Renfrewshire teacher swaps the classroom for yoga mat in career switch

Louise Campbell
-Credit: (Image: Louise Campbell)


A former school teacher from Renfrewshire has told how a change of career has helped her mental and physical health.

Louise Campbell, who lives in Johnstone, used to teach in Inverclyde and would travel to Glasgow to attend yoga classes.

After growing tired of spending longer commuting to her classes than being in them, Louise decided that she would set up her own in her home town named Hart Yoga.

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The business is named after her grandmother, Ann Kennedy (maiden name Hart) – a person who Louise describes as a “hero” and a “wonderful woman”.

Louise, who had been teaching for almost nine years, revealed that she started her classes while still working at her school and often tried to take her new techniques into the classroom to benefit the pupils.

“I started yoga to support my mental health and to deal with the pressures of work at the time,” she said. “I soon discovered the classes that suited me were all in Glasgow. I did that for a year or two before realising it was getting silly.

“It was a case of spending longer travelling than getting the benefits of the yoga itself.

“After much thought, I opted to do the yoga course whilst working – spending every weekend doing that. I qualified and started my classes on a Wednesday evening alongside work.

“As a teacher, I was trying to take it into the schools as, particularly post-covid, mental health issues in schools have increased, and you can take some of the benefits from yoga and apply it to that setting.”

Louise got into teaching after spending some time as a nanny in London after completing a fashion business degree.

Before moving back to Scotland, she nannied for a family member and discovered how truly rewarding it was to help children and families.

Two women during a yoga session
Louise Campbell has started out on her own -Credit:Louise Campbell

That feeling of helping people grew which led her to complete a post-graduate degree at Aberdeen University to move into nurture teaching – small classes for children with social and emotional behaviour issues.

However, despite describing teaching as a “rewarding job” that she loved, Louise wanted to pursue her passion – after juggling school and yoga for some time – and saw a gap in the market in Johnstone.

“There are people that come to my class,” Louise says, “that say if it wasn’t local or easy to try, they wouldn’t have turned to yoga. My dad comes and he would never have travelled to go to a yoga class.

“Now, every Wednesday, he comes along as it supports his recovery from cycling and golfing a lot better. There are also a lot of new mums that come along that feel the same way.

“They can afford to take that hour out if it is only 10 minutes down the road; an option that might have been taken away from them if having to travel to the city. We welcome people in their early twenties, sixties, men and women. It is a class for everyone.”

Participants perform a move at a yoga class
Louise feels she is giving something back to the community with her yoga classes -Credit:Louise Campbell

Now, teaching yoga as a full-time job and having recently celebrated her first birthday as a business, Louise admits that it is still a scary process relying on her own company as an income.

But she says giving back to the community is one of the reasons that she decided it was worth it. She added: “I am not looking to be a millionaire. I am doing it because it feels good, because I want to help others feel good and make a difference.

“In every job I have done, I have always wanted to give back and done so to the best of my ability. I always aim to leave someone or something better than when we began; and as daunting as this was, and is, I wouldn’t have forgiven myself for not giving it a go.

With a studio just for Hart Yoga opening next month on Laighcartside Street in Johnstone, people can book classes or find out more information by contacting Louise at louise@hartyoga.co.uk or through Instagram via @hart_yoga

Louise will be hosting an open day on Saturday, October 5 between 10am and 2pm for people to have a sneak peak of the studio as well as grab a time table.

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