I have been practicing yoga since I was a teenager in my bedroom and teaching it for the last 30 years. When I began there was no certification- we just taught what our teachers taught us, just like the yogis of old! Things have changed a great deal since then.
I began life as an academic, gaining a Ph.D. from th University of London, and later entered the business world. Throughout my life I have had two passions- running and Yoga. After many years of practicing Hatha and Iyengar, I discovered, after the birth of my son in 1997, Ashtanga Yoga- and fell in love with it!
Having competed in several marathons and ultra marathons, in 2009 I successfully completed the iconic Marathon des Sables, a 150-mile self-sufficient race across the Sahara Desert. That experience, followed by the unexpected death of my father and the impact of the recession on the business I had built up over 15 years, led me to re-evaluate my life as the busy (and stressed) Managing Director of a specialist Recruitment Consultant as well as a wife and mother. In 2010, with the support of my husband, I retrained as a Yoga teacher with the then Yoga Alliance (now Yoga Alliance Professionals). In December 2010 I was certified by David Swenson to teach the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. In 2012 I completed my British Wheel of Yoga Teacher training and was certified as a Yoga for Runners Teacher training by the inspiring Canadian Yoga teacher and marathon runner, Christine Felstead, who demonstrated that age is no barrier to running or Yoga!
In 2010 I founded UltraYoga, as a homage to my twin passions, ultra running and Yoga. I now teach Ashtanga, Hatha and my own-style UltraYoga classes in studios, gyms and health clubs across West London. I also holding small group and one-to-one sessions at my home studio in Ealing. I also run regular workshops and retreats in beautiful locations, with superb, healthy food and excellent accommodation, in the UK and abroad. I am always looking out for the next special place to share with my students!
My interest in yoga goes beyond the physical. In 2015 I was awarded a Master of Arts degree with Distinction in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation by SOAS, the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. I regularly attend courses and workshops- I will be joining David Swenson's Ashtanga Intermediate Teacher Training programme this November- and am currently enrolled on a Ph.D. programme where I am researching the how ancient ascetic traditions of yoga have been adapted and re-interpreted for the modern world.
Yoga has transformed my life. I hope it can help you transform yours!
