Lyndsey Allsopp 28/07/2025 Lyndsey Allsopp 28/07/2025

From Headteacher to Yoga Teacher: Embracing the Yin and Yang of Life

Leaving the role of a headteacher was not a decision I made lightly. For years, I thrived in the world of education, shaping young minds and guiding teachers. I wore many hats—teacher, mentor, behaviour manager, creator of visions. My days were often filled with deadlines, meetings, and responsibilities that demanded focus, strength, and constant energy. Yet, despite the sense of fulfillment I found in my work, I began to feel the need for a greater sense of balance. A deeper connection to myself. A pause amidst the busyness.

I have practiced yoga in my personal life for three years, as a way to recharge, find stillness, and reconnect with my body. But over time, the more I practiced, the more I realised that yoga wasn’t just a hobby—it was calling me. It was whispering a truth I had been avoiding: I had lost touch with myself.

The transition to becoming a yoga teacher was a blend of nervousness and excitement. It wasn’t just about changing careers; it was about embracing a new approach to life itself. The shift from headteacher to yoga teacher feels like a journey from yang to yin. From the active, structured, and outward energy of leading a school to the quiet, inward, reflective energy of teaching yoga.

Yoga, like life, is about balance. Yang energy is active, dynamic, and outward, while yin energy is receptive, still, and inward. In my role as headteacher, I embodied a lot of yang. My energy was focused on moving forward, managing people, and driving change. As a yoga teacher, I find myself drawing on more yin energy: inviting people to slow down, connect with their breath, and listen to the wisdom of their own bodies.

It’s not that the two worlds are opposites; they are complementary. Both require leadership, presence, and empathy. In education, I was often pulled in many directions, managing, supporting, meeting the many demands of running a school. In yoga, I am learning to lead with presence and to guide students toward finding their own inner calm.

Yoga has taught me the importance of slowing down, tuning in, and listening—not just to my students, but to myself. It has given me the space to breathe, to grow, and to realise that balance isn’t a static state but a fluid one. My time as a headteacher was deeply fulfilling, but it was also consuming. As I take my first steps into my new life as a yoga teacher, I am learning to balance my own energies and set healthy boundaries.

Yoga has become one of my compass points. In a world that often demands that we rush, I am learning the power of slowing down. In the same way that we breathe in and breathe out, life is about knowing when to push forward (yang) and when to surrender and rest (yin). This understanding is now central to the way I approach teaching, guiding students to find that balance within themselves.

3.9.25

As the Nights Draw In, We Move Towards the Light
An Autumn Update from YogaWell

As the days shorten and the air carries a crispness that speaks of Autumn’s arrival, we often find ourselves turning inward—both physically and emotionally. The natural rhythm of the year invites a quieter pace, a time for reflection and grounding.

At YogaWell, we’re embracing this shift not only in our practice but also in our space.

From Darkness to Light—A New Room for a New Season
While the calendar moves us into the darker half of the year, YogaWell Ixworth will be moving into the brighter, lighter main hall in Ixworth Village Hall . Our new space is filled with natural light and warmth—offering a peaceful environment where we can continue to stretch, breathe, and settle into ourselves. The space also enables us to accommodate the growing Yogawell community in Ixworth.

This change reflects a deeper theme in our practice: finding lightness even in darker times. Just as we adapt our bodies to the changing seasons, we also adapt our surroundings to support our wellbeing.

Breath, Movement, and Mindfulness as Tools for Transition

Seasonal changes can subtly affect our energy levels, sleep patterns, and even our mood. Yoga offers a gentle and empowering way to meet these shifts with resilience and grace.

Breath is our anchor. As the wind picks up outside, we return to the steadiness of our inhale and exhale. Conscious breathing calms the nervous system and brings clarity to a busy mind.
Mindful movement helps us stay connected. With the evenings drawing in, it’s tempting to become more sedentary. Gentle yoga helps release tension, awaken the body, and foster a feeling of inner spaciousness.
Meditation gives us space. Amid the demands of daily life and the seasonal rush toward winter, even a few minutes of stillness can reconnect us to what matters most—offering clarity, calm, and a renewed sense of direction.

An Invitation
Whether you’re a regular or someone curious to explore yoga for the first time, we invite you to join us in our new space. Come as you are. Let’s breathe, move, and reflect together—welcoming the season not with resistance, but with presence and purpose.

Because even as the light fades outside, we can always find it within.

17.9.25

Learning to Take a Back Seat

Slowing Down and Letting Go

I’m learning to take a back seat — to watch, to move forward more indirectly, and to stop expecting everything to happen at once. Instead of always pushing, I’m standing still, noticing, reflecting.

This is hard for me. I want to drive the car, to get there straight away, to know the route. But learning how to stand back, to notice the traffic (or lack of it), to accept and wait that I will reach my destination — whatever that may be — is an act of huge patience and wisdom.

A Feminine Stance of Calmness

This shift feels like stepping into a feminine stance of calmness and coolness. In yoga philosophy, it’s mirrored in the Ida Nadi — the energy channel running along the left side of the body and connected with the right side of the brain. Activating the Ida Nadi can help to unblock and direct subtle, more fluid energy through body and mind, bringing stillness and clarity.

My Practice This Week: Breath as the Gateway

This week, I’m exploring this through breath (prāṇāyāma), focusing particularly on my left nostril. Breathing doesn’t come easily to me. I do it, of course — or I wouldn’t be here — but I have to work at it, especially through my left nostril, which seems constantly blocked.

Chandra Bhedana (Moon Breath)

Today in my personal practice, I’ll do 10 rounds of Chandra Bhedana, or “Moon Breath.” This is a yogic breathing technique that involves inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right. It’s believed to activate the Ida Nadi — the lunar energy channel — promoting a cooling, calming effect on the mind and body.

Lying on the Right Side

I’ll also practice lying on my right side, another way to activate the Ida Nadi and support the left nostril. This, combined with calming, cooling, and restorative poses like forward bends and Śavāsana (corpse pose), will be the heart of my practice today.

An Invitation to Join Me

This is my experiment in patience, subtlety, and feminine energy. I’ll let you know how it goes. Why don’t you join me? Try Moon Breath, lie on your right side, explore forward bends, or simply rest in Śavāsana. Together, we can practice waiting, noticing, and moving forward with gentleness.

Embracing Autumn: Letting Go Like the Trees

30.9.25

Learning From Nature

As autumn begins to gracefully paint the landscape in shades of gold and crimson, we find ourselves reminded of a profound lesson from nature: the beauty of letting go. Just as trees release their leaves, shedding what is no longer needed to endure the coming winter, we too can reflect on what serves us versus what we might release.

Changing

In this season, trees teach us that change is not just natural, but essential. Seeds and leaves that fall enrich the soil, providing nutrients that sustain life. This process of release and renewal mirrors a key practice in our own journeys. It’s a moment to pause and consider: what in our lives no longer aligns with who we are becoming? What can we let go of, with gratitude, for the growth it's given us?

Creating Space

Letting go isn't about loss; it's about creating space for new growth. Just as autumn’s leaves return to the earth, our past experiences provide a foundation for future strength and resilience. The lessons learned, the nourishment gained—they remain within us, fortifying our journey.

How Yoga Can Help

Yoga offers a powerful means to connect with this process of release. Through mindful movement and breath, we cultivate the ability to let go both physically and mentally. Forward folds and restorative postures encourage us to surrender to gravity, trusting the ground beneath us to provide unwavering support.

What Can I Let Go?

Consider what you might release this season. Is it an old habit, a lingering doubt, or a commitment no longer aligned with your values? By coming to a YogaWell session, you’ll have the opportunity to focus on intentional breathing and letting go through your body and mind.

YogaWell

Join us at YogaWell for friendly sessions that offer a personal touch. I invite you to embrace change, to nurture a sense of renewal and openness. Book your session at YogaWell Suffolk and enjoy the warmth of our welcoming community. As you release old leaves, may you find the strength to grow anew.

What will you let go of this season? Let's find out together.