Yoga and Vetmed - An interview with Lucy Newman

Tell us a little bit about yourself (name, uni, year, what you enjoy the most at vet school and outside of it etc) 

My name is Lucy Newman, my pronouns are she/her, I’m 22 and I’ve just started my fourth year at Nottingham Vet School. I’m super passionate about wildlife and conservation medicine so I intend to pursue this in my future career - I also hope to combine this with my enormous love of travel! My other hobbies include going to the gym, running, growing my extensive houseplant collection (it’s becoming a problem!), reading lots of books, hiking, writing and, of course, studying and practicing Yoga and meditation. I’m also really passionate about educating myself and others, as well as advocating for system change, on issues of social, environmental and climate justice; this also ties into my study of Yoga as it is a pathway for life which intends to culminate in freedom, happiness and peace for all beings. 

How did you get into Yoga and why did you decide to become a Yoga teacher? 

My interest in Yoga began after I attended my first class when I was 15; from that point onwards I became increasingly fascinated with and in awe of this beautiful practice. In the 7 years that Yoga has been a part of my life, I have been practicing regularly at various classes and on my own. I’ve attended Yoga retreats and read lots of books on its history and philosophy. For my 21st birthday, my Mum enrolled me onto a Yoga Teacher Training course and I qualified last year after completing a year of training with a wonderful teacher that I’d met on a retreat who is based in the Lake District. 

A few years into my Yoga ‘journey’ (so cringey but true!) I discovered that my Grandma was a Yoga teacher back in the eighties so it was obviously meant to be!

How are you finding teaching Yoga, including managing alongside the veterinary course? 

Studying veterinary medicine is always hectic, having to juggle busy timetables, study and revision, exams and placements along with everything else, but I think it’s really important to spend time doing other things too, not only for the sake of mental health but also to gain wider practical, social and life skills. I really enjoy having other responsibilities outside of my degree course as it helps to maintain a balance between studying and my other passions, and interestingly, I often find that when I set myself deadlines around my university work in order to allocate time to teach, practice or study Yoga, I am much more motivated and efficient – it’s definitely all about time management! Of course there are times when I can’t do everything, which is totally fine, and that is when the art of prioritisation is key (something I’m definitely still working on)!

What's your favourite thing about Yoga and about teaching it? 

As cliché as it is, I love that Yoga is for everyone – no matter what size, shape, gender, age, fitness level, experience or anything at all! There truly is a Yoga practice to suit each person and the physical, mental and emotional benefits of it can really be limitless. 

It is so heart-warming when people say that they enjoyed their practice and leave the session feeling happy and restored, it truly makes my day. 

What are you hoping to achieve with teaching Yoga? 

Through sharing Yoga with others I hope to cultivate and encourage collective compassion for all, by allowing people the time and space and providing them with the tools to nurture themselves and enhance their wellbeing, which in turn will enable them to better support their friends, families, peers and members of their communities. 

In terms of my wider ambitions regarding Yoga, I am dedicated to teaching people the authentic truth of the practice and honouring its sacred origins. Yoga is a spiritual practice that originated in India thousands of years ago and has roots in Hinduism - it is so much more than just a physical activity, as is often depicted in the Western world, and it’s only when we embrace all parts of Yoga that we can reap the benefits! As a white Yoga teacher I have a responsibility to appropriately acknowledge the sacred wisdom from which I have learnt everything that I know about the practice, and hand the mic over to Indian and Desi teachers as the true experts. 

What have you learnt from doing it? Anything unexpected about it? 

I have been really pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response to Yoga from my fellow vet students and others within the veterinary community – I really didn’t expect there to be so much interest! As we know, there is a huge drive to improve mental health and wellbeing within the profession at the moment (which is so necessary and important) and I think that as a result, many people have started looking for alternative ways to take care of their minds and bodies, and Yoga is a wonderful option. I’ve led online sessions for various veterinary congresses, societies and campaigns, and they have all been received really well which just makes me so happy! 

What would you recommend to anyone else interested in taking up Yoga or teaching a sport alongside veterinary medicine? 

Although it may be a challenge, if you are really passionate about something then you should always try to create time to spend doing it – life is meant to be enjoyed so you should fill it with all of the things that you love! It may not always be feasible or possible, and there’s always going to be peaks and troughs in how much time you can dedicate to hobbies outside of studying for your degree, but if you do have the opportunity to carry out additional training alongside being at university and you feel that you will be able to appropriately manage your time, then I would say to absolutely go for it! The important thing to remember is not to overload yourself; studying veterinary medicine is very demanding in various ways so it’s absolutely fine if it isn’t the right time for you to pursue other things – it’s crucial that we all know when we need to rest, say no or prioritise our own wellbeing. Take care of yourself first! 

Anything you would have done differently?

Perhaps having more faith in myself, my knowledge and my abilities and giving myself some credit - we often talk about Imposter Syndrome in veterinary medicine but it definitely applies to other situations too! 

What are you planning to do next (both vet and Yoga related)?

Moving forward, I intend to run lots of inclusive Yoga sessions both within and outside of the veterinary community, with a particular focus on making them accessible and welcoming to marginalised groups. I’m looking forward to teaching classes in person for the first time too! 

In February I ran a 3 week meditation course for the LGBT+ community, in collaboration with the University of Nottingham EDI team for LGBT+ History Month, which was really wonderful and rewarding, so I would love to run more workshop sessions like that in future. 

In terms of my veterinary studies, I am hoping to carry out some wildlife and conservation-based clinical placements abroad during summer but other than that, the goal is to just keep learning!