I am based in Gurnard on the Isle of Wight and have been a Yoga teacher since 2002.

My own introduction to Yoga began in 1996 when it was recommended to me to help with a lower back problem that I had been experiencing for some considerable time.  It was like love at first sight and that feeling has never left me.  As years go by, I am so grateful for the advice I was given to start learning Yoga. Wanting a complete change in my working life and having a background as a teacher, I decided to train so that I could teach Yoga and pass on the benefits to others that Yoga can bring.

I completed a Hatha Yoga teacher's diploma with the British School of Yoga (BSY) in 2002.  In tandem with Yoga, I practised complementary therapies, specialising in Reflexology.  This side of my work gave me an enhanced perspective of how the body works; not only from the anatomy and physiology aspects but also from an holistic approach.  After twenty years of being a complementary practitioner, I have chosen to concentrate on Yoga exclusively.

I now teach Yoga classes in Gurnard on Monday and Thursday mornings - please see my Yoga pages for full details.  I teach classic Hatha Yoga with the added dimensions from other forms of Yoga such as Dru Yoga, Vinyasa flow and Yin Yoga.

I also teach one-to-one sessions which are helpful to those who are not sure yet about joining a regular weekly class.  These sessions have proved to be really useful to some first-timers, helping to build their confidence and ultimately join one of my classes.

I have recently started collaborating with another Yoga teacher and together we run half day Yoga events, also in Gurnard.  These have attracted our existing Yoga students but are also open to all.  The overall intention of these special events is to explore Yoga more deeply than is possible in a weekly class.  We are able, for example to spend more time on breathing (Pranayama), meditation and relaxation, as well as the physical postures (Asanas).  And there's cake, as well, for exceptional balance!

My personal style of teaching involves me showing my students a specific Yoga pose and then taking them through each element of that pose as they learn it for themselves.  This enables me to observe everyone in the class and approach individuals as required in their practice of that pose.  I can also ensure that each student is safe in their Yoga practice within their own parameters.  Whilst the aim of Yoga is to stretch ourselves, it is also important that each student feels comfortable and safe with what they feel capable of achieving, remembering that whilst they may have successfully completed a particular Yoga pose one week, their body might be trying to tell them the following week that they may need to hold back just a little.  To quote Gurmukh Kaura Khalsa: "Yoga is not about self-improvement but about self-acceptance".  For me as a Yoga teacher, I see an essential part of my role as being a creator of a safe space and holding that space for each of my students.

I believe that an individual needs to take responsibility for their own life and that learning self-help techniques, like Yoga, will promote health and well-being for body, mind and spirit.  Like thousands of other people, I would sum up my philosophy of life in the words of the Serenity Prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."