A Bettystown man is bending over backwards to promote the power of yoga

A BETTYSTOWN man who says yoga cured his chronic pain for years is determined to show others the benefits of the ancient practice.

Ben Colgan admits he was the “biggest skeptic” about exercise until he saw first-hand how it can change your life.

The father-of-two fell in love with yoga so much that he learned to practice and started teaching his own classes in Julianstown called Wild Goose Yoga, and just last month held a charity event for two causes close to his heart.

“About ten years ago I had severe chronic pain in my legs and for two years I tried all kinds of western treatments including physical therapy, cortisol injections, botox injections, I even had plaster casts in an attempt to heal them, – Ben mentions.” Ben mentions. .

“I started doing yoga and the pain in my legs reduced by about 80 percent within three weeks,” he added.

“It was a huge wake-up call for me and then I fell in love with it because of how good it made me feel and how my mental health also improved dramatically.

“But I was the biggest skeptic about it, I didn’t believe it would help me, but now I can’t imagine without it.

“Back then I was probably the only guy in the class, now I go to some classes that are 50/50 and it’s great.”

Another reason Ben was inspired to start teaching yoga was to offer help to those in the sport.

“I started paying for Gaelic football a couple of years ago when my son Benjamin (9) and Theo (6) started coaching teams at St Colmcilles.

“You see the injuries of guys who train so hard and I felt that the training and stretching of the fascia should be complimented here.

Fascia is a thin sheath of connective tissue that surrounds and supports all organs, blood vessels, bones, nerve fibers, and muscles. Fascia should be viewed as the whole body.

“Our class (Wild Geese Yoga) can be for everyone, but the asana (movement) practice is quite a physical workout with great breath work and meditation on both sides!

“I’ve been training with Barbara Babs Carolan at Yoga Boann in Dullic who is just incredible.”

In honor of the Winter Solstice on December 21st, Ben hosted the Yoga 108 Salutes Sun Challenge to raise funds for two important organizations close to his heart. One was Drogheda Women’s Home, where his late mum, Mary Colgan, worked with service users as a social worker.

“Part of yoga is giving back, if you look at the eight parts of yoga, one of them is karma.

“You have to give back to the community in some way, whether it’s through free classes or something else.

“My mum was a social worker in Drogheda during the 1990s and she worked with families at Drogheda Women’s Refuge.

“She died very suddenly of heart failure in 2000 when she was 49, so it’s like a tip of the hat to her.

“I always believe that if you bring them with you, they will never go away.

“I also chose St. Colmcille’s who treated me and my boys so well.”

Ben and a group of friends completed 108 sun salutations on the GAA club’s astroturf pitch, raising €1,200 which will be split between the two organisations.

“108 is a sacred number in the yoga tradition of India, and the sun salutation is a whole movement where you reach for the sky, put your hands on the ground and return to a plank position, lower to a push-up, and come back up. downward dog and downward dog.

“On that cold December morning, we didn’t stay warm for long!”