My Teaching Style....

I teach an alignment based vinyasa yoga in the tradition of Krishmanacharya, that remains very influenced by my background in Astanga. Using a subtle and embodied approach, I prioritise the breath to guide a slow, strong and creative practice. I have worked hard to develop an excellent knowledge of anatomy and physiology, which I now bring to my passion for the authentic teachings of Yoga Philosophy and Yoga Therapy, blending these in an informed and full approach to the study of Yoga. 

I am passionate about an individualised approach to every student and spend most of my time working on a 1-1 basis. I remain continually in awe of the powerful practice of yoga to unstick and shift negative patterns, opening the doorway for change. I am an advocate for an embodied approach to life, where the breath comes first as we remain present in every moment.

Pranayama & Breathing

In recent years I have started to teach an increasing amount of Pranayama, or breath-work. This is an incredible tool that can directly target the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the physical and mental body and enabling the person to return to optimum health.

Ironically, it was my freediving practice that opened my eyes to the power of pranayama, and in a short time but with targeted training under the guidance of my wonderful coach Sara Campbell, I was able to increase my breath-hold to 6 mins 58 seconds.

Pranayama doesn’t just help you hold your breath (that’s not the point) - it helps you to focus the mind, shift unconscious and negative breathing patterns, and replace them with healthy ones. The breath is a real Pandora’s box - once you open it there is no end to where you can go. There is something for everyone. According to the sage Patanjali, the dedicated practice of pranayama thins the veil of affliction and ignorance, allowing the inner light and clarity of the true self to shine through (tatah kshiyate prakasha avaranam). So that is some motivation.

It All Started When...

I found a copy of David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga "The Practice Manual" when I was 14 years old at our house in France. Little did I realise that in my early twenties I would return to the poses I copied in the garden and, over the next ten years, they would become fully engrained in my body, mind and attitude.

Falling in love with India and flitting between yoga styles and introductory offers, it was the breath-led, daily practice of Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga that stuck with me, slowly taking a deep grip around my soul. The Soho shala at Triyoga and my teachers Brett Porzio and Ursula Scott had a great influence on my attitude to the practice, and the rhythmic sounds of Ujjayi will always signal a safe space or home. 

After finishing my MA's at Edinburgh University (Spanish) and the Courtauld Institute (History of Art) I embarked on a career in the art world, working at an auction house in London and for private collectors in London, New York and France. But my passion for Yoga and dedication to the practice meant I never completely belonged in that space, and I embarked on my first Teacher Training with Triyoga (2014, with Susannah Hoffman and Jeff Phenix). During this time I had the opportunity to take a deep-dive into Yoga Philosophy and authentic practices under the guidance of Carlos Pomeda, and then in 2015 took my first trip to practice with Sharath Jois at KPJAYI in Mysore. 

One month soon became three, and then six as I started to work in the beautiful Andaman Islands teaching yoga and scuba diving (another life long passion). Funnily enough, the sound of the breath through the regulator is very similar to ujjayi, and immersed in the deep blue, 40m beneath sea level and surrounded by the beauty of the under water world, it still takes me to a similar place.

Returning to London in 2016 I dedicated myself fully to teaching Yoga, and to Advaya, the Ecology and Wellbeing platform I co-founded in 2015 with my sister and fellow Yogi Christabel Reed. That year Christabel introduced me to her teachers Colin Dunsmuir and Miranda Taylor, who now guide me on a transformational four-year training in the tradition of T. Krishnamacharya and his son T.K.V. Desikachar.

I now live, practice and teach full-time in London and am passionate about spreading the healing benefits of the Yoga practice. My passion for water sits alongside Yoga, and when not on my mat or cycling to a class, I will be found in the ponds on the Heath with numb fingers and toes, or holding my breath as I learn to Freedive.