Yoga Teachers
We have many different yoga teachers working here at Bodywise at different times of the week. Here you can read what they say about themselves and their approach to yoga.
Alan Parkinson
I've been practicing for 19 yrs. I attained my Introductory certificate in teaching Iyengar Yoga in 2002. I attained my Junior Intermediate Level 1 certificate in teaching Iyengar Yoga in 2008. I've been teaching for 7 yrs. I trained as a teacher at the Iyengar Institute, Maida Vale from 1999 to 2002; attaining levels 1 and 2 of the introductory course. My trainers were Sally Sullivan and Steve Richardson. I started practising yoga at Bodywise and still go to classes there as well as teaching there. At present I go to classes taught by Angelica Grohmann and Sophie Carrington, who are both very inspiring. Two of my main teachers were Padmavarsini and Vaccasin, who are both practising Buddhists as well as Iyengar teachers; this combination has been a great influence on me. I am also influenced by Christian Pisano and June Whitaker who run the Iyengar Institute in Nice and do many workshops and retreats. My own practice is very important to me and like Vaccasin encouraged me, I encourage others to some self practice.
Amanda Wray
I currently lead the ante and post natal yoga sessions. I have been practising yoga for 25 years, teaching for 20, and qualified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher in 1989 at the Maida Vale Institute. After teaching in prisons, schools and hospitals, I took my training into the field of pregnancy and then yoga for post-natal women. I now teach the ante-natal and post natal pregnancy classes at Bodywise.
Amanda's post natal (Mum and baby) yoga class has moved to a new location.
Barbara Norvell
Barbara is a fully certificated Intermediate Iyengar Yoga Teacher, who have been practising yoga for over twenty years and teaching since 1998. She was trained under the expert guidance of Sylvia Prescott and Penny Chaplin and she continues to devote herself to the development of her own practise and understanding of the teaching of the Iyengar family.
She regularly visits the Iyengar Institute in Pune India to take classes with the Iyengar family and attend workshops with Christian Pisano. Barbara loves the discipline and rigour of the Iyengar practice which is combined with compassion and the possibilty for progression. Her aim is to teach with warmth and humour combined with clear instruction.
For information about Barbara Norvell's classes and workshops see www.yogabarbara.co.uk
Laura Caro
Hopefully my teaching of the ancient, rich and healing science of Yoga will bring the ‘body of light’ to others, to release nature’s full expression of the body and mind, which lies within all of us. I seek to make my classes physically and mentally energising as well as giving each individual the freedom to explore and learn about their own bodies.
I started my life in yoga 20 years ago with Sivananda school in Canada studying with Swami Vishnudevanada, a direct student of Sivananda, and became a teacher of this method in 1983. For the past ten years I have been practising Iyengar yoga and became a teacher in 1996. I am currently taking the Intermediate Iyengar yoga certificate level III. I have studied with Mr Iyengar and his daughter Geeta on different occasions; including at their institute in Poona, India. I take my inspiration for teaching from Mr Iyengar, Geeta, Mira Metha (Yoga the Iyengar Way), Christian Pisano, Penny Chaplin and Richard Ward. My classes are based on the Iyengar method.Marco Cannavo
Marco has been teaching yoga since 1997 both in East London and at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Maida Vale. He has visited Pune India several times to study with the Iyengar family and he is an assessor for the UK Iyengar Yoga Association.
For details of Marco's classes click here www.iyengaryoga.org.uk/profile/1059 or email maitreyavira@hotmail.com
Nina Geyer
I have been practising yoga for eleven years and qualified as an introductory teacher in 2003. My main teachers are Silvia Prescott and Christian Pisano. I began my yoga practice at Bodywise, going to classes with Vaccasin and Maitreyavira who are both a source of inspiration and encouragement to me. I believe that yoga teaches you about your mind as much as it teaches you about your body. It is a well that gets deeper the more you immerse yourself in it, but in the end I always come back to Silvia’s favourite instruction; “Just do the pose!”
Rachel James
I have been practising yoga since 1995 and teaching for ten years. The inspiration in my teaching and practice is influenced by my teachers; Orit Sen Gupta and Dona Holleman, co-authors of the book Dancing the Body of Light. They define the route to a balanced yoga practice through their seven vital principles of relaxing the body, emptying the mind, intent, rooting, connecting, breathing, and elongating in order to develop a balanced and centred practice, this I incorporate within my teaching. "Vijnana vinyasa yoga" was developed by Orit Sen Gupta; which is sanskrit for "centred yoga" and is a return to a wholesome form of yoga with the integration of vinyasa flow influenced by ashtanga, the precision and alignment of iyengar and the wide heart practice of viniyoga. The practice connects with inner presence by letting the mind settle through meditation and feeling the body from the inside, by connecting body and mind through the breathing techniques of the vayus; pranic alignment is found and a cultivation of connection to the body's centre. It is then possible to develop a practice with a calm mind, relaxed body and wide
heart, where the postures flow from the body with greater lightness.
Rebecca Bogue
Rebecca has trained in various forms of Dance, Anatomy & Physiology and most recently Yoga Teacher Training with Edward Clark and Elizabeth Connolly. She has taught and continues to teach these subjects since 2002. At Bodywise Rebecca teaches Yoga for Cyclists. This class specifically addresses a cyclists typical physical tendencies as a result of the imbalance created by repeated overexertion of some muscle groups and underutilisation of others. The main aim being that students learn how to strengthen and stretch mindfully in class and apply these at any point pre or post ride and keep commonly developed cycle related injuries at bay.
Sallyanne Wood
I discovered Yoga twelve years ago. Though initially not living in a very yielding or responsive body, I recognised something about the transformational potential of yoga and a rich practice naturally evolved. Initially my grounding was in the Iyengar Tradition, years later I enjoyed the flow and challenge of Ashtanga and was drawn to Yoga Therapy and meditation both for my own healing and in my work with people in all kinds of contexts. I have also drawn much inspiration from other mind, body and movement fields including Feldenkrais Method, Sensory Awareness, Focusing, Dance and subtle energy healing.
Somewhere within all this influence, knowledge and inspiration I have accessed a deep, inner guided and heart centred, healing practice and feel I can help others to access their own inner guru.
I have a broad range of experience having taught yoga to actors, dancers, inmates, school children, and teachers, people with multiple sclerosis and within companies. I was the Intermediate teacher at the Yoga Therapy Centre for six years. I run themed workshops alongside my weekly courses and have lead retreats both in this country and overseas.
Toby Field
Toby's teaching style is open and welcoming. He encourages people of all ages and abilities to experience the benefits of yoga in a safe environment, helping to improve health, strength, flexibility, positivity and reduce stress. He has practised and learned directly from his teacher Cary Perkins and has also been fortunate to practice with other great teachers around the world including R. Sharath Jois, R. Saraswathi, Radha Warrell, Piere Seghir, Kino Macgregor and Tim Feldman. Toby promotes the creation of self-focus and independence to help students manage personal situations and reach their full potential
From the 18th of February, Toby and SuYen will be teaching the Mysore style Ashtanga yoga classes at Bodystudio. For more information, please see http://ashtangayogaeast.blogspot.co.uk/
Tony Marcus
Tony has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. He is BWY trained - training at Triyoga with Anna Ashby. He has taken an additional Scaravelli immersion/training with Catherine Annis and John Stirk. He has taken classes with Catherine Annis for several years. Scaravelli Inspired Yoga is a slow, careful yoga that is inspired (loosely) by the teaching and writing of Vanda Scaravelli. In this class we only do a handful of postures but we do them intensely. A key aim is to lengthen and release the spine and never compromise the comfort of the spine to achieve any particular shape. So postures aren't forced onto the body - the body is encouraged to open into the postures. There is also on emphasis on core strength and specific work to strengthen the core. We will also look at some movements/techniques to open the body so postures can be approached without force. The practice can be deeply relaxing (although work is involved) - and this can be a great yoga for bad backs.
Tony's other classes are:
Tuesday lunchtime. 12.30am to 2pm. North London Buddhist Centre, Holloway Road. 72 Holloway Road London N7 8JG. Deep slow but strong-ish and hopefully healing class. Quiet class. £10/£8 concs. Booking not necessary.
Thursday evening. Old Hall, Claremont Project, 24-27 White Lion Street (nearest tube, Angel) 5.30 to 6.45pm. £7.50, £5 concessions. Very mellow class in a peaceful space. Class is slow and deep and healing. Sometimes do some meditaiton as well in this class. Again a quiet class; just a few people come. So its nice.
Tuesday evening. I teach this class every other Tuesday and share it with another teacher. I will be teaching here next on Feb 27th and again every other Tuesday - I share the class with a more traditional hatha yoga teacher called Jane. Please come to her classes as well - they are fun and good. Details: Whitecross Community Centre, Whitecross Estate (Peabody) EC1. 6.30pm to 7.45pm. Payable by donation. The estate is just behind Whitecross street. If you come into the estate from Chequer Street, the community centre is a small, one-storey building on the near edge of the open courtyard
Natasha Whittle
Sharing my love for yoga, through teaching, helps me stay connected to the source of my own well-being. As I continue to practiceand teach, what is revealed in class, above and beyond the promotion of a particular style or ideology, is the importance of acceptance and support. Each student’s path is unique.
My style and sequencing emphasize stillness of mind and body/breath awareness, by combining the flow and heat of Vinyasa with mindfulness techniques and responsible alignment. I take inspiration from many modern branches of Hatha Yoga, including Jivamukti, Vinyasa Flow, Yin and Iyengar. I incorporate Pranayama, as well as aspects of meditation, to enlighten the mind through the body. I also teach Yoga Nidra, using deep, conscious relaxation techniques to attain a high level of physical and mental rejuvenation.
- every Monday at 9.30am
Fitness First Walworth Road, Saturdays 9.30-10.30am
I also teach one-to-one, usually in people's homes, and corporate classes in offices.
