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Abra Willis

Abra Willis – Hatha Yoga & Yin Yoga

Abra has been practicing yoga for a long time  and has been teaching since 2014.

She is Triyoga and British wheel of Yoga trained and she continues to attend many yoga workshops and courses continuing her yoga studies.

Abra teaches various styles of yoga including hatha, vinyasa flow, yin & restorative, alongside specialist classes for mental health and chair yoga.

Soulful Flow and Yin Yoga with Abra Willis

This will be a holiday of true wellbeing with two daily yoga practices.

We will slowly unfurl our bodies, exploring our yoga practice and on the way nurture our souls and just let that quiet revolution take place in the most beautiful surroundings.

The classes will be fun and we will let yoga make us happy ♥

Morning practice will consist of a soulful flow, carefully curated throughout the week to include conscious breathing and pranayama.

Evening practice is always yin, a deliciously soft, relaxing and vital practice ♥

Iyengar Yoga with Adrienne Riel

Adrienne has been teaching yoga in South Oxfordshire, Reading and Henley area for just over ten years now. She has lots of experience teaching beginners and people who consider themselves ‘too stiff’ or ‘not flexible’ enough to do yoga, especially more mature students and men..

She is passionate about enabling those without confidence to stride forwards in their own personal practise to develop at their own pace in a non competitive class. Everyone is made to feel welcome.She has a gift for teaching with compassion and laughter, enabling those who doubt themselves to go beyond their own physical, emotional and spiritual expectations – leaving them full of confidence and delight in their own achievements.

‘It’s all about learning your own limitations and realising that each day we wake up our body and mind are different from the day before…’

Adrienne originally studied the Iyengar Method and became a certified teacher in 2009, she still maintains her own personal practice and professional development in her yoga teaching but presently is exploring her own style as she is free spirit ( no pun intended ) – using her experience to offer a fun environment in which students can learn and self progress.

‘ I very much encourage people to build some home practise into their daily lives. Teaching on Zoom over lockdown has taught me a more down to earth style where people can use everyday household objects to enhance their yoga; sofa’s, chairs, walls, baked bean tins, dressing gown belts, doors and walls. I’m a great fan of walls, they teach us stability, alignment, offer support, great for simple inversions…tons of reasons to use a wall..The whole experience of being in peoples houses has been very intimate and lots of fun!’

Your Yoga Holiday

Morning classes will start with simple poses which will gradually move towards more advanced poses, ensuring we are working safely with maximum benefit to flexibility, strength and wellbeing.  We will use blocks, bricks, belts and blankets to help us achieve our full potential.  The class will end with a 15 minute relaxation leaving you energised for the day.

Evening classes will be a shorter session of recuperative passive poses, followed by deep relaxation and pranayama which will compliment the morning practice. 

‘If you are travelling by yourself, so am I, so there will always be someone to chat, wine and dine with.  I aim to make everyone feel welcome into our holiday Iyengar yogic family’

“Words cannot convey the value of yoga – it has to be experienced”

Aine Dorman is Founder of Nirvaine Yoga Studio, situated in the heart of Co. Down, boasting panoramic views of the Mourne Mountains and Dundrum Bay.  Married with two adult children the bespoke clinic is on a small holding with rare breed cows, pigs, dogs and bees, from which the family produces their own honey and products.

She has been practicing yoga for over twenty years and teaching for over ten years. 

Aine has extensive knowledge and has trained in an eclectic mix of traditions including Iyengar, Forrest, Qi Gong, Aerial Yoga, Yoga for Cancer, Yoga for Special Needs, Acquired Disability including Brain Injury, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis Yoga for Mental Health, Chair Yoga including Wheelchairs and she weaves her knowledge as a therapist and healer into her classes.

Aine has been a holistic therapist for twenty-five years.and has trained in multi-disciplinary healing practices, including Reflexology, Soft Tissue Release Massage, Reiki Master, Shamanic Practitioner and Moon Mother.

“My commitment to you will mirror the commitment to yourself. We are all part of the weave of life, one medicine strand.” (Aine Dorman)

Flow Yoga and Pilates with Alessandra Margarito

This is a week devoted to improving core strength and body alignment. There will be a Flowing Yoga class in the morning and a Pilates class in the afternoon.

Alessandra is an intuitive yoga teacher who is experienced at guiding students of all levels though the fundamental steps of their yoga practice. Her clear teaching approach is strongly influenced by studies of anatomy giving her an understanding of how to ease bodies of all shapes and sizes into a comfortable beneficial practice.

The morning Yoga class will be based on the precision and breath work of Hatha Yoga with emphasis on flow, to create an uplifting, yet grounding practise. We will work in a progressive manner throughout the week, building a foundation for a strong integral practice exploring both classical and creatively sequenced sun salutations. We will be using the awareness of the breath to aid movement and use movement as a focus for relaxation and will finish the morning practise with some restorative yoga.

The early evening class will be a creatively adapted Pilates matwork session, drawing from both the classical and the evolved repertoire, with emphasis given to moving to the rhythm of the breath. Over the week we will be exploring a series of sequences which will tone and strengthen the whole body thus perfectly complimenting the morning yoga practice.

Alessandra’s creative approach to body alignment will benefit anybody who wishes to experience greater energy, dynamic relaxation and a sense of freedom in movement.

Alessandra enjoys teaching at all levels and runs workshops and retreats all over the world as well as running her own Yoga and Pilates studio in London.

For more information about Alessandra go to her website

www.alessandramargarito.com

Alex Reed – Hatha Flow Yoga

I’m Alex Reed and I started Good Life Yoga in 2013 in order to share my passion for yoga with people who need some balance in their busy lives.

It is my secret weapon against stress, anxiety and aging! Keeping strong and flexible in mind and body is proven to help us live longer and more fulfilling lives.

In my practice and classes I try to bring a fresh thought to each session – to find curiosity and genuine interest in what is happening in our minds and bodies on the mat.

My personal practice is influenced by some incredible teachers who were students of an innovative Italian yoga teacher called Vanda Scaravelli. She took traditional yoga practices deep into her own body and guided her students to do the same. Inspired by the youthfulness, joy for life and twinkle in the eye of these teachers

I try to practice and teach with fresh eyes and an open mind each time, guided by the bodies and personalities in the room.

My goal is to stay young as long as possible and help my students find their joy and youthful spirit too.

What to expect on a yoga break with Alex:

This is a holiday rather than a retreat so while the focus of the week is yoga, there will be plenty of time to relax, socialise and enjoy the local surroundings and on-site activities.

On offer will be two yoga sessions on the majority of days, an energising morning session featuring flowing sequences and a relaxing evening session prior to dinner; this could be restorative practice using bolsters or gentle postures, breathing practice and meditation.

One day will feature an optional silent group walk.

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy and make the most of this special time you’ve set aside for yourself.

Ali is a Senior Yoga Teacher with 16 years teaching experience.  Ali’s teaching style continually evolves being a reflection of continued study and self-development and the many hours supporting and working with students. What remains constant is her passion to keep learning and to keep sharing.  She is strongly influenced by kinesthetics and somatic bodywork thus supporting the mind-body to facilitate a deeper connection physically emotionally and mentally.  Ali’s sense of humour and warmth keep classes fun and engaging whilst progressing students at their own level.

Her yoga tutelage and training includes SATYA with Tias Little, Anusara with Bridget Woods Kramer, Yin teacher training with Sarah Lo, iRest Yoga Nidra and Meditation training Level 1 & 2 with James Reeves, Restorative Yoga training with Judith Hansen Lassater.

Ali currently teaches privately and at several local Yoga Studios and training centres. Prior to teaching Ali was an event producer and [years] before that a Mounted Military Policewoman.  Yoga has been her greatest joy and solace – “it continually evolves with me, helping me find pathways to a more authentic, healthy and happy life”

During this holiday there will be two classes per day plus meditation:

Early morning Meditation [optional].  This will be a guided practice and suitable for all levels of experience. For newcomers a chance to learn in a progressive way and for seasoned meditators the opportunity to dive in a little deeper.

Morning Yoga sessions will begin with centering, after which we will awaken the body with gentle stretching before moving into a sweet and well-structured hatha flow.  We will wind down with cooling floor sequences, a little more stretching, a short meditation and Savasana.   You can expect to feel rejuvenated, energized and ready for the delights of the day.

In the Evenings the sessions will be gentle and tender enabling you to: connect with your mind-body; ease patterns of long held stress and tension and induce healing and wellbeing.  Each day will vary and include aspects of yoga such as Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Pranayama and Yoga Nidra.

Ali’s style of teaching is structured and fun.  The emphasis is on empowering students – through the sharing of knowledge and key teaching principles – to deepen their practice safely and effectively.  Suitable if you are a complete beginner or seasoned practitioner.  An opportunity to take time out of your busy life, to share fun and laughter, learn something new and experience happiness and wellbeing.

Thanks again and looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Allison Alexander Hatha Flow and Yin Yoga

Allison Alexander is passionate about all aspects of yoga, and knows from her own experience how life enhancing and transformational this practice can be.

She loves to share the potential of yoga, believing it can help each of us cultivate deep inner fulfillment, a greater sense of meaning & freedom and a stronger connection with the natural rhythms of life

Her thoughtful teaching encourages you to find the joy of deep connection with the body, the heart, the mind and the soul.

Allison teaches a flow style practice, using the integration of breath and body to move from one wonderful posture to the next, holding the poses long enough to experience them deeply and uniquely for each person. In this way the practice becomes a moving meditation which has the potential to enhance physical strength & flexibility, improve psychological focus & concentration and create emotional peace & tranquility.

Allison has been influenced by the wisdom and experience of many wonderful teachers, and is fortunate to have been trained and encouraged by many knowledgeable yogis who have guided her and continue to do so.

For Allison yoga is a joyful  life long practice to which she is dedicated. She is continually expanding her knowledge and experience. She is an experienced 500 hour Yoga Alliance teacher, teaching Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra.

All practices of Yoga will include asana, pranayama, meditation, and relaxation.

Start your day with an energising, joyful practice.

On this retreat the morning practice will be a grounding and energising Hatha Flow which will include asanas, pranayama, and meditation.
We will create strength & flexibility for the body, focus & concentration for the mind, peace and tranquility for heart and soul.

The evening practice will be a relaxing and restorative Yin and Yoga Nidra.

We start with a slow flow sequence, using the integration of breathe and body to move from one powerful posture to the next.

We will create warmth and heat for the body, focus & concentration for the mind, peace and tranquility for heart and soul.

Once the body is warm and supple we are ready to glide into the slow, held postures of the yin sequence.

Amy Redler Scaravelli Inspired Hatha Flowing Yoga

Amy is a health and well being expert with over 20 years experience of working with individuals and organizations as a yoga and Pilates and baby massage teacher and Thai Yoga Masseur. 

Her background is varied from working in 5 Star spas to drug and alcohol groups, schools and adult education as well as teaching on overseas yoga holidays. 

Amy was named one of Londons best complementary health practitioners in The London Evening Standard, and her work has been quoted and acknowledged by the media over the past 10 years, appearing in numerous publications such as The Times, The Sunday Times; Vogue; The Scotsman on Sunday and London’s Time Out, Shape Magazine, Tattler and numerous other heath magazines.

She has appeared on BBC radio Scotland talking about yoga and has also appeared on Breakfast TV.

 

During the week’s workshops we will learn ways to release tension, allowing the spine to lengthen, to awaken lazy muscles and calm down busy ones, learning to breathe and move more freely.

Particular attention will be given to breathing, to the work of gravity, and to the releasing of unnecessary and unhelpful muscle contraction and tension through breathing techniques and postures.

Amy’s style of teaching is precise but flowing, fun yet structured. With an emphasis in releasing blocked energy and restoring the body’s natural ability to enjoy and recuperate.

This course is suitable if you are a complete beginning in yoga or a teacher with many years experience and anywhere in between having the golden opportunity to spend some quality with yourself and take some time out of your busy life.

 

For more information about Amy visit her website at www.yogamassage.co.uk

Flowing Hatha Yoga with Andi Theophilou

Andi has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and has been teaching for 8 years.

She is a 500hr qualified teacher having trained with Yoga London and Jason Crandell Yoga, pre-natal training with Yogamama and she has recently completed Gary Carter’s Anatomy and Movement training.  

She teaches mindful, Flowing Hatha Yoga. Her style is down to earth, playful and explorative, focussing on mindful movement, strengthening the body and calming the mind.

Slowing down the flow allows her students to become aware of their bodies and move with more control – it’s challenging! One size doesn’t fit all and Andi encourages individuals to adapt the practice to their own bodies and ranges of motion.

Andi also teaches relaxation sessions which are gentle and restorative, incorporating pranayama, myofascial release, meditative movement and somatic movement flows, which help to release tightness and tension in the whole body.

Andi will be offering two yoga sessions per day.

Classes will be flexible depending on the participants and will progress through the week as we build awareness, strength and stamina.

Typically the morning session include pranayama (breathing techniques), a warm up, flowing hatha yoga and will end with relaxation.

Classes will be themed focusing on concepts (e.g. Finding Balance, Effort and Ease), or in groups of asanas (e.g. backbends, forward bends, twists, balance),  the format will be flexible, according to the needs of the group.

The early evening session will be relaxing. This may focus on exploring groups of postures or parts of the body, somatic movement or myofascial release and end with a long relaxation to leave you feeling restored and revived.

www.yogabrockley.co.uk/about

Yoga with Andrea

Andrea is accredited as a Yoga Elder by the Independent Yoga Network. She completed a 3 year training with the British Wheel of Yoga in 2000 and is also a BoxingYoga™ instructor.  She has many years experience in classical Raja Astanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga.
  
Andrea has developed her own teaching style through Nature’s Rhythm Yoga which is based on traditional Hatha Yoga and comprised of 4 themed classes that attune you to the Moon’s cycle, bringing you into the flow and coaching you in rhythm with the energies that make up the whole of our Universal existence and experience.
       

“Through my personal yoga practice I’ve realised that we each have our own story that is being told through our body, postural alignment, our lifestyle & developed habits. The yoga classes I teach are based on the Moon’s cycle, using a variety of both dynamic and static postures as well as breathing techniques, mantra and the harmonic resonance of the solfeggio 396hz and 528hz sound bath chimes to teach others about the different energies that make up the whole of existence and for a deep journey into the heart where the body, mind and soul meet.”

Hatha Yoga with Andrea Turnball

Andrea, after practising yoga for many years and realising how transformative the practice was and how it alleviated the stresses of her busy lifestyle, was well and truly bitten by the yoga bug. She subsequently completed her yoga teacher training withthe British Wheel of Yoga.

For Andrea, yoga is about health and happiness, cultivating balance and living with your heart wide open. 

She teaches Hatha yoga, combining creative sequencing, mindfulness, connection with the breath and relaxation, plus a dose of inspiration to help her students deepen their practice.

 

Happiness, peace, love and calm already exist within you.  Yoga is a personal journey that allows you to shine through, both on and off the mat.  Our practice will stretch and strengthen our bodies, teaching us to move mindfully and connect with our breath.  It will nourish our souls and teach us the freedom to be still.

Your Yoga Holiday

Our morning practice will be a balanced and holistic flow of sequences to energise you for the day.

Our evenings will be Zenyoga – to unwind with more restorative and relaxing Hatha Flow focusing on healing and letting go.

We will learn and practice pranayama and simple meditation techniques that will help to create a calm, creative and peaceful state of mind. 

We will also include yoga nidra and sleep preparation sessions.

“The Heightened awareness I experience through my practice is what continues to draw me to my mat.  My passion is to share the positive effects yoga has had upon my life in the hope of spreading this positive effect onto others”

” Hi Jilly, I wanted to let you know what a fabulous 2 weeks I had with Andrea and the group in this great location at Palm Tree Lodge.
Her teaching and dedication to the group were outstanding. From our gift at the beginning of the first lesson, all the way through to the beautiful closing class with decorated yoga shala and personalised cards. I have been doing yoga for 20 years and still learnt so much from her teaching and her kind hearted way of being. That so many of the group have already rebooked with her for next year says it all ! Wow.
Thank you”   Melanie – Palm Tree Yoga, Kerala, India January 2020

 

Anglea Hulm – Iyengar Yoga

Angela Hulm has practised IYENGAR yoga since 1980, and taught in schools, and colleges for over 30 years.

She qualified as an Introductory IYENGAR yoga teacher in 2005, and as a Junior Intermediate Level 1 teacher in 2008 so she can support you to practice gently, or to challenge your self with deeper practices and a fuller range of postures. Angie lives in West Wickham, Bromley, Kent and teaches in local halls. Angela also has a fully equipped At Home yoga studio with dwi pada viparita dandasana bench, rope wall and yoga swings.

Warm hearted, passionate and knowledgeable; Angie will help you to learn how to practice Iyengar yoga. 

She attends regular classes with senior Iyengar teachers, and in 2016 was taught at RIMIYI in Pune, India the home Iyengar yoga

About Iyengar Yoga

The Iyengar method of yoga is named after our teacher Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar.

The teaching helps you focus on correct alignment of the body in poses ensuring you’re working safely, with maximum benefit to your flexibility, strength and wellbeing.
Classes generally start with simple poses and gradually move towards more advanced poses, ending with a period of relaxation. Props, such as blocks and belts may be used to enable you to work correctly and achieve your full potential.

The postures are very precise and you will be guided through them by Angela who is qualified to make appropriate adjustments for different physiques. You will leave the class feeling lighter and calmer. The benefits of Iyengar yoga are greater flexibility and strength, and better physical health.

As you continue with your practice, psychological and spiritual benefits begin to appear. 

 

Website: http://ahyoga.org.uk       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahyogaBR4/

Angus began teaching meditation in 1999 when he was invited to teach in UK Prisons by the Prison Phoenix Trust. In 2001 he qualified as Yoga teacher in Canada, trained by the Sivananda Organisation. Since then, he has been teaching full-time as Director of the award-winning Battersea Yoga Centre in London. He teaches internationally each year at spiritual centers around the world.
  
Much of his teaching is informed by his time spent with Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) and Ajahn Sumedho at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. 
  
With regards to Yoga, his style is deep, gentle and elemental – integrating a wide spectrum of Yoga styles; Hatha, Vinyasa, Scaravelli, Yin, Restorative, Mindful, and Bioenergetic. Expect the unexpected, the left of centre and lots of fun.
Angus is a qualified practicing Clinical Hypnotherapist and holds a Diploma with the London College of Clinical Hypnosis. He specializes in the treatment of stress-related conditions
  
He is a qualified Mindfulness Teacher and is employed by the NHS to provide specialist mindfulness courses.
 
Beyond yoga, motorbikes, songwriting and roaming the planet, Angus’ other loves include his partner Nadia, his three boys Rowan, Conor & Finlay and his daughter Freya.

Ann Brandon – Hatha Yoga

Ann has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years. 

She trained with British Wheel of Yoga obtaining 500 hour certification. 

She has also undertaken BWY Meditation module, Yin Yoga training with Norman Blair and recently BWY chair yoga for seniors. 

She continues to update her training with workshops and retreats in the UK and overseas.

Her approach to yoga is lighthearted and fun whilst paying particular attention to alignment and breath and making yoga accessible to all with modifications and use of props.  She is a lover of being upside down and her classes often include opportunities for inversion.

On some of her yoga holidays Ann teaches with Katy Broomfield details below

Katy Broomfield – Hatha Yoga

Katy has trained with the British Wheel of Yoga (500) hours and is an advanced yoga instructor, with 20 years’ experience in teaching.

She runs private classes from the yoga studio she set up in 2021 and is also certified in Prenatal yoga, Yin yoga with Norman Blair, Thai Yin, and Meditation. She is a BWY Foundation course instructor and has completed the foundation in Yoga Therapy. Her latest training is linking her M.A art with a foundation M.A in psychotherapy.

Katy takes a slow approach in her yoga classes with a focus on good alignment, she creatively weaves breathwork and props to modify postures to suit everyone.

Her classes are deep, fun, and experiential.

Anna Georgiou (BWY Dip)

Anna began practising yoga in 1999, and qualified with the British Wheel of Yoga in 2007, followed by a further month’s study at the Khrisnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India in Feb 2008. 

Prior to her yoga training, Anna studied Reflexology, Massage and Dance. She has also studied with some of the world’s leading teachers: Sarah Powers, Donna Farhi, Paul Grilley and Max Strom.

Anna’s teaching is influenced by different styles of Hatha yoga.

Her approach is creative and welcoming and she delivers a safe and well rounded class which can be enjoyed by all levels and ages.   With attention to alignment and a focus on breath and movement co-ordination, her class caters for the individual, allowing to build strength and flexibility, promoting a healthy, happy and balanced life!

This retreat will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy two yoga sessions per day, allowing the individual  to build and take their yoga practice to a deeper level. We will explore different types of Asana, pranayama, meditation, and Yoga Nidra (deep yogic relaxation).

The morning session will be dynamic and energising, while the evening session will include more restorative and rejuvenative  work with some Yin postures to help balance the Yang active posture work of the morning. 

There will also be plenty of time to relax during the day, helping to bring harmony back to mind and body!

Scaravelli Inspired Hatha Yoga

This week of Scaravelli-inspired Hatha yoga, led by Anna Wolfenden of the Yoga Studio in Southwold, will provide an opportunity to develop a personal yoga practice in a beautiful setting. It will focus on finding ways to unravel the body to experience freedom in the postures and develop a deeper understanding of how yoga may be useful in everyday life. Hatha yoga is primarily the study of postures (asana), breathing with awareness and attention (Pranayama) and relaxation.
Anna’s yoga, inspired by the teachings of the late Vanda Scaravelli, is shaped by the attentiveness to the breath and the journey of undoing tension to reach the pose, rather than just doing the pose. As we learn to become more attentive to the breath and make friends with gravity, we are better able to find the poses without tension or resistance. This is indeed a yoga holiday which will provide the chance to practise more intensively in a beautiful place.

Anne Lawless –  Iyengar Yoga

A Fully Certified and Insured Iyengar Yoga Teacher with many years experience with all levels of students.

Anne is a very experienced Level 2 Iyengar Yoga teacher and has been teaching since 2007.

She visited and studied yoga at RIMYI in Pune, India, with the Iyengar family and has been studying Iyengar yoga for 28 years. 

Anne teaches community classes, online classes and workshops in South London and Surrey and has been leading small group yoga holidays since 2019.

Dedicated to teaching the Iyengar Yoga method Anne welcomes yoga students of all ages and backgrounds to her classes and holidays.

She will meet you where you are and teach you correct alignment and action in asana which in this method is the gateway to the other 7 limbs of yoga. Growth and learning is encouraged and the practise is adapted to each individual so all can benefit from this wonderful practice. 

Morning classes will be energising and evening classes more restful and restorative. 

Come with an open mind and heart and enjoy your yoga with Anne in the most beautiful setting.

Anne-Marie qualified in 1984 with Swami Vishnu Devananda of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Neyyar Dam India

What is Yoga?

I always begin my courses with this most important question; what does the word Yoga mean? I ask my class how many of them were told the meaning of this Sanskrit word. I have not had anyone put up his or her hand and say ‘me!’

I started my Teacher Training School in 2003. I had studied Iyengar back in 1976 with Maxine Tobias when Iyengar visited the UK. I enjoyed the technique and strict alignment but felt there was something missing. I did not know then that Iyengar was not an integrated Yoga; in other words the pranayama, basic meditation principles, theory and asana brought together in one class. During my years as a Dancer, Drummer and Fashion designer I was lead through a series of Epiphanies to the doors of the Sivananda Yoga Centre London.

That was in 1983. My life changed forever. After keeping to the Sivananda principles for many years I started to train in Astanga with some eminent teachers and found the grace and strength changed another part of my practice. However all the styles I had practiced did not provide for me the teachings and principles of the mind, body and breath that Sivananda did. But I am creative and passionate and desire knowledge and truth from all I do. Yoga is to work together, Mind, Body and Breath

I realised that I had boxes of knowledge stored in my head and heart. I opened them up and Sun Power Yoga was born. I have had the privilege of learning more than one style of Yoga each one giving another dimension to my own personal practice and to my levels of technique but in the end Yoga is a Spiritual Path and in no way could I claim to be a Yoga teacher or trainer if I did not embrace the very essence of Yoga.

I read a book recently by a very knowledgeable teacher. The content and instructions were as good as mine! In other words
I was reading from an experienced teacher with great observational skills and detailed eye for Anatomy. But in the first chapter she said we would find no reference to Yoga theory or its Spiritual roots. I was a little surprised and disappointed. Swami Vishnu always said the Yoga would have to bend to accommodate the Western Mind but I don’t believe it should be compromised!

It takes courage to practice the OM at the end of the class but to have knowledge and not to give it is a sin. Deciding who to give your knowledge to should be based on the layering of that knowledge, sprinkling the seeds so that they grow but to deny your students the experience to make up their own minds is just arrogance. I encourage our teachers to be Authentic, Honest, Courageous, to show humility, to learn from their students and to be truthful to them. We want you to be a teacher who wants to teach for all the right reasons not because it may make you money, though that’s great too but to know why you are teaching.

Yoga Family

Breathing as One. The Yoga Family means that no matter what our age or background Yoga is an aid to a busy and often stressful life. Families are the anchor to a happy child or an appreciated parent.
Practicing this Ancient Art as a family is healing, restoring and joyful.

Sun Power Yoga is a Family and our school has built a community to support each other and to be respected by each other. In the end it takes not only THE EYE AND THE HAND BUT ALSO THE HEART to be an INSPIRATIONAL YOGA TEACHER. We are made up of Mothers, Fathers, and Grandparents, of young people from all backgrounds, races and religious backgrounds.

We consider it our responsibility to aid the transformation of our students into the people they aspire to be.

The Subtle Body and the Physical Body

Learning to teach Yoga to others requires the knowledge of the body, its Anatomy and Physiology and how the systems of the body work. For me; the work of Sivananda has been profound because as a Medical Doctor, he understood the body and its relationship to the mind.

There is another body too, the Subtle body the body that works with the Chakras and the emotional body. The word Hatha is often misunderstood. It is not a style of Yoga but a Path of Yoga. It is the physical aspect of Yoga Philosophy. Raja Yoga is the road to Meditation and is the highest Road, Karma Yoga the Yoga of Selfless service such as the work of Mother Theresa for instance. Bhakti Yoga the Yoga of Devotion and Jana of Knowledge, these are paths we can take to finding out about our Spiritual goal. So Hatha yoga is a journey from outside in. As we are human we think we carry our body so it is an excellent place to begin!

Knowledge cannot be given by word thought and deed only; you must also add the heart

Annie Hayes-Pantony Vinyasa Flow Yoga

My mission is to help people on their journey to find the best version of themselves, finding strength mentally, physically and emotionally.

My hope is that I will inspire even those new to yoga, with my enthusiasm and energy.

I will always adapt and modify my teaching to allow everyone to feel included and welcome in my class, without exception.

“We can only do what we can do in this moment and that is enough”

My practice
I specialise in vinyasa flow, focusing on the breath(pranayama) through the fluidity of the postures (asanas)

Focusing on our breath helps us be in the moment while helping our body transition through a sequence of postures.

My practice will help you build body strength along with the core focus always being on the mind.

My mindful approach using yoga philosophy in my classes will help you delve deeper into your practice, and my well-being approach will serve to feed your heart, body, mind and soul.

In a loving, kind way I will lead you through stretching, strengthening and toning your body, giving gentle adjustments to allow you to deepen your practice.

 

Qualifications
RYS 200 yoga alliance in Greece
RYS 300 yoga alliance in Turkey
Pregnancy & Postnatal Yoga with Yoga Mammas Putney
All qualifications meet required standards of Yoga Alliance UK

Website   www.letlifebeyoga.com

Bella Somerville

Bella’s yogic path has led her from a tea estate in Sri Lanka where she was born and where she spent her early years surrounded by eastern philosophies and spiritual practices, to the present day as an adopted ‘Brightonian’, coming to this vibrant city to visit friends in between her travels, and never leaving.

She experienced her first yoga class in 2000 and she’s not looked back since, subsequently spending the last 17 years dedicating herself to developing her spiritual practice both on and off the mat.

She is registered with Yoga Alliance UK having completed her training with Allie Hill and teaches full-time in Brighton and the Sussex area where she is a popular instructor within the local community. She has taught at the Brighton Yoga Festival for the last 2 years as well as regularly donating her teaching skills to charities and local events.

Bella teaches hatha and vinyasa flow, as well as more meditative yin and restorative practices.

Her classes are creative and playful with an emphasis on strengthening the body, calming the mind and staying centred because as she says: “nothing is more precious than being in this present moment, fully alive, fully aware”.  

Her teaching is compassionate and honest, always inviting students to be curious in their practice, weaving inspirational quotes and yogic texts into her classes, yet always relating to the bigger picture by encouraging students to be in harmony with themselves not just on their mats but also in their lives.

Added to this is her contagious energy and deep passion for sharing the benefits of yoga with all ability levels, no matter what age, size or experience so students leave her classes feeling inspired and alive!

About the Kerala Retreat

India is the home of yoga and what better place to experience this spiritual practice than in the tropical warmth of Kerala in early April. It seems natural that we associate feeling warm with a sense of well-being and relaxation, and when the body is warm, the muscles and connective tissue become more elastic allowing you to go deeper into a yoga pose as the body opens and becomes more flexible.

This retreat is open to all levels as modifications and variations will be given throughout so beginners as well as those with a more skilled practice will be safely challenged.

Each class will be an eclectic hatha experience, with a focus on the fundamentals of a structurally sound yoga practice. Precise alignment in standing, seated and reclined poses are woven together by a slow flow, and each session focuses on a unique foundational movement pattern and is sequenced to steadily build those movement patterns into more challenging asana.

The morning classes will start with centering and pranayama (breath work) to cleanse, ground and energise us, before moving into a deeper, invigorating combination of hatha and vinyasa flow yoga. With a sense of playfulness and exploration, each student on their individual level will work on improving flexibility, strength, stamina and balance, delving deeper into postures empowered by their breath.

The late afternoon sessions will be a yin-yang practice, a more explorative and workshop-style class, bringing into balance the passive and active aspects of yoga with energising yet restorative asana, holding postures longer to allow a deeper release both in the mind and body.

Bella makes an ideal host for our retreat to Kerala having travelled extensively in India, and through her upbringing feels naturally at home on the subcontinent. A great listener, with an infectious laugh, and zest for life, she intends her retreats to be fun and uplifting, a chance to make new friends and discover the amazing culture of India, and above all, a transformative yoga journey into the self, by the self, for the self.

 

“The Yoga retreat in Turkey with Bella was an incredible experience and I am still buzzing from it!  The hotel staff were all so professional and kind, everything was at hand, the food, pool, and all the facilities, just superb. What made the holiday sublime, however, was the incredible yoga we shared.
Bella set such an inclusive tone where all levels were able to access the practice in their own way. The excursions were wonderful and I still smile when I remember swimming next to the waterfall after our into the mountains. I would recommend Free Spirit with Bella to anyone who is a seasoned yogi or even a complete beginner.  Bella is a very special teacher indeed and her experience in running retreats certainly shows.  The sense of warmth and cohesion in the group was something very special.  I will be booking again, of this I am certain. Thank you for some very special memories as well as the fantastic yoga.”

Mary-Lou – September 2022

 

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful Yoga holiday I had with Bella in Ischia. Her yoga as always was inventive, stimulating and sensitive to all the Yogi’s on the holiday. Her passion to make the holiday (we call it a holiday rather than a retreat!) a wonderful experience for all of us, was embraced by open arms by the Yogi’s. The group bonded extremely well and we spent most of the time in each other’s company. The hotel with Michele as our main point of contact was perfect for this week – he looked after us very well.  The food (delicious), accommodation (simple but clean) and surrounds …breath taking … were a delight Thank you!

Lisa Baderoon – September 2017

 

Dear Bella, Thank you so much for such a positive and uplifting experience in Kovalam, and for your wise counsel. I have not felt so calm and relaxed for a very long time. I feel so very privileged to have been part of this retreat, meeting such a great group of people and the yoga. I already knew you were a good yoga teacher but the thought and planning which you had clearly put into each session was exceptional! Thank you and love,

Alison McMillan-Puri – Palm Tree Kerala April 2017

Beverley Hetherington – Yin & Yang Flow Yoga

Hello, I’m a Naturopathic Nutrition Therapist and Yoga Teacher and I live in Brighton.

I have been practicing yoga since being introduced to it by my mum when I was 8 years old . I completed my 200 hour teacher training with Allie Hill and Toni Ann Roberts and have been teaching since 2012.

My  post graduate yoga includes training with  Ellen Lee, John Stirk, Gary Carter, Amarjeet Bhamra, Jim Tarran, Marc Aquaviva, Tabitha Tarran and Ben Wolff to name a few, along with completing a Partner Yoga Teacher Training with Sevanti of Unity Studio Brighton.

Classes begin with a question to the students; is there any specific area you would like to focus on for your practice today?  Once the areas of focus have been established if requested the class begins, which often includes learning the mechanics of the postures as we transition and the opportunity for students to ask questions.

This way the class can be offered to benefit all levels giving each student the chance to do as much or as little as their breath, body and practice requests.

In addition I often relate to how we function internally, enabling us to gain a deeper awareness of how the postures help us to connect.

For me yoga offers the time to become aware of how the breath leads the body into movement whilst the mind observes, this gives us the opportunity to acknowledge and expand the space between our thoughts, inviting us to delve deeper into the moving meditation that is our yoga practice.

Our Weekend Of Wellness at Champneys Spa Henlow

We meet our fellow yogis and introduce ourselves.
Following getting to know each other a little we move towards our opening Hatha flow practice and observe the connection between breath, body and brain.
Our yang approach invites us to be aware of the superficial muscles in the body, which love warmth and movement enabling us to ease our journey away and settle into our body and surroundings.

After practice we freshen up and meet for dinner, if you wish to dine alone you are most welcome.

 

Saturday Sunrise Practice; we begin sitting in contemplation and meditation. Slowly we invite an awareness of the breath rhythm and this guides us towards our solar powered practice, we finish with pranayama (breath control) to cleanse and prepare the body for the day.

Afternoon Yin/Yang Practice; we begin with yin, slowly transition into yang and return to yin. Yin yoga gives us the opportunity to sit with ourselves and explore, as we hold the asanas (postures) for longer periods of time this evolves into a deeply meditative practice. Our yang practice by contrast to the earlier stillness will invite mantra (chanting) and mudras (hand gestures) both empowering the exit of obstacles from mind, body and soul.

 

Sunday Sunrise Practice; we begin sitting in contemplation and meditation. We find a friend and invite the awareness of the breath rhythm together. This offers the practice of partner yoga to unfold as we are able to support and surrender with trust at the same time. This fun, playful practice offers the opportunity to learn about our partners practice as well as our own and how some asanas are far more accessible with the support of another.
We move towards closing our practice together with hand massage and giving thanks to each other for our weekend.

 

During our time together I will be teaching techniques for continued self regulation so when we return home we may use these to remain grounded and calm.

Brigitte Riley – Hatha Flow Yoga

* Please note Brigitte’s holidays are not suitable for beginners

Brigitte has been an established yoga teacher for 19 years.

She is a Registered Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals, which is the highest accolade in professional yoga teaching.

She is always evolving her teachings and is particularly recognised for her in-depth anatomy and biomechanical knowledge.

Her expertise lies in correcting mis-alignments within the outer physical body, as well as yoga practices that promote therapeutic healing for the inner subtle body.

Brigitte is also known for her love of fluid creative vinyasa flow, her unique playlists, her inspiring writings, her philosophy on life and her ‘keeping it real’ wisdom. Her authenticity, natural warmth, playfulness and heartfelt approach radiate through in to her teachings.

Her mission is to encourage students to not only open up their bodies, but also their minds, so that they may discover new levels of healing, opportunity, possibility, creativity, transformation and adventure in order to live the most amazing life possible.

Morning sessions will begin with a quiet centering, followed by Pranayama then a Creative Vinyasa Flow practice, closing with Meditation and Relaxation.

  
In the Evenings the sessions will be slower and will vary each day to include all aspects of yoga such as Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Meditation, Somatics, Pranayama and Chanting.

 

Brigitte’s beautifully designed classes are a culmination of her years of experience and her innate ability to connect with her students. She manages to gently encourage her beginners, yet stretch her experienced yoginis; to be soulful, yet playful, all at the same time. Brigitte’s authenticity and wonderful philosophy make every session meaningful, and her teachings always inspire me to take something forward into my daily life. Whether it’s vinyasa, yin, meditation, or nidra, she brings her own unique magic every time, and her sessions and retreats always leave me feeling ‘smoothed out’ in both body and mind.  – Lorie

Brigitte’s classes are inspiring and profoundly moving, the perspective that she brings is one that always resonates on a deep level with me. The flowing commentary, instruction and spiritual reflections are simply beautiful. There is something hypnotic about her classes because the physical and mental focus are entwined to support each other. Brigitte has a soothing reassuring warmth in her voice conveying expression and real clarity, which gives me clarity over the minor tribulations in my every day life. I continually feel a freshness, depth and new energy to my own practice now, as what I have learned comes back to me in little realisations every now and again. Through Brigitte’s teachings, I actually feel different about myself and the world around me. I hope in the future many more people will get to experience and appreciate the gift of yoga practice with this special lady. – Sharon

Brigitte is an amazing person and brings all her skills, passion, compassion and joy of life in to her classes. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you always learn something new to help you on your journey. – Deborah

Brigitte teaches from the heart, underpinned by a wealth of knowledge and experience. She just seems to know when you need an easier option or when you need to be challenged. Her vinyasa classes can be strong and dynamic or smooth and soulful. Her yin classes will stretch your muscles and her restorative classes leave you nourished. She can guide you in meditation and relax you with yoga nidra. Her urban retreat days and her international retreat holidays will leave you completely refreshed and relaxed. Brigitte is a compassionate and caring person with a love of life and a sense of humour. – Karen

Caroline Wickham – Flowing Yoga

‘Enthusiasm, Energy & Experience’  This is how Caroline’s students have described her and why they enjoy her classes so much!

 An eclectic mix of Hatha, Mobility, Flowing Therapeutic and Yin Yoga. Caroline’s classes will be challenging, creative, exciting and with an emphasis on ‘fun’.

Her classes will focus on the needs of the students and offering the best suited postures to help heal injuries, release tight joints and to regenerate an glow from within. The intention will always be based on maintaining optimal health and good energy flow.

This practice is open to everyone, from complete beginners to advanced students and teachers.

Your Yoga
Caroline will make sure you get an all-encompassing experience during your yoga retreat with the overall aim of improved health, how to embrace a long and happy life and to bring a sense of harmony with the natural world rather than the commercial world.

Each day will commence with the option of early morning mindfulness and breath-work practices. If you don’t already have a mindfulness and/or breath-work practice, this is a great opportunity to start.

We start with a gentle warm-up for joint mobility and to cultivate a good flow of energy through the body. We will then work on strengthening and loosening, taking a ‘soft strength’ approach, so we understand the difference between striving and allowing for subtle strength to shine from within. The overall focus for your retreat will be on creating ‘radiance & resilience’ for self-cultivation.

The afternoon yoga session will complement the morning one so that we maintain a good balance of Yin and Yang, dynamic and yielding, energising and healing. 

There will be plenty of opportunity for yoga nidra and relaxation techniques. 

Caroline  has a long-standing teaching background, originally trained as Physical Education teacher specialising in Human Movement Studies She began  her Yoga teaching career in Guernsey back in 2006 and has witnessed many shifts and changes in the yoga world. She has enjoyed taking Free Spirit retreats since 2013.

She is constantly learning and adapting her teaching skills to suit the individual needs of her students.. Her most outstanding achievement as a Yoga teacher has been a long-standing commitment to teaching in the Guernsey Prison (with  the Prison Phoenix Trust) and helping inmates find meaning, purpose and healing in their lives.

www.poweryogaguernsey.com 

Originally a professional dancer, Catherine Annis has been practicing yoga for nearly 30 years, and is well known for her imaginative and light hearted approach.

  

She holds a Masters degree in ballet studies and is a qualified Thai massage practitioner, and it is this interest in the body that informs her practice and teaching.

  

Catherine studied Iyengar, Astanga and various forms of Hatha yoga before gravitating to the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli, and now teaches one of the few Scaravelli inspired teacher training courses in the UK.

   

Classes are generally slow paced and alignment focused, unfolding gently to release long held habitual movement patterns and reveal the natural freedom of the body, particularly the spine.

The yoga is suitable for everyone, including complete beginners and more experienced students. The retreat will be the perfect antidote to busy lives. During our time together we will learn to move with more ease and freedom and explore fresh new ways of looking at our practice.
    
There will be two classes each day, including some meditation and breathing practice. Moving at our own, individual pace, we will learn to relax completely, let go of unnecessary tension, and move closer to the quietness that is inside each of us.

   

For more information, please visit Catherine’s website: www.relaxandrelease.co.uk

Catherine Gallagher – Hatha Flow & Restorative Yoga

Catherine completed her teacher training at “Be-Yoga” in May 2016 and completed another 200 hour qualification with Rachel Brathen “yoga girl” in Aruba in October 2017.

Catherine’s advanced teacher training qualification is why Vidya Heisel at Frog Lotus Yoga International, Spain

Catherine has worked extensively in this industry since initially qualifying and beginning her yoga teaching career as the residential yoga teacher within the London headquarters of a global corporation.

Since leaving London, Catherine has run her own classes, workshops, private sessions and led daily classes at commercial studios and spas around Sussex.

Catherine now specialises in running international and UK yoga retreats. Her classes and retreats focus on compassion, acceptance and self-love combining both dynamic asana practice, pranayama, meditation and deeply restorative relaxation techniques, taught truly from the heart.

Retreat classes:
·    Progressive themed and thoroughly planned 90 minute morning Vinyasa Flow classes
·    Deep 90 min evening Restorative yoga classes to find your Zen
·    One guided yoga nidra session
·    Extra Private tuition available

For more information, please visit Catherine’s website www.yogawithcatherine.com

A professionally trained dancer and marital artist, with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy; Celest is a yoga teacher with true depth of knowledge and awareness on the body, how it works and what it can do.

 

Her love for yoga started ten years ago in London and this love for yoga took her on a journey to India, the spiritual home of yoga, seeking to really understand the philosophy and history of this great discipline and art form.

 

Celest describes yoga as a ‘living art’ because in her eyes it keeps changing and transforming itself, adapting to the environment and the challenges the practitioners face.

 

Her teaching aims to deepen intensify her student’s understanding of, not only their body; but the nature of their minds as well; always using the breath to bridge the gap between the two. Her passion is working with city professionals; giving them the tools that they need to lead increasingly healthy and balanced lives.

Stemming from her dance background, Celest teaches a Dynamic Vinyasa Flow class that links the asanas (poses) together into a challenging but therapeutic practice.

  

Interspersed throughout the hour and half practice, she breaks down advanced asanas to suit the individual, always mindful of each student’s capabilities, while motivating them to advance beyond their preconceived beliefs of what they thought they were capable of.

 

It’s this approach and Celest’s unique personality which has led to the same students learning from her over the last 7 years

Celia has been a yoga teacher since 2014 and completed her advanced yoga teacher training early 2020.  Over the years her motivation for practising yoga has changed from a physical necessity due to years of running and tennis, to a lifestyle choice.

Celia completed her yoga teacher training with Brian Cooper of Union Yoga. She teaches Ashtanga yoga, Flow yoga and Chair yoga in the St Albans and Harpenden area. She continues to regularly attend yoga teacher training classes in many diverse areas of yoga to enhance her yoga knowledge and teaching.

This week will offer students not only the opportunity to relax and de-stress in  beautiful surroundings but develop their yoga practice.

Celia approach is strongly influenced by anatomy studies to help all students of varying experience, body structures and physical history to move forward in their yoga in a mindful way.

Each morning will begin with pranayama, followed by an Flow based class.

The class will be adapted to the students requirements, focusing on  precision in poses and on the development of breath work. There will be a high level of individual help.

The early evening class will take the form of a workshop, looking more closely at particular asanas and using a combination of short sequences and partner work to help students move more deeply into the poses.

These workshops will also use restorative yoga, meditation and yoga Nidra to bring the evening session to a close.

Charlotte Watts – Yoga for De-Stress and Relaxation

I am a Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance UK, practising since 1997, teaching since 2007 and trained with the Vajrasati School of Yoga (RYT500) in Brighton. I teach with an emphasis on mindfulness so depth and strength can be fostered within yoga practice as your body needs –  helping release stress, not adding to it..

I have continued to explore this essence of finding our authentic selves through yoga, with further training with teachers including Judith Lasater, Donna Farhi and Tias Little and Mindfulness and Yoga training with Cathy-Mae Karelse.

As a Nutritional Therapist and Yoga Teacher in Brighton and London, I specialise in stress-related issues such as anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, depression and burnout. This has culminated in my latest book The De-Stress Effect (Hay House 2015).

Yoga’s focus on calming the nervous system, attuning to our mind-body needs and dropping beneath brain chatter perfectly complements my nutritional therapy work, especially with an emphasis on mindfulness within both.

In this way I can work with clients in well-rounded and truly holistic mind-body health programmes.

Why is this yoga more ‘De-Stressing’ than others?

It’s a known fact that a regular yoga practice helps relieve stress, so why on earth is this class specifically given the title ‘De-Stress’ you might well ask….. Well, it follows my years of research and teaching, both as a yoga teacher and a nutritional therapist, specialising in all things stress-related. Where we might tend to follow the habits of doing, striving and achieving in life, rather than take this into a forceful yoga practice, instead we have the opportunity to really pay attention to this behavioural conditionings and drop beneath; to listen and respond to what we need.

“The breath leads, the body follows and the mind observes”

Yoga is connection; not the shapes we make or the flexibility we might want, but awareness created and in the first of the Yoga Sutras, ‘stilling the mind’. A physical yoga practice can help us do that, providing a focus for our restless minds and helping us to stay with strong sensations with our breath as a guide.

   

What actually happens in a class?

Sessions on retreats can vary in tone, energy and emphasis, depending on the time of day and the needs of the group. We always start by arriving and connecting with the breath though. From there we can then start mindfully loosening the body, usually either lying or sitting.  

In a morning class, we can then use this to move into a stronger asana (posture) practice to open up tight upper spines, compressed front bodies, tight thighs, hamstrings and psoas muscles so common in the modern body. This will be wherever we need to safely and effectively encourage postural conditions and habits as our bodies are designed but may not always achieve.

In the afternoon, we will move into a more grounding and relaxing practice – this may be somatic, restorative or yin, but usually melding elements of each to balance movement and stillness, opening and recovery.

In all sessions, we lead back down to a restorative and relaxing practice at the end; to assimilate energy we have created, fully release any stress moved out and to prepare us to take this attitude of non-reaction into our daily lives

  

See     www.charlottewattshealth.com     for more info

  

Testimonial:

“Charlotte is a brilliant yoga teacher. She is very knowledgeable about how to restore the body’s balance, which makes me feel rejuvenated. She is thorough, gentle, practical and intuitive, knowing just the right comment to assist me at just the right moment.”  – Denise, Brighton

Claire Graham – Hatha Yoga

Claire is passionate about holistic health & wellbeing and making that accessible to all.  

She is a certified Yoga Teacher (E-RYT200, Yoga Alliance; YACEP), Mindfulness teacher, Wellness Coach and BANT certified Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist.  Understanding nutrition and ayurveda has been an enormous part of her personal health journey and she integrates aspects of all these modalities into her yoga classes.

Claire completed her initial 200 hour yoga teacher training in Kerala, India in 2016 with her yoga teacher Rajeev.  She was a student at his studio, Drishti Yoga Shala, in Shanghai, China, where she lived from 2010 to 2018. Now based on the Wirral in the UK, she has been practicing yoga regularly since 2007 and teaching since early 2016.

She completed a 100 hour training in Bali in November 2017 in Yin Yoga, with Sebastian and Murielle of with-yinyoga.com. She is fascinated by yoga and food as medicine, with the potential both hold for self-healing and self-care.
 
More recently she has been immersing herself in the teachings of Mark Whitwell and The Heart of Yoga lineage. This approach is a breath of fresh air, reiterating the flow of yoga as a seamless process of asana, pranayama and meditation led by the breath.  It has had a profound effect on her own practice and life. Through reconnecting to our breath, hearts and bodies we can be in the flow of life, whatever comes up for us, whatever we may face. 
 
During your yoga week, Claire will share her knowledge and love of yoga and holistic medicine with you.  Yoga classes will be Hatha and Yin based. EveryBody is very welcome from complete beginners to those who’ve been practicing longer in whatever chosen style. There is definitely no need for a prior practice to join us. If you can breathe you can do yoga and options are given to suit everyone.
 
Claire will also offer you the chance to sit with her 1-to-1 and develop your own personal practice to take away with you from your time together based onwhat your body, heart and mind specifically need. 

Claire Hanrahan – Iyengar Yoga

Welcome to my Iyengar yoga classes! I am a certified and experienced Level 3 Iyengar Yoga teacher. 

With over 19 years of teaching experience, 30 years of own practice, I offer face to face classes in Chelmsford, Danbury & near Dunmow.

Discover the transformative power of yoga, as we work together to reduce stress and anxiety, aid sleep, improve flexibility and enhance your overall well-being. 

My classes ​blend active yoga asanas, pranayama (breath work) & restorative, nurturing both your body and mind for a deeper understanding of the self.

   

   

 

Regular yoga practice energizes body & mind; builds core strength, flexibility, balance, peace of mind & concentration.

Yoga & Pilates with Claire Pestaille

Claire has been working within the health and fitness industry for the past 20 years as well as being a practising and exhibiting artist.  

She became interested in yogic philosophy when studying for a fine art degree at Chelsea College of Art in 1998 and her yoga teacher training began in Mysore, India studying Hatha with Noah McKenna.

She has since trained in Yin Yoga with Norman Blair at Yoga Campus, explored the elements of Pranaflow from Shiva Rae and has also studied with Alessandra Pecorella at Aditya Vinyasa school.

Alongside her love of teaching and practising yoga Claire is also a personal trainer and a mat and reformer pilates teacher.

You can expect her yoga and pilates classes to be creative, alignment based and a lot of fun.

Morning Yoga  will involve an open level dynamic vinyasa flow class. Vinyasa’ simply means ‘placing with awareness’ where you synchronise breath and movement as you flow through the postures and the transitions. The morning class will focus the mind, build strength and flexibility and leave you feeling energised and inspired.

Evening Pilates  is an all level class which will include sequences designed to focus on increasing strength, endurance, mobility and flexibility with an emphasis on the importance of the core.

Clare has been teaching yoga since 2000 having trained with the British Wheel of yoga. and more recently with the Khyf (Krishnamacharya healing yoga foundation)

She teaches a vinyasa (flowing) style of Classic Hatha Yoga which is suitable for all levels of students.

Clare holds classes in Dynamic Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Ante Natal Yoga and Yoga for the Physically Disabled. She also teaches yoga for children and restorative yoga. Clare also runs foundation courses for the British Wheel Of Yoga.

Clare always considers the individual needs of each student and often teaches on a one to one basis.

Clare has spent time working in a corporate environment, as well as having an interest in holistic therapies, holding qualifications in aromatherapy, reflexology, Indian head massage and deep tissue massage.

Clare has been practicing yoga for many years and has spent time exploring some of the different schools, including Astanga, Satyadananda and Sivananda, her Primary influence comes from the teachings of Sri Krishnamacharya and his sonTKV Desikachar.

  

Clare continues her studies by attending workshops and seminars run by the KHYF and BWY and has also recently gained an advanced teaching diploma with the BWY. Clare holds the belief that yoga is for everyone, and that yoga can be modified to suit people’s lifestyle, age and circumstance, and what might be right today may not be what is right tomorrow.
 
 
” Yoga should be adapted to the individual rather than the individual to yoga”
 TKV Desikachar.          

Sun Power Yoga with Clare Waldron

Clare has been teaching yoga for four years. She trained with Anne Marie Newland of Sun Power Yoga and has been enjoying exploring lots of different influences since. 

Her yoga journey began ten years ago when she discovered a wonderful Hatha Yoga teacher at University who opened Clare’s eyes to the world of yoga and towards that place beyond maya. 

Yoga has become Clare’s best friend, when in need of some “checking-in me time” and “checking-out from daily thoughts and worries” yoga practice is always available whether its for 5 minutes or 3 hours, helping to iron out the creases of life, to give inspiration and to tap into a source that allows everyone to live a more expansive, expressive and fulfilling life.

“I love how it makes me feel and I love to share this with others and see the effects after a       fabulous class. “

On our yoga week the morning class will be Vinyasa Flow and the afternoon class will be Hatha based.

All-levels are welcome from absolute beginners to intermediate level.  The classes will be fun, enjoyable, often a little challenging but over all a relaxing experience. 

Clare’s style is a mix of traditional Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga for strength, Iyengar for alignment, and Jivamukti for its creativity.

She like to play a mixture of music in her classes and always include pranayama, asana, meditation and yoga nidra.

She will also be available for private 1-2-1 classes on the retreats.

Yoga and Somatic Movement with Daljit Kaur

Daljit’s yoga journey started in the early 90’s when she joined a local yoga class and found that practising yoga was life changing. She chose to start living more holistically, integrating health and well-being with mind and body.

Daljit qualified as a yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga and has been teaching weekly Hatha yoga classes since 2006, promoting a safe and nurturing environment that encourages self-discovery and non-competitiveness.

Whether you’re a regular or thinking of starting out, Daljit’s yoga and somatic movement retreats are inclusive to all ages and abilities. This practice will complement all disciplines and activities, helping you to move, sit, stand and live in a healthier way. Learn how to tune into yourself, listen to your body to increase the quality of all your activities of daily living whilst calming your nervous system.

Discover new pathways for everyday movements as you explore the benefits of reducing effort, finding skeletal support, breath awareness, eliminating resistance and finding ease.

Anyone with any body is welcome, and no experience is necessary.

“Yoga has been life enhancing for me, it’s such an ancient discipline, yet so simple, anyone can do it. I can’t imagine my life without yoga. I want to share this with others through my teaching”.

Teachers that have inspired and influenced Daljit’s practice have used concepts from Feldenkrais, Rolfing movement and Body Rolling. She has also been working with Scaravelli inspired yoga teachers; some of these concepts will be incorporated into the sessions.   

The week of yoga is suitable for everyone including complete beginners.

Daljit aims to create a friendly informal atmosphere combining fun with developing an awareness of alignment, flexibility, breath, relaxation and moving into postures through freedom not force.

 

The morning sessions will include exploring yoga postures and sequences, encouraging each individual to reach their full potential while adapting postures and practices to suit differing abilities and physical limitations.

The late afternoon sessions will focus on restorative practices and relaxation helping to nourish and create a peaceful mind, an open heart and more grounded attitude, all of which can help us to relax completely releasing unwanted tension.

 

https://yogawithdaljitkaur.com/

 
I recently attended a two week yoga trip in Kerala, India with Daljit, having been on other yoga holidays with her previously. Daljit’s passion for yoga and how it can meaningfully impact on peoples daily lives comes across through who she is as a person and her approach to teaching. She is a warm and supportive teacher whose thoughtfulness and care for others is demonstrated within every class I have participated in. Daljit has a style which is inclusive of all people and she creates a lovely sense of community within the groups she teaches. Each holiday I have been lucky enough to go on with Daljit have been wonderful memorable experiences where I have deepened my own love of yoga and helped me develop my own practice further. I am looking forward to the next one!  Frances – Palm Tree, Kerala, India, January 2019

 

Hi Debbie and team, I just wanted to say what a brilliant time I had this weekend with Daljit’s yoga teaching.  She has been a joy to learn from and I feel my yoga practice has benefitted more in a couple of days than in the 15 months I have been practising so far.  She was patient, explained things brilliantly and brought real joy and care to the whole weekend.  yay for Daljit  Thanks Abigail – Champneys Spa,  2018

 

Daniel Gelblum

Dan classes are much-loved and students feel immediate and long-term benefits

Dan focuses on fine movements resulting in rapid progress in flexibility and strength. Students remark at the ease with which they can achieve challenging postures at the end of each class. Dan has been teaching yoga since 1996

He trained in yoga and massage at the Limaye Clinic, Pune, India and the British Wheel of Yoga. He is a well-established yoga teacher in North West London. Dan is also a highly regarded Feldenkrais Practitioner.

Feldenkrais for Yoga 

This is what Dan says about Feldenkrais:-

” I can’t stress enough how useful Feldenkrais is for Yoga teachers and practitioners.
Through Feldenkrais I found I could do postures that were normally difficult with extreme ease as if something woke up in me, whether it was Yoga enlightenment or higher/deeper levels of consciousness developing or just removing the rust in my joints in a practical way.
From here the fun began – I started to introduce some of the techniques into my Yoga classes and was surprised to see how my students shared similar experiences to me and were suddenly more able not just in achieving Yoga postures, but overall improvements of better organisation, posture, mobility, flexibility, coordination and overall well being.
As a result of introducing Feldenkrais method to my classes, yoga students reported great improvements in other Yoga classes they attended, dance classes, martial arts classes, running, swimming, climbing, coping with stress, improved sleep and the list goes on.
More and more yoga teachers began attending my classes and told me how they were “stealing” my moves for other classes. I was and still am just so happy to spread something so wonderfully beneficial.
As I trained in the Feldenkrais method, I went onto do advanced training and made further self-discoveries in the infinite ways Feldenkrais can be a perfect accompaniment to Yoga and more.”

Dan continues to develop this method. Yoga is like a flowing river, running workshops, Yoga holidays, classes in Triyoga, the Life Centre,  sharing this amazing method with enthusiasm.

Somatic Yoga 

Somatics is about body-mind integration. Our muscles can become tight or restricted due to development reasons, habitual patterns, emotional stress, injuries or trauma.

Small, slow and gentle movements are used to re-educate the brain so that it can relax and move these muscles more functionally.

Somatic yoga combines principles of body awareness with gentle yoga movements to help you connect with your body, reduce tension, and improve overall well-being.

It’s all about feeling and sensing what’s happening inside your body as you move..

India is highly suitable for this form of yoga which is gentle and the extra heat will help the muscles to relax.

 

” I am happy to share this incredible knowledge…thanks for the opportunity..”

 

Daniel Gelblum
Feldenkrais Practitioner
Yoga and meditation Teacher
 Feldenkrais for yoga and beyond!
hathadan.wordpress.com
Feldenkrais.co.uk

Hatha Flow, Astanga and Yin Yoga with Davy and Janaki

Janaki and Davy share a passion for yoga and a sense of fun!

While serious about yoga, they also realise that this is a holiday for you and should feel like one

They will introduce you to a wide range of yoga styles – Hatha, Sivananda, Ashtanga, Yin, Partner Yoga, Dynamic & Slow. Their classes are suitable for beginners and experienced yogis alike.

They will also teach breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation techniques – all designed for you to be able to take home with you after the holiday

   

Each day (except for any scheduled non-yoga days) will include a few hours of yoga, pranayama, relaxation and meditation. Each class will be different and alternative options will always be offered for the less experienced.

And there will also be discussions about yoga, workshop sessions looking at yoga issues in more detail, and a “yoga clinic” where you can ask those questions you have always wanted to ask, and explore postures you have always wanted to try!

They believe yoga is a wonderful gift accessible to all and they will try to pass on skills, knowledge and techniques that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

 

For more informatin visit their website at www.inspirationyoga.net

Denise qualified as an Iyengar yoga teacher in 2012, and has been teaching regularly ever since. She teaches both beginners and intermediate level students.

Denise is passionate about both learning and teaching yoga. She attends many workshops to deepen her practice and understanding of Iyengar yoga.

Her classes are warm and friendly, so that students feel comfortable, but also able to challenge themselves to explore the asanas (poses) to the best of their ability, using props to help improve where necessary. She teaches in halls local to her home in Essex, and also to small groups in her home studio.

Iyengar yoga is a form of yoga which focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the practice of asanas (poses). It differs from other styles of yoga in three ways: precision, sequence and use of props. Precision is sought in body alignment in every asana.

The morning classes will be more active, following a particular theme, encouraging you to progress and improve throughout the week.

The evening classes will be more restorative, including some pranayama.

“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees” B.K.S. Iyengar

Dynamic Yoga with Diane Davis
NAMASTE~
I have been practising and studying Yoga since 1972, so from that you can tell I truly love my Yoga.

I qualified for my Yoga Teachers Diploma at The International School of Yoga, Kevala Centre. I studied Yoga philosophy, anatomy, physiology, and nutrient, Yoga for the disabled, for Pregnancy, children, the elderly and much more.

My yoga style is Dynamic Hatha Yoga although, as I have also practiced most forms of Yoga, there are elements of Astanga, Dru, Kundalini Iyengar and Sivananda in there as well.

 

I have been teaching Yoga since 2002 and I have my REPS certificate to advanced teacher level. I also study sports injuries and recovery. I have taught in various leisure centres, The Athletic Club for Gifted and Talented Youths, in colleges, schools and privately.

My Yoga teaching assists a huge range of people including those with illness, injuries, births, stress and those keeping fit and healthy. They include Footballers, Golfers, Dancers, Sports people and Martial Arts, to name but a few, all have said how Yoga benefits and enhances their profession.

It is heart-warming for me, to help so many people, with their Mind, Body and Soul . I am still studying Yoga on a daily basis, as it is a never ending journey of learning.

On your holiday, at about 8am before breakfast, we will be having a 90 minute class of Dynamic Hatha Yoga on some days and on others we will do Flowing Vinyasas.

There will be a second class before dinner where we will practise Pranayama, Meditation and Relaxation.

Om~Shanti
Diane

Dynamic Flow Yoga with Dina Cohen
Dina is accredited as a Senior Teacher and Teacher Trainer by Yoga Alliance both here and in USA and and has been practicing and teaching yoga and Mindfulness since the 90s, promoting these as tools for a healthy, toned and supple body, as well as a deeper and more expansive outlook on life.

Her teaching is inspired by the fluid, breath-synchronised dance of Vinyasa Flow, the precision and integrity of Iyengar, and the deep lake of meditative stillness that is Yin and Restorative Yoga.
Dina has been a mentor on the Yoga Campus and Embodied Dancer Teacher Trainings, is registered with British Wheel of Yoga and has her own studio, Goldendoor, in London.


Our Yoga Week
Gathering in silence before breakfast, a wake up session of cleansing and stimulating breathing techniques will prepare us for an introduction to Mindfulness practices, setting us up for the rest of the day.

A long dynamic Vinyasa Flow Yoga practice is scheduled each morning, synchronising breath and movement, this will be offered in a step-by-step format, starting with a slow and easy warm-up and gradually building in intensity to incorporate more challenging poses as the week progresses. We will work on building strength, stamina and flexibility, allowing everyone to progress at their own pace.

After a delicious brunch and a free afternoon to lounge on the beach, or visit the local shops and cafes, we will regroup for a gentler, more relaxing session of Yin and Restorative yoga early evening. I will try to accommodate everyone’s needs and preferences, offering a supportive environment for both beginners and more experienced practitioners alike.

” Yoga connects us to the rhythm of the breath, drawing us ever more deeply into the recesses of our physical and emotional bodies, allowing us to soften, release, surrender and let go. Dropping all that baggage leaves us feeling calm, energised and lighter, creating a spaciousness into which our innate healing potential can be revealed.

Studies suggest that practising Mindfulness can increase feelings of happiness, alleviate anxiety and depression and aid stress management, improving our ability to concentrate, sleep and make decisions, as well as the quality of our relationships”

www.dynamicflowyoga.com

Dini Martinez – Vinyasa Flow & YinYoga

Travelling yogini. Free spirit. Avid sailor. Mother of three angels. Ayurvedic practitioner. Reiki Healer. Yin and vinyasa yoga teacher. Acro yoga lover. Experienced doula. Sustainability dudess. Lunatic dancer. Tarot card reader. Passionate writer… Dini is not one who lives life at halves. Her adventures have seen her live on a sailing boat cruising the Mediterranean with a baby and a toddler on board. Nowadays, closer to home, she is building an off-grid top sustainability home to use as a base between travels with her family in an eco village an hour north of Sydney in Australia

She has been practicing Yoga and meditation, on and off the mat, since starting university aged 19. Dance and fitness teachings turned towards yoga many, many years ago. Her continuous studies of Ayurveda, work as Reiki healer and Doula, passion for wholesome nutrition and holistic approach to motherhood and life all influence her teachings. ..


Whilst many great teachers including Iyengar, Shiva Rae, Simon Borg-Oliver, Cam Storey, Clive Sheridan and Vipassana’s Goenka to name but a few , have left traces and inspiration in Dini’s practice, her toughest teachers are her children. They play a transformational role in the journey of taking yoga beyond the mat and into a happier and healthier life. Old yoga scriptures are also a resource she often draws back upon..


Dini works without a pre-set schedule, but takes what there is and builds on it. One of the beauties of a yoga retreat is that it allows for spending more time on poses and areas that need particular attention. Dini doesn’t shy back to gently push her students’ boundaries while holding a safe space to fall back upon. The only ‘cannot’ is in the mind and once that is dropped, possibilities are endless.

 

Often pranayam, mudhras, bandhas and sometimes even kryas make their way into her classes and give students a whole new angle to approach movement, breath and life. Her subtle, Reiki and Thai massage influenced adjustments have created a name for themselves and can aid major shifts in body, mind and Soul.


Morning practices will be flowing through variations of and additions to Surya Namaskars with options to keep it basic, over medium to fully advanced yogis and teachers. Sessions and with pranayama to gain a deeper understanding of your own power to influence your breathe and through it the life force and energy in your body

Evening practices will consist of diverse meditation techniques and restorative Yin Yoga whereby seated poses are held for several minutes, letting go of any muscular tensions and alignment issues. This allows the body to release traumas in different koshas, or layers, possibly stored for years or even decades. As the yin areas of the body like connective tissue, ligaments and bones are accessed in the serene stillness of a yin practice, we open our whole selves up to boundless opportunities.


Be prepared for more than a normal yoga holiday. Transformation and change are the only constants in life. Dini’s authenticity and aliveness, coupled with a great love and passion for passing on the teachings of yoga, has inspired many yogis and others around the world to also dare living the life that they dream of.


For more on Dini, her yoga, her life afloat, her eco village and other adventures, visit SailingYogaFamily.com.

Divya offers a mindful practice of Asana (the physical postures), accompanied by breathing techniques (Pranayama) and Mindfulness-meditation guidance

Her inspiration is drawn from eastern sources as well as modern psychological thought. Her own teacher training spans the strong discipline of classical Indian yoga and meditation traditions, as well as the evolved approaches to the body and mind in the West.


Through a deep practice of Yoga, Divya aims to help her students develop a stronger body, calmer mind and liberating sense of self.

Yoga is an ancient practice and philosophy designed to touch and balance all parts of our being.
Yoga sages and philosophy say we are each made of our: body, mind, wellbeing, emotions, consciousness, relationships, actions and path in the world. They also say we carry an energy around us and a vital spirit that is beyond the changes and ups and downs of life. Yoga, which translates as ‘union’ or ‘to unite’, connects all these parts of our being and our awareness of our spirit that is not limited by personality or circumstance.

For us today, Yoga can provide a set of tools and wisdom for the following, which is what
Senior Yoga Teacher Divya offers through her teaching:

feeling well in our bodies and minds`
handling the stresses of modern life`
healing, personal growth and development
feeling free from within`


” I teach in a way so that Yoga’s physical, philosophical and spiritual benefits can be felt as we practice. We are doing yoga so that we can find and experience an optimal state of being and inner stillness. From this we can live in a more peaceful flow state that helps us navigate the ebbs and flows of life and to connect with others in a natural, non-stressful and fulfilling way.”

“May peace find you. May you find peace.”

For further info on Divya’s Yoga classes in London, visit:

www.yogawithdivya.co.uk

 

Accessible Ashtanga & Hatha Yoga with Emma Conally-Barklem

Emma is an experienced 8 limb yoga teacher and practitioner, poet and writer.

Having completed her initial 500+ Teaching Diploma she has since gone on to multiple trainings in Ashtanga, well woman and Yin yoga. She has a daily practice of yoga both on and off the mat which directly informs her teaching.

Her classes are creative, fun and with plenty of options to facilitate everyone’s practice. She believes strongly in Krishnamachariya’s words, if you can breathe, you can do yoga’. As such all are welcome, particularly the stiff, inflexible and those managing the vagaries of the body and mind!

On this holiday 

Morning sessions will be an enlivening and accessible journey into ashtanga yoga taught with plenty of humour and compassion. The focus will be on creating prana and feeling better through movements which are kind and therapeutic to the body.

Afternoon sessions will be a creative blend of hatha, restorative and yin yoga with some meditation and relaxation. Emma will combine readings, movement and breath work to produce feelings of relaxation and peace.

www.emmaliveyoga.com
IG @emmaliveyoga

 

Hi, just wanted to send you a bit of feedback from our fab retreat with Emma at DalyanLiveSpa.
Emma is a fabulous teacher, offering plenty of modifications to ensure every member of her class feels included in the practice.  It wouldn’t matter if you had been practicing for a week or for years, Emma makes her practice totally accessible and enjoyable for all.  I certainly felt the benefit, relaxed, stretched and invigorated following our week away.  The hotel, staff and food were all spot on, as was the location.  There is plenty to do whilst not practicing, and the range and quality of the organised trips offered lots of options.  Local beach is easily reached , as is Dalyan town.  I can thoroughly recommend this retreat, Thanks Si – Oct 2024

 

Kissamos May 19th  -An excellent retreat. It was a pleasure meeting Emma and being in her class, I enjoyed her plan of the week and I felt the yoga sessions offered challenge in a safe environment, a lovely balance.  The venue was perfect, and our hosts were so considerate, add to that Emma’s teaching and the lovely group and it gives a special memory to take away.
Linda Finney – May 2015

 Kissamos May 2015 with Emma Connally-Barklem

Big thank you to Free Spirit Travel, the lovely Mike, Maria and staff and last but not least the very inspiring teacher Emma.  It was my first Yoga holiday and am looking to book again next year it was truly an amazing experience.  I wasn’t expecting one week out of my normal routine to make such a difference to my wellbeing.  Location, accommodation, weather, food, people, sea view and the waves as our music during yoga practice – all just perfect.
Namaste
Jeannette Hall

Hatha and Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Emma ‘Yog Ganga’ Robinson

About Emma

“We don’t use our body to get into the pose, we use the pose to get into our body” – Shakti Mhi

Emma has been teaching since 2008. She has trained in Yogalates, Akhanda Yoga and Tripsichore Yoga and specialises in functional movement to help combat everyday physical and emotional strains and stylised vinyasa choreography and advanced asana.

She is an Osteopath and science geek and believes that moving and thinking well is integral to maintain optimal health.

ynamic Vinyasa Yoga Weekend
Over this weekend, Emma will take you through a series of classes that focus on the art of Vinyasa Yoga; synchronised breath and movement, from the simpler through to more complex postures and how to move with control and finesse. Not suitable for beginners.
Between classes, practitioners can enjoy the facilities that Champneys has to offer, making this a weekend to explore and indulge your senses in a luxurious environment, lovely company and delicious, healthy meals.
  
This retreat is ideal for those who wish to explore challenging asana; if you have an already strong practice, Emma aims to provide you with a variations. If you’re still yet to master a difficult posture(s) then Emma will endeavour to make them more accessible by breaking them down.
  
This weekend covers the following;
  
•    Choreographed vinyasa sequences to focus the mind and hone the senses. Emphasising that vinyasa yoga is a method of meditation where we can train ourselves to explore our potential through our body and observing the effects of this

•    Dedicated classes that will focus on arm balances, inversions and backbends

•    Step by step instructions of postures so that everyone can work within their range and to their edge without pressure

•    Tips to improve your technique whether you’re new to that posture or looking to improve and/or explore a variation.

•    How to utilise the breath for effective and controlled transitions, avoiding carelessness and thus reduce the chance of injury

•    The importance of core stability and the breathing to support the body’s structure. Practicing with intelligence, with regard for our physical limitations without being held back by them.
   

For more information on Emma’s classes, retreats, workshops and blog check out www.emmalovesyoga.com

Erika Tourell has been holding retreats in the UK and internationally for over ten years and teaching yoga for over 15 years. It is her greatest joy to work in this way with people and many past guests have reported huge life changes and return year after year to re-inspire themselves.

Erika teaches a slow flow/vinyasa class integrating her experience of Iyengar, Astanga, Hatha and Kundalini yoga by emphasising awareness of mind, body and breath, whilst focusing on correct alignment

She teaches regular, weekly classes at The Life Centre Notting Hill, TriYoga Primrose Hill, TriYoga Chelsea and BodyWorksWest Notting Hill, all in London and runs workshops and yoga retreats in the UK and abroad.

She also sees clients privately for yoga and massage therapy in the London area.

Eve Niker – Astanga, Vinyasa and Yin Yoga

Eve Niker is an Astanga, Vinyasa and Yin yoga teacher. She loves to join all of these styles when she teaches her classes that are both dynamic and relaxing.

Starting classes with sun salutations, then going through a variety of asanas and finishing with calming pranayama (breath exercises).

Eve has been practicing yoga pretty much her whole life as her mother is an International Yoga teacher – it runs in the family!

She has been teaching in luxury studios in London and online (2020). She specialises in inversions and arm balances and will help her students achieve new poses with stability and confidence.

Eve prepares classes that help the students find space in their body and calmness in their mind.

As well as a yoga teacher Eve is a RADA trained actress who has performed in the West End and loves to bring her personality to each class making them as fun and rewarding as possible.

 

“I love Eve’s yoga classes, they are the perfect mix of challenging and fun. They are also keeping me sane through lockdown!” – Jemma Sneddon, Circus Performer

 

“I love Eve’s Classes. They are so tentative and she gives so much to each individual.” – Lilia Blood, Dancer

 

“Her warm, wholesome personality balances perfectly with her challenging classes so you come out knowing you’ve worked hard but with a big smile on your face” – Fed Wooton, Bar Owner and PT

Gentle Restorative Yoga with Fiona Agombar

Fiona Agombar has been teaching yoga for 20 years and Restful Yoga for Fatigue for 15 years,  this is designed to help people heal from chronic fatigue, burnout, illness and stress. Fiona is also a well known author on this subject and considered an expert in her field..

It’s her life’s mission to support others, and whether it’s in her yoga sessions, trainings for teachers, yoga books or on retreat, everything she does is focused on core principles.

These include very gentle somatic movement, functional breathing to help release tension and encourage the flow of energy (prana), and deep relaxation using yoga nidra. As we slowly and safely soothe the nervous system into rest and calm, true healing can begin.

Whilst open to everybody her 4 day retreat at Forest Mere Champneys will focus on helping those with ME and Long Covid. 
     
Fiona originally trained with the Yoga for Health Foundation and has been studying yoga since 1993.  

She teaches in the tradition of Krishnamacharya and is accredited as an advanced teacher by the British Wheel of Yoga. Her mentor Kausthub Desikachar.

She is a regular contributor to Yoga and Health magazine and author of the definitive book on yoga, fatigue and M.E: ‘Yoga Therapy for Stress, Burnout and CFS’ and co-author of’ Breathe, Rest Recover’.

    
More on Fiona can be found on  www.fionaagombar.co.uk

Emma Cole – Hatha Yoga, Flow Yoga, Somatics & Restorative Yoga

Emma is a Senior Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance and experienced her first yoga class in 1999 whilst completing a 3 year training as a professional Dancer.

Emma has been teaching Yoga since 2009 alongside a career as a Dancer, Dance Teacher, Actress and Movement Director for Theatre

Emma is authentic, earthy, warm, vibrant and intuitive. She has studied Hanna Somatics, The Feldenkrais Method, Shiatsu, Body Mind Centreing, Qi Gong, Contact Improvisation, Nature Connection and Yoga Nidra

Her classes are nourishing, comforting, informative, uplifting and inspiring.

She welcomes you to show up exactly as you are.

With her 20 years of experience as a somatic movement practitioner the sessions have a unique flavour that is rooted in substance, creativity, embodied mindfulness and bio-energetics.

All  within the container of asana, pranayama, mudra and mantra

Morning sessions will focus on restoring / generating vitality through energising and replenishing asana practices (Hatha, Flow, Kriya).

Evening sessions will amplify energetic balance through Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra (sleep of the yogis) and Yin Yoga. Expect a sense of homecoming, space to be, space to breathe and recalibration of the nervous system.
 

Daily pranayama (breathwork), somatics, Qi Gong, meditation, poetry and song (optional) will be woven into sessions throughout the week.

Expect a sense of homecoming, space to be, space to breathe and recalibration of the nervous system

Gabrielle McNaughton is a Hatha Yoga Teacher and Craniosacral Therapist

She brings an understanding of the body and movement to her teaching, from a previous career in dance working with Rambert Dance Company amongst others.

Discovering yoga in 1997, she studied Sivananda and Astanga and developed a dedicated self practise before training in the Scaravelli Inspired approach.

Teaching since 2006, Gabrielle brings an intuitive and mindful approach to her yoga classes, which encourage a fluid relationship to movement, breath and stillness.

There is a focus on healthy alignment and grounding for a safe and resourced practise, developing core strength for stability, and cultivating a deep and nourishing connection to the breath.

Morning classes will include exploring the energetic and anatomical element of both simple and more complex poses and flowing, meditative Vinyasa sequences to revitalise and awaken body and mind.

 

The early evening class will be a more restorative practise, which may include inversions, pranayama and relaxation.

 

www.gabriellemcnaughton.co.uk

Geny Caloisi

Geny’s Yoga teaching style blends traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha yoga with Iyengar alignment techniques.

 

She also teaches Yin Yoga, mindfulness and meditation and places a strong focus on to physical adjustments to improve alignment through a precise yet dynamic practice.

 

Through Yoga and Ayurveda we are able to achieve our highest potential and live a long, healthy and happy life. For this reason, Geny is a Ayurveda practitioner and consultant as well as a Yoga teacher.

 

Nourish the nervous system and feed your soul – A Yoga and Ayurveda retreat
Geny Caloisi

A healthy state of the body, mind, and spirit is the first step in building a peaceful, productive, and happy society. I firmly believe that being healthy extends beyond the realms of physical wellbeing. My focus is on total health, which encompasses physical, psychological, and spiritual wellness.

Nourish the nervous system and feed your soul is a Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat, which offers body, mind and soul nurture, an essential for a profound healing experience. The Retreat is perfect for anyone looking for a wholesome rejuvenating experience on a holy-day.

The retreat concept revolves around creating relaxed optimum health using the principles of Yoga and Ayurveda. From what and when you eat and exercise to how you can digest the food and experiences to rip the most profit from it and achieve the most beautiful rest.

Participants will walk out of the Retreat feeling rejuvenated.

Typical day

7:00 am – 1/2 hour Meditation and Pranayama
7:30 am Tea and a snack
8:00- 9:15 Yoga class, Ashtanga yoga.
10:00 Breakfast
Free time/ treatments
17:00-18:00 Yoga class (Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra or gentle Hatha Yoga)
19:30 dinner
10:00 pm Sleep

 

 http://www.cheyoga.co.uk/

 

Gillian Kamali Iyengar Yoga

I have been practising Iyengar yoga for over 30 years and teaching since qualifying in 1997. I hold the Junior Intermediate level 3 certificate.

I have been extremely lucky to have studied under many fantastic Iyengar teachers and have travelled to India to learn from the Iyengar family in the Institute in Pune.

I love the precision of Iyengar yoga, the emphasis on correct alignment, the links between the various asanas…and how it all makes so much sense!

We use props such as bricks, blocks, belts, blankets and bolsters to help us move towards asanas which challenge.

We can also become very creative with other pieces of furniture if we haven’t got all the other props to hand!

Importantly, I love the clarity of mind and ease in the body that practice brings.

There will be two classes per day :

a longer early morning class, which will start gently and then become stronger, focussing on a theme, type of asana or part of the body; particular needs of the students in the class will also be addressed. 

Everyone has a favourite asana…and, quite often, a least favourite!

The evening classes will include more gentle,  restorative practice and every class will end with a 10 minute relaxation in Savasana.

Jackie has studied many forms of Yoga over the last 12 years, including Hatha, Iyengar, Vajrasati, Astanga, Sivananda & Scaravelli.

She holds teaching certificates in Hatha and Vajrasati Yoga and is Yoga Alliance 500hr accredited. She has taken great joy from inspiring her students in Brighton for the last 4 years.

Jackie’s teaching style is creative and fluid, partly due to her broad inspiration across disciplines.

Her Vajrasati training helps bring in a meditative feel to her Hatha flowing practise, incorporating the core principles of Sthira Sukham (finding the balance between strength or effort and ease) as well as an emphasis on postural awareness. 

Jackie’s interest in the body also took her to India to study Yogic massage.

   

The morning classes will have a fluid, playful nature, incorporating some gentle sequences, flowing through postures with deep breath awareness, to invigorate the body and mind.

The evening practise will generally be more restorative and meditative. Even when the practise is challenging it will be deeply relaxing. We will also be exploring Pranayama (breathing techniques) and simple Mantra (chanting).

     
Jackie is known for her nurturing and supportive style that welcomes all abilities.

www.exhalebrighton.co.uk

Jackie Dyson

Jackie has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and qualified as a teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga in 2006. She has practiced in a variety of yoga traditions, and with many senior teachers, all of which have influenced her teaching style. Jackie believes that yoga should be accessible to all and beneficial for everyone.

She teaches all levels from beginners to advanced practitioners. Postures can be adjusted and alternatives offered to allow for any physical challenges, injuries or medical conditions. Equally, extra challenge is offered for those who seek it.

Her classes offer benefits on many levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. On a physical level the postures work with the skeletal and muscular systems, helping us to stay (or become) fit and healthy. The postures also benefit all of the body’s systems resulting in healthy immune, nervous and digestive systems.

Jackie has a keen interest in Mindfulness and also draws on teachings which encourage a quality of attention, perception and awareness, helping to still the mental chatter and provide clarity and focus. The use of the breath is central to the teachings.

Whilst the philosophy of yoga is thousands of years old, it is still very relevant in the world today. Jackie’s teaching style draws heavily on yoga philosophy, which she weaves throughout the classes. She will help you use your yoga as a tool to enhance your daily life, enabling you to better handle the challenges we all face in day-to-day life and to realise your potential.

Jivamukti Yoga with Jacqueline Purnell

Jacqueline has taught yoga for many years all over the world, including training yoga teachers for over 10 years.

She originally trained in Astanga Vinyasa Yoga with the late Sri K Pattabhi Jois and Derek Ireland in India.

Jacqueline is licensed to teach BWY Foundation Courses One and Two and a certified Jivamukti yoga teacher, having trained with David Life and Sharon Gannon. Jacqueline has also worked with Shandor Remete.

On this holiday Jacqueline will be teaching Jivamukti Yoga which is dynamic yoga style – for more information on  this yoga style please follow the link at the bottom of this page.

Mornings classes will include

Breath awareness, flowing vinyasa sequences, alignment exploration, hands-on assistance, relaxation and meditation.

Music of all styles will play an integral role in the morning classes : you might practice to a shifting soundtrack of ragas, global trance, hip-hop, spoken word, George Harrison, Sting, Krishna Das, Donna de Lory, Michael Franti, Bill Laswell, Alice Coltrane and Mozart.

Afternoon classes

Will be workshop style looking at asana particularly inversions and backbends in greater detail, to enhance performance for the classes in the mornings.

 

For more information on Jivamukti yoga visit  www.jivamuktiyoga.com
For more information on Jacqueline visit  www.richmondyoga.co.uk

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Jacqueline Wigglesworth – Hatha Flow, Yin Yang Yogaand Restorative Yoga

Jacqueline experienced her first yoga class in 1997 whilst at Drama school and has since trained in London (at Triyoga,) India and LA, studying many styles of yoga including Vinyasa Flow with Shiva Rea, Yin Yoga and Mindfulness with Sarah Powers, Ashtanga with Pattabhi Jois, Restorative with Judith Lasater, Yoga Therapy with TKV Desikachar and Iyengar Yoga.

Her own style of teaching is fun, relaxed, safe and joyful, always relating to the bigger picture; both dynamic (solar/yang) and relaxing (lunar/yin) and always includes quotes, breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditations to inspire and uplift.

Jacqueline sees yoga as a wonderful tool to enhance every aspect of life and adapts her yoga classes to cater for all levels of whoever is present.  

She worked for many years teaching clients at London’s prestigious private member’s club Home House and has taught globally in huts, on boats, in unique luxurious and rustic venues in jungles, deserts, mountains and by the sea.

She is currently based on the East Sussex / Kent border in England. She’s just happy to share the many benefits yoga brings, wherever she finds herself and particularly enjoys leading retreats in beautiful locations. 

Her goal is that you return home with a healthy body, a peaceful mind and an enlightened spirit.    

Jacqueline is a global adventurer and trip leader who has worked on 6 continents, been to all 7, and travelled to over 100 countries.

She also has a degree in English and Drama from Exeter University and has created 3 books: Little Book of Wisdom, based on her encounters with many of the world’s bright lights. Little Book of Life Tools to make the journey of life easier, and World of Wonder containing highlights from her travels.

Jacqueline also offers sound healing with alchemy crystal bowls, rose healings and cacao ceremonies on special occasions.   

Jade Cutler

Jade has been practising yoga for over 35 years, teaching since 1994, having trained in the Sivananda style and is a cofounder of Yoga Akasha in East Grinstead.

She has practised many traditions including Iyengar and Scaravelli. She was really encouraged and inspired by her Iyengar teacher and various others along the way, so today her teachings are a combination of different styles of Hatha yoga.

Her classes are taught at a slow pace, focusing on static postures and breath awareness. Jade has taught young children, teenagers, one to one, pre and postnatal mothers and teaches regular weekly classes and workshops at Yoga Akasha in East Grinstead. She enjoys teaching creative, varied and fun classes, catering to all ages, groups and abilities.

Whilst continuing to practise and learn from each experience, Jades’ emphasis lies in creating a warm and welcoming approach to all classes which clearly benefit her students health and wellbeing.

The yoga is very accessible, even for beginners, and all ages.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel”  Maya Angelou

Vinyasa Yoga with Jane Cornwall

Jane has been a practicing yoga teacher for over 10 years, building on a previous background of dancercise, Qui Gong and Pilates Instruction. All this experience has resulted in a Vinyasa style of yoga, which she believes brings focus, fun and variety to the practice, without losing its deeper meaning and authenticity.

This has led to consistently high attendance and a faithful following from her students. Her teaching style has evolved and developed through her interaction with both class members and many inspiring teachers over the years.

She has an approach which roots yoga in people’s everyday lives, with an emphasis on the significance and benefits of synchronising movement and breath. She is always keen to incorporate a pranayama element in her classes to help her students to cope with life’s many challenges and to be able to use the gift of yoga as a fundamental part of their being.

Her maturity brings with it considerable experience and she has a zest for life which results in a strong personal engagement with her class members. Her love of yoga inspires her to want to share her knowledge and help enhance the lives of others!

About this holiday

This week will be all about the benefits of self nurture and ‘going with the flow’ whilst realising the importance of being strong, yet flexible, in body and mind. My aim is that participants have fun, get the opportunity to switch off from their everyday life and end the week feeling invigorated, refreshed, revitalised and with a wonderful sense of wellbeing.

Morning sessions will be invigorating Flowing Vinyasa Yoga, creating heat and energy. It will incorporate breathing exercises and finish with relaxation.

The afternoon class will consist of gentle yoga postures, incorporating elements of Chi Gung and Pilates – leaving everybody stretched, soothed and contended.

Classes are suitable for all levels, newcomers to yoga are welcomed so long as they have a core fitness

Scaravelli Inspired Hatha Yoga

During this week Jane Manze will encourage students to discover a deeper body awareness by taking time in each posture and being attentive to their breath.

Inspired by the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli, Jane invites you to discover a greater flexibility and strength through asanas (yoga poses) and pranayama (breathwork). This dynamic yet attentive approach is suitable for people with any existing yoga practice and for those new to yoga.

Jane was led to Hatha, Scaravelli yoga via a background in martial arts, dance and bodywork.

She has studied yoga both in the UK and in India. Knowledge and experience give her teaching a clarity in identifying and working with energetic and physical limitations and possibilities within the body.

Based in Brighton, Jane currently teaches weekly classes to a wide client base, as well as workshops and international retreats.

Hatha Yoga with Janet Southworth
Janet as been practicing yoga since childhood, she trained with the British Wheel of Yoga and has been teaching in the Lancashire area since 1990. Currently she is teaching yoga classes, running themed yoga days, holidays and retreats as well as working with her husband in their natural health & back pain clinic in Lancashire. She is also a qualified Yoga assessor and has tutored and assessed trainee yoga teachers. In 2016 she graduated from Manchester with a BSC Hons in Nutritional Science & practices Naturopathic nutrition with Ayurveda.

Janet has a unique and creative style of yoga, interweaving Taoist and Tibetan influences among others with traditional hatha style. Yoga sessions usually include postures and flowing sequence as well as deeper aspects of pranayama, meditation, creative visualisations, mantra and yoga nidra relaxation.

Janet’s teaching is intuitive, empathic and she and enjoys having fun in the yoga sessions. She has trained with many inspirational teachers including; Pranayama expert Philip Jones, Indar Nath, Swami Neel Kamal and respected teachers from Traditional Taoist and Tibetan backgrounds.

During Janet’s Yoga holidays, you will be able to relax and release tensions, as well as the opportunity to deepen your yoga practice, working within your own level of experience/ability, adaptation or progression may be offered. The yoga holiday with Janet is aimed at you feeling recharged and revitalised with better quality sleep and happier within your own skin. The emphasis will be on healing body & mind, discovering the beauty within.

Morning classes will be themed and include pranayama, joint release, flowing sequences, holding poses with awareness on the subtle energy body, meditation, guided relaxation.
The evening session will be more gentle and include floor based postures and pranayama, followed by Janet’s inspirational yoga nidra to facilitate deep relaxation and revitalisation.

Strong Hatha Yoga with Jean Hall

Jean has been practicing yoga for over 19 years and has been teaching yoga for 12 years. 

She teaches open yoga classes in London, mentors yoga teachers in training & leads yoga retreats in the U.K and throughout the world. She is the author of several books including::-

Yoga, a practical guide to yoga postures – Abbeydale Press

Astanga Yoga, a in-depth guide to the primary series – Anness Books  

 

After working as a professional dancer she qualified as a Iyengar yoga teacher in 1995 & since has continued to study different forms of yoga, namely Sivananda Yoga in Trivanadram and Astanga Yoga in Mysore with Sri K Pattahbi Jois.
Her teaching focuses on developing healthy body mechanics, awareness and flow of breath, energy and alignment to balance & strengthen the body, while deep stretching and relaxation helps to release tension from within.

      

Jean Hall and Liz Lark have known each other since university and often run retreats and holidays together, most notibly the weekends at Oxon Hoath in Kent. There they teach concurrent classes and yoga students have the choice of which one they attend at any point in the weekend.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Jill Amison

Jill Amison is a Senior Yoga Teacher & Yoga Therapist currently based in Staffordshire, UK.

“After practising and teaching for more than fifteen years I have realised that yoga was more than a ‘fitness’ activity. For me it is a transformational practice on so many levels.

I have completed 500hr Teacher Training, trained as Yoga Therapist specialising in Yoga for Cancer and most recently completed 300hr Advanced Teacher Training with my teacher Sianna Sherman.

I obviously love to learn and gain knowledge, but for me, the real pleasure comes from sharing and witnessing how yoga makes a real difference to peoples’ lives.
  
In addition to teaching my own classes, workshops and holidays I am also on the board of Yogacampus, Manchester. I teach on the 200 hour Yogacampus Teacher Training Course and Yoga Therapy Diploma Course and also mentor trainee students on both courses.

My belief that yoga is a transformative tool is at the heart of each and every Yoga class I teach.

My classes are a creative and fluid inter-weaving of story telling, alignment based asana and philosophy, through which I seek to support my students and introduce them to yoga as a way to help deal with life’s challenges – however great or small. I truly believe yoga is for everyone and I teach in a way that encourages and supports Every Body.

 
On my yoga holidays expect creative flow synced with replenishing breath work, mudra, mantra, myths and meditation.

The morning practices offer strengthen building vinyasa style practice whilst the evening session will be designed to replenish, slow down and nourish the body, mind and spirit.”

  

www.bluelotusyoga.co.uk

Flowing Hatha Yoga with Jill Hurley

Jill has been practicing yoga for forty plus years. She is a member of The British Wheel of Yoga and a qualified BWY teacher.

She teaches holistically, using movement, breath and awareness to bring about benefits for the body and mind: benefiting the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of the individual.

Jill is a qualified beauty, massage therapist and counsellor and is now a full time Yoga teacher She has experience in teaching several styles of yoga but most enjoys teaching Hatha yoga flow. The practice is very versatile and can be adapted to suit all ages and abilities.

The practice of yoga asanas (postures) strengthens and tones muscles, develops flexibility, and can improve a variety of ailments. Psychologically yoga increases concentration, stills the mind and promotes wellbeing, tranquillity and contentment.

With practice the benefits of yoga are that the body becomes stronger and more flexible, stiffness and tensions are eased, breathing improves, energy increases, relaxation is easier

Yoga is about learning to come back to yourself. It’s about expanding your boundaries, finding your limits and being able to truly relax and be yourself.

It’s about taking time to remember who you are but have forgotten while being caught up in the whirlwind of a fast paced life.

   
www.exeteryoga.org

Hi JillI, thank you so much for the fantastic week we spent with you, it was lovely to meet you both. I gained so much from the yoga both physically and emotionally and  I have felt much better since.I also really appreciated how you set the tone for such friendliness amongst the group and for us to all to participate at our own level.

Since being back I have continued with the stretches that I found most beneficial and will now endeavour to find a local class.I also regularly hear your voice asking ‘where are your shoulders now?’ They seem very happy up by my ears and so I am working on my posture too!

Best wishes Karen (Casa Benedetto 2017)

Jim Tarran 

Jim Tarran has been practicing yoga since 1990 and teaching since 1992 after completing his first teacher training course in kathmandu in April 1992 and his second 2 year course in 1996. He devised the Yoga Alliance Professionals registered 500 Hour Plus teacher training course Vajrasati Yoga in 2000 and since then it has grown organically with the combined wisdom of the collective community.

He has been privileged to teach students ranging from total beginners to advanced and everyone in between over the last 30 years and has been so fortunate to have taught yoga in so many countries all over the world from Morocco and Mexico to Italy to India and so many more beautiful lands.

The focus of Jim’s classes has been on yoga practices that are familiar to most; āsana (posture), dhyāna (meditation), pranayama (breathing practices), mudra (hand gestures and other'”energy containers” and mantra (chanting). Taking the lion’s share of these is āsana as meditation.

As per tradition I see yoga essentially as absorption, a process familiar to all as a momentary (or longer) melting of the illusion of separation into the ‘field’ of which all seemingly ‘separate particles’ from momentary thoughts to a whole sense of separate ‘me-ness’ are excitations.  All the techniques are employed to serve the principal purpose of yoga – an awakening to the undivided holism of the nameless essence that forms the commonality and bedrock of all our existences. 

Vajrasati Yoga with Jim Tarran and Khadine Morcom

Vajrasati Yoga was founded by Jim Tarran in 2000 and is a Yoga Alliance Professionals Teacher Training Plus 500 RYS course which is the highest accreditation available for a teacher training course. In truth the course outstrips even the new high standards required by teacher training plus accreditation with over 1000 hours of training between the contact and non-contact aspects of the course. The course has been co-run by Jim and his partner expert yoga teacher Khadine Morcom – since 2014.

Khadine Morcom – With two decades of teaching experience, continued self-study and a deep embodiment of the core principles of yoga, Khadine teaches straight from the heart with clarity, humility and warmth, supporting students to use the tools of authentic yoga for modern life.

Khadine has been practising yoga for over 25 years, teaching for 19 years and training yoga teachers for 9 years.  She lives her practice, and there is no-one more qualified or able to guide you towards finding your own heart-centre. Her teaching benefits beginners and experienced students alike.

Khadine is a Yoga Alliance Professionals senior teacher and a senior Vajrasati teacher and teacher trainer, and has written for Yoga Magazine UK. She is currently completing a masters degree in yoga and meditation traditions at SOAS University London.

Her teaching style is calming and focused with particular attention given to breath awareness, and the cultivation and recognition of energy and inner states of being. Her classes incorporate practical yoga philosophy in ways that are clear, relevant and useful. Khadine’s classes include instruction in the practices of āsana (yoga posture), prāṇāyāma (breathing practices), dhyāna (meditation) mantra (chanting) and yoganidrā as tools for integration (yoga).

As well as being influenced by traditional yogic texts and traditions, Khadine’s classes take inspiration from anything and everything from being a mother to being an environmentalist or just simply being a being in the world!

 

Jim Tarran – has been practicing yoga since 1990 and teaching since 1992 after completing his first teacher training course in kathmandu in April 1992 and his second 2 year course in 1996. He devised the Yoga Alliance Professionals registered 500 Hour Plus teacher training course Vajrasati Yoga in 2000 and since then it has grown organically with the combined wisdom of the collective community.

He has been privileged to teach students ranging from total beginners to advanced and everyone in between over the last 30 years and has been so fortunate to have taught yoga in so many countries all over the world from Morocco and Mexico to Italy to India and so many more beautiful lands.

The focus of Jim’s classes has been on yoga practices that are familiar to most; āsana (posture), dhyāna (meditation), pranayama (breathing practices), mudra (hand gestures and other'”energy containers” and mantra (chanting). Taking the lion’s share of these is āsana as meditation.

As per tradition he sees yoga essentially as absorption, a process familiar to all as a momentary (or longer) melting of the illusion of separation into the  ‘field’ of which all seemingly ‘separate particles’ from momentary thoughts to a whole sense of separate ‘me-ness’ are excitations. All the techniques are employed to serve the principal purpose of yoga – an awakening to the undivided holism of the nameless essence that forms the commonality and bedrock of all our existences.

 

Jim and his partner Khadine have been working together running the Vajrasati Yoga Teacher training together for nearly ten years in which time the teaching community has grown from strength to strength.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga andYin Yoga with Joanna Najduch

The morning yoga practice will be invigorating and flowing Prana Flow Yoga to blow away the cobwebs and set you up for your day!

The evening yoga will be more lunar and meditative in nature with long held Yin postures to relax you and release tension in the joints of the hips, legs and spine. Both sessions will include a delicious Savasana or Yoga Nidra to take you even deeper into your relaxed sate of being!

The yoga sessions are suitable for all levels as Joanna offers Kramas or stages in the postures to help you achieve your true potential

 

About Joanna: Joanna was inspired and encouraged to follow the path of yoga teacher training after many years practicing and enjoying yoga classes. Her love of dynamic flowing sequences led her to pursue Astanga Yoga Teacher Training which she completed in 2004 with Brian Cooper and Nawajyoti at Union Yoga in Edinburgh and Shanti Griha in Scoraig, Scotland.

Joanna continues to deepen her yoga practice and draws inspiration from workshops and intensives with a wide range of well known yogis such as Sri Dharma Mittra , David Swenson, Matthew Sweeney, Paul Grilley, Kausthub Desikachar, Shiva Rea, Liz Lark, Claire Missingham , David Sye, Simon Low, and Sarah Powers.

Joanna has recently achieved her 300Hrs in Prana Flow Energetic Vinyasa Yoga with Shiva Rea – her main inspiration! Joanna has also completed Yogabeats Foundation Teacher Training with David Sye.

Joanna holds her accreditation as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) 500 hours and more recently Senior Yoga Teacher (SYT ) with Yoga Alliance UK.

Joanna hosts and organizes Yoga Workshops with many of her inspirational Teachers and has also organized many successful Yoga Holidays and retreats in Spain, Turkey, Crete, Italy and the Lake District

The Yoga practice on this holiday will consist of a 2 hour Prana Vinyasa Flow in the mornings and a 1.5 hour Yin Yoga Flow in the evenings.

Joelle has spent her life exploring bodywork disciplines, initially coming to yoga to protect herself from injury whilst touring as a contemporary dancer.

She travelled to India in 2011 to explore its classical roots, completing her first TTC in Sivananda’s beautiful Madurai Ashram, continuing onto graduate from Triyoga’s 2 year Advanced TTC in 2018 with mentor’s Jean Hall and Anna Ashby.

Joelle also works as a massage therapist and has trained in pre and postnatal yoga with Kirsteen Ruffle of Birthlight. Humbled by the experience of matrescence- becoming a parent in 2023 she is currently embarking on a doula training.

Whether you’re in a strong, playful or gentle season of your life, Joelle is passionate about leading a soulful and inclusive practice.

Dropping into your flow state and stimulating the body’s inherent self-healing and regenerative capacities through improved circulation, range of movement, postural alignment and soothing mantra with harmonium.

 

http://www.joellegreen.com

Yoga Classes:

90 minute Morning Flow Yoga mindfully sequenced to allow a deep dive into the day’s anatomical and philosophical theme.  With options for differing energy levels and individual help offered to support progression.

90 minute Evening Restorative slow flow/yin yoga with sacred sound.
As a massage practitioner, Joelle will offer oils-based techniques for the neck and shoulders and close the practise with sacred sound to sooth the nervous system further.  Either mantra with harmonium or crystal singing bowls.

Yin and Yang Vinyasa Yoga with Jude Medhurst

Jude has been a practitioner of yoga and meditation for many years and has been teaching it since 1999. During that time she has worked with, been inspired and influenced by many wonderful teachers whose knowledge and teachings have enriched her practice – Erich Schiffman, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Shiva Rea and, currently, Sarah Powers.
 

She completed her Teacher Training Course with the Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda Yoga) under the direction of Swami Vedantananda and assessed by Swami Pragyamurti, the Principal of the School. 

    

Jude teaches a mix of the Yin style focusing on the gently held postures that work on the connective tissue of the hips, pelvis and lower spine and the stronger Yang practise that enhances muscular movement and conditioning.

The combining of the two helps to create a balanced practice “on the mat” which can be helpful in balancing our life “off the mat”. There is much emphasis on the flow of the breath and how we allow the breath to be the initiator for the movement of the body. The sessions also include pranayama, relaxation and visualisation practices plus nada yoga and meditation.

“I’m a great believer in the body being a wonderful teacher itself and I encourage students to enquire, investigate and discover the joy of the practice themselves in any given moment – adjusting and modifying as necessary – remembering that our “best” will differ from day to day. The foundation of this is acceptance – allowing the body to release when it is ready”

The sessions also include pranayama, relaxation and visualisation practices plus nada yoga and meditation.

Julie Hemmings

I walked into my first Yoga Class back in 1993.  I was stressed out, burned out and exhausted.  I walked out feeling more whole, the pieces slowly being put back together.  My mind was calmer, my body felt great and I had the kind of energy I could only remember having as a child.  I went back to my second class the week after.  At the end of that class I decided I wanted to become a Yoga Teacher……….  

Although Yoga has been practised for over 2,500 years in India, we are only really beginning to explore the depths of what it can offer us here in the West.  Yoga here mostly focusses on the physical aspects – toning the body, strengthening and stretching the muscles and providing an opportunity for relaxation.  The deeper aspects of the practice are commonly overlooked.  Whilst Yoga is an amazing bodywork system, I feel its strength lies in the ability to overhaul the mind, bringing it to a place of stillness, and by asking us to enquire of ourselves on a more profound level.  Most of this work, interestingly, happens subconsciously.  We just become aware of the changes that are gradually taking place within our consciousness.   

Originally training with the British Wheel of Yoga in 1998, I have been lucky over the years to have studied, and been inspired by Iyengar, ViniYoga, Sivananda, Satyananda, Ashtanga and more recently, Kundalini styles of Yoga, Donna Farhi, Shiva Rea, Sean Corne, Sarah Powers, Paul Grilley, and Swami Nischalananda of the Mandala Ashram. 

I also studied a year-long Pranayama Module with Philip Xerri – breathwork always forming the core of my own practice and my teaching.

My main Yoga passion, however, is Kirtan – I love the energy, connection and stillness it creates.  I don’t go far without a Krishna Das or Nikki Slade CD stashed somewhere.   

All of these amazing practices, teachings and teachers have merged into the big melting pot of my psyche and emerged to form my own unique style of teaching: blending vinyasa, Yin, breath, energy, sound and meditation.  

I feel priviledged to have both attended and taught several Yoga Holidays at Grenadine Lodge in Dalyan, and am looking forward to returning.    

The content of the Yoga Programme for week will be mostly led by yourselves, developed around your needs, your desires and your potential to explore new territory.    

With this in mind thi is the planned outline of the sessions:-         

 

Morning:   Vinyasa / Slow Flow / Kirtan, Chanting       

Evening:  Yin Yoga / Pranayama / Meditation   

 

I look forward to sharing a truly wonderful experience with you.   

 

www.divineworks.co.uk

 

Jyoti Pai Hatha Yoga

I found yoga (or yoga found me in 1999) when on a quest to study more about my roots (my father is from India and my mother is from England). This quest took me travelling around India on my own for 6 months.

Although I had been visiting India regularly from the age of 3, I had not really grasped the yoga culture or even its practice…despite my half Indian origins.

Whilst travelling around India, I stumbled across a yoga school in the far south and loved it… qualified as a teacher, stayed a further 2 years in the ashram to hone my skills, then taught on a nearby touristy beach for a further 3 years.

On my return to the UK I started teaching classes in Winchester (Hampshire).

In 2020 Covid hit and so many yoga teachers were forced online, I absolutely loved teaching online classes and have stayed teaching online ever since …

I have a very good tech set up (surprising as am not at all techy) which means I use a good quality web cam to beam my classes out to your laptop/tablet or phone and I also have a very large monitor to keep a watchful eye on your practise and gently verbally correct where necessary. This set up can be seen in the “Zoom set up and classes” section of my Gallery.

I teach gently, with some humour thrown in and love to connect with my students at start of class. We especially like to involve the pets… they love a bit of yoga and if they can sit on your mat/ chair to make yoga slightly more challenging then that’s what they like to do! They are very much part of our yoga family.

Qualifications

I realised the moment I started practising yoga in the ashram in India in 1999 that it was a practise I connected with deeply and immediately wanted to share the multiple benefits I was experiencing.

I chose to carry on learning and teaching yoga in the yoga school daily for 2 years after qualifying to get as much experience and knowledge as I could, in fact I would attend further Teacher training classes whilst there, just to make sure the knowledge sunk in!

This constant urge to share has kept me teaching for almost 24 years.

I went to Rishikesh , (Northern India) in 2006 for 4 months to learn in the “Yoga City” of India.

It’s been important to me to also gain more yoga knowledge along the way and I have studied many forms and styles of yoga from various masters of yoga in many countries including India, Egypt, Turkey, Spain and Italy.

I am also Birthlight pregnancy yoga trained, have studied first aid for yoga teachers and in 2020 I studied under Alanna Kaivalya to experience a  contemporary 200Hr Yoga teaching program to keep me  fresh in my field.  I intend to always acquire yoga experience to share with my students.

Karen Calder Iyengar Yoga

Karen has practised Iyengar Yoga since 2000 and gained her teaching certificate in 2009. She really enjoys the challenge Iyengar Yoga gives her and has opted to carry on training and now holds the Intermediate 3 teaching certificate.

She has visited Pune to work directly with the Iyengar family and has attended conventions with both Geeta and Abhijata Iyengar – all deeply humbling experiences.

 

She has also attended workshops with  visiting senior teachers Glenn Cerescoli and Christian Pissano. “There is always so much more to learn, every time I return to my mat I make a new discovery, there are an infinite number of variables within every pose – it is an incredible journey”.

A distinguishing feature of an Iyengar class is the use of props, e.g. blocks, belts and chairs so students with less flexibility or strength are able to work correctly and achieve their full potential.  This means everyone, from beginners to advancing students will gain something from the week.

During the course of the week we will explore the poses in detail and advance and develop practice to suit ability.

“I love meeting new students and introducing them to the joy of yoga and equally enjoy challenging those with more practice.  I look forward to meeting you!”

 

Feedback

Dear Debbie
I wanted to write and let you know that I had an amazing time in Kerala.  I loved Palm Tree Yoga Centre, the staff were wonderful and Halin was the perfect host.  Karen is a an inspirational yoga teacher: kind, knowledgeable and able to meet the needs of a diverse group of students. She is an exceptional person and teacher and I feel very lucky to have been there with her.  Thank you so much for organising the holiday.
Nicky – November 2022

 

Hello, I just wanted to leave a review for a fabulous holiday which my mother and I have just spent in Crete with Karen Calder.  This is our second holiday with her, as we were in Ischia last year – also a wonderful trip.Karen is an excellent yoga teacher, who has a lovely kind and caring manner when teaching.  My mother (80) and I (both Iyengar beginners) were gently encouraged into restorative and semi challenging poses by Karen, in relaxed and yet highly professional classes each day. We have returned home with improved posture, a sense of achievement and with a calmer frame of mind.  I would recommend Karen to anyone wanting to learn more and enjoy the process!  She also has a great sense of humour!
Many thanks Philippa

Very Gentle Flowing Yoga with Kathryn Banks

“My retreats reflect the vast range of training learning and developing over the last 30 years. A unique fusion of soft gentleness and Yang flow with a little bit of Qigong – feeling energy of chi and prana that runs through our bodies then riding its delicate wave in joy and harmony.

In unique fusions yin and Yang flowing style we can take time to dissolve the sometimes inner emotional turbulence we can all get affected by. In the moment of the wave of the movement freedom exists, we can carve our unique path through guidance and inner listening.

My retreats are suitable for everyone, drawn from the training I have had in many yoga styles, Pilates,  advanced Hatha Yoga, Body Balance years, exercise to music in the 1990s, Qigong  and Tai Chi,  Spiritual Awakening, Ayurvedic Pathways……so lots of possibilities for us to venture into and enjoy ultimately ending up with feeling amazing and strong in your body feeling better taking time to laugh and enjoy yourself….happiness.”

Each season Kathryn teaches several Free Spirit Holidays, she blends all aspects of her different forms of training into her Flowing Yoga  classes changing it for the different venues.

In Kissamos, Crete, Turkey and also in Italy,  she will teach a smooth blend of Gentle Flowing Yoga, with little pieces of Pilates and Chi Gung, coupled together in new inventive ways to build on our foundation practice and enable us to relax into the present.  Music may be involved to lift us higher into the joy of movement.

In Turkey she will teach her Gentle Flowing Yoga class in the morning and a mixed style class in the afternoons

At India she will be teaching Gentle Flowing Yoga for all abilities.

  

“My classes are open to everyone and abilities ,the practise is your own journey of inner discovery ,I will guide you.

Finding the union of mind and body (yoga) for your practise is unique,we listen to the bodies wisdom. I’d like everyone to enjoy every beautiful movement, the body reacts to the gentle moving awareness to rebalance our structure. There will also be core strengthening woven in to address postural muscles and access support for the whole body to become toned and strong yet also flexible. Some of our gentle movements will come from qigong and tai chi ideal for strength and focus

Everybody is welcome ot do as much or as little as they need, there are many options are available ” Kathryn Banks

Classes are suitable for all levels

THANK YOU, for the week of great yoga, pilates, chi gong fusion mix, I enjoyed it so much. I have found a local teacher leading Chi Gong to continue with it. What you made me realise was, I want/need to rebalance the exercise I do to include a regular weekly Pilates class and Chi Gong, as well as yoga. As the different exercises help me in different ways.

Do let me know of any further yoga holidays you are doing,

Best wishes, Jay – Kisssamos September 2017

Hatha Flow and Yin Yoga with Kay Parker

 

With 18 years of practicing yoga (12 as a qualified teacher), Kay’s teaching encompasses a wealth of knowledge and understanding of a variety of yoga forms.

Her upbeat approach encourages students to connect body and mind through breath, with an emphasis on safe alignment.

She works with students to get the most out of their yoga practice, offering variations for the more advanced students, modifications for beginners and hands-on adjustments where appropriate.

She has studied anatomy, philosophy, yoga therapy, yin, somatics and breath work and attends regular workshops and certified trainings with teachers from different yoga traditions, incorporating this learning into her classes in a way that compliments her own style of teaching.

 

 

 

Morning practice will start with centering and breath work. This will be followed by a theme based flowing practice sometimes incorporating somatic movement.
 

Evening sessions will be relaxing in nature and will generally focus on restorative or yin yoga as well as guided relaxation.

 

“Just back from a wonderful week at Mavros Malos with Kay Parker whose daily yoga was a exactly what I had hoped for. Mornings were Hatha, evenings Yin. The week was a perfect balance of stretch, breath, restorative and the teaching and facilitation was excellent. All with a perfect Cretin ocean backdrop, plenty of sunshine, lovely vegetarian food , wonderful hosts and a group that were just fab. Wish I could tap into Kay’s yoga in the UK.  I will definitely be booking with Free Spirit Travel again xx thankyou namaste “

“Thank you Kay for such amazing yoga, I really love your style of teaching.  I was concerned if I’d be able to manage 3 half hours a day, but you created a balance that was perfect.
It is also so lovely to come back home fitter than when I arrived, and with a nice tan ha ha  “

Ken Eyerman – Yoga with Feldenkrais Awareness

Ken Eyerman has more than 35 years experience teaching Yoga & Bodywork, is a trained practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method © and is author of ‘Massage’ published in 1987. An American based in London since 1980, Ken has developed his own style of teaching, bridging the space between flowing Hatha Yoga and the gentle understated, spiralling Feldenkrais movements. Ken teaches his unique ‘Yoga with Awareness’ holidays internationally.

Ken has developed a fluid technique that taps into your individual needs, releases energy and works to heal injuries or chronic discomfort. His retreat will introduce you to Ken’s unique take on Yoga – utilising influences from Feldenkrais, dance and movement based bodywork – and promises to be a refreshing, inspiring start to the year and a lot of fun too!

Ken’s intuitive and spontaneous, hands-on approach places an emphasis on using the breath, an awareness of your inner process and how to use your body efficiently. This combination of approaches will ease you into the postures and classes are suitable for all levels of experience, including those who have injuries or are restricted in their movement.

 

 

More information about Ken can be seen on www.keneyerman.com

The developmental movement technique, The Feldenkrais Method, has been Ken’s lifelong study, especially in how it relates and is complementary to yoga, through the awareness of movement and being attentive to detail. For Ken, The Feldenkrais Method forms the bridge between hands-on healing, touch and the spontaneity of life as a dance.

The Feldenkrais Method named after its originator, Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, is an educational system that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve posture and human functioning. One can increase the ease and range of motion, improve flexibility and rediscover the natural capacity for efficient movement.

“I can help people to think about their body, how it breathes and moves, how the structure connects, to develop a level of awareness….. so they are not only powering away at stretching but also learning to feel and think their way to a stronger more supple body. A goal being to get into the imagination, to find a more subtle approach, to excite the feelings as well as to power the muscles” Ken Eyerman

With two decades of teaching experience, continued self-study and a deep embodiment of the core principles of yoga, Khadine teaches straight from the heart with clarity, humility and warmth, supporting students to use the tools of authentic yoga for modern life.

Khadine has been practising yoga since the mid 90’s, teaching yoga since 2004 and training yoga teachers since 2014.  She lives her practice, and there is no-one more qualified or able to guide you towards finding your own heart-centre.

Khadine is a Yoga Alliance Professionals senior teacher and a senior Vajrasati teacher and teacher trainer, and has written for Yoga Magazine UK. She has a masters degree in yoga and meditation traditions (with distinction!) from SOAS University London.

 

Khadine’s classes are known for being intuitive, creative and innovative, using our own deep understanding of ourselves to experience yoga through the most intimate and spacious relationship simultaneously. Khadine also uses her relationship with the wider tradition of yoga to share her knowledge and experience through tantric and haṭha yoga traditions with a strong focus on our relationship with energy and release, guiding the practitioner to the traditional goals of yoga of integration and freedom. And just wait to try her yoganidra – you’ll be transported to a realm of total relaxation and bliss!

Iyengar Yoga with Kirsty Richardson Reps

Kirsty started yoga at the age of 14, and it has been a consistent part of her life ever since, although at this young age her understanding of the practice was limited but she still found herself drawn to it.  After she finished her BA in English, she was lucky enough to discover a fantastic teacher locally in Cornwall who helped her on her path of teaching yoga and who has been her mentor, teacher trainer and inspiration ever since.  She started her teacher training and it was a work of determination and endurance ( all part of the practice ) but it also became her love and passion.  She qualified as an Iyengar yoga teacher in 2012 after initially training for 7 years.  She has been a yoga teacher and practitioner of yoga through two pregnancies, a natural birth and Caesarean, and now also teaches pregnancyyoga.

Kirsty has been fortunate enough to be taught directly under Prashant Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Abhijata Iyengar as well as many other worldwide senior Iyengar teachers. She has attended the institute in Pune India several times (The Iyengars home and institute) as well as Iyengar institutes all over the world, from Italy to New York.  As well as being taught under many brilliant senior teachers here in the UK.

Iyengar Yoga can leave you feeling physically energized, invigorated, and balanced. The practice emphasizes the alignment of the body, stretching and strengthening the muscles, and improving flexibility. As you become more present and centred during the practice, your mind may experience a sense of stillness, free from the constant chatter and distractions of daily life.

Iyengar Yoga provides a space for self-reflection and introspection.  Through the practice, you may become more aware of your emotions and sensations within your body.

The yoga classes will build on the foundation laid throughout the week in our active and general ability classes, along with restorative and pranayama practice this yoga retreat pushes the boundaries of your practice, exploring more advanced poses with precision and intensity. Perfect for dedicated practitioners ready to challenge themselves in a more immersive week – it is an opportunity to refine your technique, deepen your understanding, and experience the profound growth that comes from consistent, focused practice. End your week on a high note with progressive ,invigorating and deeply rewarding sessions.

Gentle Theraputic Yoga with Leah Barnet

Leah Barnet works very closely with Fiona Agombar, author of Beat Fatigue with Yoga.   

Teaching in the style of Krishnamacharya, gentle yoga postures, mantra and breathing techniques help to both invigorate and relax so that participants will discover more energy and well-being.

Her retreats offer two gentle yoga sessions a day and is suitable for those with mild to moderate M.E – or for anyone who is just tired and simply wants to relax.

She offers a safe nourishing stay for those who have health problems – there is plenty of space to unwind in the sunshine and just to ‘be’.

  
The sessions are not compulsory – the focus is on relaxation and enjoyment

Hatha Flow Yoga with Linda Tombs

Linda has been practicing yoga for twenty years; her passion has taken her on retreats and workshops all over the world.  She  trained at the Yoga Garden, West Sussex and is a qualified Vinyasa Flow teacher

Linda came to yoga via Iyengar yoga, where the focus is on alignment, her teaching style includes flow sequences, music and fun!  Her intention is to share the benefits of her teaching so that you leave her class feeling wonderful.            

The morning class will be confidence boosting and energizing. We will begin with breath work, a warm up, some standing postures and a vinyasa flow sequence.        

Every class will have a theme either focusing on a part of the body (such as shoulders) or on asanas (backbends, forward bends, twists and floor postures). Linda sometimes includes music, if that suits the mood of the class.     

Late afternoon classes will be slower paced, giving you the peace and energy to enjoy the evening. They will continue with the theme and will include a meditation.       

Linda’s style is to work with the energy in the room and so classes will be flexible to suit the mood of the class. They will be informative and fun and are suitable for all ages and abilities    

 

“The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.” T.K.V. Desikachar

 

Hatha Yoga

Lindsay attended her first yoga class when she was 13 years old, which means she has practiced yoga for over 30 years.

  

She has been teaching yoga since 2002 continuously updating her qualifications. She additionally teaches yoga to children in schools since completing the Yoga*d Up training.

  

She has practiced many styles, including Hatha, Astanga, Sivananda and Yin Yoga and her main influence is Iyengar. Classes on this holiday will be a mix of yoga styles with importance placed on the postures.

   

Lindsay’s classes are suitable for all levels as she encourages students to work within their own capabilities.

  

The week will offer a 2 hour morning yoga asana class suitable for all levels of students
and a short evening class.

Lisa Colby – Creative Hatha Yoga

Lisa Colby is a Suffolk based, registered Senior Teacher with Yoga Alliance, she has been teaching full time for more than 10 years and practicing for almost 20.

Lisa has practiced and trained in many different styles which she now blends into creative classes that express her love of sharing and teaching yoga. 

Lisa teaches in a spiritual but down to earth way, her approach is light hearted and sensitive, encouraging a sense of balance and clarity through embodied awareness and breath centred practice.

There are classes that are creative and powerful, in which you can expect to build heat and strength, plus sessions that are so light the whole experience is centred around the release and unwinding of tension.

Retreats are taught in a progressive way that assists deepening awareness throughout the week.

Morning practices are usually more dynamic whilst evening practices are more restorative, exploratory or technique based.

 

Classes will be suitable for all levels of experience and will include and engage all attending.

‘A lovely lady, who has widened the horizons of so many of us who have had the most wonderful, life affirming experiences, under her guidance’

Mrs Pinner 2016

   

‘Expert guidance and compassionate teachings. An inspirational lady. Thank you so much for everything I have learned about myself ‘

S Heckels 2016

    

Lisa arrived in Spain fresh from training as an Astanga Yoga teacher in 2001.

Lisa brings an air of inspiration to the class and although trained in Astanga she is able to adapt the class for those who need a more gentle approach whilst still maintaining the synchronisation of breath and movement that has been her forte.   

Classes are adapted to each individual so that not one person feels stuck: bringing in new adaptations through her continual study of the yoga practice.

  

“Classes involve a series of moving and stationary poses, combined with deep breathing. Allowing the heart to open within each person, to move through creating a form (asana) continuing to flow through our connection with breath (Prana), generating an inner peace and balance which opens our path for spiritual growth. Each individual obtains confidence to love and be loved and to shine throughout their daily lives, creating a peace and harmony not just within each of us but in everybody we come in contact with”

Lisa was certified to teach yoga from the Lay Buddhist monk Kisen whose own third lineage to Sri T Krishnamacharya made him such a sort after master in 80’s and 90’s.

She has also studied with Laura Henderson (Hatha yoga with Alexander technique) and Earnest Coates (Living Yoga).   

  

Classes with Lisa are pre-arranged with the client.

You may choose private classes at your villa, or you can join her drop-in classes held either in the yoga space behind the church ovelooking the sea, or, if weather does not permit this, then at her small yoga studio close to her home.

Lisa Hemmings

Lisa has been practising yoga for 18 years and qualified as BWY teacher in 2016. She has completed her Pregnancy Yoga module and now teachers Hatha and Pre Natal Yoga. She runs independent yoga classes in Winchmore Hill
 
Lisa is also very active within the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and is now the deputy of the City & North London branch, assisting, organising and teaching at events, master classes, workshops and member’s afternoons for her region.

Lisa’s teaching is influenced by different styles of Hatha yoga.  her approach is welcoming, creative, interactive and fun.  Classes delivered are safe, well rounded with particular attention paid to alignment and breath and movement co-ordination, which can be enjoyed by all levels and ages.  Classes build on strength and flexibility which promote a balanced, happy and healthy life-style.

 

The Yoga :-

This retreat will include two yoga sessions per day.  Morning sessions will be dynamic and energising whilst the evening sessions are more restorative and rejuvenating.  Sessions will explore different types of asana, pranayama, meditation and relaxation.  There will be plenty of time to relax during the day or to go and explore the area, adding to the harmony which will be brought to the mind and the body.

If you would like to contact Lisa you can do so via her website – http://www.hathayogawithlisa.co.uk

Creative Vinyasa Yoga with Liz Lark

Liz’s passion for Yoga developed in 1990, studying as a teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga (1992), and exploring Astanga Vinyasa Yoga, a dynamic, dance-like style which led her to India and Crete through the 1990’s. 

She has been teaching yoga for almost 20 years, developing from a British Wheel of Yoga Hatha Teacher Training  foundation, to Astanga Vinyasa Yoga; practising in mid 90’s under Derek Ireland (see Vimeo.com: Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Practice, Agios Pavlos, Crete, Teacher Training in Goa and Mysore (1995). 

Her inspiration comes from the Astanga Vinyasa tradition and other Hatha yoga practises.

Liz adapts yoga postures for each individual in order to ‘chisel’ into the form and helps sculpt and free each unique body.        

A member of Yoga Alliance USA and British Wheel of Yoga, she is also a board member for The Life Centre Teachers Training Course, and runs retreats and workshops nationally and internationally.
She has been connected with The Life Centre London since 1995.
    
Her Thai Yoga Massage training in Chieng Mei has informed her hands- on adjustments; which Liz teaches along with Creative Sequencing, for the London Teachers Training Course www.yogacampus.com, on which she’s a board member.
  
Originally trained as an Artist, Liz has BA and MA degrees in 3D Design aqnd Performing Arts, with a central theme of The Body, Liz draws her inspiration from Nature, the Body, Poetry, Music and contemporary Bodywork.

She now fuses Yoga as Art in a series of Mandala Drawings, illustrating sequencing, layered with motifs for visualisation, contemplation and mudra (gesture) and mantra (heartsong). Her teaching draws on these inspirations, with a contemporary interpretation of philosophy (see her book: ‘1001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom’).

Based in East Sussex, Liz runs classes and special workshops in Tunbridge Wells (www.pantilesyoga.co.uk).

Clients have included Conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner & The Monteverdi Choir, English National Ballet, Indian Dance Company Sujata Bannerjee, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Mariel Hemingway, Peter Gabriel, Mariella Frostrup.

  

For information on her books, which include stunning photography by Clare Park, and inspiring drawings, CDs and DVDs please visit her website

www.lizlark.com

Hatha Yoga Flow with Lorna Chapman

Lorna has been teaching yoga in and around Winchester since 2003.

She trained with The British Wheel of Yoga in London, as well as with Kevala Complementary Health Education in Devon. She has also worked with inspirational teachers such as Aadil Palkivala, Gary Carter, John Scott, Zoe Knott and many more.

Lorna draws her inspiration from many styles of yoga, including Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vini and Kundalini, which has led her to develop her own style of Hatha Yoga Flow. In 2016, she trained as a SUP Yoga Teacher and now teaches stand up paddle board yoga on her local rivers in the summer; a perfect blend of her two passions water and yoga.

During her teaching, Lorna offers alternative poses and exercises, making her classes accessible to a wide range of abilities.

Lorna is also interested in how yoga can benefit sports people and offers workshops for runners and cyclists.

Lorna loves to cycle herself and has enjoyed providing yoga sessions and writing articles for Cycling Plus Magazine.

She is also trained as a translator and speaks several  languages, but now teaches yoga full time.  
 

On Lorna’s yoga holidays, alongside the opportunity to relax and unwind, you will get the chance to deepen your practice, study postures in more detail and maybe even master that pose you thought you would never achieve!

The morning class will include dynamic vinyasa flow, some held poses, pranayama, chanting..

The evening class will be a more yin-based flow, followed by holding poses for longer to allow the mind and body to relax and release.

Lorna emphasises that it is important to work at your own level and will adapt postures according to your individual needs where necessary.
Both classes end with a lying relaxation.

Lorna has a light-hearted approach to life and to yoga and intends her holidays to be fun, energising and refreshing.

 

For more information about Lorna visit her website www.lunayogawinchester.co.uk

“My time on retreat with Lorna was nothing short of incredible. She is a deeply grounded, intuitive, and grateful yoga instructor who brings so much heart into every class. Her presence is gentle yet strong, and she has a natural ability to make everyone, from complete beginners to seasoned practitioners, feel supported, safe, and completely included.  Each session was thoughtfully sequenced, beautifully guided, and tailored to how our bodies and energy felt on the day. Lorna created a space that felt calming, nurturing, and connected, and her teaching wove together breath, movement, philosophy, and humour in a way that felt truly authentic.  Whether it was sunrise flows, evening grounding practices, or quiet moments of reflection, her classes always left me feeling restored and more in tune with myself. She has that rare gift of meeting every student exactly where they are, without pressure or expectation.  I would highly recommend Lorna’s retreat to anyone, regardless of ability, age, flexibility, experience, or confidence level. If you’re looking for a retreat that is supportive, enriching, and led by someone with genuine care and skill, Lorna is absolutely the teacher you want guiding you.  A beautiful experience I’ll carry with me for a long time.”  Vanessa Ropiha – Nov25

 

“What a fabulous time! This was my first yoga holiday so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I wasn’t disappointed. The setting was so beautiful and the hotel was lovely. The food, cleanliness and facilities were all great. The staff really do go above and beyond and always with a smile. The timetable for the yoga worked well, giving us plenty of yoga and still time to relax and enjoy the beach and local area. But what really made this holiday was Lorna, her inclusive teaching style was just perfect. In our group there was quite a variety of experience and abilities, but Lorna gave everyone options and despite my limited yoga experience I always felt included and also encouraged to try new things without any pressure. Lorna’s vast experience really showed and made the yoga experience really enjoyable. But also as well as the yoga Lorna was a really lovely host, so friendly and helped the group organise little trips out and gave advice about the local area. I would highly recommend this holiday and I am already considering which yoga holiday to book next”.   Debbie Morgan – June 2025

 

“I spent a fabulous week in Calabria under the expert teachings and guidance of Lorna.  She was just so skilled, patient, kind and accommodating to the whole groups needs. We were all at very different stages on our yoga journey however Lorna ensured we all practiced together in absolute harmony. It was a joy spending my holiday with her and would highly recommend her.”  Eleanor McIntyre – June 2025

In 2023 I went on my first yoga holiday to Calabria.Italy. Lorna took the classes , two 1.5 hour classes twice a day. I was pretty new to yoga. I was also several stone overweight.  A week with Lorna changed my life and showed me that Yoga would be beneficial to me at whatever level I could manage. It was quite daunting because there were some very flexible yoga students on the course . By the end of the week I was moving so much better, my body felt completely different.I did not feel out of my comfort zone at all.  I cannot recommend Lorna’s classes more highly, so much so that I attended a second yoga holiday back in Calabria again this year.Again, Lorna helped me improve my practice and to spend time working on beneficial breathing techniques.  Yoga holidays are great- they put ‘you’ at the centre for the week you are away. You get chance to experience top notch yoga tuition, spend time swimming and enjoying the sunshine , sampling delicious food and making new friends. x

 

Just got back from a wonderful holiday with Lorna. Loved loved loved the yoga, Lorna created a warm friendly and nurturing environment. A wonderful varied practice that kept me challenged in a positive way. The venue, source of light, is in a beautiful setting and the food is also amazing, made with love. Thank you Lorna

Returned last weekend from a fabulous week at Casa Benedetto in Ischia. I confess I have had serious post holiday blues since then. Ischia is so so beautiful and there is more to do and see there than we could fit into one week. The venue is simple and perfectly lovely – rooms are basic but comfortable and clean, and the hosts are friendly and keen to help with anything they can. Food was fresh, local (often Home grown by the hosts) and absolutely delicious.  All in all you do feel like you are experiencing proper Italy.  Lorna Chapman is a lovely, patient and brilliant yoga teacher who adapted the classes to be suitable for all levels at once. She is so encouraging and supportive (literally supportive when helping me do my first ever headstand!).  The whole group were lovely and all bonded and got on brilliantly and we’ve come away sun kissed and relaxed with new friends, a love of Ischia and a desire to go back.  Thank you. Annabel

Louise Windsor – Hatha Yoga

I am passionate about yoga and helping people feel good. I used to run long distance and turned to yoga to help my very stiff muscles and lower back pain. I didn’t realise at that stage it would completely transform my life!   

What I love about yoga is how it makes you feel; peaceful, centred, in the present moment and uplifted at the same time. I love how it can release emotions and open your heart. I also love the spiritual aspect of it. Yoga means union, that is the union of your mind, body, breath and spirit.    

My yoga journey began with Bikram which I enjoyed but it wasn’t until I discovered Hot Power Yoga (Vinyasa Flow in a warm room) that I really understood what yoga was all about, it was a more spiritual, heart opening practice there.

Since then I have spent time living at the Sivananda Ashram in Kerala India learning their Hatha series and experiencing a full yogic life style. I have travelled around India extensively learning from different yoga teachers and I trained to teach Vinaysa Flow yoga in the foothills of the Himalayas.   

I love the creativity, movement and use of breath in Vinyasa Flow. In all my classes I have a strong focus of heart opening, releasing emotions, acceptance and being present. I set intentions and share learnings about life through the class which are drawn from my life experience day to day, what I have learnt over the years as a life coach and through the months I have spent in India.  

 

 

I am also trained in trauma sensitive yoga which brings the therapeutic and mindfulness aspect of yoga to help heal sufferers of trauma and stress. As well as vinyasa flow I also love to practice yin yoga to balance out the more dynamic aspect of flow with the slow mindfulness of yin.    

 

During the retreat I will run a gentle energising flow class in the mornings before breakfast and then a slow meditative yin based practice in the afternoon before dinner. Each practice will include pranayama and meditation. There will also be time each day for journalling if you’d like to join in and I will offer 1-1 yoga therapy/life coaching sessions as an optional paid extra.   

My intention for this retreat is that you enjoy some well deserved me time, relaxation and an opportunity to have time dedicated for your yoga practice. It will be suitable for all levels. I teach in a light hearted and flexible way, the most important thing is that it feels good for you.           

 

Aside from yoga I enjoy my work as a life coach, hula hooping, paddle boarding, travelling and dancing.   

 

www.yogaclassesinbrighton.co.uk/about-louise
https://www.facebook.com/louisegillespieyoga

Lucy Aldridge – Iyengar Yoga

Lucy  has had over 20 years experience of teaching Iyengar yoga (qualifying in 1997) and now holds a senior level 3 certificate.

As Lucy has matured (in age), keeping a sense of fun and play, she’s enjoyed exploring the relationship between body, breathand mind.

 Lucy travels to Pune on a regular basis to deepen her connection with the Iyengar yoga method.

During the course of the week we will explore the practice and aspects of yoga within one’s own unique capability.
   

 

“As children we learn through a sense of play,  adults  take learning more seriously. Allowing balance between the 2 aspects of learning has enabled me to bring a sense of thoughtful fun into my classes and own yoga practice “

Lucy Holtom – Hatha Yoga

Lucy’s yoga journey began at 15, when she first explored yoga through books, sparking a lifelong passion. At 19, she stepped into her first class, and for over 30 years, yoga has been a constant source of healing, inspiration, and transformation in her life. 

With 15 years of teaching experience, she now shares her knowledge in classes, retreats, and therapeutic sessions, always with a focus on creating a safe, nurturing, and adaptable space for all levels.

Lucy’s teaching draws from a rich background of training and experience, for more information visit her website at www.livingyouryoga.co.uk

 

At the retreat, Lucy will guide you through practices designed to restore balance, build strength, and encourage deep relaxation.

Mornings begin with mindfulness meditation, breath awareness, and an accessible mix of flowing and grounding asana to support alignment, stability, and inner peace.

Evenings invite you to slow down with restorative yoga, somatic movement, and yoga nidra, offering space for deep rest and renewal.

With a background as a professional physical theatre actress, Lucy brings a sense of playfulness and creativity to her teachings while fostering deep self-reflection and connection. 

This retreat is an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and immerse yourself in a week of movement, stillness, and self-discovery—all within a warm and supportive community.

Lucy Levens – Hatha Yoga

I have been practising yoga for over 12 years starting out on the Ashtanga Vinyasa route studying this system and pranayama at the Sri Patanjala Yoga Shala at Parakala Mutt, Mysore.

When i came back to Brighton, my now hometown, I found a local and well respected school called Vajrasati yoga, and undertook a deep dive course (2 years long) into classical Hatha yoga inspired by Iyengar approaches.

I’ve also studied Yin style yoga at a school in Guatemala. The Iynegar influence means I like to use props and support to aid people in being able to feel safe and supported in opening through the body to feel a greater sense of space and ease. My style and classes weave a balanced blend of pranayama, mantra, meditation and asana.

I’m also an energy healer, and Thai yoga massage practitioner. So some of the evening sessions may include some journeying and group Thai massage as a way to help support the system and process of returning to wholeness and a more integrated and light way of being.

This retreat will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy two yoga sessions per day, allowing the individual to take their yoga practice to a deeper level.

We will explore different types of Asana, pranayama, meditation, Yoga Nidra (deep yogic relaxation), and group Thai massage.

The morning session will be dynamic and energising, while the evening session will include more restorative and rejuvenative work with some Yin postures to help balance the Yang active posture work of the morning.

 

http://www.brightonyogaclasses.co.uk/

Yoga with Maku

Maku qualified as a yoga teacher in 2015. She is constantly updating her skills both in India and the UK..

Highly qualified she has 200 hours training with Deep Kumar and 300 hours training in multi style yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Vijay Amar, 50 hours Iyengar yoga with the nephew of Swami Laskmanjoo in India. She also holds 50 hours Yin Yoga training with Sarah Lo and 50 hours Advanced Practices with Norman Blair since 2021.

She is a Conscious Connected Breath worker and has studied with the Alchemy of Breath and The Four Winds Society, her teachers are Anthony Abbagiano and Alberto Villoldo

Maku has also studied Sound Healing Massage with the Tibetan Singing Bowls in 2016 with the Shiva Ghiri’s school in India and holds a Sound Healing Certificate with the Sound Healing Academy.

She offers Sound Baths with the Tibetan Singing Bowls as these are her passion. Her first singing bowl chose her when she was travelling in Nepal in 2002 and her singing bowls have been connected  with a ritual so all of the sounds are in tune with each other and to her.

Maku will combine all these skills on her yoga retreats. 

Morning yoga will be more energetic, whilst the afternoon classes will be relaxing and healing

 

Feedback

Hi,thankyou for our lovely yoga holiday in Kerala Dec 15 – 28th.  Super place and super friendly staff.  I thought by way of a review I just wanted to highlight how fantastic Maku, the yoga teacher was.  She really did make it a yoga experience.  Ive done yoga for a number of years and have to say that Maku’s classes were very well thought out and paced, both the morning Hatha and the evening restorative sessions.  The day started with Hatha that challenged just to the right degree and she also inspired us by introducing elements of mindfulness.  Really grateful to have met her.

Kind Regards, Mette

Mandy Sayers – Vinyasa Flow

Mandy is a Senior Yoga Teacher and has been practising Yoga on and off for most of her adult life and has over 22 years experience of teaching in the Fitness Industry, qualifying as an Exercise to Music teacher in 2000 and teaching classes in Aerobics, Step, Pilates, Yoga and Les Mills’ programmes.

Her first Yoga teaching course was in 2002 with Ann-See Yeoh and in 2014 she undertook a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Claire Murphy in Chippenham. “One of the most exhausting and rewarding years of my life!”

Shortly afterwards she decided to focus solely on teaching yoga.  She says, “The practice of yoga; the repetition of the asana (poses), the meditation and mindfulness is a massive part of my life.

Not just a job, it really is a way of life and I believe many of my students would agree.

To be able to take a group of students away for a weekend, a week, or longer to practise together on retreat is such a privilege and so rewarding. And fun!”

During our retreat holiday: 

“We will start our morning practice with centring and breath work, moving into a themed Vinyasa Flow and culminating in a pinnacle pose.

Our early evening practice will be more chilled and will vary to include Restorative Yoga, Yin, Yoga Nidra and partner work which students find to be a very bonding experience.”

Classes can be adapted to accommodate students of all levels. Mandy’s teaching is mainly Vinyasa Flow.

“My philosophy on Yoga as in life is work hard to get results, enjoy life and have fun!,  Namaste”

For more information on Mandy and her yoga visit her web www.mandyyoga.co.uk

Feedback:-
Five years ago I attended my first yoga retreat with Mandy. It was magical and I can remember so clearly the impact it had on me. When I booked to go on retreat again in 2022 with Mandy I knew it would be great yoga, I did not believe it could be as magical as that first retreat – I was wrong, it really was as special.
The yoga sessions were amazing, having the time to truly focus on yoga re-energised my practise and re-connected me to yoga. The group were fabulous and the atmosphere and chatting and sharing was super positive.
If you are thinking of a retreat with Mandy don’t hesitate to go for it. She does everything in her power to make the experience a truly special time for everyone.  Lisa

Iyengar Yoga with Margaret Rawlinson

Margaret Rawlinson has been teaching Iyengar Yoga for over twenty years and holds a Level 3 Senior Iyengar Yoga Teaching Certificate.

She is firmly grounded in the precision and depth of Iyengar Yoga and has studied with Sri B.K.S. Iyengar in India, the U.S. and Europe, and also with his daughter Geeta and son Prashant at the Institute in Pune, India.

 

She teaches regular classes in Berkshire, England as well as leading workshops and Yoga holidays at home and abroad. Margaret also brings to her teaching the richness of her experience in Chinese Medicine, which she has been practising for the last ten years, after qualifying in acupuncture and patent herbal medicine at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine.

Margaret believes that we can find self-healing for mind, body and spirit in the complete Yoga practice, which incorporates asanas, pranayama, and meditation. Her classes explore the asanas in depth to find new insights, openings and extensions – but always joyfully and with respect for the body and the great subject of Yoga.

 

For more details on the yoga visit Margaret’s website – www.margaretrawlinson.co.uk

 

 

Margherita Dal Pra – Hatha Yoga

Margherita’s unique yoga retreats and holidays blend inner and outer discovery with guided yoga and meditation sessions,

this is your time to break away from the usual and allow health, love and light to shine through your life.

“As a natural seeker, 24 years ago in Italy I found myself at my first yoga class, back in a time when yoga was considered strange, yet savasana and the mantra OM gave me a deep sense of relaxation and the feeling of coming home to myself. This is when yoga became the beginning of a life long journey for me.

I am devoted to continuously­­ learning, sharing and radiating this knowledge for everyone to utilise and enjoy. The more I explore and learn, the more I’m able to share my wisdom in a new and vibrant light, it is a true blessing and honour to share that journey with my students.”

   . .

Margherita’s teachings are grounded in the traditional lineage of Hatha yoga and the deep philosophy of Tantric practices married with the movement of Vinyasa Flow, the precision of Anusara, the dance of Rasa Yoga – one of the most heartfelt synthesis of yoga, and the energetics of ParaYoga and Ayurveda

 
She honors the traditions of yoga while awakening the true potential as an individual in the modern world. She hopes for each student to experience a journey that goes beyond the body and pierces deeply into the heart by weaving together asana, mantra, mudra, pranayama, meditation and chanting, along with shadow work, ritual, and a deep connection with nature.

Vinyasa Flow with Maria Baranowski

Maria is a London based Vinyasa Flow teacher. Over the years Maria has found she was drawn to Vinyasa Flow Yoga, a beautiful flowing practice linking breath to movement.

Maria completed her teacher training with the renowned Vinyasa Flow yoga teacher, Claire Missingham and was honoured to be a mentor and assessor on Claire’s 2012-13 Teacher Training programme.

Maria’s physiotherapy background has given her that knowledge of the human body, which aids safe asana alignment and practice tailored to the individual.

 

 A retreat gives you that time and opportunity to engage fully with your own yoga experience. It provides that ultimate connection with yourself enabling you to discover a greater harmony and balance. Within this retreat a flowing yoga class, which also incorporates longer-held poses, pranayama and mediation will be offered with the aim to fully re-energise, re-balance and restore you for life off the mat. Come and enjoy.

For more information on Maria please visit her website:   www.jmbyoga.com

Maria Baranowski and Sarah Jettoo often teach as a team.

CLASS STRUCTURE:
The theme of the week will be “Balance.” Balance is the key to opening that doorway to our more harmonious, inner self.

Morning sessions will be dynamic to sweat out any tension to help restore that sense of balance.

Evening sessions will be slower-paced culminating in a longer guided relaxation to create that sense of harmony and stillness.

As we are co-running this retreat we are delighted to offer Hands on Assist to enable full expression of the pose. The teacher who is not running the session will provide this.

Iyengar Yoga with Mary Niker

Mary Niker is a very experienced Level 3 Iyengar Yoga teacher. She teaches class the Thames Valley and regulary returns to India to update her skills.

She has studied yoga for over 19 years and been trained by many of senior teachers in the UK. Mary is dedicated to teaching Yoga with care and respect. 

Students of all ages and backgrounds are welcomed on this yoga week. Growth and learning is encouraged at the pace you feel you are most comfortable with.

Mary quotes “ Through the practice of Iyengar Yoga we can not only combat stress, but achieve positive mental, spiritual and physical growth.”

Yoga Dance with Melanie Griffiths

Please note this is predominantly a dance holiday with a yogic feel.

Melanie’s been passionate about dance and movement since age 2 and quickly went on to start performing locally.  
 
She trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Modern dance into her 20’s and then on to study  + train in Bollywood, Brazilian Samba, Salsa, Tribal Style Bellydance and Charleston.  
 
Most recently she’s trained in The Nia Technique, Yoga, Anatomy in Motion Movement Therapy and Barre Fitness..  She’s also a qualified Aerobics + Zumba Instructor and Personal Trainer. 
 
She continues to explore + study dance, movement, fitness and wellbeing and offers a wide variety of classes, courses, workshops and events in Brighton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight

Our Holiday Dance Plan – do as much or as little as you wish.

Dance Groove  – Dance Fitness Class mixing Bollywood, Bellydance, Charleston, Carnival, Disco, 80s, 90s, Salsa, Samba and many more different dance styles + music genres.  Ending with balancing stretch out.

Chakra Dance and Meditation – Freestyle / Yoga Dancing through the 7 x Energy Centres in the Body into guided visualisation Meditation.

Yoga Dance (Chillax) – Barefoot, Mindful Movement set to up-beat world rhythms energising + relaxing the system.  Ending session with free-flowing stretching and / or, Meditation.

Barre – Female-centred Strength + Conditioning based around Ballet-style lengthening exercises, Arm, Floor + Core Work.  Ending with stretch out

Mindful Meditation – we’ll unwind with Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation) calming our systems so, that we’re able to be still (sitting or, lying down) for a simple Mindful Meditation session.  We’ll use guided visualisation techniques to quiet the mind and clear the energy field of unwanted frequencies that cause stress to the system.

Shiva Yoga with Mohan

This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the benefits of yoga to body, mind and inner spirit under the experienced guidance of Mohan, a hugely experienced senior yoga teacher with his own yoga school in Liverpool.

Mohan is an enthusiastic teacher who works hard to ensure that all his students – from beginners to the very advanced – have their needs catered for on his yoga holidays.He is qualified to teach in many styles including Dynamic Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Sivananda Yoga.

Mohan taught for fourteen years at the Sivananda Yoga Centre in Kerala, as well as in Ayurvedic centres, before moving in 2003 to Liverpool where he holds numerous regular classes throughout the city.

His Yoga Programme is broadcast on Indian television (DDK and Kairali cable channels). Mohan has been teaching for over 26 years and also organises Teacher Training courses and Yoga Wellbeing workshops Internationally.

He began his yoga life in 1981 guided by his uncle Swami Gaudapadananda Puri, director of the Vivekananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram in Kerala.

He then went on to train as a Yoga Teacher and as an Advanced Yoga Teacher at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram, also qualifying in Yoga Vedanta, Yoga Therapy, and in Yoga Instruction.

“Our time together will entail a week of energising yoga, beautiful walks and time dedicated to relaxing and re-energising. Yoga retreats can help you uncover unique holiday getaways to inspire and ignite your imagination.”

 

Our yoga week will include all aspects of yoga and is suitable for every level of practitioner. After dinner on some evenings we will enjoy a yoga nidra class (Yogic sleep)

For more information on Mohan please visit his website at www.Shiva Yoga.org.uk

       

Feedback from his yoga holiday in Crete

We had a fantastic yoga teacher in Mohan – as a beginner I found him very easy to follow and his practice was incredibly focused. Although the program said there would be a free day, he held classes twice every single day & there was also the option for yogic sleep in the evenings and a silent meditation walk into the mountains one morning to see the sun rise. Thoroughly enjoyed the week and would wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone

Only praise for Mohan – he is a super lovely guy, happy to be sharing yoga with everyone.

Anne Davison

Natalie Zeid – Yin Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Transformational Breathwork

As a zealous lover of life, yoga and adventure, Natalie has come to understand that life is about uncovering your passions, finding your flow and following your dreams. 

With a background in yoga, mindfulness, Breathwork and retreat facilitation, she weaves together all facets to create unique yoga classes filled with breath inspired movement and purposeful intention to help students reach their goals.

Natalie’s  greatest passion is authentically connecting with others and guiding her students with a sense of mindfulness, positivity and compassion.

Her deepest desire is to guide others along their personal path to wellbeing, uncovering their authentic selves and living a life of purpose, on and off the mat.

She has lived in various places around the world, and currently resides between Egypt, South Africa and beyond. As the founder of TRUST Collective, she continues to share her love of international travel through leading yoga teacher trainings, classes and retreats around the world.

200hr E-RYT & YACEP Hatha & Yin Yoga Teacher.

300hr Yoga Therapist certified by Yoga Alliance International.

Pneumanity™️ Advanced Breathwork Practitioner.

 

Flowing Hatha Yoga with Neville Cregan

Neville has been teaching Yoga and practicing Thai massage since 1997.

His primary teachers have been Mary Stewart, Peter Blackaby and Dona Holleman all of whom were inspired by Vanda Scaravelli. In recent years he has also studied with Donna Farhi and Shiva Rea. 

All these teachers share his own interest in offering intelligent, modern and realistic approaches to yoga whilst exploring the rich timeless wisdom of the tradition in their own ways.

    

He also teaches the history and philosophy of yoga on the London Yoga Teacher Training course and is working on a book in this area
   
His Asana (yoga postures) teaching style encourages a slow build up towards a flowing practice. It is slower than some of the dynamic forms and there is plenty of time to find your way within each pose during the flow, with adaptations where necessary.

   

During our yoga holiday the general teaching pattern will be a more active morning class and a slower more workshop orientated evening class.

Some Pranayama, body/mind centring practices and meditation will be included

Courses are suitable for beginners and more experienced practitioners alike as the core principles are the same for everyone. Courses are designed to help deepen experience of yoga on many levels and have fun!

  

Neville loves teaching and has found that both practice and teaching only get more interesting the longer he does it. He enjoys travel and, time allowing, exploring something of the area the course is in with any interested students.

  

He is also a freelance writer and his other interests include travel, literature, film and surfing. He looks forwards to welcoming you on his courses.

    

Further information on www.nevyogamassage.co.uk

Leo is a Senior Yoga Teacher within the Vajrasati school of yoga, accredited with Yoga Alliance 500-hour Teacher Training Plus, and also a therapeutic Thai massage practitioner and has been teaching since 2006.  Both disciplines have their roots within the Buddhist tradition and Leo subsequently teaches from a perspective of compassionate enquiry and non-judgemental-awareness.

Her teaching is creative and playful,  she is passionate about supporting students to meditatively explore reconnecting body and breath as a way of practically calming the nervous system and a busy mind, and reducing everyday stress.

Leo has specialised in supporting women’s health over the years (often with restorative, somatic practises) but also teaches climbers how to integrate yoga into training to avoid injury, so is experienced at adapting teaching to be accessible and appropriate.Whatever your experience and physical ability, you are welcome. Leo’s classes are deep and therapeutic, but always with lightness and humour.

Inspired by yoga in a holistic sense: Leo encourages a deepening relationship between asana, mantra, pranayama and meditation (body, mind, breath and sound) practice on the mat and developing a deeper sense of connection, centre and space beyond.  Yoga, in this sense, informs the way she tries to live, parent and respond to the world; with open awareness, ease, generosity, acceptance and non-judgement.

 

Morning Sessions: Playful wake up, exploring movement, breath and expanding awareness.

Evening Sessions: Grounding somatics, resorative postures, meditation and yoga nidra to completely de stress.

www.centredspace.net

It is over a month since I returned from a week’s yoga practice with Leo and I am still reaping the benefits. I came back feeling two inches taller through Leo’s wonderful yoga. She is very perceptive of each individual’s needs and gently incorporates movement that will help. Leo is a fantastic teacher who inspires and is very inclusive. I can’t recommend her enough. The effort she put in every day to be inclusive, and fun, and completely approachable was much appreciated by the group. Thank you Leo – you are a diamond.

Jo Johnston

 

“I went on a long retreat led by Leo and couldn’t have asked for anything more – her thoughtfulness, attention to everyone’s needs, group facilitation and holistic approach to yoga, meditation and massage was wonderful. I would fully recommend to anyone who wants to connect more with their body and do yoga in an accessible way.” Ruth

“The holiday was a beautiful safe space for us all to show up in any way we needed to.” Pip

What a treat to have recently attended a retreat in Dalyan Turkey with Leo Taylor (Centred Space) as teacher/guide in the company of other wonderful yogis. Leos approach was wholesome and nourishing, blending beautiful practice with meditation and mantra.  Leo is highly intuitive and professional with the ability to ’see’ everyone making you feel welcome and safe.  Lovely complex, food and cheery, helpful staff.  I would highly recommend.’ Sue Harding

‘I had such a wonderful time on retreat with Leo. Her natural warmth, generosity and sense of fun shines through into her yoga teaching and she worked hard to make sure we all felt included, loved and relaxed.’  Pip Western Wellbeing

‘Leo’s yoga retreat in Turkey was fabulous. A really magical experience. Leo’s gentle, compassionate teaching allowed me to relax and unwind at my own pace, giving my mind and body respite from all the incessant demands of life. Lovely place, lovely people, lovely food too. Very special, an

Hatha Flow Yoga with Niamh Kavanagh

Niamh  has 20 years of teaching experience and facilitates breathwork, yoga nidra, conscious movement, and somatic immersion.

Niamh qualified in 2004 with Sivinanda in India. Teaching for 11 years with a variety of different yoga styles such as contemporary and vinyasa, Niamh is now a teacher of Hridaya Yoga & Meditation (IYF & RYT 500) and is also involved with teacher trainings in the UK for The Banyan Tree School of Yoga (YA). She is a contributing writer for Yoga Magazine as well as running her own workshops and retreats in Europe.

Her teachings are rooted in a detailed understanding of tendencies and relationship between the body and the mind. She creates a mindful and clear space for her students to develop their own understanding within their practice and ultimately their own wellbeing.

Niamh has found the magic in yoga to actively maintain fresh attitudes toward ones life making the most of each day. Niamh is also a guest teacher of The Subtle Body for The Banyan Tree School of Yoga, 200hr TTC (YA).

“My first yoga experience 25 years ago is still fresh in my mind today. During Ardha Matsyendrasana, I realised I wasn’t breathing fully.

This turning point sparked my journey home, meeting Self. Returning home is a remembrance of our true nature that emanates an eternal, loving, rest-full-freeing being. Bringing deep relaxation and inner peace.

I aim to guide you to the centre of Self and hope to continue inspiring you as I have been by many teachers, mentors, and guides.”

Your yoga holiday

Niamh teaches through the perspective of Hridaya Yoga. She will guide you through Hatha, Flow, Yin, Pranayama, Meditation, Nidra, Somatic immersion, Conscious movement, and Mantra.

Optional addition: Niamh will hold the space for Earth, Water, Light Inspired practices of Ritual & Ceremony, and Beach Yoga for deepening Self-connection, this is optional.and in addition to the scheduled classes.

 

 Morning classes: Flow & Hatha yoga
These sessions will combine dynamic movement with static postures to release tensions of the physical, mental emotional body, using the energy of body mind and breath. Strengthening both the mind and body.
   
Afternoon classes:   
Afternoons are a slower, Yin based, practice.

Both practises complete with guided mediations and relaxation, to experience the radiant space of the heart, the unlimited Self for more vivid healing of peace, love, kindness and health.

 

TESTIMONYS
   
“Niamh’s classes are perfectly balanced between the physical and the spiritual, accessible to beginners with challenges for those more advanced. She takes a serious approach to the sessions that have an ever present element of fun. Wonderful”   Matt M
           
The yoga trip to Ecincik, Turkey was great! I had a wonderful time, with inspiring people, at a very special place. Morning classes vinyasa yoga were hard work for me and I really enjoyed it, I have done to little of that for some time, and doing this again made me feel very much alive and gave me confidence to do more yoga. Afternoon classes were yin yoga and meditation that gave me real deep relaxation, surrender to the earth it makes me be in the now. I was very lucky to have a whole week in a beautiful place to feel these energies, and to have an inspiring teacher as Niamh to guide me there.
Hope we meet again, love    Heleen Strasse

    
Niamh truly teaches from the heart, and her teachings help you both on and off the mat, she is such a supportive and encouraging person / mentor. Niamh’s enthusiasm for life is infectious, and I always leave feeling healthy in body, mind and spirit. An inspirational teacher.   Nicola Cope

    
Thank-you Niamh for a wonderful yoga and meditation experience. I am grateful for the love and kindness offered from the group. I always wanted to go on a retreat and I’m so glad I found you and the beautiful olive groves of Ekincik. Yin Yoga has opened my heart and allowed me to go further into my stretches. Until the next retreat.   Zuhre

Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Nicolette Wilson-Clarke

Nicolette teaches both Yoga and Pilates. She is also a Master Coach to women entrepreneurs and created Embodied Entrepreneur to assist women in staying focused, powerful and balanced in mind and body so they can soar high in their business every day.

Nicolette is an award winning health and well-being coach, a qualified and accomplished Senior Yoga Teacher, a Mind and Body Consultant to dance artists and a passionate radio presenter on Wandsworth Radio, London.

She has over 25 years’ experience within the health, wellness and fitness industry, she teaches yoga, inspired by Astanga Vinyasa, Anusara, Jivamukti, Hatha, Iyengar, biomechanics and healthy living. 

She also teaches mat Pilates inspired by Classical Pilates and supports all of this with empowering coaching tools. Her teaching style is compassionate yet challenging, supportive, empowering, accepting and consciously delivered with love, joy and laughter.

On her yoga holidays, you’ll leave feeling grounded, centred and rejuvenated with a yoga practice that will include meditation, asana with integrity and plenty of time to restore throughout your stay.  

All levels are welcome and Nicolette welcomes the opportunity to guide men as well as women

The morning class will start with a morning practice consisting of short meditation and pranayama followed by a dynamic vinyasa flow practice and relaxation to close.

The evening classes will be much gentler and include long moments of stillness in poses and complete relaxation for tension release.

Throughout, there will be an emphasis on alignment and integrity of poses, with time to re-balance your mind and body, allowing space to return to or find your true self (Sat Nam).

You will leave feeling refreshed and ready to return to your daily activities.

 
www.embodiedentrepreneur.co.uk

Strong Hatha Yoga with Nigel Gilderson

 

Nigel has been teaching yoga for 20 years and is one of the original Free Spirit teachers.

   

He is the founder and senior teacher of the yoga classes available at the Brockwell Lido in South London; and is the founder and director of the Amrita School of Yoga Teacher Training. He also teaches at Yoga Point, and many private clientele throughout London.

Nigel began his career in health and fitness as a P.E. teacher and tennis coach giving him a concrete and pragmatic understanding of anatomy and physiology, and was drawn to the deeply therapeutic effects of yoga. He has evolved his own personal style of Hatha yoga drawing on influences from the Sivananda, Iyengar, Scaravelli and Shadow yoga traditions.

  

Nigel’s classes incorporate a unique blend of mindfulness of breath and opening through relaxation, to integrate the internal energetic system as a preparation for dynamic action.

His teaching has evolved over the years and incorporates a blend of many yoga styles, with influences from tai chi and shadow yoga and Alexander technique; integrating the celebration of the heart, universal principles of alignment, and balanced energetic action in the performance of asana.

  

Each student’s abilities and limitations are deeply respected and honoured. The practice builds strength, flexibility, and stamina as well as bringing awareness to the internal; creating, capturing and cultivating energy.

  

Students move from one posture to another in a continual flow and link movements to breath. The use of vinyasa enables the natural progression from one asana to another with a sense of ease and fluidity, ending in a deep and peaceful relaxation

Nikita – Traditional Hatha Yoga

Namaste! I’m Nikita and for as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about holistic healing, wellbeing & personal development.

I draw on my professional skills and personal experiences through Yoga, Meditation, Reiki and Coaching to enable people of all ages to develop a deeper connection with themselves.

I am looking forward to spending time with likeminded individuals, who are ready to bring positive change into their lives.

My retreats are a unique combination of Yoga sessions and mindfulness activities.

You will leave feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take on the world!

“I just wanted to say how excellent the champneys retreat was at the weekend.  Nikita’s teaching was amazing and she has such a wonderful style of yoga and meditation. It was very traditional yoga and she adapted the classes to what everyone wanted from the weekend. I came away fully refreshed and ready to face the world again.”  Anne – Aug23

“I just wanted to give you some feedback on the Champneys yoga retreat with Nikita that I was on this weekend. Nikita was an excellent teacher.  She had a wonderful approach and style. I feel so much better than I did when I arrived.”  Lucy – Aug23

“Just to let you know, it was a magical stay at Henlow. The food was amazing. Our yoga classes were unbelievable, Nikita did so many different things for us and made us all feel soo well. Thank you to all staff and Nikita.  Hope to come again soon.”  Surrinder-Aug23

“Thank you so much for organising the recent yoga retreat in Henlow.  Nikita was an exceptional teacher who exceeded my expectations with her skill, kindness and communication.  She managed to deliver to everyone’s needs in the group and was just so welcoming.  I wanted to relax, take time out and nourish myself and this is exactly what I got.  Additionally the facilities were amazing, the pool and the spa were stunning, the rooms clean and restaurant great.  I would be very interested in attending anything Nikita does again.”  Julie – Aug23

Nina Savarese – Hatha Yoga

Nina has been teaching yoga in Hastings since 2007, having trained in Kerala, India with the Sivananda school. Her passion for yoga has led her to teach many styles including Sivananda, Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin. A member of the Independent Yoga Network, Nina is also an experienced Yoga Therapy Body Worker, having trained with Elena Voyce at Teach Yoga in 2011, as well as qualifying with Swami Saradananda in 2017 to teach meditation.

Her teaching style is thematic, seamlessly weaving well rounded yoga sequencing with philosophy, attentiveness to body alignment, and breath work to get her students fully in the zone.
 
Morning Yoga before breakfast will be an uplifting and energising movement based Hatha practice, focussing on strength, balance, precision and alignment, giving students the opportunity over the course of the week to see their progression, and to build a strong foundation for their own personal practice.

The second late afternoon class, will be Yin, where we just learn to let go and watch our bodies unravel and unfurl as the week progresses, after which we’ll get quiet and sit for a short and sweet meditation.

Each class will be carefully curated so that all the poses can be done to fit your body, and your yoga practice meets you exactly where you need it to be.

Vinyasa Flow & Hatha Yoga with Noemi Franco
Noemi is full-time Yoga teacher and yoga therapist devoted to the practice and study of Yoga since her first trip to India in 2004.  Her teaching is inspired by traditional Hatha Yoga and the Krishnmachrya lineage of Ashtanga, Vinyasa Krama and Viniyoga, which she combines with the modern innovations of Vinyasa Flow.
 
She holds a 500-hour teaching qualification from the British Wheel of Yoga, 300 hours Prana Vinyasa Flow with Samudra (Shiva Rea) and continues to study Yoga therapy and philosophy within the Viniyoga tradition at Sadhana Mala.
 
In accordance with Hatha Yoga philosophy, she integrates dynamic/invigorating  “solar”  Vinyasa with gentler “lunar” restorative practices, depending on the time of day and the flow of the class.
She pays great attention to the precision of the breath, the movement and the alignment.  Modifications and adaptations are always offered to suit the different needs of the class.
 
Sessions will be open to all abilities including beginners.
 
Please bring a notebook and pen to classes with Noemi

Morning sessions will  include energetic Vinyasa  sequences taught in a dynamic rhythm followed by pranayama (breathwork) and short meditation.

 
The evening class shall be devoted to a gentler slower vinyasa examining the different postures in more introspective detail and Restorative Yoga followed by pranayama, introduction to yoga philosophy and meditation.    

For more information about Noemi go to her website:
www.yogaparinama.org

 

I just wanted to convey my thanks for a wonderful yoga workshop at Henlow this weekend.  Naomi was amazing and such a lovely person, she truly embodied everything yoga.  Please feel free to convey my thanks to her, because I truly felt it was her style and approach that created such a wonderful atmosphere over the 2 days!  The yoga was fun and Naomi made it suitable for everyone too:)
With best wishes Radhika

 

Just a quick email to say that the weekend with Noemi Franco at Henlow was fantastic. Noemi was a really good yoga teacher – intelligent sequencing, reading the energy of the room, catering to thedifferent levels of students in the group – offering challenging poses to the more advanced whilst still engaging the rest of the group. Nice steady practice in the mornings, slower in the evenings. The venue is fabulous too, the food amazing. I had such a wonderful time.

Thank you. Monica Cafferky

Paula Inch – Hatha Flow Yoga

I have been practicing yoga for 15 years and have loved every moment of it! Yoga has changed my life in many ways, it has given me the tools to cope with what life throws at you.

I currently teach at the hot pod studio, Fitmk and xcercise4less gym. I also teach my own classes at big rock climbing centre mk. I  teach teenagers meditation and Hatha flow with lots of fun added in!

 
I teach Hatha flow yoga, restorative yoga and yin, and I love teaching meditation and breath work. I have trained over the years with Jason Crandell, Anodea Judith and Norman Blair, James reeves, Debra Berryman.

I’m a great believer in listening to your body and sitting in poses giving you the chance to connect with the physical body and the breath and then letting go of striving for the ultimate pose! I also love a flow to energise the mind, body and breath.

I believe that we should have some fun in the class as well as focus but keeping that connection with the breath and softening when needed.

On our Yoga week:-

The morning session will begin with meditation and breath work, we will then move onto a Hatha flow which will help wake up and energise the body and mind.

Over the week we will work through different parts of our body, hips, twists, grounding, inversions, heart opening until you feel cleansed and refreshed giving you clarity and peace of mind that anything is possible.

The 60 min evening session will work alongside the morning sessions and will be a mixture of Yin, Restorative and Yoga Nidra helping you to feel calm and relaxed.

Dear Paula just wanted to say what a superb week I had with you at Kissamos Mavros Molos.  Your approach to yoga is always dynamic and fun. 

A great balance of work and rest time. I felt an internal strength from the classes and a sense of empowerment from the company of such lovely ladies.  Everyone had time for each other.  It was such a ‘Happy Place’ to be.

Thank you for making it such a special week

Fran Grayxx

Penny Raggett

My passion for yoga began back in 2000 when after many years working long and stressful hours in the hotel industry it was recommended that I should try yoga to help ease a bad back and tight shoulders.

I had a few abortive attempts at finding a class I enjoyed and then was lucky enough to find a teacher who inspired me, challenged me and showed me how the magic of yoga could work.

A couple of years later I took my first retreat with this teacher and  knew I needed to find out more about yoga and took the 200 hour Karuna Yoga teacher training with Ruth White Yoga. Ruth was a disciple of Iyengar and her teacher training is very specific in body alignment and helping to ease injuries and aches through the correct positioning of the body in the yoga asanas.

That knowledge of correct body alignment has proved invaluable in my yogic journey, and over the years  I have learnt more about the philosophy of yoga and the spirituality it invites.

This year I will be teaching at Champneys with Jacky Lampyl, details below

Embrace, Surrender and Nourish
with Penny Raggett & Jacky Lampyl

During these 3 days we will explore how to embrace our practice and play with the boundaries of our emotional and physical body.

Engaging the core contributes to good posture and a healthy spine, and improves your grounding. By surrendering, one opens the mind and allows new opportunities to flow. This is your weekend to connect with your inner voice through an introspective practice. Of course there is plenty of time to share time with each other.

This weekend is for everyone from careful beginner to experienced warrior. Together we will offer guidance and encouragement to each yogi, so the retreat is enjoyable and suitable for all. The classes will help you build strength, gain flexibility and help bring an inner calmness and tranquility.Penny and Jacky both teach in East Sheen in various studios but can both be found at the Sheen Therapy Centre. They are from different yoga backgrounds but their styles complement each other and can offer different perspectives for every one..

Penny originally started attending yoga classes because of a back issue and to ease the stress of working in the hotel industry. She has been studying yoga for 13 years, and her desire to learn more about the wonder of yoga led her to become a teacher.

Jacky’s passion for movement evolved from her study of dance. Having practiced yoga for over 13 years and teaching for 5, her yoga practice focuses on precise alignment supported by an open mind.

Rachel Barlow – Hatha Yoga

Rachel is a yoga teacher, sports massage therapist, movement coach and trainee Health Coach.  She has been teaching yoga since 2007 and offering treatments since 2009.

Rachel started practicing yoga in 2001 before heading to India to participate in her first teacher training in 2005.  After qualifying in Sivananda Yoga, she decided to stay in India for another 18 months to further her studies. 

In 2006 she qualified to teach Ashtanga Yoga from Brahmani Yoga, led by Julie Martin.  Since then, Rachel has continued to further her studies, qualifying from the London School of Sports Massage with a BTEC diploma in Sport and Remedial Massage in 2009; Yoga Nidra from the Satyananda School of Yoga in 2014 and adding various therapeutic tools to her toolkit, including NeuroKinetic Therapy and Anatomy in Motion to name but a few.  

Rachel has a compassionate, therapeutic way of teaching springled with a bit of light-heartedness along the way.   She has the ability to adapt whatever she is teaching to suit everyone she is working with.  Rachel teaches a creative, flowing class which can be gentle, dynamic or a little bit of both with therapeutic knowledge and experience thread throughout guided always by the breath.  

Rachel has worked with a wide variety of people from the very elderly with varying degenerative cognitive and physical ability issues to the young athlete, professional footballers and everyone else in between; has taught in many of the major yoga studios in London and continues to teach and treat privately at her clinic in South East London.  She is currently training to become an Adapt certified Health Coach from the Kresser Institute specialising in functional health and well-being in the USA and will be qualified later this year.

“Since going to the Shala Yoga Centre I’ve always really enjoyed Rachel Barlow’s expertise and playful style of teaching. Rachel’s huge depth of knowledge, her passion and expertise will make you feel confident while she makes you focus on your core and breath.”
– Sarah Bennie, London

“I love Rachel’s vinyasa flow classes. The pace is just right, not too slow and not rushed, very grounding for the body and for the mind.  I have been experiencing lower back pain issues lately and her flow, with a focus on core and pelvis stability has been so good for my back! Thank you Rachel!”
– Cristina Berra, Italy

“I attend Rachel’s yoga classes regularly. They’re great. She’s an enthusiastic, intuitive and thoughtful teacher. She gets the tricky balance of focus and fun just right.”
– Rhodri, GP, London

Vinyasa Yoga / Dance

My first experience of Yoga was in India (Rishikesh) with Pujya Swamiji at Parmarth Niketan Ashram. My travels and interest in nature and mountains took me to a Spiritual Home in the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges. 

I started teaching Yoga ten years ago in Community Education and introduced many new people to Yoga and Meditation and the benefits.  More recently I have completed my Level 3 Diploma Teaching Training Yoga (QCF) and the ‘Siromani Teacher of Yoga’ at Sun PowerYoga.co.uk (RYS200 Yoga Alliance USA).  It is an eclectic mix of three styles: Dynamic Hatha for Alignment.   Sivananda Yoga for Subtle mind and breath work.  And Ashtanga Vinyasa  for Heat, flexibility and stamina..   

I also teach Dance and Pilates which helps my students with alignment, body conditions or injuries. 

  

   

This holiday will take in all aspects of my knowledge and working from a base of Yoga we will incorporate my understanding of dance to enliven our practice, adding stretching and strength exercises to improve deep postural muscles, using a Barre for support.   

 

Morning classes will begin with sun salutations and a traditional Yoga class with Pranayama exercises and a dynamic yoga practice to wake with the sun.

Late afternoon classes will include a Vinyasa style class with a mixture of yoga and dance. Weaving flowing dance sequences with holds in balances and standing Asana’s.  Ending the day with an optional meditation session.  

 

Over the course of the week we will improve our Yoga practice feeling healthy and vital with improved flexibility and well-being.    

My aim is to create a safe environment where we can really experience Yoga from the inside out accepting ourselves and experiencing a Yogic lifestyle. This lovely venue is a positive environment that helps us let go of stress and tension. 

As a group we will have a good daily practice (Asana), with nourishing and healthy food to help us balance the mind and body. The healing aspect of Yoga has a subtle way of improving the quality of our own lives and the dance aspect will create a fun filled experience, so that when we return home we feel relaxed and positive.

This retreat is suitable for all regardless of age and yoga or dance experience.   

Rachel Lovegrove – Iyengar Yoga

Rachel Lovegrove is a Senior Level 3 Iyengar yoga teacher and mentor with over 25 years of experience. She left her job in the Music Industry in 2005 to pursue her teaching full-time.

Rachel is passionate about helping people navigate through mental and physical health issues through the application of yoga in their daily lives. She cares deeply about the discipline that she has devoted herself to and knows personally about its transformational and curative qualities.

Beginning in 1998, she trained to a high level in the UK and India with senior Iyengar yoga teachers including BKS Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar and Prashant Iyengar. She later completed the 3-year Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics course with Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics in California.

Now she lives in Hampshire, UK and runs a small studio near Southampton for both online and face to face tuition, regular monthly workshops, annual retreats and mentorship programs (teacher training).

Her teaching style is warm, open and supportive and full of humour, and she is dedicated to helping people reach their full potential through the practice of yoga.

Students are welcome from all backgrounds and all levels of ability or experience.

This yoga holiday will offer students the chance to go deeper into their practice at a pace to suit individual requirements. It will include asana, pranayama, optional chanting and restorative work, with plenty of time inbetween to rest, reflect and enjoy the holiday.

www.orangetreeyoga.com

Raj Nijjar

My very personal 1st yoga class was in the local gym, I was tired, exhausted and fatigued from my daily hustle and bustle. I needed time out. I knew I would like yoga however I never knew I needed it that badly. I kept saying to myself why had I not tried it before?

Years passed by with me doing my personal practice and then one day I decided to spread the yoga love in my community. So here I am with 20  years personal experience and  fully qualified for 5 years with Yoga Alliance.

Soon after my qualification I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, this didn’t stop me! I kept doing what I loved and discovered Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra.
I continue with my training and taking courses, I love learning and yoga is my Happy Place.

My business name SUKHMAN YOGA

‘Sukh’ in local dialect of India means ‘Happiness’ and ‘Man’ directly translates into the matters of the ‘Heart’. At Sukhman Yoga, it is our philosophy to build a lighthouse identity for your soul and well-being, to be the guiding force to catalyse betterment of the way you live, the way you think and the way you aspire.

It gives me another level of joy to realise that the names of my two beautiful children, Sukhvir and Manvir add up to create the mission of my life – Sukhman Yoga!

Yoga sessions

My retreats are very comfortable for everyone.

In the morning sessions we start with some gentle breath awareness, slow flow vinyasa sequences, alignment exploration, hands-on assistance, relaxation.

In the afternoon sessions there will be a short workshop style class to explore asanas. We will look deeper into chosen poses and learn more about yoga knowledge.Then we will enjoy nourishing Yin Yoga – this practice is designed to help you sit longer, and more comfortably, in meditation by stretching connective tissue around the joints (mainly the knees, pelvis, sacrum, and spine).

A passive practice, Yin Yoga involves variations of seated and supine poses typically held for 3 to 5 minutes, accessing deeper layers of fascia. We finish off the class with Yoga Nidra Meditation, pranayama.
 
For more information about Raj’s yoga retreat visit her website at
www.sukhmanyoga.co.uk