THE AUDREY Q&A: DEE OPP

Change makers share their wit and wisdom and the lessons they’ve learnt.

Thanks for taking the time to fill out the Audrey Q&A. You have been picked be-cause you have an interesting story to tell! Audrey is all about making big brave changes and embracing the life you want. What can you share about yourself that will help other women?

Please introduce yourself…
My name is Dee Opp and I am 51. I am a yoga teacher training to become a yoga therapist. I specialise in AcroYoga, breath work and trauma focused yoga. I take yo-ga out of the studio onto water via a SUP Board (stand up paddle board), onto the earth on hikes and bikes and into places that are hard to reach – prisons and immi-gration detention centres.



What achievement are you proudest of in work?
Sharing my breath story and inspiring others to breathe well.



And what about your proudest achievements in your life?
My two sons, now 22 and 24, and my quest for health and wellbeing.



What makes you happy?
Teaching yoga to others and enjoying nature.



What role should money play in our lives?
To allow us the means to contribute to the world in a meaningful way. To share our creativity and gifts.



What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?
To fully embrace the grieving process when my husband of 25 years passed away.



If you have a tough decision to make, how do you work through it?
I make an educated assessment of the factors involved and then make a decision with no regrets.



Are there any mentors or inspirational figures (famous or otherwise) who you’ve used to model your behaviour or decision-making on?
Tony Robbins (author and life coach) and my late husband Stuart Opp.



Is there a secret to having a great work/life balance?
Make yourself a priority above all else.



Have you ever had an ‘Audrey’ moment in your career where maybe you’ve de-cided to completely change direction and if so, what was the catalyst?
I decided to start my own business when my husband passed. I could either stay safe or soar on my own merit. I decided to SOAR.



Has being a woman in the world of work helped/hindered/made no difference to your work?
Yes my experience in the mental health field gave me great insight and understand-ing of westernised medicine and the health care system.

“I decided to start my own business when my husband passed. I could either stay safe or soar on my own merit. I decided to SOAR.”

What helps keep you sane and balanced?
Yoga which includes meditation, movement and breath work. I also love being out-doors hiking, running, swimming, paddle boarding and surfing.



What do you like the most about women in their middle years (and older)?
Their sheer confidence and the ability to be authentic.



What have been your biggest challenges, work-wise or more generally, and how have you overcome them?
My biggest challenge was becoming a single parent. I had to fortify myself emotion-ally and mentally. I had to be OK with just being MOM and doing the best I could given the circumstances.



Please list three books that changed your life (or at least your mindset):
The heart of yoga by TKV Desirkachar, The Four Desires by Rod Stryker and The Great Work of Our Life by Stephen Cope.



Tell us about a time in your life you had to be really brave. What lesson did you learn from it?
Two times I can remember being brave: when I headed off to college on my own and when my husband died.



When you need a confidence boost, how do you get it?
I listen to podcasts. I love The Life Coach School, Practice You, The Plant Proof Pod-cast and Align. There are so many I love depending on what I’m into at the moment. We have so much wonderful insight from others at our fingertips. I also spend time alone and in a nest at home taking inventory of myself on all levels. What is working in my life and what isn’t.



What valuable lesson has your life taught you that you’d like to pass on to other women?
That we have great healing gifts to share in our world. Every time we get closer to healing and accepting ourselves the world gets an amplified dose of our energy. Our creativity and how we interact with others matters and can have a positive outcome in the world.



What is your dream project or scenario that you haven’t yet fulfilled?
The Breath Warrior Project Model in prisons throughout the world. The time is now. We have to heal people in order to heal our world.



What makes you cry?
Other people’s pain.

“The only regret I have is spending wasted time worrying about what others might think of me.”

What is your life motto?
‘I’m going in’ which epitomises how I feel every time I step on my mat to heal myself and before I head into a prison to hold healing space for others. Our world needs to heal and in order to do that we need to feel and go in and know ourselves first.



Which TV or film character do you most identify with and why?
I loved the character Alex in Flashdance, played by Jennifer Beals. She had a double who did the dancing, but I loved it!



Any fashion brands and beauty products that you swear by?
I use all natural healing doTerra essential oils in my home and beauty regime. My top three oils: Frankincense, Copaiba and Yarrow Pom.



The song that makes you happiest is:
Wild Heart by Stevie Nicks



Tell us something about you or something you’ve done in the past that still makes you cringe
I used to jump off of things with no fear of heights. I could not do that now – at least not as easily as I did when I was younger.



What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve ever done?
Oh lots of naughty things, like dancing for men when I was younger and realising how potent the female form can be. I love to dance!



What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Prosecco. I’m still trying to give alcohol up completely. It’s just not good for me an-ymore and seems to dampen my spirit, which is not what is needed in my life. I need my flame to burn bright.



What is your happy place and why?
My home on the River Thames. I enjoy living on the water and would not be happy otherwise now that I feel and know the benefits.



And finally… any regrets?
The only regret I have is spending wasted time worrying about what others might think of me.



Please share how Audrey users can find out more about you (website address, so-cial media etc)
www.deeoppyoga.com
dee opp yoga on Instagram and Facebook

THANK YOU!