Thank goodness for Spring. It’s when the world starts to come alive again. And so do we! To connect more to the season in body and mind, we found Westville’s Andrea Williams, a 28-year-old on a mission to harnessing the spirit of Spring through yoga.
She goes by Dré or, on social media, as @drefromSA, because of her many research and work-related travels and her need to honour her South African heritage. As a Health Economics researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, with a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy and a master’s degree in Public Health, Andrea has spent much of her young life moving around to cultivate positive change.
Over the last few years in particular, this pint-sized Millennial has dedicated her time working with NGOs that support young children and adolescents through life skills, surfing and yoga. Later this year she’ll be heading to Switzerland to study her PhD in Public Health Epidemiology, with fieldwork based in Lesotho. There, she’ll be working as part of a Swiss NGO that has developed a health app that can be used by village health workers to screen and diagnose non-communicable diseases. like diabetes and high blood pressure … a digital health intervention that is set to take off in sub-Saharan Africa not too far from now.
From work to play, health and wellness are clearly resounding themes in Andrea’s life. Her passion for yoga comes from its consistency in her busy and evolving world.
“For me, yoga has always been about coming with a humble and honest expression towards life. It has taught me that how you show up to one thing is how you will show up to everything.”
Having moved to and from so many different cities and countries, Andrea says yoga has become an anchor for her.
“Self-care, community care, the two go hand-in-hand. Through yoga I’ve been grounded and I’ve also brought positive change to the lives of others. Yoga gives you the space for self-discovery and exploration, but also to be in community with others who are on their own journey. It connects body and breath which is something we all share and can do freely whenever we can and wherever we are.”
Andrea primarily teaches Vinyasa yoga – she has a space at Manifest Yoga Studio in Umhlanga – a slightly modern take on yoga that includes elements of breath work and meditation, a creatively sequenced yoga flow and elements of balancing and stretching. She also enjoys teaching Yin yoga – a slower-paced yoga that focuses on holding postures for a longer time to work deep into muscles and improve flexibility and calm the mind.
“I believe yoga is for every ‘body’ and anyone can do it. More than just a physical practice, yoga is also a way of life. It is deeply relaxing and stress-relieving with many benefits to our physical and mental wellbeing.”
In addition to yoga, Andrea enjoys road and trail running. Comrades 2025 is on her bucket list, when she returns from the Swiss Alps!
If you’re keen on a fresh start for Spring and would love to give yoga with Andrea a bash, you can check out @Manifestyogastudio on Instagram. They often have wellness events and they also have a gorgeous cafe called @good_things_cafe that boasts a super healthy menu!
Details: To book a yoga session, download the Mindbody App and navigate to Manifest Yoga Studio.
Andrea’s simple lifestyle changes
Wake up with the sun – Try going to bed and waking up earlier. By waking up early, we can burn that laziness out of us and train our bodies to love the energizing thrill of Spring.
Find time in your day to move – This can be anything from walking, taking stairs, dancing to music you love or doing light stretches. Movement is a great way to connect to your physical body and also to your mind.
Get outside – Spending time outdoors among blooming flowers and basking in warm sunshine is great for mood, brain function and more. Exercising outside is even better.
Do things together – Never underestimate the power of community and the support it provides. Doing activities with people who share similar interests to you helps make the experience all the more rewarding.
Be where your feet are – This is a lesson in grounding and being present. Give yourself time to consciously connect to the ground under your feet.
Sweat more – A good old sweat session detoxes the body and burns away Winter’s stale energy.
Eat better – Eat less heavy, rich, oily foods. Focus on filling your diet with fresh foods that are bitter, spicy, and astringent and help clean of your digestive organs, blood and liver. If you’ve ever wanted to do a juice cleanse, Spring is the time to give it a try.
Take note of your breathing – Notice how your breathing changes when you are anxious and when you feel at ease? That is the power the breath has to control your mood.
Life is a process of creating and needing stillness. Knowing what your mind and body need is a subtle science of self-understanding that allows us to move through busy and still periods with grace.
CREDITS
• Photo: Penny Katz Photography, 083 214 0692, Floral crown: Pamella Nkosi,
076 440 1351; IG: @ndlunkuluthequeen • Fitness photo: Keren Kerr IG: @keren_kerrr • Clothing: ESJAY sportswear, IG: @esjay_sports
