Anyone declaring themselves as inspirational, is likely to be a bit of an immodest ego-maniac. I don’t think that’s me - I hope the people who know me would agree with that! 

 

But I have to say that my biggest inspiration over the past 25+ years has been my wife Emma, as she has been through so much and has always been a wonderfully giving and caring person who has taught me so much. She truly epitomises the expression she often uses in yoga classes: “Soft front, strong back, open mind.” I try hard to learn from her every day.

 

But I do have my own story too, with a little bit of my own life-threatening drama thrown in for good measure! 

 

It has often been said that people don’t realise the true value of life until they have a near-death experience. Both Emma and I have had our brushes with death and can say from experience that it does have a profound effect on your appreciation of existence. 

 

In 2014 I discovered a small, painful lump on my right shin. It seemed a fairly innocuous item that I wouldn’t have bothered going to the doctors about, if it wasn’t for the fact that we had recently taken a long haul flight and I thought it prudent to check for DVT. The doctor confirm my suspicion that it was not DVT, but beyond that couldn’t offer much more help. To cut a long story short, within 24 hours of discovering the lump, I was being looked after by 2 intensive care doctors, struggling to keep me alive! My heart rate was flitting between 30 and well over 200 beats per minute, my blood pressure was dangerously low and my major organs were taking it in turns to consider giving up for good, as my body struggled with streptococcus septicaemia (septic shock).

 

Over the next 3 days I had 5 trips to the operating theatre to have, what turned out to be, necrotising fasciitis (also known as the ‘flesh eating disease - a bacterial infection that results in the death of soft tissue - typically the facia) removed from my shin. Necrotising fasciitis is a hideous affliction, which has a very high rate of death, even if a patient is in intensive care. So needless to say this was a very difficult episode of our lives. After 4 days in ICU, I serve another 12 days in hospital, and then a few days at home recovering before going to another hospital to have a skin graft taken from my thigh and placed over the completely open wound that stretched from just below my knee to just above my ankle. Needless to say, this was a very hard time for all of us, as at certain points in ICU the consultants were genuinely not sure if I would survive or not. 

 

Many years later, I can look back at the experience with almost fond memories! It feels like this was a turning point in our lives that defined who we are today. The injection of chaos, fear and uncertainty has taught us so much and enabled us to take on new things, knowing that no matter what, it could never be as challenging as this episode. 

 

Outside of this life-threatening incident, I have always been a bit of a creative; writing books, painting, drawing, etc. I had a novel published in 2008 and, with Emma’s involvement too, have produced and sold hundreds of paintings and drawings. This drive for art, design and creation had its affect on my career too, working in marketing for many years, for a number of major blue chip corporations in wide ranging strategic marketing and communications roles. Eventually I started an agency with a couple of business partners for a few years, before dabbling in mergers and acquisitions and business consultancy. But I look back on most of this time in with mild embarrassment, having now formed the view that marketing is the eighth deadly sin and corporate businesses are aligned to greed and selfishness! 

 

In more recent years, Andy has paid far more attention to what his wife says and has become a better person as a result! Healthier than ever, more relaxed and calm, and more able to respond rather than react (still working on this though), Andy is Emma’s first devoted disciple, and always will be.

 

It was Emma’s idea to buy and semi-retire to the campsite in rural Lincolnshire, which has been one of the best decisions they ever made! Starting the Yoga Barn and running regular yoga sessions for locals and campers alike provided the foundations and experience that have brought us to where we are today: Firmly convinced that the learning of yoga principles, and the implementation of these into our daily lives, will provide us with a calmer, happier existence, and hopefully will allow us longevity too. 

 

I adore my life. Contentment is a superpower.