Anji Gopal is an osteopath and yoga instructor who has spent a decade serving to folks with again ache in hospitals, clinics and studios. Anji runs her personal clinic in London and ran an modern course utilizing Yoga as a therapy for continual low again ache within the NHS.
Inform us a bit about your self…
Anji Gopal, BackCare Professional. I’m an osteopath & yoga instructor and I deliver collectively all my expertise to assist my college students & sufferers get out of ache. My space of specialty is continual low again ache.
What does a typical day seem like for you?
It’s busy! I’ve my very own clinics in West London & Central London, work within the NHS sooner or later per week, train Yoga at London’s Triyoga, Life Centre & Mission and likewise prepare different therapists in Yoga for BackCare. So I spend time with sufferers & college students – in addition to my two teenage sons, husband & the canine
How did your yoga journey start and what impressed you to change into a yoga instructor?
After College (my first diploma is in Econometrics!) I labored for Barclays for 16 years in a excessive strain job.
When my first son was born, I needed to spend extra time with him and in my spare time, educated at Triyoga – not intending to show however simply to be taught. I had practiced Yoga since being a teen and extra latterly as a stress-reliever while in a demanding function.
The instructor coaching made me realise that I used to be within the physique and dealing another way, so I spent 5 years coaching to be an Osteopath.
Quickly after graduating, I discovered that a lot of what I used to be sharing with my sufferers got here from my yoga data – easy methods to transfer, easy methods to breathe, easy methods to discover consolation while in discomfort.
A yr after graduating I opened my very own clinic and likewise started work within the NHS with sufferers with continual low again ache (CLBP).
In 2016 I trialled a yoga-based programme within the NHS for CLBP. A multi-faceted yoga apply (motion, breath, rest, philosophy) can goal most of the causes and signs of again ache. This programme has been operating since that point.
So it’s been a protracted journey to be a instructor – and I really feel strongly that I’m nonetheless extra a scholar. There’s at all times extra to be taught!
What impressed you to focus on your apply?
Bringing collectively my data of the physique, osteopathy & ache with my yoga data has been transformational – for me & for my sufferers & college students.
I train Yoga for BackCare across the nation to college students, sufferers & academics. In lockdown , I wrote a course that’s now the British Wheel of Yoga’s accredited coaching for Yoga academics – to allow them to share this necessary work.
So – Yoga? It offers us an enormous vary of practices to assist us reside the very best life within the physique that we now have – proper right here and proper now – no matter age or stage we occur to be. My clinic is known as ‘FindingHealth’ and that’s what I really feel yoga is for.
How have you ever seen yoga profit your college students?
Yoga for backcare may be transformational practices. We be taught to know our personal selves – bodily, emotional, non secular, social – and the way these affect our well being. My clinic is known as ‘FindingHealth’ and that is what I search my yoga instructor to embody – How can I assist YOU Discover Well being within the physique & thoughts that you’ve now.
What’s your favourite quote or life motto?
Yoga teaches us to remedy what needn’t be endured & endure what can’t be cured – BKS Iyengar
Dwell like you’ll die tomorrow, be taught like you’ll reside perpetually – Mahatma Gandhi
Assumption is the mom of all F-Ups – perhaps let’s not use this one haha
What’s arising for you in 2025?
Wow, the place to start out? 2025 is a continuation of the 2020s – with challenges coming at us from all domains – private, societal, worldwide.
It actually seems like we want a relaxation, however the Universe has different plans!
Over the previous couple of years I’ve discovered that the apply of Yoga (in all its features – bodily, emotional, and particularly non secular) has been my help. And this in flip, permits me to help others.
So each time I discover my very own apply waning, I’ve to get again to fundamentals and sit, transfer, breathe and examine. The Universe has additionally despatched me fantastic academics and teachings after I’ve wanted them, so I would like to simply accept I can’t repair all the things and be open to studying and taking issues sluggish too!
Discover out extra about Anji:
Instagram: @backcarefoundation
Web site: https://backcarefoundation.com/
