About Maura
About Maura
Maura is driven by a passion to help others find the joy and benefits from yoga that she herself found. Her classes are full of energy, positivity and humor to a backdrop of great music.
She will guide you through both the asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing), the combination of which will lead to a ‘Moving Meditation’. Sequencing of asanas will make or break a yoga class – asanas must compliment and counter-balance each other. Maura’s extensive training in sequencing and anatomy will help you leave balanced, energized and healthy.
Maura believes yoga is for everybody – and everyone’s body is different. Rather than just focus on form, she will guide and adjust your practice to get the most out it – no matter your body type, ability or age, using individualised asana modifications where needed.
Where it all started: Maura found yoga in 2011 shortly after leaving Ireland. She was working a high-pressure corporate job and running in her free time to keep fit. She found it hard to balance her work, life and health and dropped into her first yoga class “just for a stretch” to relieve tightness from her running.
She was soon hooked – after a heavy day at the office, a good yoga session would leave her body refreshed and her mind clear. As she progressed, the unity of breath and movement from the Vinyasa Flow style yoga she was doing became a ‘Moving Meditation’.
She realised the immense value this was having in her life and was driven to share it with others. Her dream was to bring this all home to Ireland.
Training: Maura traveled to the birth place of yoga – India – to train under some of the best yoga teachers around the world at Sampoorna Yoga School. She initially gained 200 hours of teacher training there in Ashtanga yoga instruction. Her passion for movement and flow led her to study a further 300 hours there in Vinyasa Flow yoga instruction, anatomy of yoga, yogic philosophy and advanced sequencing design.
She later studied for a further 75 hours in Greece in advanced asanas & adjustments and further sequencing design.
Looking to expand her expertise, she also studied 50 hours of Yin training under the world-renowned Josh Summers.
The best teacher never stops being a student, and she will continue to seek out the best teachers to learn under to better serve her students.
Maura's Yoga Style
Vinyasa Yoga – Maura’s favourite style of yoga to teach. Vinyasa yoga is a contemporary practice linking the physical practice of movement with breath. It is a dynamic, fluid, movement intensive practice with a great music backdrop. No two classes are the same, with creative combinations beyond the typical sun salutations.
Each week she incorporates a different physical and philosophical theme/focus. Maura designs her sequences for smooth transitions, as Vinyasa places as much importance on these as the actual asanas (postures) – one flows effortlessly into another.
All classes have an emphasis on correct alignment, including hands-on adjustment. The importance of alignment: stacking of joints, lines of energy and lengthening the spine. This makes sure each student gets the best they can out of each posture and ensure no injury occurs.
Maura’s central belief about yoga is that it’s for everyone – and everyone’s body is different. In her classes students are led to focus on themselves rather than those next to them. Her anatomical knowledge allows her to adjust students individually and give alternative asana options for a wide range of abilities.
Yin Yoga – A relaxtion style of yoga, best for creating flexibilty, stretches and targets both the deep connective tissues between the muscles, and the fascia throughout the body. The aim is to increase circulation in the joints and improve flexibility. It also helps us to regulate the body’s flow of energy. You will leave your mat floating!