Do you feel it’s time to navigate your way back to the simplicity of breath so you feel at home in the body?
Are you in search of some much needed calm after the storm?

Feeling a little battered & desperate to revitalise & replenish your energy? 

Could you do with some guidance on living a nourishing life with increased creativity & focus?

Then you've come to the right place and I'm glad you found me. 

My name is Yasmin Zaman and for almost 20 years I've dedicated my life to teaching people a variety of yoga and meditation styles - gentle Hatha, dynamic Sivananda, remedial or therapeutic yoga for health conditions, as well as mindfulness meditation in the evidence-based tradition of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR created by Jon Kabatt-Zinn) and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT created by Prof. Mark Williams), because it's good for the body, our mental health and the planet. 

Over the decades, my work in mental health and clinical settings, nowadays remote or in-person, has been devoted to guiding patients, as well as diverse groups and individuals in public classes and sessions, how to apply the universal wisdom of yoga and meditation in its most basic form: with gentleness, simplicity, common sense and, above all, kindness while abiding by statutory safeguarding measures and good practice guidelines. 

I wrote about working in a clinical setting for CNHC here.

I know from personal experience with serious health issues - a back injury and TIA or stroke - and also from my time in a fast-paced, stressful career I once had in global communications, just how essential the self-care teachings of yoga and meditation are to restore us to not only our mental, physical and spiritual health but also to our place as part of Nature and the living planet. 

 It's nothing short of empowering.

Although I've been teaching for nearly two decades, my personal journey with yoga and meditation actually began 47 years ago with a childhood back injury and the subsequent healing provided by a gentle remedial yoga teacher trained at the Yoga for Health Foundation, teaching what is more commonly referred to today as yoga therapy. 

I wrote a feature article on why yoga isn't therapy but rather therapeutic for YAP's Amrita Magazine in 2018.

 I’ve been fortunate to be invited to lead programmes in partnership with local government agencies, GPs and clinicians in mental health, academic institutions and schools, as well as corporate organisations that: improve mental health for stressed, depressed and anxious patients; boost resiliency of teachers and school children; and coach staff in employee health and wellbeing programmes.

Supervision

I'm a trained and experienced supervisor providing supervision and mentoring for mindfulness and yoga teachers to support teacher development.

Accreditation

Therapeutic Yoga by Complementary and Natural Health Care Council

 Therapeutic Yoga by the Yoga for Health Education Trust

 Mindfulness Teaching/Training by BAMBA

 Pawsb mindfulness for young people by MiSP

Working with Yasmin  
I'd be happy to work with you either on a one-to-one basis, in group classes, workshops or retreats (once the pandemic allows) or remotely using the Zoom or Skype online platforms. 

I  have enhanced DBS, Safeguarding training and undergo regular supervision as recommended in the Good Practice Guidelines for mindfulness teachers. 

Background
I grew up in a culture steeped in both the classical Indian traditions of yoga and meditation with my mother's Tamil family as devotees of Swami Sivananda and the Divine Life Society, and my father's family with a long heritage in Islam, living close to the land, often in challenging conditions, in north-eastern Bangladesh. 

I've learned to take from my cultural roots only what is practical and contributes positively to my life as an Asian woman in the West, and weave it with wisdom literally unearthed from pre-history and interpreted by modern scholars such as Marija Gimbutas, Miriam Robbins-Dexter, Vicki Noble and Laura Amazzone, that puts nurture, care and kindness front and centre.  

When not teaching, I find inspiration in nature, dancing - Argentine tango, historic dances from the Baroque and Georgian periods - travel (usually watching TV nowadays!), learning languages (I speak five), history, art, music, growing lavender, vegetables and herbs, and all things Jane Austen.

 I starred in a BBC documentary commemorating Jane Austen's life, where I can be seen teaching and doing other fun things! I love spending time with treasured friends and family and catching up with my niece and twin nephews who all learned yoga very young. 

You can find out more about my background, publications and papers in my Bio.

Qualifications

2002 - International Sivananda Vedanta Centre, Kerala, India - Yoga Teacher 

2002 - Yoga for Health Foundation, Biggleswade, Beds. - Remedial Yoga (yoga therapist) 

2005 - NASM/David Lloyd - Fitness Coach

2005 - Wright Foundation - GP Referral Exercise Consultant

2007 - International Sivananda Vedanta Centre, Vrindavan, India - Advanced Yoga Teacher Diploma

2008 - Yoga Professionals - Hatha Yoga

2013 - Bangor University - MBSR Teacher level 1

2013 - Oxford University - Mindful Movement

2014 - Bangor University/Mindfulness in Schools Project - paws.b teacher for children

2015 - Bangor University - Mindfulness Enquiry training2015 - Bangor University - MBSR Teacher level 2

2016 - Bangor University - Supervision training

2017 - Mindful Schools - Mindfulness for children and adolescents

2018 - Oxford University - Finding Peace in a Frantic World - MBCT

Professional Health & Wellbeing Experience

1989 - 1991: Yoga for Health Foundation - assisting at a residential centre to support visitors with variety of conditions: M.S., cancer, disabilities, arthritis, pregnancy as well as other rare conditions

2002 - present: Teaching public classes, workshops and leading retreats in Dorset and Hampshire

2005 - 2007: Stress Busters - Manager of Southampton City Council's Healthy Living project GP referral programme for stress, anxiety, depression. The innovative programme combined gym-based exercise, yoga , meditation and relaxation

2009: Yoga Professionals - Course Director training yoga teachers for a Level 3 CYQ/REPs qualification in Hatha yoga.

2011 - 2016: Solent Health/Solent University - Health Promotion Officer working in the health promotion unit, Solent Health, designing bespoke well-being services for staff, students and external partner organisations, resulting in winning the prestigious UK FLAME Award for Workplace Well-being in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

2013 to present: MBSR & MBCT teaching of courses, workshops and retreats for public and employee wellbeing days for large organisations. 

2014 to 2016: Solent Health. Solent University - Project Development Manager of pioneering Big Lottery funded programme called HeadStart to train school teachers to teach mindfulness to children in Southampton and the New Forest schools. 

2016 to present: Priory Hospital & Wellbeing Centre - Mindfulness & Yoga Therapist within Therapy Services team supporting patients with variety of psychiatric and mental health issues.