About Andrea

I have been teaching yoga since 1994 and find it a great healer and support for life.  We are lucky that there are so many different styles of yoga available to us and 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.

Yoga classes are a great resource and many people benefit from them.  The traditional guru-disciple relationship that still exists in India has been largely lost to yoga in the west, which I think is no bad thing as it doesn't work well in our society.  However, what has been lost is the dialogue between student and teacher and the directed personal guidance.  I am aware of this lack of dialogue sometimes in teaching yoga in classes and I wanted to work in a meaningful way on a one-to-one basis, which led me to Rolfing.

I became a certified Rolfer^TM in the summer of 2008, after nearly 3 years of training at the European Rolfing Association in Munich.  I feel very privileged to have learnt this skill and it is wonderful to watch clients heal and grow through the Rolfing process.

You can find out more about Rolfing by looking on my Rolfing page.  The system was developed by Dr. Ida Rolf in the 20th century.  She was an amazing person of great insight and intellect, and an inspired yogi.

Rolfing can be a catalyst for change in the same way that focused yoga study and practice can, though it is different because of the one-to-one nature of the work, the structured process and the use of touch.  With Rolfing as in hatha yoga we work at the level of the body, but it can also have far-reaching effects in other parts of life, because of the intimate link between body and mind.

A good proportion of my time is taken up with my yoga teacher training course.  This 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 feel very honoured to be a yoga teacher.  If we work hard at our yoga practice, on the mat and in daily life, following a path of integrity, we grow and change.  We become our more authentic selves and learn to be more compassionate and more resilient.  My practice and teaching has evolved a lot over the years.  If you work with me again after a break I hope that you will see a change!  During different phases of my life I have been inspired by great yogis and teachers from different traditions, and they have all had an influence on my understanding, and therefore also my practice and teaching.

My main influences at different times in my life have been teachers of the Satyananda, Iyengar, Sivananda, Viniyoga, Kripalu and Scaravelli schools.  I am very grateful to all the inspiring teachers I have worked closely with, who have supported and guided me through challenging times, many of whom are now good friends and colleagues.  Much gratitude to you all for your love and generosity and for being real.  I am also grateful to the teachers who have led the many workshops I have attended over the years and been open to sharing their yoga and experience of life with others.

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.  For those whose health is threatened by stress, my 8-week course can be very helpful.  In this course we don't do any physical exercise or bodywork, unless that is requested.

I have a degree B.Sc.(Hons) in biochemistry, which helps me with my ongoing study into anatomy and the nature of life.

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. 

The aim of the Yoga Village website is to put people in contact with each other.  In a similar vein, in my local community I'm currently involved with setting up the Time Bank West Somerset, allowing local people to help each other and share skills.  We live in a society that supports much isolation, which is not the way human beings evolved to live and is detrimental to health and well-being.  We need to interact with and be supported by others to be whole and healthy.  I support any initiatives which aim to bring people together for the healing of our society. 

If you would like to be on my emailing list please email me and let me know.  You will receive emails from time to time informing you of any forthcoming workshops or events that I'm involved in.