Miss Bee
My journey to YogaBeez started in 1997 when I moved to the UK from South Africa. At the time, my passion and driving force was the longing to discover the world. To afford me the luxury of travel, I spent my days doing secretarial work at the Montessori St Nicholas Centre in London.
Breaks from the college allowed me excursions to interesting places such as India, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, Europe, USA and parts of Africa. Everywhere I went I ended up with the children. |
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My enthusiasm for typing and filing soon waned and when the centre offered me an opportunity to undertake a Montessori teaching diploma - I leapt at it.
As soon as I started the course my emotional and spiritual explorations began in earnest an integral part of preparing to work with children. I soon discovered yoga and completed a course through the Sivananda Centre in London. I then got my Reiki 1 and 2 diplomas through the Usui School of Teaching. I also enjoyed some true soul-searching while completing a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat. Some time later, my Montessori teachings had begun and I continued to practice yoga regularly.I travelled at every opportunity and began to observe Montessori schools worldwide.It was in an orphanage in the Himalayas that I witnessed the Montessori education system and the practice of yoga and meditation fusing so beautifully into one. |  |
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The Tibetan children, who had endured such unimaginable hardship in their young lives, were not angry or out of control, instead they were peaceful and happy and balanced. I knew immediately that I wanted to see children everywhere, in all surroundings, with varying material wealth offered this same precious combination of Montessori and yoga. |
I travelled to Sri Lanka and ran a Montessori teacher-training conference in Galle, an area severely affected by the Tsunami. The curiosity surrounding the combination of Montessori and yoga continued to grow inside me.
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In 2006 I decided to merge my passions for children, Montessori and Yoga and YogaBeez was born. Like a bee to pollen I was drawn to the YogaKids teachings, which seemed a perfect combination of the Montessori philosophy and yoga practice for children. I resigned from the school I was teaching at and journeyed to New York to do a foundation course in teaching yoga to children. The advanced part of the course encouraged me to practice various new forms of yoga myself whilst also learning anatomy, physiology, philosophy and the history of yoga.
...I continue exploring ways to incorporate ecology, music, art, mathematics
and language into my lesson plans as my joyous experience of sharing yoga with children from all walks of life continues...
