Yoga and me
I was first introduced to yoga by my Grandma when I was 14. I found I was flexible and could do the lotus so I thought I was good at yoga.
Over 20 years on I realise yoga is much more than being flexible. It is a way of life. The physical postures are therapy for the body but I have also learnt that practicing mediation, pranayama (breathing practices), chanting and pure observation is tonic for the mind too.
Throughout university and my 20s I practiced Bikram and other intense forms of yoga. I went on to qualify as an In house lawyer for Warner Bros. and then one day decided to follow my heart and quit law. It didn’t take me long to find my first teacher training in Berlin. This training with Patrick Oancia taught me the importance of developing core strength and not over extending. I also studied with incredible teachers such as Emil Wendel, Simon Borg Olivier and Manuela Heider Johnson.
Moving back from Berlin in 2011 I began teaching full time in London. Most of my classes evolved from word of mouth. I taught at the Royal College of Art, the Gherkin and studios in North and East London as well as privately. In 2013 I completed my 500 hour teacher training with Julie Martin in India. I am now qualified to teach people to become yoga teachers.
After getting married in 2014 we moved to Sintra (near Lisbon) in Portugal. A magical and spiritual place. We built a house and I continued teaching my private clients online as well as running retreats in beautiful villas around Lisbon. Retreats are a wonderful way of immersing yourself in yoga. You learn so much more about yourself and your body and obstacles are inevitably overcome.
Eric was born 3 days after we moved back from Portugal to London. Marlon was hot on his heels 18 months later and by this point I had moved to the South Coast where I live today. In the depths of Covid we bought an old bank and are now on an exciting journey to convert it into a space for people to access the amazing teachers this area has to offer and also to have somewhere to be inspired. We draw on inspiration from our travels and want to bring the different corners of the world that hold a place in our hearts to our hometown. Come and visit us at Sustudio when we open in early 2023!
I hope to see you in one of my classes soon. Each class is specifically tailored to work on an area of the body and lead into an exciting, challenging pose. Mostly I run workshops which is a great way of committing to your practice every week and also for me to get to know you and your body. All abilities welcome.
"It seems to me that one thing is absolutely necessary and that is passion without motive"
(J.Krishnamurti, Freedom from the Known)