Our Yoga Teachers

Ailon Freedman

1 - 8 June, Umbria

As a teacher, Ailon has always sought to bring yoga out into the wider world. He set up The Lotus Exchange, Londons first corporate yoga service in 2001; developed a yoga for athletes programme for England footballers and cricketers in 2003, and taught remedial yoga in Harley Street from 2002 to 2008. When not teaching yoga, Ailon runs high-energy African drumming workshops and also performs on the London comedy circuit, so it promises to be a fun filled week. Hes an engaging and warm teacher, who will ensure everyone is well looked after throughout the week.
 

Alan Kelly

Through Alan's steady pace, creative sequencing and attention to detail he encourages his students to move freely, deeply, and mindfully into their bodies through asanas, breath work (Pranayama) and meditation, bringing mind, body, emotions and spirit into harmony and working together as one. Alan is based in London teaching at Triyoga, abroad for Inspa Holidays and Destination Yoga, and for a private clientele.

Anna Ashby

 16 - 23 May,  Finca Paradisoand 11 - 18 September, Umbria

Anna Ashby has been studying and practising yoga for 20 years and has been teaching since 1999. She holds the highest level of certification by the Yoga Alliance - the Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500 - and she also holds a B.A. in Modern Dance. The core of Anna's yoga training and inspiration comes from many years of dedicated study and practice of Siddha Yoga Meditation.TM Anna's teaching style blends an appreciation for alignment with a real love of movement. She teaches with a steady, upbeat and methodical approach to asana practice that encourages introspection, contemplation as well as fun. Anna regularly leads retreats trainings in the UK.

Caroline Gamble

25 April - 2 May, Puglia

Carolines entry into yoga practice started with meditation over 10 years ago. She found the physical practice of yoga asana and the breathing practices of pranayama as tools to prepare her for seated meditation. This informs her teaching: all her classes enfold in layers to open and balance body and mind for a greater sense of centered connectedness.
Caroline weaves different styles and paces of practice into her classes -finding greater strength in mind and body with dynamic poses, opening into more spaciousness with flowing sequences, and delving into deeper realms of release with long-held restorative practice; giving her students the contentment of a thorough, complete sadhana. All classes include asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), yoga nidra (guided relaxation), and meditation. The practice needs of each individual will be catered for with love and compassion.

Caroline teachers throughout London and was an original teacher at the Evolve Wellness Centre is South Kensington, where she continues to teach regular weekly classes, courses and online learning. Her training includes Yoga Campus, 200hrs Teacher Training Diploma; Himalayan Tradition, 200hrs Meditation; ongoing studies in Anatomy, Pregnancy Yoga, and Yoga Nidra.

Emma Henry

2013 dates to be confirmed

Emma is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti yoga teacher and trained as a ballet dancer from age 11. She has danced professionally around the world specialising in classical, contemporary dance and martial arts and while dancing professionally Emma found the benefits of yoga practice enhanced her flexibility, strength, balance and focus.

Her continuing education is shared with all of her students through her love of yogic texts and her amazing chanting. All of her classes include an inspiring sound track and a lot of laughter. Her goal is to create a space for practitioners to feel inspired, nurtured and uplifted. She has hosted yoga workshops and retreats around the world with many happy yogis returning for more year after year.

Erika Tourell

Erika, who has been practicing yoga for 18 years, uses a variety of styles which integrate her experience of Iyengar, Astanga, Yin/Yang, Kundalini and Restorative yoga, emphasizing awareness of mind, body and breath whilst focusing on correct alignment. Erika believes that, while yoga does make our bodies stronger and more flexible, yoga's greatest gifts lie in helping us to heal on the inside by helping our minds to become more peaceful and by opening our hearts to grace. She aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment to allow her students to develop their own understanding of yoga in an enjoyable way.

Heather Elton

8 - 15 May, Atlas Mountains and 3 - 10 August 2013  Puglia, Italy

Heather began Hatha Yoga in Canada in 1986.  She has taught Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Dynamic Flow Yoga in London and on international retreats since 2004. Her teaching style integrates yoga philosophy with breath and asana to reveal the spiritual path underlying the practice and the technology to stabilize the mind, so we can liberate ourselves from suffering. Heather's approach is a deep physical and psychological practice that moves beyond a mere physical experience to make the yogic inquiry authentic and relevant to real life. Heather is certified at the highest level with the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500) and offers Yoga Teacher Training in Goa.

Isaac Mullins

2013 dates to be confirmed

Isaac began practicing Ashtanga Yoga 13 years ago, initially only to complement his career as a dancer with companies including the English National ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Spanish National Ballet. At 23 his desire to pursue yoga overtook his desire to dance, prompting him to train as a teacher.

He has travelled extensively in India, studying many styles including Ashtanga, Sivananda and Iyengar. He has been lucky enough to learn from many great teachers including Richard Freeman, David Svenson, Liz Lark, Padma Nair, Gusta (Shunya) and many more.

Isaac is qualified with the British wheel of Yoga and is certified by the Yoga Alliance.

17 - 24 March 2013, Italian Dolomites

James was working as a trader in the City in '95 when he discovered that yoga could relieve chronic back pain and assist in calming a restless mind. He had completed one teacher training course with Sivananda in 2002 when he was thankfully made redundant and began teaching full-time. The decade of City life gave him an invaluable understanding of the challenges of working in high-pressure environments. During the following five years he also gained Yoga Alliance certification and taught in yoga centres and health clubs across London as well as organising his own classes and yoga holidays. In 2006 he went to India for six months' intensive study of Astanga in Mysore and trained with Sri K Pattabhi Jois.

James' teaching style is an amalgamation of the wide range of yoga instruction he has personally experienced and his classes are accessible to all whilst he tailors each session to the individual needs and abilities of his students.

A life long lover of movement, expression and creativity Jean spent most of her childhood and early adult years dancing and running! Discovering yoga whilst training as a dancer she began to incorporate it into her life and later career as a professional performer.

In 1995 she qualified as a Iyengar yoga teacher and since then she has continued to study different forms of yoga with many great teachers including Geeta Iyengar and Sri K Pattahbi Jois, as well as being self taught and working with more unconventional teachers such as John Stirk and Paddy McGrath.

Jean teaches a deep dynamic slow flow form of yoga. She is known for her unique ability to draw students and teachers beyond limitations and closer to their true potential and confidence through the ancient yogic system of asanas, mindful breathing and meditation with an approach of devotion and playfulness.  

Kate Walker

22 - 29 August,  Finca Paradiso

I discovered yoga in 1998 whilst doing a double degree in eastern philosophy and drama in New York. It was my own way of connecting to an inner sense of peace and happiness, stillness and silence. I started yoga weak and inflexible, so have been on a long journey of exploration, development, humility and patience which I bring to my teaching! I was originally certified by tripsichore yoga theatre, but went on to find my true teacher, Max Strom, and complete his advanced teacher training in California. I focus on the synchronisation of breath and movement to find that inner state of bliss, emphasising a non-competitive, non-dogmatic approach. My classes are dynamic, strong, flowing and meditative, with a sense of humour and fun. I borrow from many styles, including astanga, sivananada, iyengar and tripsichore to create a heart-based, breath-centred flow. All levels are catered for, as I offer options constantly. I believe strongly that yoga helps us to free our hearts and quiet our minds. I teach workshops and retreats worldwide, and regular classes all over London.

2 - 10 February 2013,  India

Yoga Master Katrina Repka has been studying and teaching yoga since 1992. She has co-authored two books: Chakra Yoga: Balancing Energy for Physical, Spiritual, and Mental Well-being, and Breathing Space: 12 Lessons for the Modern Woman. She also writes for Yoga Magazine and has a weekly column in Metro newspapers worldwide.

Katrina has recently been featured in magazines and newspapers such as Elle, Vogue, Tatler, the Guardian and the Telegraph, and as a yoga expert on BBC radio and television. She is also a board member of the Life Centre Teacher Training Programme and the head of ISHTA Teacher Trainings in Canada and Europe.
 

 Laura Gilmore

19 - 26 June, Puglia

There will be a twice daily practice (with one afternoon off during the week). Each morning there will be a dedicated 2 hour practice to focus the mind, and warm and tone the body. The morning asana (postures) practice will provide clear alignment while moving on the breath into flowing asana where suitable. The afternoons provide time to ease and release the body, and centre the mind with mindfulness, breath and meditation practices. We may also work more deeply into the release of hips, shoulders and other trouble spots!

A week retreat with Laura Gilmore will give you the time and space to connect more deeply with yourself. Laura has more than 20 years practice experience to draw upon to create a suitable practice for you, and has been teaching since 1990. Her practice and teaching include Hatha yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Buddhist meditation and Tantra practices. Laura teaches with intuitive understanding of the needs of her students. With clarity she shares a deep knowledge of asana interwoven with the deeper wisdom of yoga. She teaches with warmth and humour and loves to share the practices of yoga and meditation.

30 March - 6 April, Suryalila and 20-27 July, Puglia

Liz Lark has been teaching yoga since 1990's, training first with the British Wheel of Yoga. Absorbed in the health & balance of the bodymind through alignment, gesture, breathing, sequencing and relaxation her inspiration comes from the series of Astanga Vinyasa tradition and other Hatha yoga practises including yoga nidra (deep relaxation). Liz adapts yoga postures for each individual in order to chisel' into the form and help to sculpt and free each unique body.

Workshops with leading teachers including Richard Freeman and Rod Stryker at The Life Centre London have inspired Liz to explore the unfolding journey into the liberating simplicity and spaciousness that Yoga brings. She is a board member for The Life Centre Teachers Training Course, and runs retreats and workshops nationally and internationally.

Liz holds a BA & MA 3d design & Performing arts, elements of which she weaves into her teaching to draw on the body as a moving metaphor and an alchemical vessel for constant renewal.

Lizzie Gilchrist

2013 dates to be confirmed

After a chance introduction to yoga whilst at school during 1993-94, Lizzie has continually been drawn to the practice for the feeling of calm, strength, spaciousness it gives and its quietly transformative power. She believes yoga is a wonderful, life affirming practice and a healing tonic to the potential head led busy-ness and disconnection of everyday life in the western world

.Having explored many different schools of yoga, Lizzie now practices and teaches a slow flowing style in the main, emphasizing breath and awareness with the intention of bringing mind, body & spirit back into balance. Her classes combine strength with gentleness and movement with stillness. She aims to give people the space to have their own experience and to see that they are their own best teacher.

15-22 June,  Umbria

Louise has been practising yoga for 30 years and teaching for 20. She lived and qualified as a Sivananda Yoga teacher in their Ashram in Kerala in 1989 where she was a member of staff. In 1994 she qualified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher at the Iyengar Institute in Maida Vale where she then taught. The major influences in her yoga life have been BKS Iyengar, Shandor Remete and John Scott. Her classes, which reflect her practice, concentrate on breath and alignment, starting with breath awareness and flowing from Sun Salutations into the asanas.

20-27 July,  Suryalila

Luisa gained the Yoga Alliance 500 hours and the British Wheel of Yoga's teaching qualification. With over 16 years of experience, Luisa is a firm believer that yoga is for everyone - any age, any level of fitness, any background, any flexibility. Luisa has studied vinyasa yoga, yin and restorative practices amongst others. She now teaches mindful, alignment-based dynamic yoga with meditation. Luisas yoga sessions include detailed instruction, energising and relaxing sequences and a special focus on the breath. Luisas aim is to help each student find the practices which help access the energy, flexibility, strength, focus and peace which will truly enrich every life.

14 - 21 August, Finca Paradiso

Naomi draws on her experience to teach light, uplifting classes that reflect the challenge of big city life without losing sight of yogas ancient roots. Working within the Krishnamacharya lineage she teaches dynamic Vinyasa using an ever-changing sequence of Asana (aligning breath and movement), which allows her to respond to the energy in the room. She has trained with many of the worlds best teachers, each of whom has contributed to her unique teaching style. After working with injuries and illness she has developed a practice that emphasises the therapeutic benefits of yoga and her classes are designed for all levels.

Her love of yoga is evident in her teaching style and her classes will leave you feeling inspired and open to possibility. Naomi opened her studio, Yoga on the Lane in March 2012 and is thrilled to have a base and a community in East London. She continues to host workshops and retreats all over the world and is excited about joining the Inspa team.

17 - 24 August, Umbria

Nick is a 800hour certified jivamukti yoga teacher who after countless hours in recording studios for over 10 years attracted him to the practice of yoga. Yoga was a way for nick to focus and clear his mind from his work within the music industry. Nicks inquiry into the practice has deepened over recent years, through dedicated and exploration of the Jivamukti method.
Nicks classes are dynamic, but at the same time, not loosing sight of why we actually practice. Being conscious that our yoga practice does not become a mechanical exercise that one simply does.

Nick feels privileged to teach and looks forward to being of service to every student that he comes across. He hopes to inspire awareness, knowing that what happens on the mat has the possibility to translate how we conduct ourselves off the mat.

17 - 24 August, Umbria

Pashenka is an advanced certified Jivamukti yoga teacher who began practicing yoga asana in 1996 as a way to help her transition from the world of classical ballet to university (where she studied to become a speech and language therapist). The profound physical, mental and emotional effects this had, left her curious and keen to find out more. This interest has been nurtured through the Jivamukti Yoga Centre London, where she exclusively teaches.

Pashenka embraces the journey of teaching Jivamukti Yoga and hopes to selflessly serve and inspire students to take the leap and view yoga as more than movements on the mat - to be the positive change in the world.

Saskia Griffiths

2013 dates to be confirmed

Saskia Griffiths, originally from Andorra, has been teaching yoga for the last few years in Mallorca to a wide range of students. Recently returned from San Francisco where she practiced with some of the shape shifters of the modern yoga world and is currently spending time in India absorbing more traditional aspects of yoga. She is a traveller at heart and has combined her passions of people, nature and yoga to teach retreats in some of the most amazing places worldwide. Her classes are a blend of what she has learned from various styles, schools and inspiring teachers with emphasis on correct posture alignment, flowing with the breath and the ultimate goal of expanding awareness. Through the mind and body connection, her hope is to pass on through Yoga a sense of connection, peace and fullness.

14-21st July, Finca Paradiso

Sophie teachers with a rare combination of clarity, gentleness and strength somehow all together. She is known for her artful fusion of creative sequencing, alignment instruction and adjustments. Sophie first practiced yoga in 1988 in Pondicherry, India. Over the years she has drawn inspiration from different yoga teachers and traditions: Astanga, Sivananda, BKS Iyengar. She began her teacher training in 2004 after a skiing accident & knee surgery. Yoga was a vital part of her recovery and it was then that she truly appreciated the profound and far-reaching effects of yoga on the mind, body and spirit. She qualified and started teaching in 2006. In May 2006 she attended her first Anusara workshop (A-nu-Sar-a means "to be in the flow, flowing with Grace") and from that moment on has dedicated her practice and teaching to Anusara Yoga: a uniquely integrated style of Hatha yoga that is both inspiring and expansive and yet firmly gounded in the univeral principals of alignment.

Sophie strongly believes in the power and potential of yoga to transform our lives and that yoga should be practiced with fullness, gratitude and laughter. Sophie teachers classes and private clients in London and runs retreats and workshops in the UK and abroad. From 2013 onwards Sophie is collaborating with Bridget Woods Kramer running their Advanced Yoga Alliance Teacher Training program.

10 - 17 August, Umbria

Sophie's experience and practice of yoga has been built over 10 years, with a broad range of teachers of dynamic hatha flow and steady, meditative posture. She is fully qualified with Registered Yoga Alliance, having trained in India and London. She teaches strong, safe alignment to build flexibility and strength conditioning equally, encouraging breath awareness to focus body and mind harmony and dismantle old patterns. Specializing in yoga for triathletes and athletes, she has developed a unique yoga programme to benefit sports. Excercising with awareness to improve the wellbeing of all students, she believes yoga can have transforming results beyond the mat.

Since the age of 14, Tammy has practised yoga and is a certified Senior Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She combines traditional Indian Yoga styles with a contemporary western approach to authentically help guide others to find their own love for, and benefits from Yoga.

From the lineage of the Great Krishnamacharya, she teaches vinyasa yoga (breath-synchronised movement meditation). Her teaching style is light-hearted and she adapts classes to meet the energies and needs of the group. Classes include postures, breath work, mantra, music and meditation they can be dynamic and uplifting yet always move towards inner stillness.

Zoe Knott

17 - 24 August, Suryalila

Zoe is a Diploma Course Tutor (DCT) for the British Wheel of Yoga and is also their DCT Training Officer. Over 30 years of yoga practice with many different teachers from a variety of traditions has resulted in an eclectic style of teaching that has been influenced by all those she has worked with. Her fundamental approach is to build strength as the cornerstone of practice and from there all poses become possible. Asana are broken down and analysed. Zoe looks at the muscles that need to be strong or flexible and works in detail gradually building up the components of a pose.

Zoe has taken the additional BWY modules in Pranayama and Pregnancy. She also runs regular yoga classes, the Foundation Course, Teacher Training and travels round the country giving Workshops and taking In Service Training.