Company showcase featured in DCU Alumni Magazine Spring 2016

I graduated from DCU with a BBS in 1990. In 2003 I received a teaching diploma from Yoga Therapy Ireland and my career since then has spanned across both sectors. Part time company director and part time yoga teacher, I have been teaching lunch time yoga and meditation classes in RTE since 2005.
My passion is teaching mindfulness. I incorporate it into my daily life, into every yoga practice and into every class I teach. Mindfulness has been shown to be a powerful tool to release and manage stress. By learning and practicing simple grounding and breathing techniques the mind becomes more peaceful, creating a calmer more balanced state of being. These techniques, when applied regularly, create an awareness of life grounded in deep meaning and authenticity. When mindful you become more accepting, more curious and more compassionate.
I teach Mindfulness Meditation classes in corporate venues. Participants are seated comfortably in chairs and I verbally guide their attention to becoming mindful and relaxed. We then explore different meditation techniques. Meditation is the practice of paying attention to something specific, such as your breathing, your body or something external, an object or someone’s words. Sitting in stillness and in quiet with guidance on that to ‘think’ about you then can notice the thoughts, feelings and sensations that naturally arise for you without getting caught up in any drama or anxiety that might otherwise arise. This part can be curious, it can be frustrating at times, but you will always emerge slightly stronger, slightly more self-aware, slightly more ‘in control’ of your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Each Mindfulness Meditation course I teach is practical so from the first class participants report feeling calmer, both for the duration of the class and in the hours and days following. The skills to tap into the calm feeling are taught from the very beginning and participants are encouraged to practice these skills in daily life. Each week we build a little from the previous class, we explore more, delve a little deeper, and refine and reflect on our practice. There is no way to do the practice wrong, you simply come with an open mind and listen without trying too hard.
Classes and courses are customized. Depending on the client brief the classes can be interactive so colleagues listen to each other and become playful and curious about what makes us, as humans, tick. This can be an excellent team building exercise as our natural tendencies to support, encourage and be compassionate to others are enhanced by the practice itself. Wellness retreats and team building days are available.
Buddha was asked, “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied, “Nothing”. “However”, Buddha said, “let me tell you what I lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age and death.”
Sylvia Ferguson

Sylvia teaches live online yoga twice a week and monthly online workshops. You can find out more on the events and workshops page or sign up for her newsletter on her home page. Pre-recorded classes are available to you any time, you purchase once and own forever. If you’re new to Sylvia or back to yoga after a break we suggest Hatha Yoga to start. Bundles include the Zen Collection, a variety of classes for every mood, and the Daily Collection, five half-hour daily practices. Please inquire about virtual Mindfulness in the workplace. We remain very hopeful for a return to outdoor yoga in Spring Summer ’21. Join us!