Through my work as a Rolfer™ and yoga teacher I offer education and coaching to people who are looking for more ease in their body and mind. The changes that both Rolfing and yoga practice can bring can be far-reaching and deeply healing. I am here to help and support you on your own journey of exploration and healing.
My interest in how life works began with a 4-year degree in Biochemistry at the University of Bath in the 1980s. After having my daughters, I later trained to be a yoga teacher through the British Wheel of Yoga, and have been teaching since 1994. I graduated as a Rolfer in 2008. I continue to research and take specialist training courses regularly with experts in their fields. My enquiry into how we move our bodies and how we exist in the world is an ongoing process which I find endlessly fascinating.
Movement is life. Developing an understanding of how we move helps us to understand ourselves better. When we begin to explore movement we realise that this work goes much deeper than the standard understanding that structural anatomy gives us. We each have a unique body determined by our genetics, along with a life history which has left its footprints of trauma, injury and repetitive action on our systems. Emotional and mental health impact heavily on our posture and movement.
After receiving my own Rolfing series, I was impressed by the life-changing impact it had, and also the intelligence behind the approach, so I went on to train as a Rolfer to find out more and share it with others. This was an extensive training over almost 3 years of monthly workshops at the European Rolfing Association in Munich. I later qualified as a Certified Advanced Rolfer and continue to research. It is a joy to watch clients heal and grow in themselves, finding more ease in their bodies, through the deeply-changing Rolfing process.
In a Rolfing session I use body reading and manipulation of the fascia (connective tissue) to allow the system to more easily express a pattern of health, aligned with gravity, and to develop greater resilience in the system. Rolfing was developed by Dr. Ida Rolf in the 20th century. She was an extraordinary individual, a pioneer in the field of bodywork, a polymath of great insight and intellect, and an inspired yogi. Rolfing has continued to develop over the decades, as new scientific studies are made and as research into best practice continues to be shared.
I find yoga to be a great support in life, both in maintaining health and as help during difficult times. We are lucky that there are so many different styles of yoga available to us and that it is so adaptable to our individual needs. That's one of the things I love about yoga, that it really is suitable for everyone. In my yoga teaching I aim to be as inclusive as possible, so that we can all practice together, each person working in a way that works best for them. I create a space in class for you to explore your own movement and postural patterns, guiding you through a practice to provide a rich ground for self-enquiry and balancing the body and mind.
I enjoy offering support and mentoring to experienced yoga teachers and student yoga teachers. I am on the faculty of the South West Yoga Academy, providing yoga teacher training in the south west of England. The yoga teacher training course run by my colleagues and I in the SWYA is a 3 year course leading to the British Wheel of Yoga Diploma. The length of the course allows time for self-reflection, and the development and consolidation of skills needed for teaching yoga. It's an exciting and sometimes scary adventure for students. It is very satisfying to facilitate the course and to see students show great determination and courage and to blossom in their new-found path as a yoga teacher. It's hard work and challenging for everyone, but a very worthwhile journey for those drawn to teaching. We all learn so much and have a lot of fun and laughter along the way.
I have a Diploma in Stress Management Training. It is interesting to have a modern psychological view of the topic, which already exists within the ancient teachings of yoga, but described using different terminology. I have also trained in Visceral Manipulation through the Barral Institute, and Source Point at the Dr Ida Rolf Instititute in Boulder, USA.
In 1999 I set up the Yoga Village UK website with the aim of putting yoga people in touch with each other. It contains the most comprehensive yoga teacher directory in the UK. The website is non-profit-making and is regularly maintained by human hand and eye. I'm delighted that it is still going strong and providing internet services and links for the yoga community in the UK.
If you are interested in my work, I look forward to meeting you in class or in my Rolfing practice.
Andrea
My interest in how life works began with a 4-year degree in Biochemistry at the University of Bath in the 1980s. After having my daughters, I later trained to be a yoga teacher through the British Wheel of Yoga, and have been teaching since 1994. I graduated as a Rolfer in 2008. I continue to research and take specialist training courses regularly with experts in their fields. My enquiry into how we move our bodies and how we exist in the world is an ongoing process which I find endlessly fascinating.
Movement is life. Developing an understanding of how we move helps us to understand ourselves better. When we begin to explore movement we realise that this work goes much deeper than the standard understanding that structural anatomy gives us. We each have a unique body determined by our genetics, along with a life history which has left its footprints of trauma, injury and repetitive action on our systems. Emotional and mental health impact heavily on our posture and movement.
After receiving my own Rolfing series, I was impressed by the life-changing impact it had, and also the intelligence behind the approach, so I went on to train as a Rolfer to find out more and share it with others. This was an extensive training over almost 3 years of monthly workshops at the European Rolfing Association in Munich. I later qualified as a Certified Advanced Rolfer and continue to research. It is a joy to watch clients heal and grow in themselves, finding more ease in their bodies, through the deeply-changing Rolfing process.
In a Rolfing session I use body reading and manipulation of the fascia (connective tissue) to allow the system to more easily express a pattern of health, aligned with gravity, and to develop greater resilience in the system. Rolfing was developed by Dr. Ida Rolf in the 20th century. She was an extraordinary individual, a pioneer in the field of bodywork, a polymath of great insight and intellect, and an inspired yogi. Rolfing has continued to develop over the decades, as new scientific studies are made and as research into best practice continues to be shared.
I find yoga to be a great support in life, both in maintaining health and as help during difficult times. We are lucky that there are so many different styles of yoga available to us and that it is so adaptable to our individual needs. That's one of the things I love about yoga, that it really is suitable for everyone. In my yoga teaching I aim to be as inclusive as possible, so that we can all practice together, each person working in a way that works best for them. I create a space in class for you to explore your own movement and postural patterns, guiding you through a practice to provide a rich ground for self-enquiry and balancing the body and mind.
I enjoy offering support and mentoring to experienced yoga teachers and student yoga teachers. I am on the faculty of the South West Yoga Academy, providing yoga teacher training in the south west of England. The yoga teacher training course run by my colleagues and I in the SWYA is a 3 year course leading to the British Wheel of Yoga Diploma. The length of the course allows time for self-reflection, and the development and consolidation of skills needed for teaching yoga. It's an exciting and sometimes scary adventure for students. It is very satisfying to facilitate the course and to see students show great determination and courage and to blossom in their new-found path as a yoga teacher. It's hard work and challenging for everyone, but a very worthwhile journey for those drawn to teaching. We all learn so much and have a lot of fun and laughter along the way.
I have a Diploma in Stress Management Training. It is interesting to have a modern psychological view of the topic, which already exists within the ancient teachings of yoga, but described using different terminology. I have also trained in Visceral Manipulation through the Barral Institute, and Source Point at the Dr Ida Rolf Instititute in Boulder, USA.
In 1999 I set up the Yoga Village UK website with the aim of putting yoga people in touch with each other. It contains the most comprehensive yoga teacher directory in the UK. The website is non-profit-making and is regularly maintained by human hand and eye. I'm delighted that it is still going strong and providing internet services and links for the yoga community in the UK.
If you are interested in my work, I look forward to meeting you in class or in my Rolfing practice.
Andrea