For me, being connected to my body is vital for my happiness. I fall out of it sometimes and it’s only when I start moving again that I remember how much it lifts me. Without realising it, I used ballet and other forms of dance as meditation through my childhood.

At 17 I trained to teach fitness classes and began working in gyms.Then in my early twenties I hit a low point and following a chance comment from a friend, I turned to yoga and pilates. I spent a summer in my garden reading and practicing barefoot on the grass, this was the grounding I needed. Within weeks I was glowing, felt confident in my body, full of energy, and happy. I’d found the thing I loved.I began teaching stretch and relaxation, then Body Balance and Fitness Pilates and then covering yoga teachers when they were away. My classes proved so popular I was soon teaching full time.

In 2004 I trained in Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Dana Flynn and Jasmine Tarkeshi at The Laughing Lotus in NY. This 200 hr training was a very strong, dynamic practice and my first real taste of spirituality, it was a bit of a shock but it got me hooked. For the next 8 years I taught on average 20/ 25 classes per week of both Yoga and Pilates in various gyms, health centres, businesses, and even a circus school in Bristol. Yoga made me so alive and I loved sharing that excitement with my clients.  In 2007 I decided to delve deeper into the philosophy so began a 3 year 500 hr training with Angela Ashwin and The British Wheel of Yoga. This took my practice and my teaching to a much quieter, meditative, gentle place. Angela was an inspiration and the connection to energy she guided me to changed my whole outlook on life and the universe.In 2012 Chaya Yoga Retreats was born, of which I was a co-founder and head teacher.  I have been fortunate enough to teach in Ibiza, India, Bali and the UK. It has also allowed me time for self study and travel in India and Bali as well as deepening my mediation practice through the Vipassana and plant medicine.In 2014 all my ‘manifesting’ paid off and I fell in love and fell pregnant very shortly afterwards. During my first pregnancy I trained with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli who’s depth of knowledge and wisdom added so much to my pregnancy experience and to what I am able to offer my expectant clients.Moving with my life journey I have just finished training with Petra Covney in Menopause Yoga. My life and my body changed after my second child and now I aim to help myself and my clients to prepare and have a toolkit for this next transition in life.

Yoga for me is about connecting back to my natural state of happiness. When I feel strong and free in my body I move with lightness and a trust in myself. Being aware of the connection between my body, mind, sensations, energy and emotions and knowing that my breath is the link between these, continues to bring me into the present moment and reopens my eyes to the magical nature of the universe and to my place in the world. That is when I feel truly alive. This awareness, of first the body and the breath and sensations, moving deeper into energies and emotions is what I aim to guide my clients towards.

I teach my clients to move slowly through the postures, observing their body with their breath so they can observe what is happening for them, to feel where they need strength and to feel where they need softness, so every posture is a pleasure even when moving deeply into challenging poses. In this way the whole practice becomes a liberating, moving meditation and there is very little chance of injury. I like to include breathing practices (pranayama), as these are powerful tools to bring your mind and your energy to stillness in preparation for meditation. Each session will always include a meditation or relaxation. Working privately means that I am able to get to know you and your body. I pace the practice for your energy level that day. We can discuss what you are looking to gain from your yoga practice and how we can implement changes to bring balance into your life. I meet you where you are, physically, mentally and spiritually so that I can work with you at a pace and with a language that resonates with you. I am as happy to stretch hamstrings as I am to talk philosophy.