About Me
My early yoga years
I have a passion for yoga and teaching the discipline, and it all stems from when I walked into my first yoga class in London in my late-20s, although I found the poses unfamiliar and quite demanding, I came away feeling stretched and toned, so I made a point of going every week. As my career and home-life became more demanding, the more I went to my yoga classes. After more than 30 years of being a dedicated yogi, I knew the next path in my life was to become a yoga teacher.
My yoga training
I trained with Friends of the Yoga International Society (FRYOG), completing a 200-hours Hatha teacher training over two years (2014). And then to further my knowledge, in 2017, I completed a 100-hour Anusara Immersion course in Ubud, Bali with the Bridget Woods Kramer School of Yoga (Yoga Alliance). And, of course, I am continually being inspired by international teachers by attending workshops, retreats and training days run by the British Wheel of Yoga, Fryog, Triyoga, London and other established bodies. In 2019, I attended an in-depth yoga study week with Mark Stephens, an established American yoga teacher for teachers.
My yoga teaching
Now as a full-time yoga teacher I bring this wealth of knowledge of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing), meditation and relaxation to my classes in South Bucks and Berks in village halls, County Council classes, corporate companies, yoga studios, luxury hotels, fitness clubs, and special one-off events.
My approach to my yoga practice isn’t about getting into the most dynamic looking pose, but accepting and enjoying where you are in the posture now, feeling the body lengthen and stretch, and finding a calmness inside you. We can all do yoga, and we can all find our own inner peace.
In my classes, I teach people of all ages and abilities, but everyone goes at their own level. The poses can be adapted to be more challenging for an established yogi and gentler for a beginner.
I have increasingly become aware of how important it is for the elderly and less mobile to stay fit and keep their bodies supple, so I am enthusiastic to offer chair-based yoga sessions at community centres, care homes and individual sessions. I have taught for Movers and Shakers, South Bucks District Council and Buckinghamshire Adult Learners Community Outreach programme.
When I observe beginners in their first class not knowing where to place their feet on the mat to standing in correct alignment in a posture a few months later, or more experienced yogis discovering they can finally do a pose that has alluded them in the past, or yogis telling me the best night’s sleep of the week is the day they come to my yoga class, I know the path I took in becoming a yoga teacher was so worthwhile.
What my yogi students learn on the mat with the postures, breathing and relaxation will help them in their day-to-day lives – their bodies are firmer, their minds are calmer and they in themselves feel healthier. They are discovering the wonders of yoga, as I did all those years ago when I walked into my first yoga class.