It began in India…

A yoga practitioner for 16 years and teacher for 11, Ayurveda has been integrated into Virginia Compton’s – one of our Senior Yoga Teachers – life since 2012. I asked what that journey has taught her.

“How to be with people, and how to be with myself! To truly believe yourself, your own skills and strengths and in whatever it is you are offering you need to really live it in order to feel a true passion for it. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t business focused but that your goals are more holistic and altruistic rather than solely about financial gain. This holistic and heart focused agenda is very important to me.”

That’s an outlook we share. And where is Virginia now as a result of that commitment?

“In the last six months I have come to realise how much people listen to what I have to say about wellness and how influential that can potentially make me as a practitioner. I have a strong conviction that Ayurveda and Yoga, particularly when used together, can be incredibly healing as well as empowering and the more I can help people to understand this the more people will begin to care for and take responsibility for their own wellness.”

At this point Virginia’s focus is on organising retreats in India, which grew out of one she’d participated in.

“I was at a crossroads in life and needed some time out to regroup. This experience was so incredible that I wanted to share it with other people somehow. And so, together with my wonderful Ayurvedic therapist, Shibu, we have created a retreat experience, in the same location with the same therapists, for people to be able to take some serious time out – to rebalance, fully rest and restore. The ultimate aim is to have one retreat per month throughout the ‘busy’ season of October to March, and also a couple during the monsoon, ‘rains’ retreats. All will be small groups, with a maximum of ten guests, professionally run and supportive of the whole process from booking onward – assistance with everything from flights and visas to onward travel and aftercare on returning home.”

Find out more at virginiacompton.com and theyogaretreatindia.com