I am a Mindfulness Practitioner and Dance Educator. I am also a menopausal mother of two contending with the perpetual 'busyness' of life ; the stresses, strains and challenges that life tends to throw at us that can sometimes mean that we spend a lot of time in our 'heads' rather than in the moment.  

I have worked over the past 25 years in a variety of settings. My roles have included Director of Musical Theatre at the BRIT School for Performing Arts in London , Co-Director of Integrate Education and  Artistic Director and Ensemble Leader working with students and teachers internationally for ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association). I have worked as a consultant for the Specialist Schools & Academies Trust and the Youth Sport Trust, and I am currently Director of Dance at The Fallibroome Academy.

Through engagement with Mindfulness practice, I can clearly see the intrinsically mindful nature of dance and movement and the sense of physical and mental wellbeing they provide.

Practising Mindfulness has helped me gain perspective and enabled me to calm my often frantic mind ; it has provided me with a set of tools to navigate life with more balance, serenity and self-kindness.

 I was first introduced to yoga by my dance teacher way back when I was doing my A levels as she embedded her practice in ours. I have been introducing my own students to a little yoga here and there, both as a secondary school drama teacher and latterly as a senior lecturer in ITE (Initial Teacher Education). I have always attended yoga classes whenever I can but often life gets in the way and we lose momentum. For me, it was when I eventually moved out to the countryside and found a class led by an unconventional teacher with a great deal of integrity who helped me to find a new rhythm. I began to deepen my practice and slow down more generally. I went on to complete my training with Yoga Campus Manchester in 2019. The course is not dedicated to a specific style of yoga and consequently I was inspired by an array of teachers with a variety of yoga backgrounds including traditional Hatha and Ashtanga. As a Doctor of Education these experiences further inspired me to align my yoga practice with my knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning to develop an eclectic, creative practice. My approach is underpinned by safe, inclusive, breath-centred methods which includes the use of restorative techniques, creative writing and mark-making with various materials.

For me, yoga is about finding a harmonious balance between exertion and relaxation. My classes combine both meditative practices and mobility work to build strength and flexibility. Together we will find stillness in movement and movement in being still.

I’ve never been good at sitting still so it was unsurprising that just as soon as I could run around, I took up anything and everything active. Sport was something I could do well it seemed and was as necessary to me as reading and writing. Fast forward post University with a Sports Science degree under my belt and I went straight into the fitness industry working as a fitness instructor, personal trainer and more latterly as a health and wellbeing coach, supporting people with underlying health conditions to get more active and improve their health. It’s all in the word ‘wellbeing’ for me, feeling happier and healthier, physically and mentally, however that looks to the individual. Find an activity you enjoy that doesn’t feel like a slog and you’re halfway there!