About

Personal profile

Background qualifications & experience:

Trained in Art & design at Sheffield & Liverpool Colleges of Art
Qualified school Teacher Art & Design

(secondary and FE – 20 years experience)
Qualified Yoga Teacher – FRYOG 1988, Satyananda / Bihar School of Yoga 1995 (India),

Satyananda / Bihar School of Yoga (UK & Ireland) 1997, BWY 1997.

Satyananda Yoga Assessor and trainer of Yoga teachers

Artist (Dip Ad ATC)

Specialist areas:

As a teacher of Yoga, I have worked in the fields of:

Mental Health – Researching practices for anxiety, depression and psychosis in the West of Ireland. 1996-97
Teaching yoga practices for mental health in the West of Ireland. 1996-97
I have run courses at the Mental Health Foundation, London and seminars and courses in Nottingham. 1998 - 2003
I have run courses (single days, weekends and a 6 month module) to train Yoga teachers in suitable practices for working in the field of mental health. (since 2000)

I have developed (with a colleague) a 16 week course for Surehealth, Sheffield, working with Yoga practices for Depression, in conjunction with ScHAAR (School of Health and Related Research) at University of Sheffield.
Prison - a high security prison in Nottinghamshire 1997 - 2013 and I taught an OCN course for prisoners entitled: ‘SELF STUDY AND DISCIPLINE THROUGH THE PRACTICES OF YOGA & MEDITATION’

Schools/University – General Yoga courses for students from 5 – 18 + and also stress management classes for teachers and trainee teachers. (2004 – 2007) University of Nottingham courses for Mental Health 2011 - 2015

Less mobile – teach classes for students with mobility difficulties and the aged.(since 2004)

General classes - working at levels from beginners to advanced students.

Teachers Training - I have taught a 2 year teachers training course in Satyananda Yoga (with Swami Pragyamurti & Lalita Ambika). This is verified by the British Wheel of Yoga which is the governing body in the UK. I have also had inputs in previous TTC courses.

Assessor for Satyananda Yoga Teachers training courses & Mandala Yoga Ashram

Meditation – I run meditation courses and have taught short courses in Mindfulness for Stress, Anxiety & Depression.

Yoga for Cancer – I have done a 6 month BWY training course (BWY is the governing body of yoga) in London starting October 23rd 2011.
Yoga Nidra Training for teachers – I have taught a 6 month module (devised by Swami Pragyamurti) in October 2012 to train teachers from other traditions in Yoga Nidra. (a deep relaxation technique). I'm planning another module for 2019.

I have been interviewed for an article in Good Housekeeping - April 2015 on Yoga for Anxiety

In 1969 I had a serious mental breakdown which required me to be admitted to hospital. I was prescribed various drugs, given a course of ECT and given a diagnosis of manic depression with psychotic tendencies! Since then I have had ups and downs but have been able to manage my condition without drugs and I have been particularly helped over the last 30+ years by a daily yoga and meditation practice (including mindfulness).

I have been practising Yoga for over 35 years and teaching since 1988. I follow the teachings of the Bihar School of Yoga which is an integral, holistic approach and is accessible to most people. In 1993, left my job in education and went to India for the first time to the World Yoga Convention. I then spent 6 months in Mandala Yoga Ashram, Wales, in 1994 and six months in the Ashram in Munger in India: 1994 – 1995. In 1995 I moved to the West of Ireland, for two and a half years, to continue my yoga studies. It was there I began to research yoga practices for mental health and set up a class in Castlebar psychiatric unit. (Co. Mayo). This class still continues.

I now live and teach in Nottingham.