PILAYOGA - Key Persons
Evie first discovered yoga seriously via an Ashtanga beginners' course in 2002, where she largely practiced Mysore style and mixed this with Rocket yoga. Like many, at first, she was cynical about yoga but liked the physical challenge of the poses and was completely surprised by how relaxed she felt afterwards in spite of her cynicism.
She qualified with Yogacampus (the educational wing of The Life Centre) in 2012, having taken numerous trainings and workshops with well-known teachers, but her main inspirations have always been through regular classes with excellent teachers, including Eileen Gauthier (Ashtanga), Forrest yoga (Kristi Johnson) and Rebel Studio. She teaches Vinyasa Flow and Forrest Inspired yoga.
Her teaching style is a quiet and mindful, learning to intelligently link moves with breath to build connection with mind/body, whilst offering challenge poses for those who love to play (in which she includes herself in that category!). She is also qualified teach restorative and yin, seeing this softer practice as an invaluable tool in calming and supporting the nervous system and of course releasing physical tension within the body.
She takes a real interest in students' practices and one of the joys of teaching people of completely different ages, personalities and levels of experience is seeing them benefit physically and perhaps more interestingly, emotionally. In addition to her yoga training she has recently studied Indian Head Massage and brings some of her training from this into the relaxation element of her classes.
"Joelle has always been fascinated by the relationship between mind and body. After graduating from Kings College London with a degree in Neuroscience she developed a regular yoga practice and became dedicated to the study and practice of yoga. Passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga with others Joelle trained as a yoga teacher in London in 2011 and regularly attends workshops and teacher training courses to deepen her understanding.
Joelle has completed many Ashtanga teacher training courses with experienced teachers including: Manju Jois, David Swenson, Kino MacGregor, David Robson & Joey Miles. Joelle travels annually for intensive study guided by her teacher David Garrigues to develop her own practice. She continues to explore the science of yoga through self practice as well as further study with her teachers.
Joelle's yoga classes involve a sequence of postures, focusing on linking breath with movement in a dynamic flow to leave you feeling energised, invigorated and relaxed. Her belief is that yoga is about learning to respect your body whilst daring to push your limits to improve the strength and flexibility of body and mind. She strives to share a practice that is challenging, dynamic, and accessible for all."
Lucy teaches Yoga and Barre and is passionate about the benefit of movement for the body and mind. Her teaching style is to push people to work hard, but with the utmost attention to form, alignment and safety. Lucy ensures her classes are accessible to those new to exercise, but also attracts those who are fit and strong. Teaching since 2008 has given Lucy lots of experience and she enjoys the variety and challenges of introducing clients to yoga and barre, and the many benefits that these practices bring.
Lucy likes to live her live using the affirmation ‘ do the small things you love often and then we soon realise that these equate to the bigger things in life'. Her passions include yoga, tea and barre, along with fresh air, travel and spending time with people I love.
Lynette ( RYT 400 hours), began her exploration with yoga 12 years ago. It only took a couple of years until she developed a serious relationship with her yoga practice and in 2010 embarked on her first teacher training in Ashtanga (Hatha Raja Yoga).
Following her passion for linking breath to movement after discovering a vinyasa flow class, she went on to undertake her second 200 hour teacher training with Sally Parkes in 2013 studying sequencing, gentle hatha, restorative yoga, yoga for back care and pre and post natal yoga.
Lynette has also trained with Leila Sadeghee learning numerous spiritual practices, Bridget Luff, Adam Husler and Bridget Woods Kramer and The Yoga People she is earning her status as an Anusara inspired teacher, with comprehensive alignment principles and life affirming philosophy. To extend her knowledge and deepen her offering, Lynette is about to embark on her Yin Yoga training in April 2017 with Senior Teacher Nathalie Dubreu, Founder of The Well Being Yoga School. Lynette continues to pursue education in yoga and the healing arts. This ongoing process of learning provides the fresh insights that inspire her teaching. Healthy breathing, alignment and balanced energy flow are consistent points of her focus in her classes.
Lynette's teaching style is intuitive, playful and highly spirited and nourishes the hidden strengths of her students, while challenging them to reach beyond their perceived limitations. You will leave Lynette's class feeling enlivened, vibrant and whole.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Matt was studying biology at university when he enrolled in a dance class upon the whimsical suggestion of a friend. Something changed in him during that first dance course: he discovered the joy of movement. He next enrolled in a yoga class and decided he wanted to study movement instead of biology.
Several years later, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from California State University Long Beach, a yoga teacher training at a Sivananda ashram in India, a Foundation Course with YogaFit, a Pilates Matwork Certification with Power Pilates and a Thai Yoga Massage Foundation Course with the Sunshine Network.
Based in the UK since 2009, Matt continues to teach yoga and movement. His classes are dynamic, challenging and un-rushed, with an emphasis on anatomy. He gives attention to body alignment while presenting the principles of yoga in a simple, down-to-earth way. He is a Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals, leading the anatomy component of several teacher training courses and providing mentoring and CPD workshops to current teachers.
Having formerly danced professionally, Matt still has a strong yoga and movement practice which informs his teaching.
Matt is a proud father of two.
Sarah brings her vast experience, training, knowledge and passion to you all at the PilaYoga reformer studio.
Sarah has always danced! She has been academically and professionally trained in many dance styles over the years and also obtained qualifications in exercise to music and Pilates. From as long as she can remember it has always been apparent that ‘dance' was Sarah's preferred route into fitness.
As well as striving to maintain a healthy body, enjoying the type of exercise was evidently a key motivational factor to Sarahs active career and lifestyle. Training her body to be free, mobile and strong, to help facilitate her dance career. This is where her passion comes from to motivate others to remain active.
Sarah began studying Pilates 3 years ago, and wishes she had found it sooner! The Pilates reformer allows people of all fitness levels to develop their own range of movement, whilst strengthening global and local muscles in their own body with controlled movement.
This is why reformer Pilates training brings such an amazing physical benefit to everyone that tries it and also why Sarah finds this form of exercise is so rewarding to teach.
Sarah is ready and looking forward to meeting you in the PilaYoga studio soon! Her aim is to help connect your mind to your body and manage individual fitness goals. This will help develop your physical conditioning to become as strong, fit and mobile as you possibly can be.
Viv has been teaching yoga since 2012 and practicing since 2005. Her roots grow from the Ashtanga yoga tradition, with a love of dynamic flowing movement and a deep awareness of the power of the breath. This led Viv to train in Rocket and Mandala Vinyasa yoga and finally the quiet and meditative practice of Yin yoga to bring some balance to all that yang.
Viv now specialises in teaching pre and post-natal yoga, bringing knowledge and inspiration from her KGHypnobirthing training to support mums-to-be all the way through on their journey from pregnancy, labour, birth and into motherhood.
She is currently on maternity leave and can't wait to come back to Pila Yoga to teach the pre and post-natal yoga courses soon!