Now over 5,000 years old, yoga has long been recognised as one of the most effective ways to battle stress and find balance. Marie Madden talks to Mer Roche of An Seomra Yoga about the benefits of this ancient practice.

With most people now working longer hours and trying to juggle their professional and personal lives, stress levels have never been higher. An Seomra Yoga, situated on the Sea Road, has been educating people in the stress-busting ways of yoga for over six years. The centre was taken over by Mer Roche in March 2007 and has gone from strength to strength ever since, facilitating classes and teachers from all over the world.

Mer originally got into yoga when she hurt her back while training in kickboxing. A self confessed 'workaholic and trainaholic', she immediately looked for some type of exercise which would help with her injury. She began training in yoga while in Sydney and soon saw the benefits. When she was offered an opportunity to train in the art, she jumped at the chance.

Mer now practices both Hatha and Kundalini yoga at the centre on the Sea Road, alongside other instructors specialising in Yoga Flow and Iyengar Yoga. Hatha is the most well known type of yoga in Ireland, concentrating on postures and breathing. Kundalini is a lesser-known type of yoga, which focuses on sets and meditation. According to Mer, it provides a more complete experience and can be of huge physical and emotional benefit, as well as helping the lymphatic system.

Mer is one of the first batch of Irish teachers trained in Kundalini yoga, and is now a facilitator for teachers from the UK and abroad. There are currently 19 teachers of Kundalini yoga in Ireland and Mer says she is doing her best to 'build a community'.

When I arrived at Mer's studio, I was struck by how bright and open it was. The walls are painted a warm yellow shade to catch as much light as possible and the numerous windows create a light and airy feel. An Seomra Yoga prides itself on making yoga accessible to everybody, with the emphasis on finding time for yourself rather than on complicated postures.

"I am not your typical yoga teacher. People usually think that if you teach yoga, you are some flaky hippie but I come from a typical Irish background. I am an athlete and I came to yoga for peace of mind more than anything else. People see the postures and shapes but that isn't really what yoga is all about. It is about relaxing and letting go and finding time for yourself. A lot of people are put off trying yoga because they think they aren't flexible enough, but the part that most people find the hardest is the final position of relaxing," says Mer.

"People are programmed to think that you are only valued when you are working, but it is just as important to have time to do nothing. We consider the hour and a half people have here to be their alone time, no kids, no mobiles, nothing."

As well as regular classes, Mer also teaches yoga to kids in local crèches, incorporating songs and fun into the routine. Pregnancy yoga is another one of Mer's specialities, as she believes that it prepares women for birth and takes the fear out of the process. Through the classes, mothers-to-be get to know their bodies better and learn to see childbirth as a natural occurrence rather then a medical procedure. Mer also teaches people with disabilities and acquired brain injuries and says she really enjoys the classes as it makes her more aware of her teaching technique.

"It is very interesting as you have to take a different approach. You have to be very clear in your directions and repeat things a lot. Also, the balance isn't there, so you have to take that into account. I really enjoy it though, the students are very honest and you never know what they are going to say to you next!"

For more information on An Seomra Yoga, contact Mer on 091-443294 or log on to www.anseomrayoga.com.

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