How to get unstuck through yoga & coaching with Gillian Dodd

Speaker 1: Well, hello, and welcome to the Super Connected Show, where I'm delighted to be joined by Jillian Dodd, who has over twenty five years experience as a coach and trainer for UK based SMEs and also global brands in industries including tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, oil and gas, finance, FMCG, third sector, local government and healthcare, which is also a qualified yoga therapist in educator of yoga teachers, and she's committed to dispelling the myth that you need to be slim, bendy and flexible to access the benefits of yoga for pain free and functional body. Hello, Jillian, how are you doing?

Speaker 2: Hi there, Paul, Hi, good morning, very well, thank you thanks for inviting me on.

Speaker 3: No, that's good. I'm looking forward to getting into this.

Speaker 1: Well, I'm slim, but I'm definitely not bendy and I'm definitely not flexible, right, so we needn't give me some tips on on on how to do that. But I know we we met good good few years ago, at least five six years ago, I think, and we we've spoken quite a lot about the yoga therapy that you were doing. So yoga for anyone of any age, any size any skill level. I know that's a big, big thing that you're passionate about. But before we get into that, you just want to tell me a bit more about your your background as a as a coach and a trainer and what you do now.

Speaker 4: Yeah, sure, thanks, Paul.

Speaker 2: So I think you know, in a nutshell, I help people with what this stuck with, you know, in in the head in their career and more latterly, you know in the body, so so. And the thing about coaching, you know, I've I've been coaching, I think since my first.

Speaker 4: Job, which was a good while ago. Yeah. So, yeah, my background is.

Speaker 3: In the travel I think. Yeah, it's become popular.

Speaker 1: People say they're a coach, but you've been a coach, like before it was fashionable.

Speaker 4: I think, yeah, yeah I have.

Speaker 2: And I think you know, I was work. I worked for a tour operator in Jasmine, and yeah, I was the person that people used to new people used to sit beside me and I would to show them the ropes you know from Bernafield. Quite friendly and so I suppose it started then early on in my early on in my career, and I went on in the in the travel and tourism industry, too, you know, to be promoted to a supervisor and manager. So coaching is really part of that, isn't it. It's part of a manager's toolkit. But yeah, back in the day, and it's it's probably thirty years ago actually where I did some NLP practitioner training, so you know, became an NLP practitioner when it was fairly new. And yeah, I've just I've just always been involved in in in training and development, but also I've been an operational manager as well, you know, so it work as well as because after a while when I was promoted, I worked down in London set up an operation in Looton Airport for the organization I worked for, and also worked overseas for them, so always kind of replicating a success story if you like. So there was a lot of recruitment, selection, coaching and training, you know too. It was a very competitive market and you know, so we always had to had to be the best we what we did. So I had really great grounding in those years in the in the travel and tourism industry so and in customer service as well. So and it was moving on from the travel and tourism industry that I started to find out about other organizations as.

Speaker 4: Well in other ways of being and working.

Speaker 2: Yeah, I worked for a consultancy in London, the L and R Group, and yeah, Robert Lederman and Simon ron Caroni. I've got both of the the books on my bookshelf here. And do you know what, I was really privileged to work for them. So, so they brought the concept pool of customer carelines to the UK, and I had a bit of a fancy title that I was program director. Actually what that meant was, you know, I looked after one of the one of their programs. So it was working with clients like Unilever, Hewlett Packard and and creating customer care centers, contact centers. You know, this is in the in the in the early nineties. So and and I've been going to yoga since I was nineteen, by the way, poor and you know, even then, when I was working for the L and R Group, I used to do breath and movement with people who were answering the telephone. So I was coaching and training but also.

Speaker 4: You know, when people were stressed. It was quite a stressful job bringing in breath and movement techniques. So yeah, I have been coaching for for a very long time.

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, well you say, I think at the start of that you said about how it was I think you said something about how it was like not natural or easy or obvious or something like that. I don't think it is for everyone, because some people get promoted to being a manager, but they don't really they don't really like people, do you know what I mean? Sometimes you get promoted to a position of management because that's just the way that they progress in the career. But to be a good coach and a good trainer and to do good customers, I think you've actually got to like people. You've actually got to like have some sort of empathy or rapport with people, which not everyone has, but you definitely do have. And first time I met you, I was just well, I just got on great with you, and I just really really liked you. So you've obviously got it might come easy to you, but it doesn't come to everyone. So do you think that's Do you agree that that's important to be a good coach and a good trainer?

Speaker 2: Well, I think you know, And thanks for those nice comments as well, you know, and I suppose when you're saying that, I also think that it can be learned, you know, it can be learned. And I think what's coming to my mind here is Maya's Briggs. You know, Maya's breaks all the different personality types. And yes, and there'll be some statistics as well that show this that there's certain personality types that are going to have more empathy, aren't they, and perhaps more natural rapport skills. But but yeah, I think you're right. You know, not everyone likes people and likes to work with people, but you know, as you say, they'll be promoted to roles because of the operational proficiency, and it's really tough for people, doesn't it then when they've got the people's stuff.

Speaker 4: To deal with.

Speaker 1: That's because often people get promoted because they're technically very good at what they do or like a high performer in that role, and then they get given management responsibility. But I think maybe you can be a good trainer if you're like training someone and showing someone how to do something like the processes or the systems or the practical elements of a role to be.

Speaker 3: But to be a coach.

Speaker 1: Where you're bringing out the best in others, or to be a really really good manager where I think that's about teachers as well, like school teachers, educators, but definitely managers.

Speaker 3: The best managers are the ones who are there to.

Speaker 1: Remove barriers, just to make provide someone with the environment where they can thrive and they can and they can do well. If you're if you're a coach or a trainer or a manager, you've got an opportunity to do all of those or of those.

Speaker 2: Things you have And it's a privilege as well, you know, I think it's a privilege as well to help people to you know, open up about what they're what they're struck with. Yeah, being a manager, you know, so helping people open up to to what's what's tricky.

Speaker 3: Yeah, And I know, I'm just thinking about my own career as well. I know something.

Speaker 1: Sometimes I've had managers where you're much more well and happy to do that because you and then there's others where you may be a bit nervous about opening up about things because you think you're going to be penalized or you're going to things are going to go against you if you if you open about things that you find and difficulty. But but yeah, if you on your LinkedIn profile in in the blurb that I used to promote this or talk about you say, if a lot of the people that you work with are people who are feeling a bit stuck and then maybe a point in their career or their life where they've things aren't quite going the way they want them to or maybe not as planned and they've got some decisions to make or they need to make some changes. So is that is that who you want to work with or who you you think that you work best with at the moment.

Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, and I think this this. Uh, I work with people who are stuck. Yeah, definitely, and you know I have done for a long time. And whether it's about stuck in their career, you know, redundancy, at a crossroads. You know, they've got a life change. It might be a change that they didn't choose, you know, it's gone along and you know sometimes it's it's the body as well, it's holding holding stress. So so yeah, I work with people you know, every day at the moment and want to continue to do so, you know, as well to help people to to move forward, because that's the difference, isn't it between coaching and counseling as well? You know, coaching about right what if we got here and how can we how can we move forward?

Speaker 1: Yeah, don't explain that a bit more for anyone that maybe hasn't had counseling or or mentioning before, what difference.

Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: So so you know, somebody presents with with with with a situation that that's struck with and you know that may come to me for coaching, right, but actually there's something really big and heavy that's happened. I don't know, So for an example, it might be I don't know, a death or something like that that's happened fairly recently, and you know the person's really struggling, you know, So I think there's different ways to.

Speaker 4: Deal with that.

Speaker 2: So, so counseling helps you to open up and go back the way and stay in the past, you know, with what's happened, how has it made you feel, so that you can you can really open up and talk about that, not necessarily then with questions about okay, so what.

Speaker 4: Are you going to do now?

Speaker 2: So so, so I think that's a marked difference between counseling and coaching.

Speaker 4: Voting is more okay, so where are we now?

Speaker 2: You know, what's going on in the presence how how, how's what are some of the what's some of the narrative?

Speaker 4: What?

Speaker 2: What do you want to what do you want to do in terms of moving forward? And you know, people who come to me, you know maybe that I'll I'll signpost them to a counselor h you know that's appropriate. So but with coaching, it's right, Okay, So let's deal with the present. What's what what, what's what's occurring? What's interfering with what you want to do next?

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good, good, good explanation. Well, good few years ago I had I had a little bit of counseling because something was going on in my personal life and it was just like I was struggling to just get your head round it, like what was going on? And I felt like I was stuck in a bit of a loop where I was just like going round in circles. And actually the best thing it was it was offered through work, actually like a job that I had. The best thing was just being able to talk it out, just talk through it and get it out in the system to someone that was compass it and willing to listen and not judging or anything like that. But at the end of it that they see. The best thing was like, Okay, you've got it all out. There's nothing wrong with you. You're totally fact you're doing You've done nothing wrong here. The situation is not good for you.

Speaker 3: You know what you needed? You need to get out of that.

Speaker 1: I mean they didn't quite say it, but like, you need to get out of that situation, which I did, But that's what I needed. I needed to just be able to talk through and get it out of my system. Whereas when I've had coaching, it's been much more proactive and positive and Okay, I might feel a bit stuck in certain areas, but it's much more like we're in this together, let's let's work together, yeah, to where you want to be. And it's more future focused than stuck in the past or of going around in circles.

Speaker 2: So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely definitely. Sorry, no, no, no, I was I was just thinking as well, you know, when when I've had tough stuff as well, you know that counseling has a place and it has had had for me as well, and has yoga therapy or might come on.

Speaker 4: To that shortly, but yeah, yeah, yeah, Well.

Speaker 1: The thing is a lot of people don't have either, Like often they don't have anyone that they can talk to about this stuff, especially if they're closest friends or family or the problem, you know, it's difficult, or even work colleagues. Maybe they can't open up to work colleagues either. So I would definitely encourage people to you know, there are resources out there. There's this online resources, the support out there, there's apps, as websites, there's all kinds of stuff that you can tap into. But but sometimes you really do just be the real person to talk to that knows what they knows what they're doing and can guide you.

Speaker 2: And you're right, you know, there are so many choices on't there. There's so many choices out there. But yeah, you know, it's great to be part of of of something that helps people.

Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely, we'll go onto yoga in a little bit.

Speaker 1: But I also noticed on your website You've got you're sort of saying that you're working with people who are maybe career changes or pre retirement planners, you know. Yeah, yeah, major life changes, especially if someone's job or career has defined them and that's who they are, and then who are they when when that ends?

Speaker 3: So do you want to talk a bit about that.

Speaker 2: Yeah, sure, so, so I've been doing that for for over ten years. Yeah, I have so, And and you're right, you know, that's a that's a that's another crossroads, isn't it. It's another crossroads. It might be that people are being made redundant, there's a major change at work. And yeah, and I'm just thinking about someone you know fairly recently who you know, their their their work, their career, the organization that they worked for was was was everything to them, you know, and finding out that they were going to be made redundant was a massive blow. And yeah, it's it's it's helping people you know that might need a good listen to around all of that as well. It's a bit like the grieving process, you know, go through a redundancy, but also looking at right, okay, so what are we you know, what are we going to do? So it's holding space for people finding out a bit more about them and about looking at transferable skills as well and strengths. And often, you know, when you've been hit with that news that your job's not going to be yours anymore, the last thing you're thinking about is, well, I'm really good, you know, And I.

Speaker 4: Haven't had an interview for years and.

Speaker 2: You know, so yeah, so you know, we moved through through through through that and what actually was to help people recognize the skills and strengths and also you know, the values. And I think if you start from a place of you know, what what are you good at and what you really value and and and then support them into into into the job market or into active retirement, if that's if that's if that's where they're at. And I'm just thinking about this particular chap.

Speaker 4: You know who. You know, he's now got a convent. He's now got a convent.

Speaker 2: And initially that didn't look like it was it was it was on the gods, you know. And I think for me, it's helping people to grow their confidence as well at that time, and help with the kind of narratives that people often get, which.

Speaker 4: Is nobody's going to employ me. You know, I've worked there for too long.

Speaker 2: I'm institutionalized those kind of things that the narrative that isn't so helpful, you know.

Speaker 4: So yeah, it's it's.

Speaker 1: Hard to think clearly and make a good decision when you're under stress and under pressure as well. So if someone's being made redundant or the threat of redundancy, and that they can, especially if they've got a family or the other things, or big mortgage or lots of outgoings, and they think and how am I going to ask?

Speaker 2: The stress is massive, you know, they are very stressful times in people's lives exactly.

Speaker 1: And I've been many, many years ago being made redundant, like what it want to be bear miss My second second job after university, Yeah, I working for British Airways. Eleven months in they just got hundreds of people, you know, it was it was overnight. It was just like, okay, right, I've got nothing, there's nothing to do about this.

Speaker 3: But but actually I.

Speaker 1: Just saw there's an opportunity to do something completely different, which which which was great and very I had an amazing time actually do it and someone completely different. But but it is difficult, like I know, and I've spent a bit of time working in recruitment as well, where I've been helping people find roles.

Speaker 4: And yeah, sure you have here, Yes, it is to.

Speaker 3: You know, it can be quite demoralizing if you're going for jobs and not hearing back or I know, I've got a friend of ours who was applying for hundreds of jobs and often not hearing anything. But he was just so focused on finding another job. That's all you could think about.

Speaker 1: He wasn't taking any time out to try anything different or anything. Was just every day job application, but he was. He was getting really annoyed and frustrated and quite not in a good place. But you did get a good job in the end. But in amongst all of that, you could have maybe tried some other things and had a bit of fund along the way.

Speaker 2: And I think that's you know, having a coach work with you alongside that as well, you know, helps helps you know, helps helps you to to take care of yourself as well at the same time, you know, So I would advise people to to to really think about what makes you happy in life anyway, you know, to be doing some of that, but around people who know you and you know, know you as your best self as well, that those things are important and yeah, and to look at different ways into into employment. But don't be stuck on the job boards the whole time, because otherwise, you know, Paul end up being in places of lack, lack and rejection, which not a brilliant place to be hanging about, is it.

Speaker 3: No?

Speaker 1: No, Well that's why, Like I know, recruitment consultants do have a bad rep Like there are some bad recruitment consultants and bad internal recruitis as well. Right, But having worked in recruitment, I totally get the value of a good recruitment consultant. There's no there's nothing to lose by total of recruitment consultants in telling them that you're in the market, you look for a new role and let them do all the legwork.

Speaker 3: Like don't you can still look for jobs.

Speaker 1: But if you've got a bunch of people who are actively looking for roles, who are speaking to employers all the time, if they're advocating for you and putting you forward, and then and they're willing to spend the time with you and understand what makes you take and.

Speaker 4: Oh yeah, you know, I agree, Yeah, I agree with it. You know, get somebody to do your work for you.

Speaker 2: I think there's the key thing that you said, you know a good recruiter, recruiter, you know somebody who's recommended, then absolutely. And I think the other thing is get on as many people's radars as you can people are often ask me about using LinkedIn when they're looking for roles, and there's obvious ways to use LinkedIn, but actually having a look on LinkedIn to say, right, okay, who knows your work, even from years back? And do you not think LinkedIn's got a bit more benevolent as well since covid, you know, so that sending messages out to say, I'm in this situation, redundancy situations somewhere in my career, you know, can you offer me some help or advice and not necessarily to be saying any jobs going where you are, you know, not necessarily that, but just get on as many people's radars as you can, because the latest statistics are, you know, sixty five to seventy percent of people are finding jobs through the network. Yeah, you know, so that says something about how to spend your time when you're looking for work and it's not been on the job job boards all day, every day until you start out, you know. So yeah, and it's something I really love doing. I really do love supporting people that are at that kind of crossroads. And it's all about stress and lessened and keeping well, you.

Speaker 4: Know, whilst whilst you're making the change.

Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely. There's a lot about the kindness as strangers as well, or loose ties, loose connections, because I think people often think that it's their closest contacts that are going to help them get another job. Often it's just someone that maybe met once, or a friend of a friend or something. But but if they don't know that you're that you're looking, or that you're open to something new, then you'll be surprised. People will be surprised how often opportunities come their way. Just couldn't put it out there.

Speaker 2: Definitely, Yeah, yeah, And I think there's something there about, you know, if you're in this kind of position, is getting over yourself to start telling people.

Speaker 4: You know.

Speaker 2: And I heard about one thing, Paul, where this guy I said, oh, he was going for an interview, and I said, where did you find out about it? So I was putting the bins out. I've got a new neighbor. And you said, I followed that bit of advice. I just thought, I'm going to I'm going to tell everybody I know that I'm looking for work.

Speaker 4: HR didn't know you worked for HR.

Speaker 2: So and of course you know, he has to have the interview and all of that, but yeah, don't.

Speaker 4: Be shy, don't be shy, shy burns getting out all of that.

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's it's but do it in a positive way. I think that's the thing. Like people, people are drawn to energy. So if people are like I'm thinking of someone else who's had a difficult time finding finding jobs. But like sometimes the posts that they're putting on LinkedIn have it have a negative tone to them?

Speaker 3: Yea, and it's it's it's upsetting. It's obviously upsetting for them.

Speaker 1: But like if there were a bit more I don't know, if they were less on the negative slant, then they would be more appealing to talk to.

Speaker 3: Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1: Anyway, that's just the recruit it may but last thing, we'll talk about this and then we're going to yoga because this is vastly is just well. I have built up a good network online on LinkedIn and other social media channels and whatever, but I'm still learning and the algorithms are changing all the time.

Speaker 3: And but something that I've.

Speaker 1: Been learning lately is LinkedIn really does want people to share expertise on LinkedIn. So if you have if you have genuine expertise and something sharing on LinkedIn, and even if you don't have a lot of followers, that will be sort of pushed to the forefront. So if you if you know how to do something and you share it and that will that will do well.

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, And it's about what problems that you can solve, isn't it as well? And and what the world needs at the moment, you know, to get really clear about that. I think you know, that's what I do and I've said that, you know, shy Ben's getting out and all of that. I think it is about not hiding behind what you're good at, you know, because a lot of people don't know how to sell themselves, you know. So it's it's it's making sure that your research and as well what's needed and if you need some extra training for that, then go for that, you know, get support to get that so that you're really well positioned to move into into into what's needed at the minute as well.

Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1: Okay, we're gonna talk about yoga now, right, So, yes, you said you've you've been doing yoga since you were nineteen, and then when did you start weaven into your work or when did you start offering it as a as something that you did.

Speaker 3: It like a big part of what you did, like trying all right do yoga.

Speaker 2: Okay, So I think you know it was it was. It was just about fifteen years ago where I decided to train to be a yoga teacher. You know, I've learned to development professional poll, so I like to know the fore end of everything. So, you know, after going to yoga for such a long time, I decided to train, not necessarily to teach, although I thought I could maybe don't do that in the local chat all or something like that or with me friends. So I did the training and.

Speaker 4: Yeah, so.

Speaker 2: I think when I first started to bring it into work was I started to ask people who I was working for, so I would be doing a management development or leadership program something like that, and say, you know, I'm training to be a yoga teacher. I need some practice. What about bringing it into to you know, to the programs. Some people said yes, absolutely, some people said absolutely not. You know, sounds like you might have gone all a bit purple Jillian, you know, and a bit more kind of out there and a bit woo, We're not going to do that. But basically it was about getting people to put their feet on the floor and I'm doing it. Now, settle in your chair, where are your sit bones, where's the sky, where's the where's the earth? And kind of you know, just come into the present at the beginning of a leadership program or something like that, and learn about breathing a bit better. So so, you know, I brought that into into into into work just in that way. So I did the kind of qualification politics four years. It's the British wheel of yoga, you know. So yeah, so once I once I qualified, I started to think about, well I could.

Speaker 4: Do workplace yoga.

Speaker 2: So I was invited to a few things to do that as part of wellness days and and that kind of thing. And also in my coaching then people might have seen on LinkedIn or I've meant that I'm a yoga teacher as well, and a couple of times people say I've got really bad.

Speaker 4: Knee, can you help me with that? And would be you know, in the middle of a coaching session.

Speaker 2: So so it was kind of just brought in in an ad hoc sort of a way in in in you know, in those kind of settings, you know, in co settings. But then yeah, I think probably I decided that I wanted to be a yoga therapist as well, right, So I'm trying.

Speaker 4: To think what made me do that.

Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I went through a really tough time right where I had a health issue which meant I needed in operation. Never been poorly in my life, and the operation went wrong and I got an infection and I was really quite ill and had to have a series of operations, which you know, I was in hospital for two weeks once and I was in intensive care for a while. It was all a bit tricky, right, And at the same time, I had some personal stuff as well going on. The partner of my of my children had been poorly for a long time and he was in an end of life situation. So we're talking horrendous here, right, and honestly, and and I had I was looking after learning and development for an organization, so you know, I had a fairly senior role at the time, and I was only three months in my probation, and I mean, you know, I'm kind of looking back at that, And anyway, this is about yoga therapy. So I was getting over it, you know, back at home, recovering, and a yoga friend of mine said do you know what yoga therapists might help here? I didn't even know what that was actually, And anyway, this lady came, brought some bolsters, cushions and just started to ask me how I was feeling, like, you know, physically, but also what was going on. So that's the first part of it, just telling somebody, hey, this is how I'm feeling in my body and mind, you know, in my moto. You know, you can imagine it was all a bit tough. So anyway, you know, I paid for some sessions and it was just brilliant being able to tell somebody what was going on and to help me with things like breathing, coming back to my breath, coming back to the present moment.

Speaker 3: So you know.

Speaker 4: That that kind.

Speaker 2: Of made me think, oh, this is a bit like coaching and yoga and it helps people when they're in a really tough spot. You know, I was in a tough spot then and it was it was thing which really helped me. So so moving on when I started to train to be yoga therapist, I did that with them Yoga United Education down in London. Again, that's another three year chunk, but great training honestly, and it was great. But actually, after a while I realized that, hey, this is about NLP. I'm already a practitioner, it's about coaching, and you know, it brings together so many of my skills.

Speaker 4: So so yeah.

Speaker 2: So it and I got better, you know, and I've moved on a lot in a lot in life. But I think it's it's when you've hit those kind of I can't say it was absolutely rock bottom, but it was very, very difficult. I think when you've been through those kinds of things, it helps you appreciate and understand, not really understand it's probably not the right word, but hold space for other people going through some difficulty. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: I think we don't have to.

Speaker 1: But I think if someone's had a difficult time as well, makes of a better coach as well, or maybe a better yoga therapist. If you if you've never had any problems in your life, and you've never had any adversity, or you've never had to be resilient or sort of dig deep, then yeah, but you have so well and well done for and all that and coming through it and then also being able to bring all your like you say, skills and expertise and and your what you're really interested in as well.

Speaker 3: You've already had that love of yoga.

Speaker 1: And coaching and training and being able to bring it all together into a into a new string to your ball, a new new element to your.

Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's it's a powerful part of my toolkit for sure, you know, the yoga and the yoga therapy.

Speaker 4: It's not for.

Speaker 2: Everyone, you know, And if you're talking about the corporate the corporate world and even using the word yoga, you know, I've learned too to sometimes not call it yoga, and you know, and too to call it stress less for wellness, stress less for wellness, because you know, that's what that's what what yoga is about, you know. And for me, you know, yoga isn't about the pouses and looking all fancying the poses. It isn't about that at all. It's about giving people the practical tools, you know, the practical tools to manage stress and to stay present, so to manage stress and to stay present and better with every day life. Really, so if you put the word yoga on it, some type of people get really confused.

Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting because when you describe the way you described it, they're about stress less.

Speaker 3: Who wouldn't want to do that?

Speaker 1: Like and like a lot of I've had a lot of people talk about performance you know, high performance boards and like bring out the best in your colleagues, and like, some people will be drawn to that sort of language in terminology, orthers will be drawn to the words are powerful, aren't They like turn people off and turn people on and depend on how you use it.

Speaker 4: So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 2: And the thing is, you know, it is about people in everyday life and anybody can do anybody can can do this. It's about access and your parasympathetic nervous system, right, So it's a part of your nervous system, which is is the rest and digest part. So it's not the full on part, it's the rest and digest part. So the tools that yoga brings helps people to do that, you know that, So that might be I don't know, before you're going into a meeting if things are getting overwhelming. You know, it's quite simple stuff that you don't need a yoga mat, you don't need to be flexible.

Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, you can do it at ESK.

Speaker 1: Yeah, So we'll talk about more about how things have changed. Do you think do you think people are more receptive to do it now than there were maybe fifteen years ago or even just the if you mentioned yoga or people realize that you're talking about yoga. Do you think they're more open to it now than that we're in the.

Speaker 2: Past again, you know, I think some people some people are, But I think there's an issue with yoga where it's taken on this shape that it looks like it's something that people do in a gym, you know, the need to have the gear or you know. So I think once you talk to people about it and they experience it, they'll go, oh, that's what it is.

Speaker 4: Anybody can do that. But you know, yoga is big, isn't it. You know it is. I've just been to Australia and everybody's doing yoga.

Speaker 2: In Sydney, you know, but even in you know where I live here, there's lots of different types of yogat you know, this, this hot pod yoga.

Speaker 4: And all of that, and.

Speaker 2: What else is bring it all on, you know, bring it all on as long as we sprinkle the crumbs of real yoga, you know, and and feed people the crumbs of that. So yeah, it's but what I want to do is to bring the benefits of it to ordinary folk, you know, and and people of all in all walks of life and of all shapes and sizes.

Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, And I love that.

Speaker 1: I don't say a bit about the difference between you're getting the East and the West, because there is like in the East, in the Far East and Indian particularly, it's people.

Speaker 3: Of all ages and sizes doing it.

Speaker 1: It's it's much more of an everyday thing for all kinds of all kinds of people, whereas in the West it's maybe become much more about fitness and that you say, look in a certain way, or the clothes that you wear, or the much more commercial focused.

Speaker 4: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely. And I don't know if if I if I totally this pole. But again it's the learning and development person in me, you know, I like to go to the source of the so and I'd always wanted to go to India, and with that, you know, in in mind, and and A did I spent probably about seven weeks in India. Yeah, Youmber a few years ago.

Speaker 1: I remember you went, but I didn't realize you were there for that long.

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and and so yeah, I mean they think we're a bit nuts over here in America as well, you know, on Australia, with all of the way that yogur's Yogur's taken off in the way that it has here. So yeah, And I interviewed people about about about yoga. What is yoga to them? You know, and it's it's I'm just having to look at it here because it is it is still on my desk.

Speaker 4: I'm writing a book about all of that, you know, I am writing a book about yeah.

Speaker 2: So, but what I wanted to do was to talk to some really learned folk who would answer questions for me. And I had this piece of paper in my bag and written on it was tell me what to do because I've done yoga for four years. This is in my question. I've never been in a slim body. What advice do you give me about, you know, carrying on to teach yoga. So I went to visit visit Swami right, who was like a learned person in an ashram. You've got to remember, Paul, you know, my dad's a minor, was a minor. I'm a really practical person. I've been at operations, you know, I've worked in corporate in the corporate world. So but I wanted some of these questions asked, you know, and yeah, so I did that great experience, and what he said was, you know, really have a clean palate, and yeah, make sure that you spread and sprinkle the crumbs of what yoga actually means to people and you know, shiny light in your own community, whatever that is, and that you're not going to be able to change what's happening in the world of yoga. And it's all right, you know, it's all right because it doesn't look like it's a bad thing, does It doesn't like people look like people are doing bad stuff at all, you know, so I think for me as an educator, you know, then it's to do that, you know, to do that. So so yeah, that trip to India, you know, it was amazing.

Speaker 4: And you know, the.

Speaker 2: Books on my shelf here. I've done lots of studying into yoga and where it all comes from, and lots of the positive psychology that will say bandied about all over the internet, a lot of it comes from yoga, you know, about the mind and the body and breath work and and and and all of that. So so one of the things that I did paul I Am. I wrote a module for the British Wheel of Yoga which is about it's all about yoga for people of all shapes and sizes. It's all about making sure that yeah, will make yoga accessible. So I've had that accredited. I've had that accredited, so you know, again smelling and development background that it's kind of driven me to and I'm passionate about it. You can tell I'm passionate about it, you know. And in my yoga business, it's it's like anybody can do it.

Speaker 3: You know.

Speaker 4: It's yoga for the body. You're in yoga for the Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: Love it, love it.

Speaker 1: So do tell me tell me a bit more about like who you work with, what type of people you work with, or maybe some examples of if who maybe has come to you for support and when and why?

Speaker 4: Yeah?

Speaker 2: Sure, so you know that's always the question. So so I have you know, I have a studio here if we're looking at yoga therapy. But actually, you know, since since the pandemic, you know, the reaches is much greater, isn't it, So.

Speaker 4: I could I do this online as well?

Speaker 3: So you started that weekly, didn't during COVID?

Speaker 4: I did. I did, and I've kept I've kept doing that.

Speaker 2: And when I was doing my yoga therapy training, I wasn't sure that you could do yoga therapy over zoom.

Speaker 4: Actually you know you can.

Speaker 2: So so people joining from Australia and uh, you know, people can join from from anywhere. The first thing that I ask people is what brings you to you know, what what brings you to to to this and so so, yeah, and and lots of different things. You know, it might be a muscular skeletal program problem that somebody's got poorly knee, poorly hip. It could be that, you know, there might be stuck with something to do with the menopause. You know, people might might might come for some yoga therapy because they've they've they've not been able to to find what they're looking for elsewhere.

Speaker 4: It can be that.

Speaker 2: And actually I'm just remembering, you know, one one thing, one person who who came to me, this lovely guy, Gareth, and and I said to him, so.

Speaker 4: What you know, what what what?

Speaker 2: What what brings you to yoga? You know, I think that was my question. And he said, well, actually I'm going to be rowing the Atlantic. And I had to kind of listen twice. You know, I'm going to be waring the Atlantic and I'd like to be a bit more flexible, That's what i'd like. And you know, so yeah, I worked with with with Gareth too to help with that, to help with flexibility, and you know, it kind of goes on a journey. It's hold in space, isn't it? For somebody whatever whatever they want to, whatever they.

Speaker 4: Want to do.

Speaker 2: And I think COVID stop Gareth from from achieving that straight away. But actually he did go on to do that, you know he did.

Speaker 1: Was that his background or was it like like totally different to what it's about.

Speaker 2: It's about raising money. It's about raising money for veterans at ease. I don't know if you've met, but he's an amazing chap.

Speaker 1: And memory sounds a bit, but he has. He's left a lovely comment on there. I can say he said it would be a great podcast, and he did say also look back on his career, he noticed that the times were the most productive and enjoyable when when he had a mentor he could go to. So that was a comment on what we said earlier on but right right, that sounds like an awesome guy. I love to check out.

Speaker 2: Guy, and I did when when I knew I was coming on here, I did check in with him and say, Gareth, can I mention you? And he said, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I mean that's very extreme, isn't it. Somebody rown across the Atlantic.

Speaker 4: But you know it can be.

Speaker 2: Usually people come to me because they're recommended, you know, the recommended, either through watching or or through yoga class or or something like that. Or I might meet somebody at one of your events as well.

Speaker 4: Yeah, so all.

Speaker 1: Kinds of well, well, yeah, you talk about events, so you've been to some of my events. But we did our five day UK Startup and scale Up Week festival last summer round about this time.

Speaker 3: Yeah.

Speaker 1: It was great because you did a couple of really cool things at that. So on the final day you gave a talk which I thought was fantastic. You were you were so brilliant on that. But also you did some some yoga for people before the session. It was before the event got underway on the Thursday, wasn't it. And on the Friday, Yeah, people doing it with you who maybe some maybe had done it before but others had never done it before.

Speaker 2: No, that's right, that's right, and I think I remember then as well, not calling it yoga. You know, it was under the banner of stress less for wellness and we'll forget you know that people, you know, coming to events like that, they've had a journey to get there. You don't know what they're leaving behind at home. They might be going to speak about something, and they might be going with a boss for the first time, do you know what I mean.

Speaker 4: There's all kinds of things really.

Speaker 2: But if you can start to feel better in your body, then you know, and start to access the parasympathetic nervous system, right because you've probably have been accessing the other part of your nervous system even just to get there, you know.

Speaker 4: So I love doing things.

Speaker 2: Like that because you see people kind of loosen up and get ready for the day, you know.

Speaker 3: Well, SA Sadly I couldn't do because I was rushing around getting ready the.

Speaker 2: Different venues and you were always you know, get ready in meeting your your folk and stuff.

Speaker 1: But I could see people doing it and there was a lot of smiling, so people were happy and enjoying it. And that's another thing that puts people in a good mood and it's a shared experience with the others doing it's so straight away. Maybe if if they've gone to an event in the door anyone straight away, they've got some people that have got some connection to.

Speaker 3: That.

Speaker 1: You offered to do that, and it was It definitely just added a lovely extra element to the event, justly sprinkled a bit of a magic on the event that you know.

Speaker 2: It was fun and I think that's what it needs to be as well. It doesn't take long either, doesn't take long to and you don't need a matt you don't need those things. It's kind of practical movement and breathing, you know that anyone can do.

Speaker 1: Yeah, well, can I get you doing some some of that again at future events where there's anyone watching this who's an event organizer, I definitely encourage them to get you involved in that.

Speaker 3: I know. I went to the.

Speaker 1: Entrepreneurs Forum Conference annual conference a few weeks ago. During the lunchtime break, they had some breakout sessions that you could use from and that I.

Speaker 3: Don't think they had yoga. I think they had a sound bath.

Speaker 4: Oh good, yes, lovely before and.

Speaker 1: I did enjoy that, although I fell asleep when I did it. They had a walk, just a guided walk around the grounds of Ramside Hall. They had an art session with Alvi Alvi Joey.

Speaker 4: Oh, yes, I think I saw that.

Speaker 1: Really, I've not picked up a pen or a pencil for probably twenty odd years, haven't it. But I really enjoyed just taking time out to just sketch and draw and it's lovely. But I could I could totally see a yoga session led by you at the next Come Traverse Forum conference.

Speaker 4: Well, I'd love to. Yeah, It's be my pleasure to do that.

Speaker 1: So we'll see what can make that happen. So yeah, So if anyone wants to know about you or wants to work with you, what's what's the best way to get in touch?

Speaker 4: Yeah, I think the best thing.

Speaker 2: The best way to get in touch is to it's as semi private message, so yeah, send me a private message on LinkedIn and yeah, and I like to talk to people as well, you know, to to see what the what the what what it is that that that that would like to do. So yeah, that's the best way to get in touch. And through I've got two websites, so yoga for the body you're in, which is w w W dot Yoga, f B y I dot com yeah, right, and the other ones jilliandog dot com. So that one's more about the training and coaching side of things. So those two places absolutely or via LinkedIn be great to hear.

Speaker 3: Yeah, amazing, Well definitely.

Speaker 1: Well I think you're well, you're a lovely, lovely lady, but you're very very good at what you do.

Speaker 3: And I always enjoy our conversations.

Speaker 1: And I was I was feeling energized in there and the positive.

Speaker 3: So I'm doing a yoga maybe maybe any.

Speaker 4: I was thinking, you know, just got a couple of minutes to just do something, just for a couple something for a couple of.

Speaker 2: Minutes, right, Okay, So so this is about, you know, accessing a way to to to yeah, to access the parasympathetic nervous system.

Speaker 4: Right.

Speaker 2: So what I'd like you to do is to make sure that you're you sat really well on your chair, so that means come to the edge of your chair so you know where your sick bones are. And uh, yeah, I've got your shoes on or off.

Speaker 3: I'll take them.

Speaker 4: Off off off, just yousue.

Speaker 2: So if you just maybe close your eyes and and and where's your big towards your little toe and halfway around your heel at the back. All right, so so so of cour as we're not putting our feet right directly into the earth. But we've got a surface here, so a surface for our sick bones, a surface for our feet.

Speaker 4: That's it.

Speaker 2: So and just let the top of your head, the crown of your head, lift up, not force it up, but just yeah, where's where's where's the sky? But the first thing to do then, so we've settled here, is to is to lengthen the fingers. So lengthen the fingers and maybe just wiggle the fingers. That's it, So lengthen so this encourages blood flow just by doing that. So lengthen the fingers, wiggling the fingers, so let the fingers move. That's it. And then the second place is your shoulders. So let the shoulders roll. So let your shoulders roll. You can do that one by one or both together, and.

Speaker 4: Just keep it nice and smooth and easy. And then how is your neck?

Speaker 2: Can you just let the neck be a little bit more free, relax your neck. So there's the three places to start with. Our fingers can move, shoulders can roll, and actually with your shoulders, can you just open your shoulder blades at the back, So open your shoulder blades and let your shoulders roll. See if that's any different, So open them a little at the back.

Speaker 4: That's it.

Speaker 2: Let the shoulders roll, Let your neck be free, and relax your face.

Speaker 4: Relax your face.

Speaker 2: We'll hold a lot of tension in the jaw, so relax your face and turn up the corners of your mouth. What makes you laugh, turn up with the corners of your mouth. And also just kind of blow as well, so like you're blown out the candle and you can do a little bit of that.

Speaker 4: That's it. So if we move.

Speaker 2: Shoulders can roll, your neck's a bit more free. That's it might look a bit. It doesn't matter what it looks like, it's how it feels. And then relax your belly. Often we kind of just hold the tummy in, so relax your belly and relax the pelvic flow. We know what we'll call people if the pelvic floor is just a bit too tight. So if you can just relax your pelvic floor, that's it. And then let your sid bones drop like weights on a string that dropped from your spine. So fingers can move, shoulders can roll. Yeah, your neck is free, and you might want to just do a little infinity sign. Use your nose to do an infinity sign.

Speaker 4: You might just notice some crackles and pops. Did you do that?

Speaker 2: Relax your face, swallow, make some saliva and swallow. Relax your joe blow, smile, Relax your eyes, Relax your belly, relax your pelvic flow, and let your sick bones drop like weights from a string from your spine.

Speaker 4: Oh how's that?

Speaker 3: Do you know what?

Speaker 1: I have to feel very relaxed, very chilled now, but like all of that, none of it's hard, it's all, but it all, it all feels good.

Speaker 3: But like you don't do it, do you? Like, like you don't often do it really good? Like my shoulders felt really good.

Speaker 1: Like I've obviously you am hold a lot of tension in there, which I didn't realize. And I mean, as much as I love doing these interviews and I really enjoyed the conversation, you know, I am like, yeah, I'm like focused, and I'm not I'm not totally relaxed, but but I am. Now that felt really really good, So thank you excellent.

Speaker 4: My pleasure has been really nice to talk to you.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. Okay, thank you, Jillian. We'll leave it there and our a few nice comments. A lot of people have been watching it, and I'm sure more will watching them the rest of today and the rest of this week, but it'll be It will also be an audio podcast on everywhere like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible be Everywhere, and handy little blog summarizing everything with some backlinks to your website as well.

Speaker 3: So thank very much in there.

Speaker 2: We'll see you soon, okay, thank you, bye.

Speaker 1: Yeah.