Brother & sister team, Neil Richardson & Jinty Sheerin are both students of Yoga, with a regular meditation and Yoga practice.
Neil Richardson
A career in construction and years spent as a bodybuilder had broken Neil’s body. When his personal life unexpectedly changed he knew he could not go forward the way he was, physically or emotionally. His search began with Hatha Yoga, eventually leading him to Ashtanga Yoga. Neil studied with different Ashtanga teachers but it was not an easy path, having lower back and knee issues and shoulders so tight he could barely hold downward dog, all made transformation very difficult. He was at the point of giving up when, in 2010, he met his teacher, Nancy Gilgoff, at Purple Valley, Goa. She began to pick up the broken pieces and he has not looked back. Since then he has practiced with Nancy many times, staying in Maui & studying with her some winters. She encouraged him to teach and so he began teaching his youngest sister, Jinty.
Neil teaches as he was taught by Nancy, & also brings a great understanding of injury and inflexibility within the body. He believes we need a good teacher, one that we can trust, that also has a daily practice. But self inquiry & listening to the teacher inside of ourselves is important too. His teaching is compassionate, direct, & fun.
Neil teaches mostly through the Spring/Summer months in the Shala, Ashtanga Yoga Exmouth, UK, that he & his sister share.
Jinty Sheerin
The first yoga Jinty ever learned was controlled breathing whilst in labour with her first child (1997). A very quick labour led to Jinty not having time for any pain relief. The midwife spent the time breathing with her, she learned how a single breath could connect her with her body & what a powerful tool the breath can be in calming the body and mind and bringing us into the moment. The following few years were spent working & bringing up a family. When seeing the positive change in Neil she asked if the would teach her.
Jinty began to learn Ashtanga Yoga on a 1-2-1 basis with Neil. A (short) daily practice quickly followed. She began covering Neils classes whilst he was away during the winter and together they started to build a local Ashtanga community.
Jinty has studied with Manju Jois, David Swenson Nancy Gilgoff, and Alexandria Crow She practices & teaches the traditional method, using the breath as an anchor to help keep our minds in the moment. Jinty has a great interest in women’s health, and mental health issues, having struggled with PMS (pre-menstrual tension) for years and Post Natal Depression the Astanga Practice soon became her sanctuary. Understanding what Yoga can do for stilling the mind, as well as finding comfort and confidence within the body so that you can be there to support others is a priority. Jinty is one of the first Yoga Teachers to have qualified with Petra Coveney in Menopause Yoga and has completed Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training with Cherie Lathey at Yogamama.
All Jinty’s classes and workshops are inclusive to all, attending a 12 month course with Alexandria Crow, learning how to deconstruct and reconstruct postures so that they retain their purpose but are accessible to all. She is an affiliate member the British Menopause Society and the NH Menopause Society
Also Running Menopause Cafes locally and co-hosts a Podcast – for more see Womenkind Collective instagram
Jinty has also studied Sanskrit with Zoe Slatoff.
She is Teaching Mysore & Led Ashtanga classes in both Primary and Intermediate series, plus breathwork and private classes, throughout the year at Ashtanga Yoga Exmouth Shala that she and her brother founded. All their classes are inclusive.
‘ Ashtanga Yoga is for everyone. You do not have to be flexible or strong to join us. Yoga can help you with physical & emotional injuries/traumas, with stress & anxiety, ‘You cannot pour from an empty cup so it is important to give yourself some time to be ‘well’. We are both students before we are teachers and we all walk this path together, Every teacher will bring their own personality to their classes but ultimately we teach intuitively and compassionately, allowing for all our individualities. None of us walk into the Shala looking the same so why would we expect to look the same making shapes on a yoga mat. It is a healing practice we hope to provide you with the correct tools to do just this….. have fun and maybe learn to stand on your head while you’re here’
Nancy Gilgoff
Nancy began practicing Ashtanga Yoga over forty years ago with Pattabhi Jois, in Mysore, India. When Nancy asked Jois how she should teach, he told her to “teach the way I taught you”—advice which she took to heart and continues to follow today.
Nancy’s studies over the years have also led her to other teachers, including Baba Hari Das and in addition, she has and continues to pursue the dharma teachings of the Dalai Lama.
She spends much of her time touring the United States, Europe, and Asia, teaching with a view to fostering loving-kindness and to sharing her love and experience of yoga.
AYE 