JANE CLAPHAM

Where based: Snowdonia Mountain Lodge, the Dru Yoga Centre near Bethesda, North Wales.

Background: I've been teaching yoga and meditation for over 20 years, after having tried Dru Yoga and meditation at the age of 15; now I love them more than ever! My background is Psychology, which I now apply in my meditation teaching and youth work. I’m fascinated by what makes people tick, and how easy it is to change from being stressed, into being relaxed and focussed.
 
Youth: I started doing yoga at the age of 15, when I was stressed doing exams, and since then have been passionate about helping adults and young people overcome stress and anxiety. I founded Dru’s youth courses for young people from all over the world to come to North Wales to learn how to create harmony in their communities. In 1999 I organised an international youth course for 30 young people, some from war zones, who learned peacemaking tools and collected 10 tonnes of aid for refugees in Kosovo, and since then have run over 30 youth events around Gwynedd and the whole of the UK and Netherlands.

I’m now passionate about teaching teenagers how to manage stress with yoga, rather than drugs and alcohol. I developed the ‘yogiyou’ which has trained 50 Dru yoga teachers to teach children and young people around the UK, and this course is also now taught in the Netherlands and will be launched soon in Australia. 

In my local community, I teach yoga and stress management to adults in Welsh as well as English, and have helped factory workers to relieve back pain and stress. I've found that my 'workplace wellbeing' sessions are instrumental in helping businesses take care of their workforce and become more productive.

Since starting yoga 26 years ago, I estimate that I have helped over 5000 people find a healthier way of living.
 
Retreats: I now teach Dru yoga, meditation and sound in the UK, Europe, India and Australia. I run the Meditation teacher training course in Snowdonia, and develop and teach Dru kids – our postgraduate programme to train yoga teachers to teach young people.
 
Workplace yoga: I teach Dru Yoga and wellbeing in the workplace, and recently have had great results helping local factory workers to increase their energy levels and banish back pain and stress.

Music: I come from a musical family, and some of my first memories are of playing around on the piano as a toddler, and listening to my grandfather playing the cello. Somehow it’s rubbed off on me, and I’m passionate about using sound to bring health and wellbeing.

Sound workshops: I teach sound workshops, and have worked one to one with people the world over who have been told they can’t sing. I think that too much X-factor has made us overly critical of our singing voices. We don’t need to sing like professionals, but just singing for pleasure is one of life’s joys! I’ve created a couple of CDs, one, Akasha, is ambient music ideal for relaxation or meditation, and Shanti, is peaceful music for relaxation.

The written word: Maybe it’s my English teacher Mrs Sherrin’s fault, or maybe not, but I just love to write! You'll find my articles on yoga, meditation and keeping healthy in the yoga press, Psychologies, and masses of yoga websites.

Jane Clapham - Bywgraffiad

Mae Jane wedi ymddiddori mewn yoga a myfyrdod ers pan oedd yn ferch ysgol. Bu'n cynnal dosbarthiadau yn ystod ei chyfnod fel disgybl chweched dosbarth, pan oedd hi a'i ffrindiau o dan bwysau gwaith arholiadau Lefel A. Wedi astudio Seicoleg yn y Brifysgol ym Mangor gan wneud ymchwil byr ar effaith yoga, dilynodd Jane gwrs hyfforddi yoga am dair blynedd. Mae'n byw ac yn gweithio gyda Dru UK yn ardal Bethesda ers 20 mlynedd, er mai yn sir Benfro y magwyd hi. Crêd Jane bod 10 munud o yoga a myfyrio bob dydd yn gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr i iechyd pobl. Mae Jane hefyd yn ysgrifennu erthyglau am y testun mewn cylchgronau iechyd amrwyiol.

Cafodd Jane ei geni yn Lloegr, a dysgodd Gymraeg  wedi iddi symud i Sir Benfro fel merch ifanc. Nawr mae hi'n falch iawn o fod yn athrawes Yoga Gymraeg.

Mae Jane wedi dysgu yoga a myfyrdod ar gyfres BBC 'Mountains' gyda Griff Rhys Jones, ar 'Bro' gyda Iolo Williams, ac ar Radio Cymru gyda Tudur Owen yn ddiweddar.

MUSIC CDS

Akasha
Shanti
 
Jane is one of the managers of our centre in Snowdonia - call 01248 602900 to speak with her!