Published: Wednesday, 28th April, 2010 5:00pm

How to relax, revitalise and recharge with yoga

Gerard Maguire practising yoga at his home in Killdallon. Photo: Orla Maguire

A contented looking man was sitting in the back of a van reading and facing the morning sun outside The Anglo-Celt office last Wednesday morning. He looked a bit incongruous but the big smile was warm and the demeanour welcoming...

It was Gerard Maguire, a bit early for the interview we had arranged, but relaxed and ready to talk about yoga. A week earlier Gerard had called in with a notice about a Dru yoga evening in the Slieve Russell, but he looked more like a builder than a yoga practitioner and we were curious - so we asked for more information.

It turns out Gerard has had back trouble most of his life, probably "due to bad posture and bad lifting practice at work", and long had an interest in yoga as part of general wellbeing. He did classes "sporadically" but when he fell from a roof while at work (steel erecting) in 2007 he had to re-think everything.

"I broke my back, fractured ribs and my skull," said Gerard. "That was a few days after my 50th birthday - my children had been planning a party but I ended up in hospital instead. I'd had a notion of becoming a yoga instructor but hadn't got round to taking it up, but when I was injured I realised yoga would be part of the healing."

Gerard is interested in a holistic approach: "I gradually discovered medicine, for all its wonders, was not the answer... it covers up the problems," he explained. At the same time, he says he was glad to be taken into the care of the health professionals at Cavan General Hospital and later at Drogheda, where he was "well treated", but says he prefers homeopathic treatments and is prepared to deal with some level of pain.

"I quickly ceased taking the drugs they gave me in hospital, I weaned myself off them - and used Arnica for pain relief - so I wouldn't have the side effects of the drugs."

His approach to life and health is not just physical, adds the father of four (and grandfather of three), it's mental too. "Over the years different problems have cropped up in life, physical and emotional - I found I wasn't able to work for periods of time.

"I discovered recently in my studies that when we feel depressed it's not that we get depression per se, it's that we choose to depress, it's an internal mental coping mechanism... subconsciously an overall system to cope with the difficult situation you find yourself in.

"You actually depress yourself. The value in seeing it this way is it's personal choice, even though it may not be conscious choice, and once I discover that then I can choose another way. You may need a little bit of help mentally - counselling maybe - but I find now when I'm aware what way I am, at least awareness brings with it usefulness. I can now choose not to depress."

Aren't people sceptical about that sort of thing? Gerard admits to having to deal with some who aren't so sure, but his conviction is strong and he deals with whatever life puts in his path. Like this interview, for example, he says: he didn't plan to do it when he first called to the Celt office but here it is.

"It doesn't matter what happens, it's how we perceive what happens that counts. With God we co-create our own reality, we're a conduit for a greater force."

Gerard's calmness and patience are clear from even a short chat. He's a great advertisement for the benefits of yoga. If you would like to find out more, he's organising a talk on Dru yoga in the Slieve Russell Hotel tomorrow (Thursday), April 29, 7-9.30pm, an evening that "will seriously improve your life", the leaflet promises. Call Gerard on 049-4334002 to find out more.