Love Local with The List: Yoga Elements

Local yoga practitioner Katie Brock has been running Yoga Elements for the past 13 years. She turned to yoga when the pressures of a life working in finance in Singapore became too much. Her chaotic existence was exacerbating her stress levels and, in turn, her back condition, scoliosis.

She returned to Guernsey, unable to walk unaided, anxious and depressed. Having hit rock bottom, the only way was up. Katie started on a journey of yoga practice and self discovery, which included a two year trip around South East Asia working and living with some of Asia’s greatest teachers, before returning to Guernsey to fulfil her calling as the founder of Yoga Elements.

But it's not all breath work and yoga poses for Katie - she also loves the occassional rave!

Read Katie’s story here.

 

 

'I started to gain physical strength through the practice of Asana - yoga postures - and I started to find a sense of returning back home, to myself.'

 

How It All Began.

Hi, I’m Katie, I have been running Yoga Elements for 13 years now. I am married to a lovely gentleman called Sanjiv and we have two children Amaya, who is 5 and Aditya who is 2. 

I began practising Yoga on and off when I was 17, however whilst I was living and working in the challenging world of finance in Singapore, with long and demanding hours and constant stress, my back condition - scoliosis - seriously deteriorated. I was living life to the full, to try and cope with these pressures, but this chaotic existence was exacerbating my stress levels and in turn, my scoliosis. 

Eventually, I returned to Guernsey and, unable to walk unaided or to work, I was forced to stop, which left me incredibly anxious and depressed.

They say when you reach your rock bottom, there is only one way to go and that’s up. So I decided things had to change and I spent time studying my mind and thoughts whilst taking a trip for two years around South East Asia. It's a part of the world I have always loved and where I have always felt at peace. I began my journey by studying Yoga Philosophy. This led me to deepen my practices in Meditation and Breath Work and I started to gain physical strength through the practice of Asana - yoga postures - and I started to find a sense of returning back home, to myself.

 

Finding My Calling.

After long periods of practice and self-study, I was fortunate to live and learn with some of Asia’s greatest teachers. My mind was becoming quieter, my physical body stronger, and my awareness deeper.

After much time and deliberation, I felt I had finally found what I truly believe is my calling in life, through the teachings and compassion of Yoga. Not only was I finding my very own self-healing path, but was now encouraged to bring Yoga to everyone through Yoga Elements, no matter what stage of their lives they are at.

I have since studied for over 1,750 hours. In fact that number is much higher if you include personal retreats and courses which I continue to attend for my own practice. Continuing to practice as a student supports me as a teacher, business owner, mother, wife, family member, and friend.

 

'In a world which encourages and glorifies us to be busy, we ask you to rebel, and in fact slow down to become stronger, more flexible, and find peace within the body and mind.'

 

Sharing The Key To Self Care.

At Yoga Elements we offer a variety of classes, as I have trained in many styles, and in a world which encourages and glorifies us to be busy, we ask you to rebel, and in fact slow down to become stronger, more flexible, and find peace within the body and mind.

I am passionate about sharing the key to self care, encouraging people to pause before they are forced to and also supporting them to rehabilitate from burnout.

This year we expanded our offerings of Corporate Yoga and launched Wellbeing Days for businesses across the Channel Islands. I have since been invited to provide keynote speeches on topics such as burnout and stress, the signs, and useful tips to combat the effects. 

Our focus at Yoga Elements has always been to provide a practice for all, wherever you are at in your life. I also specialise in Yoga for Backcare and Yoga for Stress and Overwhelm. Our Retreats, Workshops and Immersions also offer a place of rest and reflection. We believe that a busy mind off the mat may not need a complicated fast flow on the mat. We like to invite a way to come out of thinking, to feel, and notice when we have got caught up in the cycles of thoughts, perhaps at times negative.

The team that supports us on these events are highly trained individuals. Many of them run their own businesses and offerings, and they are people that I have worked directly with myself.

 

 

'At that time I also had a two year old, and my mum was in Chemo with stage 4 cancer. It was beyond hard, I can’t express in words how much, but I felt the need to support the community.'

 

Supporting The Community.

I’m super proud of us for navigating COVID and lockdowns. We took our business online which was new to us. At that time I also had a two year old, and my mum was in Chemo with stage 4 cancer. It was beyond hard, I can’t express in words how much, but I felt the need to support the community, whilst ultimately learning the all important lessons of self care. 

We held some free weekly online classes, and our Yoga Nidra for example attracted over 500 people worldwide. I also had a weekly slot on BBC Channel Islands, offering chair yoga and breath work practices. And we set up an online shop providing Yoga props and self care gifts, with free delivery for Guernsey. When I look back, I wonder how we did it, but ultimately, it taught me so much about self-care in the hardest of times. 

 

Challenges Along The Way.

I can honestly say I absolutely love my work. But the administration and marketing that comes with running events can be challenging and at times frustrating. For example, this year we have been fortunate to have hosted over 250 guests at various workshops and immersions, and over 125 guests on Retreat - and that’s not including our outdoor pop up series, private work, and corporate offerings. That adds up to a lot of computer time! 

There is a lot to learn when you are teaching - for example how to protect your energy and your boundaries - but I think this is something that comes with experience. But my past experience in finance taught me so much, from managing people and expectations, to running events, and also prioritising the client experience from start to finish.

 

'My 40’s have been wonderful for me, I feel much more confident than I did in my 20’s.'

 

Balancing Work and Family Life.

My 40’s have been wonderful for me, I feel much more confident than I did in my 20’s. I like to think that experience has taught me the stuff they don’t teach in Yoga teacher training - that’s only the beginning. I feel there should be much more guidance for new teachers on how to manage your energy and boundaries, because running a business can be tough.

My husband Sanjiv also runs his own business - Sanjiv’s Gardens which focuses on maintenance, landscape and creating wellbeing spaces - and we have two young children under 5, so it’s not easy. Especially because I travel at least three times a year to the UK and to Europe, for study and also to be a guest at yoga retreats. But it is so important to make time for these trips. I really believe you need to feel it to know the benefits, and the retreats are a key thing we are known for on Island. I believe the best gift I can give my family is my wellbeing.

I am quite honest and open about the challenges we face. It's not easy and I have never, and will never, say differently. But organisation is key, and I thrive on it, which is lucky! 

 

The Pros and Cons of Island Life.

Local life is wonderful. I have my family close and the Island offers a host of opportunities to practise yoga in unique venues, from beautiful hotels to places such as the beach or the top lawn at Castle Cornet in summer. There are also some amazing places you can host yoga retreats, such as the White House Hotel in Herm and Stocks Hotel in Sark. 

But looking further afield, travel on and off the Island is our biggest limitation. We have people travelling frequently from off Island to attend our retreats, and we ourselves head to Goa for a couple of months with the family every year to rest, reflect and practice, but the journey is long and complex! Now that the kids are a little bigger, we would love to extend many retreat offerings to Europe and Asia, but currently we don’t feel that is something we can offer until the routes in and out of the Bailiwick are more reliable and efficient. 

 

It Might Surprise You To Know…

One thing I absolutely love is going raving! My brother is a DJ , so I spent my childhood hearing amazing 90’s tracks, and dancing is my release, my time to really connect with my friends and shake out all that energy that has got stuck!

My mum taught me the importance of balance in life and it’s something that took me many years to figure out but I am very grateful to have found it. Raving and Yoga, it’s a great balance for me!

 

Why The List Loves Yoga Elements.

We love that Katie practices what she preaches, taking time out from her busy schedule to focus on her own self care needs and yoga practice. She recognises the importance of this, not only for her but also for her family. She is also refreshingly honesty about the admin challenges that small businesses face - we can relate!