Attitude Organic thought it would be good for you to see yoga from a teacher point of view. Thus, we had the chance to interview Tiffany Megan, a yoga teacher and a health coach who shares her thoughts on the Yogi Health Coach. Read below to learn more!
About Tiffany
Attitude organic: “Introduce yourself to our readers in a few sentences.”
Tiffany: “Hello! My name is Tiffany Megan. I am a yoga teacher and a holistic health coach. I also teach Barre, Pilates Matwork and Reformer. I live in Brisbane, Australia with my husband and adorable puppy, okay, he’s not a puppy, he’s almost five, but he will always be a puppy to me. I was a professional singer and dancer and as much as I loved this for my job, it was causing me injury, imbalance and by the end I was also losing my happiness in this path. I missed dancing and feeling my body move freely, so I decided to give yoga a try. I had done a few months of Bikram, but got a bit bored with the same 26 asanas each time (I am a lot more knowledgeable about this now). So I gave yoga a rest for a while, then I gave it another shot a year later at another studio that didn’t offer Bikram and fell I in love – with the practice, with the studio and with the teachers. If yoga could change my life, make me feel a lot better in myself, happier and healthier, then why not do this as my job…. and so I did. I have always been interested in food and nutrition, so deiced to study holistic health coaching on the side to complement my yoga.”
Her Yoga Type
Attitude organic: “What is your favorite type of yoga?”
Tiffany: “Honestly, I love all types I have experienced – Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Bikram & Yin, I cannot choose just 1, so I would choose Yin and Vinyasa Flow.”
Her practice
Attitude organic: “Do you prefer practising mornings or evenings?”
Tiffany: “I definitely prefer mornings; I feel it puts me in a better headset for the day ahead.”
Attitude organic: “What do you eat before/after your class?”
Tiffany: “Normally I try to drink some tea before class, I don’t like to practice after eating, but if it’s an afternoon practice this can be a bit tricky to avoid. Normally after class, I try to enjoy organic coconut yoghurt with fruit, maybe a few oats, seeds and/or nuts on top. As it’s moving into Winter, this will probably change to some warm oats with fruit and maybe a drizzle of organic coconut yoghurt. It doesn’t sound very thrilling, but definitely satisfying and the probiotics are amazing for gut health.”
Refer to our article what to eat before yoga to get other ideas.
Her yoga style
Attitude organic: “What is your favorite yoga outfit brand?”
Tiffany: “Honestly, I haven’t found an all time favourite yet for yoga clothing. I am trying to get pieces from different brands to try, but I have a bit of an oddly shaped body and don’t always fit into sizes perfectly. Although I am a fan of neutral colours – black, white & grey (yoga and casual clothing wise).”
How does she meditate?
Attitude organic: “What is your best way to meditate?”
Tiffany: “I love meditating in the dark as the sun rises, or by candlelight in the morning, but this doesn’t always fit my schedule when teaching in the morning and leaving at 4.45am. I try to get quick snippets at the end of each class though while students are in Savasana. Whether in the studio or at home, I like to prop myself high on a cushion or bolster, so there is a deeper angle for my knees and hips, usually with just my ankles cross for maximum comfort – it’s a position I naturally find myself in often when seated (even on the couch). Sometimes with my Mala repeating a short mantra, sometimes listening to my breath, other times neither of these, just letting the meditation take me away.”
Her teaching vision
Attitude organic: “What is the best advice you can give to people who want to learn yoga, to beginners and to advanced people?”
Tiffany: “Just start!!!! You don’t need anything fancy, or have to be flexible – this is one I hear all the time! You need to start. Don’t worry what the other people in the room are doing. Just focus on your breathe and how your body feels. Head to the front of the room, near the teacher and take break when you need it. This can be the hardest thing sometimes, for someone to let go of the ego, of needing to keep pushing. Child’s Pose is amazing and such a nurturing position. Also, do not be afraid of using props. They are there to assist, somedays I need 5 different props for my body, other times none whatsoever. Each day your body and your mind is different, so honour what you are feeling that day, within that class.”
Attitude organic: “What is the one thing you wish your students would not do?”
Tiffany: “Hmm…. I guess it’s not something that they do that I would like to stop, but maybe not using props, or taking cues to drop it back. But in saying that, everyone’s practice is their own. I don’t really have any examples of things that students do that I do not like. Everyone is there for their own journey. So I guess to REALLY answer; I wish students wouldn’t compare or bring judgement into themselves during their practise AND in the real world. I think everyone, yogi or not, can try to not judge or compare themselves.”
Attitude organic: “What is the worst thing someone has done during one of your class?”
Tiffany: “I am very fortunate I don’t have too many odd things happen in class, but I have had a student walk out once before. It made me feel terrible, but I am still not 100% sure as to what happened in that class for this student to do that. But on the bright side, they still turn up to my classes. Maybe they were having a bad day, or the class really didn’t feel suited for them at this time. I didn’t follow up with them after class as they were not available, but they did show up the next week eager to practice, so I decided to put it to the side (well I am trying to). Each day there is more and more as I teacher I can learn from students and as a student there is more I can learn from other teachers.”
Yoga abroad
Attitude organic: “You went to India for a Yoga class. Do they teach differently there?”
Tiffany: “Oh I haven’t learnt yoga in India, so this question may not be for me. My very, very first yoga class was 10 years ago in India, I am not 100% sure what the style was, maybe a Hatha or Vinyasa Flow. One of my friends I was working with over there suggested I come along with her, I did enjoy it, but if I knew then what I know now about yoga it would have been so much more amazing. But the right place at the right time. I feel this was a tiny introduction for me to experience yoga when my heart and body were invested in other forms of movement.”
We hope you found Tiffany’s answers helpful and that you will make the most of her advice.
