Jan O’Donoghue, long time resident of Mudgeeraba. Established Gold Coast School Of Iyengar Yoga in 1981.
In trying to describe myself I would have to say I’m a traveller, lover of home, family and beauty in all things good. I have a great interest in and fascination with historic hotels and have visited and explored many of these in various countries. Then of course I love Yoga. It’s a vast and far-reaching subject, one of six ancient systems of philosophy which remain relevant and tremendously helpful for our modern times. My yoga studies and first teaching began in the late 1970s and became much more intense from 1983 when I first met and took classes with the great yoga master BKS Iyengar.
Further classes with the master and many years of intense practice and study in his methods have followed.
As a teacher of Yoga my main focus is Posture. Once a person’s posture is corrected and maintained, movement in all of life’s activities becomes so much easier. My other important focus is on helping people with their injuries and ailments. This often means that I am tailoring specific yoga poses and sequences especially to suit the individual’s current condition. That person then has a way to do yoga that is safe and beneficial for the rest of their life. This is the only way that yoga can be truly transformative. I do frequently give extra time after class to help people with particular issues.
When I have a little leisure time I like listening to music. I never play music while I’m working around the house or garden. I prefer peace and quiet so when I do listen to music it’s a special time set aside for the purpose. I really enjoy music from the Big Band and Swing eras Irish, French and Italian, plus great bands like Queen and some of Guns and Roses. I used to be an avid book reader, alas less so these days. I resolve to return to book reading. A stand out book which has truly helped and guided my life is “Light On Yoga” by BKS Iyengar. This is a comprehensive book on the history, philosophy and purpose of yoga along with detailed presentations of yoga poses and their therapeutic benefits. Iyengar’s companion book “Light On Life” is also valuable and is a revelation for anyone wanting to better understand the meaning and purpose of life.
Great teachers and great books can certainly stamp their impressions and influences on one’s life, but so also can the people around you. I feel gratitude and love and am inspired by my children for their respectful attitudes, their wisdom and their talents. I am inspired by my students when they apply the techniques I show them in their yoga classes and thereby improve their appearance, their abilities and their lives.
I have been associated with the Mudgeeraba Foundation Centre since the idea first germinated in the mind of Dr. Peter Ochsenbein. Peter was a student in my yoga classes in the late 1990’s. He was very interested in the medical side of the Iyengar method and used to question me on the variety of people I have taught. These have included very high achievers such as Oscar nominated actors, internationally acclaimed singers and musicians and the country’s first in politics but also those recovering from drug addiction and others on day release from prison. Yoga is a great leveller.
Regardless of age, gender, physical ability or status in life, everyone has their problems and the appropriate yoga techniques can help each individual. Peter understood this and was most interested in how I used the yoga props to help students do correctly without strain. The only props we didn’t have at the time were the wall ropes due to lack of suitable wall space, so one day Peter said to me “Jan, you’ve put a bonnet in my bee”. This was his way of saying that an idea had sparked in his head for a special building to be used for yoga and other subjects dear to his heart, all in the interest of health and artistic pursuits.
Right at the beginning of 2004 the MFC was ready, the yoga school moved in and we had a special little opening ceremony. Very soon other Users joined us. I think Peter was very pleased to see the good that these activities are bringing to people and he was proud that he had provided such a beautiful and valuable asset to the community.
I’ll always appreciate the Hall he provided and his great interest in health.
In the words of the Yoga master BKS Iyengar, “Health is a state of complete harmony of body, mind and spirit.”
