My name is Andrea Binks and I am a Specialist Anaesthetist at Wollongong Hospital, a mum to 2 young children and a yoga teacher! I have been practicing yoga since 2001. I was looking for something of a physical challenge as well as a means of relaxation. I went to an Ashtanga yoga class in my local neighbourhood and was instantly hooked.
Since then I have found myself giving more and more time to my yoga, practicing at home, going to classes, workshops and weekend retreats. I began to study more about the history and philosophy of yoga through yoga teacher training and qualified as a yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga in 2008. I teach Hatha yoga classes, which take influences from various yoga styles I have encountered, including ashtanga, vinyasa flow, and womb yoga during and after pregnancy. I have studied extensively with Christopher Gladwell and Uma Dinsmore Tulli in the UK, and have practiced with Radha and Pierre in Europe and with Christina Brown and Dena Kingsberg in Australia
My own personal yoga practice is continually changing, from a strong Ashtanga practice, through vinyasa flow yoga, hatha yoga, prenatal yoga and at times no yoga at all.
When I was pregnant with my second child I discovered Womb yoga and was amazingly fortunate to be taught by Uma Dinsmore Tulli. Her gentle transformative practices felt like I was coming home. I embarked on a teacher training course with her shortly after, and I am lucky that I get to share this teaching in Womb yoga classes in Wollongong once a week.
I feel that as women we need a place where we don’t need to modify poses to suit our bodies because all movements are designed for us, where we don’t have to apologise for menstruating or pretend our cycles don’t exist, and where we get to celebrate our feminine power. Some of us start to tap into this during pregnancy at prenatal classes, but once we have our baby, that tends to be it. Womb yoga offers a way to share our collective wisdom and come into our full sense of womanhood.
Through my years of practice it is clear to me that yoga is a powerful tool to help us cope with the fast paced world of 21st century Western living. It brings a sense of ease, contentment and joyfulness; however hard it is to step onto the mat, it is always worth it.
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I am also a wellness advocate for Doterra Essential oils. Please contact me for further information or to order online go to https://www.mydoterra.com/andreasyoga
