biography

Biography

I was first introduced to yoga in 1994 by my good friend Budgie, whilst at drama school. She brought along the Sivananda yoga book and we would practice every morning before our day began, slowly learning the sequence. I really enjoyed the feeling in my body and mind at the end of our practice together; a state of inner peace and a sense of presence to the world around me.

Along with our weekly classes in voice, movement and The Alexander Technique I began to develop a greater understanding of myself, continuing to practice yoga for a further 4 years, self taught.

I went to my first Iyengar yoga class in London in 1998. I was fascinated by the precision and detail with which the teacher presented the postures. I went on to work with this teacher on a weekly basis for two years gaining a wonderful grounding in the core principals of asana.

My time as an actor came to an end in 2000, the competitive nature and the insecurities associated with that world came in to conflict with a growing curiosity to know myself, and I became tired of pretending to be other people.

Later that year I packed my bag and went on an adventure, to travel around Southern India, taking in a visit to the Sivananda Vedanta Ashram in Kerala. I booked on a two week yoga holiday and ended up staying a further month learning about yoga philosophy and following the rigid but liberating daily schedule of waking at 5am for meditation, Hatha classes and Karma yoga.

On returning to the UK I moved to Brighton to be by the sea and began to practice Ashtanga yoga at the Buddhist centre and attend group meditation classes. Later that year I returned to India for five months travel and to train as a teacher at the Sivananda Ashram.

I began to teach on my return to London and over the last six years have taught in a variety of settings; group classes, beginner courses, workshops and one to one.

I was the resident yoga teacher at the Royal Academy of Music for two years and taught yoga to student actors at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. I was commissioned to write an article on yoga and it’s benefits for performers for 'Muso magazine' and taught for DV8 physical theatre company. I have taught in a wide range of central London health clubs. In the city I have taught stressed bankers at Goldman Sachs merchant bank, also in the city at Lloyds Register of Shipping and courses for Childline and the NSPCC.

Along with my teaching I continued to develop my self practice at Ashtanga yoga London for two years and joined a yoga dance company Tripsichore with whom I worked for just over two years discovering yoga as an art form.

Currently my open classes are at Triyoga Primrose Hill, Covent Garden & Soho and the Finsbury Leisure Centre, Old Street.

I have been fortunate to have had some great teachers over the years.

My love and gratitude to:

Leela Miller, Becky Mallison, Philip Cundall, Claire Best, Moksuraja, Edward Clark, Eileen Gauthier, Kate Graham, Denise Christian, Hamish Hendry, Emma Owen-Smith, Wendy Allnutt, Jackie Matthews, Janette Nelson, Patsy Rodenburg and the Sivananda Centre.

Thanks to all my students past and present for giving me the opportunity to teach and inspiring me to continue.

Thanks to Matthew Cooke for support in the early days.

Thanks to Budgie for getting the ball rolling!