About Neville Cregan
My background
Yoga
I was born and grew up in Manchester. After an uncomfortable time at school I travelled and worked around continental Europe for three years until a trip to India and Nepal in 1987 provided much needed time for reflection, adventure and reading . During this time I 'accidentally' spent a week at an ashram ( yes really accidentally, tagging along with a newly met friend ). This was about as far away from my origins as I could have imagined, and at the age of 21 I mostly just found it weird; BUT, I read one of the books in the ashram library called something like: All Religions Are One , which sowed a seed of curiosity in me.
On my return to the UK I took a modular Humanities degree in Brighton as a mature student, the seed ripened, and I ended up in the Anthropology/Religion/Culture department studying Indian philosophy including some traditional Yoga texts and ideas.
Whilst working in social care and mental health services in Brighton I started more formally practicing Hatha Yoga in various styles and this lead to a teacher training course and teaching opportunities from there. I've taught Yoga since 1997 in most settings including community centres, Yoga studios, retreat centres, a learning disability day centre, a mental health rehab institution and work places such as Brighton Council and Gyndebourne Opera House.This all developed into a 30 year Yoga teaching career. Currently I'm not teaching and am mainly a Thai massage therapist and writer, but Yoga has been and still is a central part of my life..
I also trained in mostly Buddhist based meditation attending two retreats a year for several years in the 1990's which has been hugely formative in how I go about life. Yoga and Buddhism emerged from the same culture of enquiry in the East and (for me at least) are essentially about the same thing bar a few metaphysical nit picks.
It perhaps goes without saying that these practices have helped me personally on many levels and underpin much of my work.
Something more of my development in Yoga over 30 years is decribed in this blog here.
Thai Massage.
When I first trained in Yoga the practicals of Hatha Yoga necessarily put me in touch with teachers very knowledgeable in anatomy and physiology, matters of the body and the therapeutic aspects of Yoga. I was very fortunate that two of my teachers were osteopaths and had more knowledge than most on this area of Yoga. Through studying Yogic ideas and Asian traditional medicine I became fascinated more broadly by modern health sciences.All this led me to expand my studies to Thai massage as this was the best massage I had experienced. Its theory base and medical theory shares much with Hatha Yoga and Ayurvedic medicine and also makes sense (to me at least) viewed through the lens of modern health sciences. I've studied all aspects of Thai massage that I've been able to access ( without speaking much Thai) through courses in the UK , Thailand and even the USA. I also grew to love Thailand and Thai culture and regularly go to Chaing Mai in Northern Thailand to practice Yoga, learn more about and receive massage, absorb Buddhist environments, meet with friends, eat the food ! And train in table tennis (see below). I even speak a bit of the language now.
Something of my 25 years learning and practicing Thai massage is described on this blog here
I've also always been very active, even perhaps 'sporty' or athletic, particularly with regular and long distance cycling and more recently competitive table tennis . I've always found Thai massage helpful to keep me well in addition to my yoga practice, as well as to address any particular aches, pains and minor injuries. In 2017 I additionally studied BTech 5 Soft Tissue Therapy at the London School of Sports Massage to expand my massage skills and knowledge which I now combine into my Thai massage when relevant.
Health , Wellbeing and Spirituality .
I has become clear to me over time that true health is a combination of factors: feeling physically balanced, stable and strong enough; feeling mentally/emotionally comfortable with myself and others; and having some sense of connection with community, nature and the wider world . I also believe it's quite an individual process depending on our inherent constitiution, life circumstances and cultural context. It can take a bit of time to know who we are and create a sustainable healthy lifestyle that works for us personally amidst the many demands life.
Whilst it is certainly not the only way, but for me a combination of Yoga, meditation, some cardio exercise, saunas, receiving massage sometimes, a decent diet and making time for hobbies , commmunity and social activities has been winning combination in staying well amid the demands of a full life. It requires committment, but the time and effort invested more than pays for itself in my opinion. I have written a more in depth blog article on this here.
I hope that my work can help support people in their efforts to find the kind of balance that works for them.
Other Interests.
My other interests include travel, reading, photography, film, music and competitive table tennis - South Devon League and national and international veterans competitions. I've long been a DIY student of both Social and Biological Anthropology, an Outsider Anthropologist if you like. I'm also an independent researcher and freelance writer mostly around health, well-being, Thai massage, travel, society and culture and have contributed to various magazines and websites . My writing and blogging work is at www.nevillecregan.com
I live in Totnes, Devon where I have raised my family.
Contact
For any enquires about any of my work please get in touch by e mail or call/text/WhatsApp +44 7915 650106
Qualifications and Experience.
University of Brighton.
BA Hons Humanities - 2/1
Yoga
Teacher Training
1995 - 1997 with Mary Stewart (RIP) , Sophy Hoare (RIP) and Peter Blackaby.
Post Graduate Courses
Too numerous to mention everything, but my most significant other teachers have historically been:
Desikachar ( RIP)
Angela Farmer and Victor Van Kooten.
I've also learned a lot attending creative vinyasa classes in Chiang Mai , Thailand mainly at Wild Rose Yoga Centre , in particular Annie Bliss who I visit to practice with when possible.
Historically I attended silent meditation retreats at Gaia House in Devon. In the 1990's I took a distance learning meditation course by Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg supported by Catherine McGee from Gaia House (using snail mail and stamped addressed envelopes - pre-internet days !).
Despite variations in presentation and style all these teachers helped me understand core universal principles of yoga common to all approaches.
I also learn much (if not the most) from my students through their varying needs, questions and responses to my teaching.
Thai Massage and Sports/Remedial Massage
I've practiced massage since 1998 and have taken numerous courses of study including:
Core Practice Courses.
Several courses of study and practice at Sunshine Massage School in Chiang Mai and their accredited teachers including - Kira Balaskas (UK) , Asokananda ( RIP ) ( Thailand ) , Ralf Marzen (UK) and Suriyan Punyafoo (Thailand).
Thai Medical Massage Practice Courses:
Thai Acupressure with Noam Tyroler - Thai Acupressure
Thai Massage Theory and Practice with Felicity Joy , Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Thai Massage Medical Therory and Practice with Nephyr Jacobsen at the Naga Centre in Portland USA . Naga Center
Thai Massage Therapy with Suryan Punyafoo in Chiang Mai , Thailand . Therapeutic Thai .
Thai Massage Therapy with Homprang Chaleekanha ( a Thai Traditional Doctor) at the Ban Hom Samunphrai School near Chiang Mai .
Western Massage Training
Soft Tissue Therapy at the London School of Sports Massage . As a BTEC level 5 it's the highest level massage qualification available in the UK at present . There is much useful knowledge as well as techniques and ideas that can only enhance Thai massage.
As with anything I learn at least as much from my clients and their needs and responses to my work as any theoretical work.
Reflexology
I qualified in 2006 but no longer formally practice.
Core Qualification
The School of Precision Reflexology with Jan Williamson.
Post graduate qualifications:
Chinese Reflexology with Sue Ehinger .
Thai Foot Massage at the Traditional Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai.
Insurance to practice.
I'm insured for all of these with Balens Insurance , specialists in health practitioner insurance.
Contact
For enquires please e mail or call/text/WhatsApp +44 7915 650106