About Margaret E O'Grady
Raised in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Maggie O'Grady was drawn to yoga as a child, as her mother was involved in the 1970s. A yoga practice became part of her daily routine in 1993, attending classes in West Africa, during her Peace Corps training.
Maggie went on to serve as Chief Executive of an international children’s rights organisation for ten years. Alongside this work, Maggie's yoga practice continued until she felt the need to share the benefits Iyengar Yoga brought to balancing her work and family life.
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She teaches Iyengar Yoga mostly in London, UK (she has also taught in Bali, Italy, France, Thailand and in the London suburbs) in the corporate sector (e.g., BP, Goldman Sachs, Rothschild, Arup) and privately. She also teaches three weekly classes in person and three on Zoom. She teaches all over London: from the Canadian Embassy to the Laboratory in Muswell Hill and Mill Hill and other private member's clubs and yoga studios such as The Iyengar Yoga Studio.
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The yogic path is a way of life for her now. She is inspired by the teachings of Patanjali's 8 angas, which includes the continuous study of yogic philosophy, chanting, pranayama, focused attention to the present moment and meditation. She has visited India many times and has studies with many different teaches there. She visited Iyengar Headquarters in Pune, India, for the first time in 2017 and was fortunate to observe Geeta Iyengar teaching before her departure in 2018. She visited again in 2019 and adores the early morning sessions with Prashant Iyengar.
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Meditation has been an essential part of her daily routine since 2005 and has anchored her during the most difficult time of her life. She practiced Insight (or Vipassana) and
other forms of meditation, mainly rooted in Buddhism, for many years before taking up Transcendental Meditation in 2014 to which she was drawn because it was closer to the same Vedic roots as Iyengar yoga. In 2016 she became an Independent Teacher of Transcendental Meditation. Her daily practice now feels much more integrated. Maggie spent the months of October 2017 & September 2019 and Febrruary 2023 in Pune India, studying at Iyengar Yoga HQ. She attends classes, workshops & conventions regularly with senior Iyengar teachers. She loves sharing her knowledge and experience with her students!
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Maggie completed an MA in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from University of London's SOAS in 2022. She sees the yoga path as a journey full of wonder and delight, and this enthusiasm is palpable in her yoga classes and meditation courses.
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