YOGA
A BIT ABOUT MY YOGA PATH...
Hatha Yoga has been my personal practice for almost 30 years now!
I began a self-taught asana practice in 1995 and for ten years I practiced Yoga alone at home on a blanket or bath towel...
From 2005 - 2015 I attended Duncan Hulin's weekly Holistic Yoga classes religiously! (I also went to lots of other classes but Duncan was undoubtedly my main and most important teacher.) These classes offered a strong foundation in not only safe, challenging and eclectic asana practice, but also kriyas, pranayama, mudra, bandha, and some mantra. My experiences as Duncan's student led me to his 500hr Yoga Teacher Training course (Duncan is the founder and director of the Devon School of Yoga). I trained on this course from 2011-13 and began teaching whilst still a student, in 2012. I taught weekly classes around Devon from 2012 - 2022, as well as regular workshops, courses and some guest slots at the Devon Yoga Festival, as well as a winter in 2016 - 17 teaching at a retreat centre on an island in southwest Thailand.
From c.2009-16, I was also a pretty dedicated practitioner of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, and sought out American Ashtanga pioneers David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff, Doug Swenson and,in Devon, Andrea Durant. Ashtanga led me to London, Portugal and finally to Maui, Hawaii, where I realised I'd actually gone as far as I wanted to within this tradition - or indeed any. With over 20 years of Yoga practice by that time, I realised it was time to stop seeking external validation and let go also of notions of "progress", and simply allow my own practice and personal experience to be the guide: that this was the truly authentic foundation for what I did, and what I shared. Whilst on Maui, I found great inspiration for my future Yoga explorations also in Jennifer Lynn's joyful Wisdom Flow Yoga classes, which fused elements of vinyasa, Anusara and Kashmiri Shaivism philosophy to create a less strict, more playful, feminine and uplifting approach.
In 2022 I stepped away from teaching regular classes; whether or not this is a temporary break from teaching, time will tell; but I continue to practice Yoga daily, as I have done for almost thirty years now: personal Yoga practice has always been my rock and the very thing I most hoped to inspire others to cultivate in their own lives.
Having taught extensively for a decade, and studied with some truly excellent teachers besides my own personal experience of as a Yoga student/practitioner for almost three decades, I am still available to share in 121 private classes, if you are missing my teaching or like the sound of how I approach Yoga.
MY APPROACH TO SHARING YOGA
I share Yoga as an embodied, meditative and spiritual practice for self-healing, self-inquiry & nurturing. I particularly enjoy sharing this approach with women, as Yoga can provide us with a way of connecting with our physicality in an empowering, psychologically healthy and also non-objectifying way, as an antidote to so much cultural conditioning; and my offerings are all intended to create a safe space for women. What I teach flows directly from what I've experienced during the course of my long-term Yoga journey and is very much rooted in ongoing explorations through my personal practice.
Over the years I called my classes many different things: "Holistic Yoga", "Holistic Ashtanga", "Holistic Vinyasa", "Lunar Vinyasa"...In essence, I offer a form of Holistic Hatha Yoga rooted in my own style of "lunar" Yoga inspired by moon salutations, the fluctuations of the lunar cycle, and our own ever-changing needs and energy levels, along with softened elements of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Ashtanga is my foundational practice in a lot of ways, but my appoach to Ashtanga is much more gentle, feminine and accessible than the traditional approach, and I teach in a way which encourages respect for your own body and needs, rather than trying to force yourself into "perfect" forms. Ultimately, I'm more interested in cultivating practices which help us develop deeper awareness of what we are experiencing in our bodies & minds, awareness of breath, and cultivating a balance of flowing movement and stillness, to promote not only physical but also our mental and emotional health.
I often speak about the more subtle energetic aspects of the practice, and how these relate to varying levels of our consciousness and inner balance. Yoga is rooted in a philosophical & ethical system too; I used to teach these more explicitly but these days I tend to allow things to filter through & arise organically in class!
I teach with depth and sensitivity encouraging my students to be intuitive, to listen to and be guided by the needs of their own bodies, and find the expression of a pose which feels best for them. We always begin and end with stillness. I offer plenty of anatomically-safe alignments and variations in my instructions, and will discuss aspects of anatomy to help you understand what you're experiencing in your own body. People consistently report feeling very safe and validated by this approach.
ONE-TO-ONE YOGA TUITION:
A great way to get more individual attention & modifications tailored to your specific needs, great for building confidence if you're a beginner & great for developing your practice whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years...
Enjoy the benefit of more individual attention & adaptations for your particular needs:
One-to-one classes are a great way to get some more personally-tailored yoga: I can show you how to adapt postures to suit your own physical needs (I'm particularly experienced in dealing with lower back & hip issues but can advise on all sorts of other issues too); this can be especially useful if you want to come to group classes where it is not always possible to get a lot of personal attention. If you have a particular health condition or injury you are recovering from, I can give you some specific adaptations so that when you come to group classes you will know how to practice the postures safely for your own particular needs.
Build confidence & experience if you are a beginner:
If you are new to yoga and feel a bit self-conscious about coming to a group class, some early one-to-one tuition can ease you into this wonderful practice and give you the confidence to join a group class without feeling lost.
Develop your own yoga home practice:
One-to-one classes are a great way to help you develop a home practice routine: I can help you decide on a realistic time & plan a sequence or variety of sequences, and give you ideas for how to vary this over time if you wish. One-to-one classes are also a great way to improve your technique and develop your practice further.
60mins £40 / 90mins £55
CANCELLATION POLICY: Please note: if you cancel an appointment with less than 24 hours' notice you will still need to pay for the session.
(Advance payment 48hrs before the session is required to confirm the booking.)