about me
Hello, I’m Joy,
Welcome.
I am a Surrey based yoga teacher, trained in pre and post-natal yoga and also a mother to my daughter and my son. Here is a little about me and my yoga journey.
I started practicing yoga in my mid twenties, and took my first teacher training with Yoga Campus in 2008. I was initially drawn to yoga for the physical exercise, but what I fell in love with was the mind body connection that yoga gives. I loved the moving meditation that I found through a flow practice. Working as an interior architect in London, finding yoga helped me through stressful times by teaching me tools to calm and my practice felt like a release. I became a teacher at this time as I wanted to share this beautiful and powerful practice with others.
I continued practicing a slower more gentle yoga during my first pregnancy and it was at this time I took my prenatal teacher training. It was such a wonderful thing to do whilst pregnant myself as I got to fully immerse and understand the training first hand. Learning and practicing prenatal yoga gave me a real sense of ease and confidence to guide me through the rest of my pregnancy and my daughters birth. During this transitional period, yoga provided me with the grounding I needed, even small snippets here and there gave me some solace and some space to navigate the process of becoming a mother, physically and emotionally. I hope to guide others through my teaching by offering them the space they need to breathe, to connect with themselves on a physical and emotional level and to help them navigate our busy modern lifestyles.
After the birth of my second child, I was living in a new area of the country, I’d left my yoga community and career of 15 years behind, I also got injured. With all of these things combined, I suddenly felt lost, overwhelmed and questioning who I was, as a person, as a teacher and as a student. I dived deeper into my own yoga practice, both on and off the mat, grounding, listening and feeling more rather than ‘doing’ more. I softened my edges, thoughts and expectations. Gradually, with time, and a real sense of patience and learning (and unlearning) from me, I emerged. I hope to show you through my teaching and my classes that you can also do the same.
Always learning and unlearning, I have dedicated the past few years to developing my practice and my knowledge about yoga through various trainings and workshops. I have found my teachers and I have found my yoga practice that has brought me home to myself, to really nurture and connect. I connected with my body and my mind and began to really understand the amazing connection the two have with each other. I reconnected with myself, my purpose and my yoga teaching.
Yoga to me is finding balance. There is no one size fits all approach to yoga, come as you are, all are welcome. Yoga has taught me to be present, to connect, to release any expectations, to be authentic, to be compassionate and to trust my inner voice and through my teaching I hope to guide others to do the same.
Now, as a mama to two, I understand the disconnect we may feel with ourselves and the constant demands and overwhelm that we face. I have seen how yoga can help support you with this, physically, emotionally and mentally. I have seen this alchemy with the women I work with each week and I feel drawn to help other people find themselves and find that precious space on and off the mat.
A feeling of calm
Yoga has allowed me to find space and strength both mentally and physically where I didn’t think I had any. Join me for some nourishing movement, mindful yoga flows and breath work which will leave you feeling connected, restored and calm.
I have created a space at the end of my garden which allows for warm and welcoming small group classes. I wanted to create a small, beautiful space that connects us with nature and to nurture our practice away from the distractions of modern life.
the studio
Practice with me in the yoga studio, nestled at the bottom of my garden, surrounded by trees and immersed in nature. Creating a space for us to practice was so important to me, I love the connection the studio has with the garden.
A calm sanctuary, tranquil, peaceful and welcoming, the studio will allow you to truly switch off and immerse yourself in your yoga journey surrounded by nature. I’m so proud of it and I think you will love it too.
a space to move. a space to breathe. a space to connect.
“I have been attending yoga sessions with Joy for over a year now and it was one of the best decisions I made. Every week, Joy creates the most wonderful space and energy, allowing me to truly switch off and my body and mind to be nourished. She is an excellent teacher and her style is reassuring and clear, which was important for me initially as a relative beginner. I can’t recommend Joy enough and I absolutely love her class every week.”
- Kate
