What Dara Mind is about...
Realistic, Effective, Inclusive, and BS-Free Wellness & Yoga Solutions
Taking care of our health and wellbeing is essential for us to lead happy, balanced, fulfilling lives.
But there are lots of reasons many of us don't prioritize our health. Maybe you just can't find the time in your busy schedule. Maybe you tried the gym or yoga, but the environment felt intimidating and exclusionary. Maybe you noticed off-putting misinformation and problematic attitudes in the diet industry or in other health and fitness communities, and decided they just weren't for you.
If any of these statements feel relatable, you're not alone.
When wellness practices and environments are not effective, relatable or accessible, many people miss out on the transformative benefits these practices offer.
But your health does matter! And there are ways to prioritize it that will cut through all the BS and work with you, not against you.
Dara Mind specializes in making real, scientifically-backed wellness tools accessible for real people, people of all backgrounds, ages, body types, and experience levels, and even those with the busiest schedules!
What Dara Mind does...
Corporate and Private Wellness:
Serving companies, private groups and organizations with yoga, mindfulness meditation and breathwork, mindful movement and fitness, and educational wellness workshops and lunch-and-learn sessions (covering topics such as nutrition, stress management, brain hacking, etc.).
Community Wellness:
Free yoga and mindfulness sessions for to organizations such as schools and certain charitable organizations as part of our effort to make these tools available to all.
Online and Onsite:
All services are available online. Yoga, mindfulness, and certain types of movement and fitness classes can be organized to be done directly from an office chair, requiring no special equipment, attire, or space. (They can also be arranged to utilize mats and more space if this is available and preferred.) Onsite services are also available, location dependent and subject to travel costs.
What does Dara Mind mean?
The name Dara Mind was inspired by the Celtic dara knot which symbolizes strength. The design of the knot is meant to represent the intricate root system of an ancient oak tree. We are only as strong as the system supporting us under the surface, regardless of how things look on the outside. Dara Mind is all about taking a holistic approach to wellness. It’s not about looking like an athlete, or doing a headstand; it’s about genuinely supporting yourself, in whatever ways will most enrich your life. Holistic, mind and body wellness doesn’t look any particular way on the outside. It’s what’s going on under the surface that counts. Even the tree of life is only as strong as its roots. So nourish your roots.
Islay Nicklin MSc, YT 500,
CFT, Nutrition & Wellness Consultant
Islay is a 500-hour yoga instructor with additional qualifications in mindfulness, meditation, yin yoga, yoga for older adults, vinyasa, SUP yoga, nutrition and wellness, fitness, and education. Her master’s degree is in Transformative Learning and Teaching and her approach to her work blends education and wellness to create inclusive and transformative experiences.
Islay has been practicing yoga personally for over 20 years. In 2015, she completed her initial 200-hour yoga teacher training with Power of Now Oasis in Bali and her Certified Fitness Trainer qualification with ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association). In 2017 she was qualified as a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant with AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates). She then completed her master's degree in Transformative Learning & Teaching at the University of Edinburgh in 2019.
In 2023, Islay created Dara Mind as a way to combine her multiple skill sets to provide effective and inclusive wellness solutions. What makes Islay’s work so powerful is her ability to bring multiple strands of expertise together, blending modern science with ancient wisdom, all with deeply compassionate understanding to enable transformative experiences. When Islay is not teaching yoga and wellness, she can be found travelling the world with her partner, hiking with her dog, swimming, hooping, or enjoying a sunset cocktail by the beach.
Questions? Contact us!
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