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Meet Martyna Borek, yoga teacher at The Shard

08 October 2024

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When Martyna Borek was eighteen, she left Poland to study in the UK, equipped with just £70 and very little English. Today, she is one of London's most in-demand yoga teachers, who runs twice-weekly sessions at The Shard.

She is determined to share the practice that both saved and made her.

Martyna's yoga journey began in her early twenties, when she dropped out of university, exhausted from working for 45 hours a week to pay for her course. 

"I wasn't doing well mentally, so a friend suggested I try their gym, where my first yoga teacher introduced me to different forms of self-care through yoga practice.

"When you're depressed, you are very self-centred and can get stuck in a loop. But yoga helped me expand my life, become more open-minded, heal my anxiety and create more boundaries."

"Yoga helped me expand my life, become more open-minded, heal my anxiety and create more boundaries"
MARTYNA BOREK, YOGA TEACHER AT THE SHARD

The transformation in her wellbeing and other areas, such as friendships, quickly made her a convert, and she completed the intensive training to become a teacher.

An innate work ethic coupled with a naturally warm personality meant her new business grew quickly. Her first clients were regulars at her bar job, who were happy to trade skills in website design and brand building for free yoga sessions.

Without the fallback of family or a financial nest egg, there was no choice but to make things work. This inspired a do-or-die bravery that saw Martyna walk into the uber-trendy Adidas fitness studio in London's Brick Lane and offer free teaching. They quickly snapped her up as a regular (paid) yogi, leading to corporate gigs, including The Shard.

"I'm not joking; I had always dreamt of teaching at The Shard," she says," Vision is the most important sense for feeling safe, and the views here couldn't be better for your nervous system.

"When people are walled in by a computer screen, they become hyper-focused on the problem in front of them, so I advise office workers to perform a regular visual reset. Stand in front of any window (it doesn't have to be The Shard!), close your eyes for at least 20 seconds (ideally a minute), then open them and focus on the furthest point on the horizon. It's an effective way to reset your brain."

Martyna's first job when her pupils arrive at 7.30am is to read the room's energy levels. If she senses they need energising, she opts for a dynamic flow to wake the body and mind. If she picks up on stress and anxiety, she runs a calm, slow-paced practice, focusing on breath control, mindfulness and meditation.

"We all carry a threat bucket filled with fears and worries. Yoga opens a tap at the bottom to create capacity for whatever a day might throw at you.

"A one-hour morning practice might stop you snapping at a colleague, who then goes on to shout at others. It prevents a wave of unpleasantness."

Martyna's motto is that yoga should be open to all, regardless of race, gender, age or body type.

"Some classes are very elitist: if you can't do a perfect headstand, you feel unwelcome. I don't want people to feel like that. I want to help you achieve more than you think you can do, so use a lot of playfulness when introducing challenging poses." 

She is encouraged to see more men take up yoga, which in Western society can be perceived as a feminine pastime.   

"I think society doesn't necessarily give men permission to practice self-care, so more dynamic styles are a useful gateway to the yoga world. Gradually, they lead to personal nourishment and calmness, which is important for everyone in the corporate world."

Once a month, The View from The Shard opens its observation deck to Martyna's class. As the sun rises over the capital, she encourages her class to fix their gaze on the countryside beyond.  

Their anxiety visibly melts away, demonstrating the power of the practice that has transformed Martyna’s life.

Explore the Neighbourhood – Martyna's Guide

Monmouth Coffee Company, 2 Park Street, The Borough SE1 9AB 

During lockdown, I had to close my business and felt pretty down. My friend Lucy, the manager of Monmouth Coffee at Borough Market, sent me a bag of its Brazilian coffee. It has a sweet taste like chocolate and became part of my daily routine – a hug in a cup!

Tacos Padre, Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL

Finding good tacos in London is difficult, but these guys have nailed it. I love the homemade salsa macha (Mexican chilli oil) and the vibe of eating alfresco in Borough Market.

The Southbank, SE1

Every so often, I try to be a beginner in something to connect with people who are new to my classes. Recently, I got into running. I'm not good at it, but running along the Southbank next to the Thames and seeing all the epic buildings along the river is incredible. 

 

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