Introducing Sarah Malcolm, a London based yoga teacher, founder of At Home with Sarah and co-host of the podcast, Kitchen Club. This season we’ve teamed up with Sarah to celebrate the launch of our brand new activewear collection, Great Plains Sport, where she’s showcased her favourite pieces from the range in action.
Plus, we caught up with Sarah to explore everything from her yoga journey and how it has become part of her life to her second passion, her podcast, and her future plans for 2022...
Sarah, tell us a little bit about yourself...
I’m a yoga teacher, podcast host and content creator born and raised in London with a passion for making people feel good.
When and how did your yoga journey begin?
I started yoga whilst at university as a way to destress. I was typically a very inflexible person and would often get told to not try and stretch too much, so I found it all extremely hard, but I absolutely fell in love with the practice and how it made me feel. My teacher was incredibly spiritual and that is really what drew me in.
What role/s does yoga play in your life?
I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without yoga. It brings me back home to myself, grounds me, centres me. It has taken me to so many different places, allowed me to meet truly incredible people and forced me to tap deeper into myself.
Why did you decide to start teaching yoga?
I came from a performance background but always felt like something was missing in my life. As soon as I stepped into my teacher training, I know right there that this was the path for me. There is something so incredibly uplifting about visibly seeing people soften, relax, smile. To bring people a sense of calm… there really is no other feeling.
Can you tell us a bit about what your classes are like? We hear you incorporate meditation into them?
My classes are all about moving your body in an intuitive way, about finding movement that feels right for your own body, not that looks a certain way. They’re fluid, floaty, and soft but they can also be challenging. Meditation and pranayama play a huge part in my classes and class planning too.
Do you think mindfulness and meditation play a role in yoga?
Absolutely! What we think of as “yoga” in the west, is actually one tiny element of the practice. The yoga we tend to see in our studios and on our screens is all asana. Meditation and breathing are such an important part of the yoga practice. Our physical practice is merely a tool to let the body be still for meditation; to move our bodies so we can pause and quiet the mind. And mindfulness sits within this too. If we can do things mindfully, then we’re on our path to meditating.
Do you have a mission as a yoga teacher? What would you like to achieve?
To make people feel good in their own bodies. To celebrate what they have here and now and not need to strive for anything else.
Have you got any tips for anyone who is new to yoga?
Take things slow. It might feel quite overwhelming at first and a lot to take in but practice the postures that feel good in your body - don’t beat yourself up if you “can’t do it all”. The fluffy extra bits will come with practice so lean into the joyful parts. Yoga isn’t all about handstands and splits, there are so many postures that are available for all. Even lying down and feeling your breath is yoga. We’ve all got all the tools within our own bodies to start, we just need to commit.
Where can people attend your classes?
Last year I launched my online yoga studio, “At Home with Sarah” with on demand classes for everyone. The library now has over 100 videos of zoom recordings, short practices, meditations and so much more. There is also a 7-day yoga reset challenge for anyone looking to start a dedicated practice and check in with themselves. You can also join me on my live zoom classes or in studio at Digme in Bank.
As well as your passion for yoga, you also host a podcast called The Kitchen Club Podcast. Could you tell us more about this?
My podcast was created from such a place of joy! I co-host it with my friend Serena Louth who is a fountain of knowledge and is a trained reflexologist, hypnotherapist, and yoga teacher, so she knows a lot! It was born out of a desire to normalise the conversations we found ourselves having in the wellness world and share from incredible guests. We ask our guests for their 3 favourite ingredients which we then create a bespoke recipe with. The recipes are shared on our Instagram for our listeners to enjoy for themselves too. It really is such a lovely concept and we are soon to launch season 5 so stay tuned!
Whether it be your online yoga classes to your podcast, what’s next for you? Any future plans for 2022?
I hope to keep welcoming more lovely students into “At Home with Sarah” and I have got some wonderful retreats planned this year. So just to keep expanding and bringing more love into people’s lives.
