Yvonne Doyle
Yoga & Meditation
My story so far...
I moved to the "Garden of Ireland" Co Wicklow, about 15 years ago. I feel blessed to be surrounded by the rolling green hills of the countryside, so much natural beauty. I adore being amongst nature and love practicing yoga and meditation outdoors when the weather allows. Along with teaching yoga and meditation I run The Big Hit Tennis Academy
with my husband. I'm also a keen gardener and I get great pleasure out of growing food and flowers. I enjoy hiking with my family and friends. And I love taking pics (of sunsets especially!)
Then I started meditating. I don't know how it came about and I didn't really know what I was doing....but I recall sitting on the bathroom floor in my apartment, staring at a candle.....and that gave me peace. That little practice changed everything.
I discovered, to my delight, that when I practiced meditation I became calm and focused mentally. This transferred to the tennis court. I was discovering a way of competing with clarity of mind and I had the ability to cope with nerves and anger. And I felt confident. This was the “in the zone” space I was striving for when competing on the tennis court.
Prior to moving to Wicklow I was a professional tennis player. Tennis was my life for over 20 years! Nearly every decision I made revolved around my tennis. You could say I was a little obsessed! I loved it, but at times I really struggled with my mental game.
Before I began playing on the professional circuit I was attending the University of San Diego on a tennis scholarship. I was going through a difficult patch with my tennis game, struggling with confidence, feeling very frustrated at my inability to perform in matches.
I was elated at the profound effect this little practice was having on my mental clarity, my mental game on the court and my subsequent enjoyment of the sport I had fallen out of love with. I continued meditating to help me with my tennis. It became the most important part of my training. It gave me coping skills to deal with the frustrations of professional sports where matches and performances didn’t always go the way I wanted.
Meditation has, since then, helped me cope with daily life. I always feel better in myself and my life runs more smoothly when I meditate consistently. I can cope better with stressful situations and I'm not as anxious or as reactive as I once was.
I also discovered the physical practice of yoga in college but didn't return to it until many years later. I began to practice consistently initially teaching myself from a book and getting to classes when I could. In 2009 I received my first yoga teaching qualification. Some years later after giving birth to my two boys I received qualifications to teach yoga and meditation to children from Rainbow Kids Yoga and Connected Kids™.
The benefits of calming the mind and feeling more centred and grounded are what I enjoy most from my yoga and meditation practice. And I relish the additional physical benefits of feeling stronger and more open in my body. And it is my wish that anyone who comes to my classes can discover and feel these same benefits and more.
I teach yoga and meditation to adults, athletes and children in classes, workshops or individual settings. You can practice with me online with my live-streamed classes and also through my online offerings
To learn more about my schedule and workshops press on the relevant button below.
Or to learn more about my tennis bio click here