Ashtanga Yoga Plymouth

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Ashtanga Yoga Plymouth

Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic and energetic form of yoga in which postures are linked in a flowing sequ you just need to start.

My aim is to make Ashtanga Yoga accessible to everyone in friendly, authentic, inclusive, affordable classes, helping you to discover all the endless benefits to both mental and physical health of this very traditional and innately wise practice. The focus on linking breath with movement as well as 'gaze points', means the senses are actively drawn inward allowing practitioners to move through the Ashtanga primary series with complete awareness and presence, transforming the physical practice into a 'moving meditation' allowing us to reach a deep state of concentration and cultivate an awareness of the subtlest physical and mental aspects of our being.

The Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga
Improve flexibility and posture
Increase strength of bones, joints
Increase muscle tone
Improve cardiovascular fitness, lung efficiency
Reduce body fat and increase metabolism
Regulate blood pressure
Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
Increase focus and creativity
Improve quality of sleep
Increase happiness! I discovered Ashtanga Yoga quite late in life, and immediately noticed that yoga differed from other forms of exercise in the way it had a positive effect on the emotional as well as the physical state. As a secondary school teacher for 25 years, I felt it a natural progression to train to teach yoga and I was privileged to be able to train with Brian Cooper, renowned author, founder of The Yoga Alliance UK, and one of the best Ashtanga Yoga instructors in Europe. I love being able to share this practice and to watch students progress. The great thing is that it is accessible to everyone … you don’t have to be flexible or have any experience to start ..

25/03/2026

What do I do when I'm not teaching or practicing Ashtanga?

I just hang around 🤸‍♂️🙃🤣

At 6-oh, still finding joy in movement, play and upside down fun...thanks to Ashtanga yoga 💪🫶
Because moving mindfully doesn't have to be serious...sometimes its about feeling light, strong and flexy 😀

See you back on the mats on Sunday 😀🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🙏

22/03/2026

It’s easy to mistake Ashtanga Yoga for what it looks like on the outside....
Shapes. Stretching. A workout.

But the real practice happens underneath the movement.
Learning how to stay when things feel challenging.
Noticing sensation without rushing to change it.
Using the breath to meet the movement instead of escaping it

Over time this begins to shape how we move through everything else.
Not because life gets easier, but because we become more present within it.

Ashtanga is never just about the body.
It’s about how we relate to experience.
One breath at a time.

Why not join us tomorrow at 6pm at Compton Church and discover the endless benefits of this wonderful practice for yourself....Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

20/03/2026

Spring has sprung! 🙃🤸‍♀️🌷🍃🌼 And it’s International Day of Happiness 🌈🕊✌🏼🌻

Longer, lighter evenings are on their way 😄

Life moves in cycles… sometimes bright and sunny, sometimes grey and heavy; sometimes we feel on top of the world, and sometimes we don’t. The ebb and flow is natural….what matters is how we meet it.

Our Ashtanga practice gives us the tools to stay steady through it all. It teaches us to find ease in discomfort, to be patient, and to gently surrender to the present moment.

By learning to stay calm, grounded, and connected to the breath during sometimes challenging moments on the mat, we begin to build resilience in both body and mind. Over time, this helps regulate the nervous system, softening the fight-or-flight response and allowing us to respond to stress with greater ease and clarity.

The deep, steady breathing of Ashtanga helps release tension, calm anxiety, and bring balance back to the body. The postures build strength and vitality.
And the meditative quality of the practice nurtures a sense of inner calm…moving the body, stilling the mind 😊

So why not join us this Sunday morning at for a happiness-boosting, stress-relieving, calming yet uplifting Ashtanga practice (last few spaces)……Every Body Welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

17/03/2026

Happy St Patrick’s Day! ☘️
A little reminder that yoga can happen anywhere, anytime… even if it looks a bit like this today 🤣🤸‍♀️

But seriously, I’ve been poorly this week and had to cancel classes (thank you for your understanding and kind words 💛), so my own practice has been much gentler lately.
But that’s the beauty of Ashtanga yoga - it doesn’t have to be 100% to be meaningful….

In fact, I recommend practicing more at around 70/80% effort, as ancient texts suggest. It’s where the real magic happens, and it’s more sustainable. Unless of course you're training for the Olympics lol…But most of us are practicing simply because it brings about stability to our minds and bodies, and peace, health and happiness in our lives 😊

When we ease off a little, we create space for consistency, progress, and really enjoying the practice.

Slow and steady really does win the race…which, of course, was never a race in the first place 🐢😀

Looking forward to seeing you again on Sunday at 10am at BLOCK Gym, Royal William Yard…..Every body welcome 🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

12/03/2026

I’m very aware that the current cost of living issues are affecting many people, so I’ve made a couple of small changes to try to make things a little easier.

The validity period for class blocks, which offer a discounted rate, has been extended so you have longer to use them.
And the cancellation window has been shortened to 3 hours before class. I understand that life can be unpredictable and things sometimes crop up at the last minute, so this should help ensure no one loses the money they’ve paid.

I also have a discount code available for any students who may be experiencing financial hardship at the moment - please just ask.

Ashtanga Yoga is there to support us through life’s ups and downs and I hope these small changes help keep the practice accessible for those who want to attend my classes 😊

As always, huge thanks for your continued support and dedication 🙏

See you on Sunday 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

10/03/2026

We always begin class with a few moments in samasthiti - arriving, letting the day fall away before we step into practice.
I invite everyone to turn their attention to the breath. To breathe into the back ribs and the side ribs.

But why?

When the breath moves three-dimensionally, the diaphragm works fully, the ribs gain mobility, and the spine finds space.
But more importantly, the nervous system settles.

Shallow, upper-chest breathing is often a sign the body is in alert mode - tight, guarded, ready to react.

Back body breathing tells the system it’s safe.
Back body breathing softens the jaw.
It eases the neck.
It quiets busy thoughts.

In Ashtanga, we focus on bandha, drishti, vinyasa. Yet none of it lands without a breath that is three-dimensional.

When the back ribs inflate, the breath becomes supportive instead of effortful.

This is how we start practice- not by pushing, but by creating space.

Join us tomorrow at 6pm at Manadon Sports Hub for a calming yet invigorating Ashtanga practice…..Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

We’ll build gentle heat, move with rhythm, and return again and again to the breath that steadies everything☺️

08/03/2026

Where your gaze goes, your energy flows 👁👁
When we practice Ashtanga Yoga we use drishti - a focused gaze - to steady the mind, deepen concentration, and bring presence into every movement ☺️

We had a lovely weekend in London and explored a few places we hadn’t visited before, including Tate Modern and the graffiti tunnel, and watched a rain machine being set up outside St Paul’s for a movie shoot (although they wouldn’t tell us which one lol 🤫) 🎶🎭🌆

I'm looking forward to seeing you back on the mats tomorrow, so why not prioritise your health and discover for yourself all the wonderful benefits a traditional, balanced and complete Ashtanga practice can bring...

Next class:
🗓 Tomorrow
⏰ 6pm
📍 Compton Church

Every body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

01/03/2026

“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

In a world that can often feel uncertain, or overwhelming, this is exactly what the practice of Ashtanga Yoga teaches us.

We may not be able to control what is happening around us, but through practice we learn to steady the breath, quiet the mind, and anchor ourselves within. Ashtanga invites us to turn inward…to find strength in stillness, clarity in movement, and calm at the centre of challenge.

Each posture becomes an opportunity to observe, to soften, and to stay present. Over time, we build resilience - not by escaping life’s difficulties, but by learning to meet them with steadiness and an open heart. That is the beauty of true genuine yoga 🤍

Join us tomorrow at 6pm at Compton Church for a grounding, stress-relieving, and uplifting Ashtanga practice….Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

⚠️Please note: I’ll be away on Sunday, so classes this week will run Monday and Wednesday only.

28/02/2026

When the world feels a little unstable, it’s easy to feel that way inside too.

So take a deep breath.
Feel the mat beneath you.
Ground yourself in the moment....

And join us for a balancing, relaxing yet energising Ashtanga Yoga class tomorrow morning at 10am at ….Every body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘🏻‍♂️🙏

Ashtanga Yoga is not just stretching. It’s rewiring.

Every slow exhale tells your vagus nerve, “you are safe.”
Every steadily help posture teaches your brain, “stay calm under stress.”

It’s not about touching your toes.
It’s about teaching your body and mind how to respond to challenge.

The real progress isn’t in your range of motion, it’s in how you respond when life tests you.

Ashtanga yoga is, and always will be, an internal practice. A life tool for physical, mental and emotional healing that, over time, becomes a place of peace, empowerment and safety ☺️

Come as you are.
Leave grounded, steady and energised.
See you on the mat 🙏

⚠️ NO class next Sunday
⚠️ The market is on, so please allow extra time for parking

26/02/2026

For classes from 1st March there will be a small increase to the drop-in price, bringing it more in line with other local classes.

I’ve kept the change as modest as possible, and I hope it continues to feel like good value for a 75-minute class and for the training, care and experience I bring after 13 years of teaching.

Block prices will also increase slightly. They will still offer a discounted rate, and I’ll be extending their validity period so you have longer to use them. This means they remain a supportive and flexible option for those of you who attend regularly - whether that’s once a week or more.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and for being part of such a lovely, committed community. I’m hugely grateful to each and everyone of you 🙏

See you on Sunday 😀🙏

24/02/2026

✨ ASHTANGA YOGA - Tomorrow at 6PM ✨
📍 Manadon Sports Hub

When I teach Ashtanga, I don’t just guide postures.

Through breath and movement,
through rhythm and repetition,
I guide students back to stability when life feels loud.

I remind them to breathe
when they’ve been holding it all in.

We move
Not to force or fix our bodies,
but to listen to them.
To release what we’re carrying.
To come back home to ourselves.

Each class is a small ripple of steadiness
in a world that often feels chaotic and heavy.
And those ripples matter.

This is why I teach Ashtanga.
Because the practice changes us - from the inside out ☺️

If you’re craving strength, steadiness, or simply a space to reset, come and join us tomorrow....Every Body welcome 😀🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🙏

✨ Book here: www.plymouthyoga.co.uk

Address

Torr Lane
Plymouth
PL35NY

Website

http://www.plymouthyoga.co.uk/

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Our Story

Having practiced many forms of yoga throughout my life, I discovered Ashtanga Yoga in my 40's, after it was suggested as a solution to my back problems, and immediately noticed that it differed from other forms of yoga and exercise in the way it had a huge positive effect on the emotional as well as the physical state. My own practice has led me to a newfound stillness, peace and acceptance in sometimes stressful times as a carer to my learning disabled daughter and more recently to my elderly mother now too.

So, as a secondary school teacher of 25 years, and once I had a regular Ashtanga practice of several years, I felt it a natural progression to train to teach Ashtanga yoga and I was privileged to be able to train for 9 months with Brian Cooper, the renowned author of 'The Art of Adjusting', and also the founder of Yoga Alliance Professionals, an organisation which ensures teachers meet the highest of standards to teach yoga.

I am a registered RYT 200 teacher and also an Associate level 2 member of the Yoga Alliance Professionals. I teach a multi-level approach so classes are accessible to all levels of ability. I have a great deal of experience with complete beginners, modifying and assisting with postures as necessary.

Over the last decade I have been lucky enough to learn from many leading Ashtanga teachers around the World such as Sharath Jois (lineage holder/paramaguru of Ashtanga Yoga), Manju Jois, Kino Macgregor, David Swenson, Doug Swenson and Ryan Spielman...and feel honoured to continue to share their teachings with an amazing community of students.

Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic and energetic form of yoga in which postures are linked in a flowing sequence through careful synchronisation of deep, regular breathing that uses the whole lung capacity - a process producing intense internal heat and a purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs.

This sequence provides routine and structure as well as a physical challenge and, with the additional focus of listening to the breath (we don't have music for this reason), as well as 'gaze points', the senses are actively drawn inward allowing practitioners to move through the Asthanga primary series with complete awareness and presence, transforming the physical practice into a 'moving meditation' The physical benefits of regular Ashtanga Yoga practice include improved circulation, increased oxygenation of the blood, greater strength and flexibility in muscles (especially core muscles), as well as spinal flexibility and improved posture. The result is a light and strong body, and a calm mind. So you feel better in both mind and body after a relatively short time!

I love being able to share this practice and to watch students progress. The great thing is that it is accessible to everyone … you don’t have to be flexible or have any experience to start .. you just need to start.