The Movers List: How Michaella Robb is using yoga to guide people on the road to recovery

Anyone who has ever suffered an injury understands the deep frustration of losing the freedom to move exactly as you want. For Michaella Robb, 27, teaching people how to look after their bodies - and to successfully recover from injury - is a lifelong passion.

“I’ve always been very sporty. From an early age I was exposed to the impact an injury can have and how it can hinder you in life,” says Michaella, the founder of holistic health centre Sattva Wellness. “I first developed an interest for the biomechanics and the functioning of the human body as growing up, my dad had numerous back problems. I would attend his appointments with a variety of specialists, which opened my eyes to the different therapies available”.

Michaella left school at 16, beginning her career path with a focus in remedial and sports massage. After gaining her qualifications, she pursued her urge to travel which took her to work in a ski resort in Canada. She built her experience and further qualifications before moving to work in New Zealand, following her dream of working with the world champion All Blacks.

In 2013 she returned home to move back in with her parents in Angus, when still aged just 21, Michaella decided to follow her ambitions of nurturing a healthy community in her hometown by starting Sattva Wellness.

“I live in a very rural part of Scotland where there wasn't much awareness of how your body should feel, so people were living with injuries or pain. I set up a business offering sports massage, yoga and now physiotherapy while I continued to study, and within 10 months I was so busy I took on another therapist. Now six years later I have five additional therapists working with me.”

Today, Sattva Wellness, named after the Sanskrit yogic language, also offers dry needling, cupping therapy, swedish massage, reflexology, yoga & sup yoga. Michaella will soon be adding Osteopathy as she continues her “lifelong learning” about the body.

Michaella still works with athletes at Sports Scotland Institute of Sport, and she has helped to introduce the famous Californian import Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) yoga to Scotland’s shores. She teaches lessons at Foxlake Dundee city centre and in a nearby Loch throughout the summer months. The classes are so popular there’s a waiting list. She describes it as “an experience of yoga where you connect with the surrounding nature, whilst holding a conscious connection with your body. It encourages you to remain focused and develops core strength whilst you balance on the board and experience the flow of yoga”. It’s this dedication of enhancing the lives of those in her community through sport that has led to Michaella being recognised by Lucozade Sport’s Movers List.

“It’s a real honour,” she says. “My ambition is to get people back on their feet and doing regular physical activity. I’ve found that educating individuals about their body means they can move through daily life with more awareness and feeling empowered. I get such a buzz from opening their minds to what they can do. So even if they can’t go for a run, they can try yoga and still get that endorphin release making them feel great.”

“For me, getting active in the morning is important for my physical, mental and emotional state. It’s essential to invest time in yourself – this definitely contributes a positive and energised lifestyle”.

The mens’ yoga class which she set up three years ago has arguably been the most successful initiative, bringing a range of individuals in the community together. “It’s local farmers, bricklayers and joiners, for example, who may have an injury and therefore are unable to perform their work or chosen sport. Most of them are patients of mine so I’m aware of their limitations, and it has been incredible to see the physical and emotional benefits. All my Yogis have great commitment; however, the men have surpassed expectation with their dedication. It’s humbling to know I’ve had such a positive impact on their lives, some of the men describing the yoga class as the “highlight of their week”.

For more information about the Movers List and to find local facilities and classes to move more, visit www.lucozadesport.com/the-movers-list