Nathan Synge and Phillipa Vafadari

Nathan Synge

Nathan Synge is an Ayurvedic Yoga Massage (AYM) Institute and CThA UK approved bodywork instructor and massage therapist.

He holds an ITEC Qualification in Full Body Holistic Massage and Deep Tissue Massage with Michael Gibbons from The Brighton College of Classical Massage and qualified as a Vinyasa Flow teacher in 2010.

Nathan was assistant to and mentored by AYM Institute founder James Winstanley in the UK & India ands lives and offers AYM sessions in Brighton & London.

When not teaching or giving bodywork Nathan can be found on a surfboard in the waves around the world or out and about with his hound.

Nathan, tell us..........

1. How do you like to start your day?

How i start my day really depends on the weather. I like to have some sun on my face first thing before ive even contemplated looking at my phone! Next some lemon water and some gentle movement and sretching. Then the right seat with the right song and nice cup of tea! (or coffee)!

(in my perfect world it would be a short run on the beach followed bt a surf but im working on all this !)

2. Top tip on including self care into your day?

Try and get your optimum amount of sleep. It varys but sleep by 10 pm and 7-9 hours a night is ideal for me. Sometimes this isnt always possible and sleep sounds so obvious but its so vital for ones all round health. Then MOVE your body, doesnt matter how just go for it!!

3. Who is one of your key inspirations and why?

I love any work by Jiddu Krishnamurti - Freedom from the Known is an amazing book.

But i am imspired by many people daily with their small acts of kindness and generoisty

4. Name a yoga pose that you love and why?

Always childs pose, its such a humbling pose and really resets me.

Phillipa Vafadari

I am an integrative psychotherapist, working for a charitable clinic and in private practice. I have been teaching yoga for the past 30 years and more recently trained as an Ayurvedic consultant. Yoga asanas are used in Ayurveda as part of the ‘prescription’ to aid in the process of bringing the body, mind and spirit back into equilibrium. I spend a great deal of time in nature managing a small woodland as well as on my allotment. I am looking forward to sharing how the sister sciences of yoga and ayurveda are interlinked. www.psychotherapybrighton.org

Phillipa, tell us..........

1. How do you like to start your day?

Ayurveda is big on dinacharya - a daily routine - to bring you into balance. I start the day with lemon, grated ginger and honey. 20 minutes of meditation and a hour’s practice. If I’m off to the clinic, the practice might have to wait until later in the day. These three things stimulate my digestive fire, ground me and shake up the kapha dosha that’s prevalent in the morning.

2. Top tip on including self care into your day?

I do loads of self care. It helps me to work at my optimum. You can’t control a lot of life’s external stressors, but you can deal with and minimise the ones within you through self care. Self massage with sesame oil before exercise and showering is a great way to self care. In Ayurveda it’s called Abhyanga which translates as self love.

3. Who is one of your key inspirations and why?

Diane Keaton: ‘Don’t grow older, grow bolder’. She talks about embracing her age, maturity and wisdom and not worrying about growing old: just appreciate the beauty around you and do more of the things you love to do.

4. Name a yoga pose that you love and why?I love sirsasana. I feel calmed and grounded with the top of my head on the floor - in Ayurvedic acupressure (marma therapy) this is the adhipatti point that you can access through doing a uttanasana (standing forward bend) and placing your head on a bolster if you don’t practice sirsasana. It’s great to slow down the mind, but with the added pleasure of having your toes in the air.