Beginning My Yoga Journey

I began my yoga journey by accident in 1994...

My regular aerobics class was cancelled, so rather than miss my exercise I decided to attend the swasthya yoga class about to start in the studio next door.

The attraction was immediate.

I had done many forms of exercise before - including classical ballet, contempory dance and tai chi - so I didn't expect anything hugely different. But here was a form of movement which was flowing, had elements of strength as well as softness, and focussed intensely on the breath. This last element proved to be the key to unlocking the tightness in my chest caused by chronic asthma. Something that I had been struggling with for a long time.

Over the next few years, I continued with my swasthya classes and also began to explore and practice other types of yoga. At that time I still focussed on the flowing classes and worked particularly with Jenny Sherwood - ashtanga yoga and Jana Appleyard - shadow yoga. The more I practised, the more my asthma and general health improved. I was able to greatly reduce the amount of medication I was taking, which in itself was a significant step.

A Change in Direction

Having worked in the Lloyds insurance market in London for 18 years - specialising in bodily injury claims, I began to feel that I wanted to change the focus of my career. I was being drawn away from dealing with the compensation for the effects of illness and injury towards helping people improve their own health and quality of life.

So in 2001, I began my yoga teacher training under the guidance of Tim Hunt of Kevala. During my training I continued my exploration of yoga styles, attending workshops with leading teachers from both the UK and US. One weekend workshop of 'Yin Yoga' with Sarah Powers, greatly changed the focus of my practice and subsequent teaching. Here was a style which was passive and completely floor based, working more on the joints than any of the other more active styles I had experienced. It also introduced me to meridian theory, the Chinese medicine system which is the foundation for acupuncture.

During the next few years I combined both active flowing sequences and the more passive still poses of yin into my practice. Doing this has helped me find a greater balance and completeness - which stays with me in my practice and teaching today.

After gaining my general yoga qualification in March 2005, I undertook additional training with Jane Mackarness - qualifying as a pregnancy yoga teacher in 2006. I have been accepted onto The Yoga Register as a Yoga Register Teacher (YRT) and am fully insured by Lloyds of London - one of those wonderful coincidences that happen in life.