Yoga offerings

There is so much to say about yoga. Too much, arguably, judging by the mass (and it is mass production - of people’s proclamations and teacher training conveyor belts) of information and offerings out there. No shade or shame; I was once involved in that whole production, drawn and then sucked in as too many are by the lure of learning/being/doing something deep, meaningful and practicable. I did get some of those things, but I also realised that the disproportionate focus and capitalistic undercurrents of what yoga has become in the modern world is not how or where I wanted to be. I’ve been glad to realign with the roots of the practice, and return to my own roots in turn, as a place from which to more authentically grow.

I embarked on my self-directed journey of self-discovery (which is the intention and the journey that yoga opens us up to, as per its original intention as a psycho-spiritual technology for personal and interconnected change) when I was 17 (I’m now in my 40s). In the time since, I’ve evolved my understanding and practice around what it means to show up through my body (behaviour and relationships), speech (communication with myself and others) and mind (awareness).

I should add that I’m not dismissing or decrying the entirety of the “yoga industry” - that would fall into the trap of dualism that Yoga seeks to liberate us from. There are some very skilled people, teachers and practices out there, which is good, because you get to choose and hopefully discern what and who is right for you. Ultimately, it all boils down to personal practice, not outward performance or costly investment in more and more (capitalism will always sell you the lie that you need more) education.

So whichever path, and whichever teacher/s you choose, they ought to point you back in the direction of yourself so that you can gain confidence and skills that will serve you in your daily life when outward instruction, books or people are not there to fall back on - because the point is emancipation, liberation, independence and freedom from all that binds us.

That’s my intention - to create a supportive space where people can learn to befriend their bodies and minds, and explore their full potential, whatever that looks like on an any given day or any given season of life. That said, community matters, it’s a huge part of the practice - finding our sense of belonging. So again, I’m glad to be among the people who operate outside of the homogeneous mainstream, who are empowering people to engage beyond the reductive view of cultural appropriation and colonisation.

I’m mostly interested in supporting people to find their sense of self and voice using the practice of yoga as a gateway to turn to the wisdom within. We can, and do, become disconnected and disembodied from the fundamental truth of our experiential wisdom, taught as we are (in the modern world) to seek elsewhere. Yoga teaches us that we are enough, that we have enough, that we can be content with enough, once we reconcile and relinquish the desires, attachments, aversions, fixations and distractions that otherwise cause us to suffer due to the delusion that we are anything but.

My personal practice, as well as my experience as a qualified teacher (notwithstanding my reservations about the qualification system, see below), is informed by years of devoted study, aligned with the Buddha Dharma as a way of living intentionally, skillfully and with care for my place in the world.

Yoga, like Buddhism, informs everything that I do, especially reflective practice. I am not currently offering any classes or workshops specifically around yoga, although my newsletter and blog are infused with the teachings, which you are welcome to sign up for.

I have previously taught studio classes, corporate classes, workshops for people and charities in the drug and addiction recovery space, classes for asylum seekers and refugees, tailored sessions for women’s groups, and 1:1 private tuition. I am open to exploring teaching in a meaningfully connected way as and when the right opportunities arise.

Inspiration & lifelong education

I share what I know to be true based on my physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological journey to develop a strong and flexible mind and body, that allows me to move through life’s challenges with confidence, equanimity and joy. Over time, this has involved deepening my understanding of how the mind and body works, through multiple modalities and ongoing studies.

As well as my training as a journalist and lifetime’s commitment to evolving my understanding and application of the written and spoken word, I’ve devoted much of my energy to the matter of the mind, body and heart.

I’m not convinced by the patriarchal, Western, capitalist model of determining and measuring value on the basis of certificates and qualifications that are offered up by flawed systems with biased metrics. That said, I appreciate that they have currency, however inequitable and questionable that might be. I’m also part of said systems because I love to learn. I should also say I have had the pleasure of studying with some wonderful people. So many paradoxes. So, if it matters to you to know, my trainings in Yoga, Facilitation and Contemplative Writing include:

Contemplative Writing Facilitator Training, Herspiral Arts (2022)
Conscious Activism training, The OMpowerment Project (2020-2021)
Dharma studies, Tergar Institute & Meditation Community
Decolonising Yoga, Online Immersion, Sophia Ansari, Sattva Gaia (2020)
Luvena Rangel, Mantra & Meditation (2020 online)
Luvena Rangel, Ayurveda & Aromatherapy (2020 online)
Pivot into Equity via Dive in Well, Constanza Eliana Chinea & Maryam Ajayi (2020 online)
Yoga for Humankind, Community Facilitation (2020 online)
Honor Yoga’s Roots, Susanna Barkataki (2020 online)
Hala Khouri, How to Teach Yoga & Other Things During a Pandemic (2020 online)
Yin Yoga with Melanie Cooper, Bristol City Yoga (2020)
300-hour Advanced Teacher Training, Laura Gilmore, Bristol City Yoga (2019-2021)
200-hour YTT Hatha & Vinyasa, Blue Osa, Costa Rica (2018)