems of the body, and a balanced approach to life puts us in a state of “flow”. I also try to strike the balance between learning and fun, challenge and relaxation, and between the science and the spirituality. I am constantly evolving my own practise and varying what I teach. I come at it from an intuitive level, using everything that I have learned about health and healing over the years to help you build your own practise based on awareness and re-connecting with your body.
My approach to yoga is that it should be accessible to everyone, and I try to allow for all levels of ability and experience in my classes. However, if you have any special conditions, or if you are worried about joining a class with others, I am happy to take you for a private session initially, so I can assess you and give you any modifications you may need, but also to give you the confidence to go into your first class, with a bit more knowledge of what to expect.
Flow Yoga is a unique style of yoga I have developed over the years, based on the principles of
breath synchronised movement, awareness, mindfulness, postural correction, and natural, primal
movement. I may blend in strong core work, with some Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and even
dance.My mantra is “Smile and Breathe!”, because I want you to enjoy it, and get the very best out of it, for you. I encourage a non-competitive class environment, and often friendships develop through yoga which are both supportive and nourishing, and this makes me smile a lot too!
Qualifications
BA (Hons) Degree in Physical Education
Yoga Alliance Accredited Yoga Teacher 200 hours
Certificate in Aerial Yoga
D32/ 33 Trainer and Assessor
Diploma in Fitness Pilates
RSA Exercise to Music
Focus Training Fitness and Nutrition
Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring
If you have any questions or would just like to have a chat about the classes and sessions I do, please get in touch gilliesutherland73@gmail.com or 07530 012 490.
Happy Fit 