Having a background based in biology and an interest in different philosophical systems I discovered the benefits of Yogic practice in my late 20’s. As a life-long asthmatic I turned to the yogic breathing techniques when my doctor prescribed stronger medication for the condition. Instead of increasing the medication I am now almost totally free from the symptoms and medication.
Since the late 90’s I have maintained a daily practice which has had a profoundly positive effect upon my physical and mental well-being. I am continuing to develop my practice and understanding of the principles and philosophy of yoga by exploring different approaches and attending retreats lead by international teacher Clive Sheridan.
I have taught and led retreats in Europe, Middle East and India. My wish is to pass on my experience and understanding of yoga instructively, yet also with delight and passion.
I teach regularly on the leading European Yoga website Ekhart Yoga– watch my tutorials here.
Check my new website at Yogawithandrew.co.uk
I was born in Italy and I have lived in different countries since my early twenties – from England to Egypt and Spain, to Australia and Ireland. I moved to Macclesfield in 2012 after meeting my now husband Andrew on our teacher’s yoga retreat in India.
I initially trained as a yoga teacher in 2004 at the Yoga Arts School in Byron Bay, Australia, after practising Ashtanga yoga for several years. The wealth of the teachers’ wisdom opened a door to philosophical investigation and practices such as pranayama and meditation, which I incorporates into my practice and teaching.
I completed my second teacher training in Ireland in 2007 with David Curtis from Dublin, who is a direct student of Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller. I was also drawn to the Iyengar Yoga method, and I studied with Sarah Powers deepening my practice of Yin yoga.
Very early in my yoga journey I became interested in the transformative aspects of Pranayama and Meditation. My passion for my own yoga journey allows me to integrate my experiences in my own practice before sharing it with my students; I firmly believe in self practice – including daily meditation, Pranayama (breathing techniques) and Asana (yoga postures).
I spend time with my teacher Clive Sheridan attending his 3 week retreat in India, as well as shorter retreats with him in Europe.
I am one of the original teachers with the Ekhart Yoga Team since they first established themselves in 2012, and I deliver full online classes. Watch some of my short videos here.
“[Yoga] is a way to restore our lost wholeness, our integrity as complete human beings, by unifying the personality around a centre that is silent and unbounded.”
Although I had attended various yoga classes throughout my life I had not attended one for several years. After years of bouts of clinical depression I started to attend a Dru yoga class and soon felt the benefits not only physically, but on a deeper emotional level.
After attending several workshops and retreats I felt drawn to learning more and applied to undertake my teacher training as my own personal journey. As I learnt more, this changed to a feeling of wanting to share this yoga with others. I have been teaching a class for Activity in Retirement for 3 years and taught for Age UK for 1 year. I also completed my teacher training in meditation.
I attend Pure Yoga classes and workshops as Yoga for me is a continuous journey, every class or workshop you attend deepens your knowledge and personal practice bringing you back to the still point within.
Yoga keeps me calm, balanced and happy, it completes my day.
For the next few years I was very intermittent, dipping in and out of the odd class and bits of home practice, but about 11 years ago I turned back to Yoga believing it may help with some of life’s ups and downs.
I found classes at my local leisure centre in Bollington and as one class a week turned into two or more and regular class attendance turned into daily home practise, I began more and more to want to share the benefits I was experiencing. This led me to start my teacher training with Yogacampus enabling me to move into sharing this wonderful practice of yoga with confidence. I believe there is a yoga practice to suit everybody and once on the yoga path it will be there for you whatever life may through up in front of you.
As well as teaching yoga I am a practicing fine artist and a computer games environment artist. As an artist I find my yoga practice a wonderful place to explore my creativity, providing a valuable antidote to hours sitting at a computer work station.
It has literally changed my life: pre-yoga (as I like to call it!) I suffered from daily headaches, chronic tension, and felt like I was in constant competition with myself to always ‘do better’. With a regular yoga practice, I found myself softening – I became more aware of my breath which almost immediately reduced my tension and headaches; I am more patient and forgiving (with myself and others), and it’s even led to a change of my lifestyle as I am now vegetarian (which I never would have thought likely – she of the rare-steak-loving kind!).
I encountered yoga about 15 years ago through a fitness studio class; it was a fun hour that challenged me physically but it was all about the asana in a ‘fitness’ sense of the word. I had been curious about yoga, meditation and other alternative/complementary therapies before this so I knew that this wasn’t perhaps a true reflection of a yoga practice in its fullest form. Due to a lack of classes near me, I began to practice at home using videos/DVDs as guidance, and I attended new classes if they ever popped up – such as a Power Yoga class, and a few classes in village halls. However, as much as I enjoyed the guidance of a teacher, I felt like the sessions barely scratched the surface of this thing called ‘yoga’, so I continued to explore this practice at home for many years.
A few years ago, I saw an advert for the British Wheel of Yoga foundation diploma so I took the plunge and signed up to the year-long course in Manchester. It was with Emma Lloyd, a fantastic BWY teacher with decades of practice, and her experience, compassion and whole outlook was an inspiration to me. During that year, I learned so much about yoga, its traditions, the practices of pranayama and meditation, and most importantly it opened my eyes to who I could BE. It was almost inevitable, then, that a year later I signed up to an 18-month yoga teacher training course with Yoga Campus.
Beyond the physical benefits – allowing our bodies to unfurl, release and awaken – the practice of yoga is a doorway to lifelong self-discovery that is open to everybody. It offers space and time for us to turn our gaze inwards: to disengage from the habitual turnings of our mind; to breathe to our deepest, and live to our fullest.
I have trained with the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) having successfully completed the BWY Foundation Course in 2012.
I enjoy yoga because of the sense of peace it brings. As a runner and tennis player I find yoga helps keep me healthy, flexible and strong. I teach hatha yoga and have found that teaching motivates me to keep learning and growing, as well as wanting to share with others what yoga can offer. I believe everyone can enjoy, explore and benefit from a yoga practice. In my classes I aim to build self-awareness and to integrate working with movement and breath to help my students feel refreshed, balanced and more focused. I like working with beginners and helping them lay the foundations of what I hope will become a life-enhancing and life-long practice for them.
I regularly attend classes at Pure Yoga and also enjoy attending other classes and workshops to continue to build my knowledge and experience of the art of yoga.
I have spent the majority of my twenties travelling, experiencing as much of life and different cultures as I can. However, I always seem to find my way back here!
I found yoga four years ago and was most likely, initially attracted by the impressive positions I saw people achieve along with the physical health benefits. However, I soon found myself wanting to delve further in to all that surrounds and is attached to yoga – the history and ethos – of which I still have a lifetime of learning to look forward to.
In late 2018, having moved from Australia to London and feeling the effects of the change in pace of life, I decided to take the plunge and complete my 200 hour teacher training. I trained at The House of Yoga, Putney, qualifying in 2019. Throughout this time, immersing myself in the practice I was able to focus, connect back and find the peace that I was needing. It was time just for me, to zone out of anything external and in to the internal. A safe, calm space amidst the crazy of London!
And so, that’s what I strive to give back: A strong practice in which you can get out of your head and in to your body, a safe space with no judgement to just be and connect; connect to your breath, yourself and the present moment.
In February 2020, I am travelling to Rishikesh, India to complete my Yin training, where I’m looking forward to deepening my knowledge in order to be able contribute further.’
Asana (posture) practice provided me with a physical space to make sense of and work through emotions, whilst being guided by the breath and mental clarity created off my mat. Steadily, I began to delve into the teachings, philosophies and practices of this ancient system of liberation and using it as a means to make sense of our inner and outer worlds.
Since then I have maintained a devoted practice whilst living and travelling around the world and have been fortunate to have practiced in many beautiful shalas with a variety of spirited teachers. From, Thailand to Sri Lanka, and from Guatemala to The Netherlands. I completed my 200 hour teacher training with Yoga Arts, guided by Louisa Sear, in Bali in 2019. I have also taken immersions with Emma Henry, Phillipa Asher and David Swenson, as well as being under the loving eye of Andrea Everingham for some years.
My vinyasa classes draw upon the breath, the beauty of movement and the philosophy of Yoga. For the meaning of vinyasa, is the correct placement of sacred objects to be used during ceremony. I translate this meaning into my classes whereby our asanas (posture) become prayers on the mat. Breath, body and heart come into alignment as you are guided through a rounded practice of pranayama, asana and meditation.
Whether you are a curious newbie who thinks Yoga is not for you, someone looking to get a good stretch, or a seasoned Practitioner looking to delve deeper, my classes offer something for everyone.
Trained in Vinyasa Flow by the renowned Claire Missingham, Hazel is very enthusiastic about delivering engaging, exciting classes. Expect an uplifting practice, filled with strong, flowing sequences, linking movement to breath. Using asana, pranayama and meditation, her classes aim to create a yoga experience that ties together mind, body, and spirit.
“My first brush with yoga was as a child, when I stumbled across my mum’s ‘70s yoga book filled with shiny leotards and strange-looking poses. I was fascinated… but like the ’70s fashions it featured, it got tucked away and forgotten, until my 20s when I wanted to improve my fitness. I turned to yoga primarily because I thought it would be easier than going to the gym! I was totally unprepared for how transforming yoga could be. Now, yoga is a lifestyle and discipline for me – meaning that when I’m not teaching, I can usually be found reading, researching and learning about yoga, or on the mat – deepening my own practice with a variety of yoga styles and teachers, keeping my teaching relevant, fresh and thoughtful.
“I invite students to focus on themselves, encouraging them on a journey to find a practice that suits their body, mind and breath, and truly serves them each time they step onto the mat. My aim is to create a space in which students can connect with their true potential, and that everyone leaves class feeling great!”
The journey I embarked on back then has exceeded those expectations so many times over. I continue to be awed by the potential of yoga to simultaneously transform every aspect of life and the Self.
I feel so inspired by the power of yoga to heal the body and the psyche, and to enable us to release trauma and negative energy from our physical and energetic bodies. My personal practice has previously supported me in recovering from a herniated disc and managing chronic digestive issues, as well as developing greater resilience and an increased capacity to surrender in the face of the ups and downs of life. My experience has taught me how, beyond this, yoga enables us to nurture self-awareness, awaken to our higher selves, and to discover our connection to the Earth and each other.
I felt especially inspired to teach after discovering Kundalini Yoga several years ago. After only one session, I was hooked! I felt so intensely moved by the practice, and by its unique capacity to elevate the consciousness so quickly and through practices that are accessible to everyone. In 2013, I travelled first to India to undertake Hatha Yoga teacher training, and I completed my Kundalini Yoga teacher training in Arizona later that same year.
I am currently undertaking training to become a conscious connected breath facilitator, and hope to soon be able to offer this alongside and in combination with yoga. As with Kundalini, I feel excited by how such a simple and accessible practice can create such profound experiences and such deep healing.
In a yoga class, I love to work with mantra, breath work, meditation and mindfulness, as well as asana and movement – drawing benefit from the many tools that yoga offers us on our path towards growth and discovery. I aspire to create space for others to experience their own personal journey of healing and transformation.
The classes taught me the importance of listening to the body, working with the breath, and keeping the spine healthy by working softly with asana and maintaining a beginners mind. These principles remain central to my practice today.
Furthermore, those early classes instilled a very keen interest in anatomy and bodywork. Inspired, I went on to study Classical massage, Indian Head massage and Seated Acupressure massage.
After moving to Manchester in 2003, I continued to attend classes of various yoga styles including Ashtanga, Traditional Hatha, Dru and Yin, as well as practicing yoga at home. It took a little while to find the right class and teacher for me, which turned out to be a local Iyengar class.
Since having children and returning to work in a primary school, I have come to learn the real value of a yoga practice – enabling me to find space, strength, balance and calm in my day-to-day life.
Encouraged by my stepmother to train as yoga teacher, I enrolled with Yoga Campus and was part of the first Manchester intake in 2016. I was drawn to the course because of the array of inspirational, authentic teachers and liked that the course was not dedicated to a specific type of yoga – but one which teaches above all an authentic, safe, inclusive, breath-centred and mindful approach to yoga.
During the course, I was able to deepen my own practice and incorporate both pranayama and meditation under the guidance of the course tutors. I also attended an intensive course in Restorative Yoga with Adelene Cheong.
In January 2018, I set up a class in Hazel Grove and am now delighted to be part of the Pure Yoga teaching team. I am dedicated to continue my learning and to share a yoga that is simple, safe and suitable for everyone.
29 Charlotte Street, Macclesfield
Cheshire SK11 6JB
United Kingdom
