Kirsty always knew that she wanted to be a teacher and empower young women, she just didn’t know what she wanted to teach. Fresh out of university, Kirsty landed a terrific job teaching Japanese and English at a leading Australian private high school. She loved everything about that job but she also longed to travel and experience the culture behind the language she was teaching. Kirsty was 21 and she thought if she didn’t go then, she probably would never go.

It was while living and teaching in Japan that Kirsty decided to go to a yoga class, predominantly as a way to make friends. After only a few weeks of consistent yoga practice she noticed changes in her body and mind – “I was stronger, happier, sleeping much better and the debilitating period pain I had suffered for 8 years (which I later learned is endometriosis) had dropped in pain level from 11 out of 10 and bedridden to about a 6 out of 10 and functional. I was intrigued!”  Every Wednesday night, she rode her bright green bicycle through the rice fields, determined to find out why this practice of yoga and mindfulness was making her feel so good!

In 2007, Kirsty’s curiosity led her to complete a 1-year yoga teacher training course while working in a new role as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. She never intended to become a yoga teacher but her language students were begging Kirsty to teach them. It started with some short meditations to help with pre-exam anxiety and before long she was running afternoon yoga classes for the students and teachers. Her teaching areas found me! 11 years on, Kirsty has found the perfect balance of her two passions. She continues to teach ESL to international university students in both Australia and the UK and gets to spend her days with inspiring young people from all over the world. Kirsty simultaneously runs her yoga-based wellness business, Kirsty Innes Yoga & Wellbeing, through which she teach yoga-based wellness workshops, retreats and teacher training modules in Australia and the UK. Kirsty’s mission is to support women to get back in touch with the wisdom of their body and cultivate a sustainable approach to their work/life balance. A huge part of this is teaching women the tools they need in order to understand and live in flow with their menstrual cycle – that includes the way they run their business!

You are currently living and working technically in two countries – Brisbane (Australia) & Edinburgh (Scotland). How do you make this work?

Trust! Living in two places without a ‘home base’ requires a lot of vulnerability and trust and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t occasionally question this unconventional lifestyle! But, I have experienced time and again that when you trust in what you do and continue to do it, it leads you to the right places and people. I have a fantastic network of clients, colleagues, friends and family who support me, whether near or far, and this is priceless.

How does your audience or client vary in each spot – are there lots of differences?

In my yoga-based work, I often meet women who are at a crossroads in their lives. They have often been prompted by a challenging event, situation or ill-health to question or change their lifestyle. Our contemporary culture demands that we are ‘turned on’ all of the time – always bright, energetic and happy. Always ‘doing’. But we know, if we stay in the sun too long, we get burned or burnt out and that’s what we’re seeing in epidemic proportions across the western world. Universally, women are seeking refuge from the demands of a stressful daily life and, if done in a feminine way, our yoga practice can become a sacred space where we can let go of this need to be ‘on’ and instead, be exactly as we find ourselves.

What ways do you best communicate with your clients to keep them in the loop?

Because so much of what I teach is about reducing stimulus in an already over-stimulated world, it’s important to me that I maintain integrity around limiting the amount of promotional material I send to my clients’ inboxes. Instead, I always aim to provide something meaningful or inspirational that they can access if, and when, they wish. I love expressing my creativity through photography and writing which I share with my clients through various social media channels. In fact it was through sharing photos of my 175km solo walk through Scotland last year that the Scottish Highland Yoga & Walking idea came about. I had no idea my clients wanted this until they saw the photos and asked me for it!

Tell us how restorative yoga is different to other forms of yoga and how this is beneficial?

Most of the yoga classes we see offered in our local gyms and studios are very active. Students flow quickly from pose to pose with the aim of heating, stretching and strengthening the physical body. When we work very intensely like this, both on and off the mat, it’s essential that we also take time out to restore balance. Restorative yoga is a slow-paced practice, designed to create this time out for bringing equilibrium to the physical body, as well as to the nervous system and the mind. Most restorative yoga poses are done seated or lying down, completely supported by blankets and bolsters, which allows the body to feel totally supported and provides optimal conditions for healing to occur. We stay in restorative poses for between 5-30 minutes and, although it can look like one big yoga slumber party, becoming still in a fast-paced world is a very advanced practice.

And what’s next for Kirsty Innes?

There are some extremely exciting plans (and locations!) in the diary for 2019. I’m especially looking forward to heading back to the stunning Scottish Highlands to lead a Yoga and Walking retreat for women in June. Set against the backdrop of untouched national park, the retreat offers the perfect balance of adventure, yoga, nature, connection, rest and nourishment. This year I’ll also be offering a series of workshops and retreats for women throughout Australia, England, Portugal and Norway and, of course, enjoying some rest and relaxation in between. Watch this space…

Favourite yoga or relaxation pose?

Supported Viparita Karani. Despite its fancy name, it’s nothing glamorous – just lying down with your legs supported by a chair. It’s the perfect pose for releasing tension in the back and always leaves me feeling well-rested and rejuvenated.

Do you prefer a warm or cooler climate?

Good question! I love the Scottish Summer – warm and dry enough to enjoy the great outdoors while still cool enough to snuggle under the blankets in the evening – I believe it was a Wednesday last year!

What is the mantra that you live by?

Live. Learn. Explore. Rest.

To find out more about Kirsty, and also the trip in the Scottish Highlands, head to:

https://kirstyinnes.com.au/scottish-highlands-yoga-walking-retreat/

and on social media

@KirstyInnesYoga