ABOUT ME
Welcome! I'm Amy McMillan & I've been teaching in Surrey & online since 2012. I combine the power of mindfulness & yoga to support you as you rediscover your natural ease & vitality. My further training in somatic (body-based) support & deep listening enables me to create compassionate spaces where you can befriend body & mind.
I have a warm, inclusive teaching style & I'm able to adapt classes to your individual needs. In my mindful yoga classes, I offer modifications for all levels & encourage you to listen to your own body with kindness.
My Story
I began practicing mindfulness & yoga about 15 years ago, to help me cope with the death of my mum & a stressful job as a primary teacher. I am highly sensitive, with a tendency towards anxiety & overwhelm. These transformative practices have been invaluable in supporting me through various other life changes & challenges, including relocating back & forth across the world & becoming a parent. They continue to support me day by day.
My journey has also included exploring healing & growth through various other modalities - including somatic & transpersonal work - which have vastly deepened my self-awareness. It's an ongoing, ever-deepening journey of self-discovery. I'm now studying Transpersonal Coaching Psychology to deepen my ability to support others in a holistic & integrative way.
I have a passion for relational mindfulness; reconnecting with ourselves, others & the world to contribute to the collective positive change to desperately needed in these difficult times. Joanna Macy & her Work That Reconnects is a major influence. I support various organisations which advocate for collective change. See below.
I hope to meet you soon!
My Training
I qualified to teach mindfulness with Mindfulness UK through their Level 4 accredited course. A key element of this course was the transformative practice of developing self-compassion. I love creating safe, supportive spaces & I'm being mentored by expert relational mindfulness teacher Deborah Eden Tull to deepen my space holding & deep listening skills. I'm also trained in core counselling skills. I follow the Mindfulness Good Practice Guidelines, have a well-established daily practice & attend regular retreats. I'm also an experienced primary teacher & am trained to deliver mindfulness in schools.
I completed yoga teacher training at the Yoga Institute Sydney. My teacher, Michael DeManincor, studied with TKV Desikachar - one of the most respected teachers of classical yoga. I have since spent years exploring other mindful, somatic approaches which encourage us to reconnect with the innate wisdom & healing capacity of our bodies. This includes training in the nervous system & polyvagal theory; reducing stress & building resilience through supporting the body's natural ability to regulate & heal. My teaching style reflects these elements.
I'm an eternal student, committed to deepening my own practice & I regularly attend workshops, courses & retreats.
Skills & Qualifications
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Level 4 Certificate Integrating Mindfulness & Compassion into Professional Practice with Mindfulness UK (200 hr - accredited by the CPCAB)
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Yoga Teaching Diploma at Yoga Institute Sydney (350 hr - accredited by Yoga Australia)
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Transpersonal Coaching Psychology Certificate (500hr - Alef Trust - Current)
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Level 2 Certificate in Core Counselling Skills (accredited by TQUK)
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Deep Listening & Relational Mindfulness Mentoring with Deborah Eden Tull (2021 - 2022)
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Yoga & the Neuroscience Connection Course with Kristine Kaoverii Weber
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Vagus Nerve Programme with Jessica Maguire
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Compassionate Mindful Resilience course facilitation - Mindfulness UK
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"Paws b" Mindfulness in Schools teacher (7-11 year olds)
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Active Hope: The Work That Reconnects training - Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone
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Post Graduate Certificate of Education & Qualified Teacher Status - Christchurch University
Other
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Registered Yoga Teacher (500hr) with the Independent Yoga Network
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Registered Mindfulness in Schools Teacher
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Member of the Climate Psychology Alliance
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First Aid & Mental Health First Aid qualified
Giving Back
One of the benefits of mindfulness & yoga practice (beyond boosting ease, vitality & resilience) is a deepening sense of connection & awareness.
As our self awareness deepens, so does our sense of connection with others, the rest of nature & our planet. We're living in uncertain times with increasing global instability. Anxiety, grief & a whole range of emotions are increasingly common as we face up to a potentially uncertain future. My own experience has led me to have a special interest in this area & undertake further training in counselling skills & deep listening to support others.
I run free workshops at Zero Carbon Guildford - our local climate community hub.
I donate 5% of proceeds from my yoga classes to Tree Sisters; a wonderful organisation who are committed to reforesting the Tropics as empowering women & local communities where their projects take place. Breathe Calm Yoga students have already funded the planting of over 3200 trees!
10% of the proceeds from my mindfulness meditation group go to the charity Choose Love, who support refugees & put love into action around the world.
