STUDIO DIRECTOR

RISE ACADEMY DIRECTOR

Yoga was introduced to me 20 years ago and it has been a part of my life ever since, I have been teaching for 6 years, qualified to teach Hatha, Tantra and Raja Yoga.

I’m a busy mummy of two young children and enjoy a lifestyle of natural living and holistic wellbeing. I love the outdoors, good food, dancing, socialising, old Volkswagens and snowboarding!

I also run a business, Dubholistic, Beauty and Wellbeing. Healing the body, inside and out. Dubholistic provides natural products and wellbeing services to our customers, helping individuals to be their best self.

Find me in Fold Yoga or @dubholistic.co.uk and at www.dubholistic.co.uk

STUDIO DIRECTOR

Back in 2013, aged 50, I apprehensively attended my first yoga class, I was immediately hooked. Slowly growing my practice at home, at local studios and on line, then attending workshops, retreats and training courses. Eventually taking teaching training, it has been truly life changing.

My passion now is to spread the word and to encourage anyone and everyone to give yoga a chance.

If you are not sure whether yoga is for you then my one to one introduction to yoga sessions give you the opportunity to find out. We start with no expectation and assume you know nothing. I guide you through what to expect from a yoga studio, introducing you to what happens in a yoga class and we also explore the ranges of your mobility, gently investigating what practice is best for you. The intention is to ease you into group classes when you feel ready.

Recently I have attended breathwork training and this has opened another new world for me. The breath and how we use it forms a major part of all of my sessions

EVENTS MANAGER

RISE ACADEMY DIRECTOR

I first discovered Yoga when I was a dance student and initially attended Yoga as a way to inform and strengthen my body as a dancer. After hopping on and off the mat for a number of years (with some big breaks from it in the middle too), it wasn’t until I was a busy, young working Mum craving space that my practice started to evolve and a deeper sense of self and consciousness came to awareness on the mat.

Through physical asana and spiritual teachings I found that my yoga practice began to be a place of internal sanctuary; providing space to look within and observe what’s already there, enabling not only more space in both body and mind, but also a place to move towards becoming a more conscious, calm and considered human being.

Eventually, I decided to embark on a yoga teacher training and trained with Authentic Flow Tribe with Satu Tuomela and Fanny Olsson in Authentic Flow tantra Yoga (200 hours) and Shake the Dust (50 hours), Embodied Tantra Yin (50 hours) and Mandala Yoga (50 hours).

Alongside teaching Yoga, I am a Dance Artist and Movement Therapist/Coach.

Movement has always been a big part of my life. Like many, I embraced the posture practice of yoga before delving into the other gifts that yoga has to offer, of which there are many.

My ongoing Yoga Therapy studies have provided me with a platform from which I have been able to immerse myself in anatomy, physiology, psychology, and neuroscience. This has deeply informed my own practice and how I teach.

My favourite subject is the breath - you’d be surprised at how simple, yet powerful breath practices can be. If I’ve just got five minutes, you can guess what I’ll be up to.

I am passionate about yoga’s role in supporting both physical and mental health and believe everyone can benefit from yoga and mindfulness practices as part of their self-care toolkit. My wish is that through these practices you can find ease and freedom in your body, and peace in your mind, as you come home to yourself over and over again.

Getting to be a part of facilitating that journey is one of my life’s greatest joys and privileges.

I found the practice of Yoga in its postural form in 2008, at a point in my life when it was necessary to make some serious lifestyle changes.

Yoga became the tool to achieve this; it worked, and the practice had a profound effect on me.

Having discovered the Ashtanga Vinyasa system as created by Pattabhi Jois and practicing this for a few years, I travelled to Mysore, India in 2014 to practice under Sharath Jois at the KPJAYI, the birthplace and spiritual home of this practice. I later travelled north to the Himalayas to gain my 200-hour Yoga Alliance teaching accreditation in Ashtanga Vinyasa under the tutelage of Vijay Amar.

I began teaching in 2016 in local studios, gyms and health clubs, and over the next two years gained more than 700 hours of face-to-face teaching experience. My students and myself progressed through our practices far enough that in 2018 I returned to India to complete my 500hr Ashtanga Vinyasa teaching accreditation. This gave me the confidence to teach the Intermediate series to my students and for myself to delve into the Advanced A series.

As a teacher, it is my hope that the students who come to me reach their potential and exceed their limitations when it comes to their Yoga practice, and see how what they learn on the mat can be transferred to all aspects of their lives.

My classes are focused on breath, alignment and Drishti. The classes are as intense as the effort you put in, but for those who like to be challenged variations are given. Outside of the Yoga studio I am an avid indoor skydiver and am looking forward to traveling to Seville to achieve my AFF (Skydiving License).

James has been interested in yoga and meditation since he was at school but it was not until the pandemic that he really delved into his practice. After moving to Manchester he met Andrea Everingham and subsequently trained with her for his 200hr.

James has an interesting background, he is a musician, playing the saxophone across Manchester, and he also studied Neuroscience at university taking that abroad by working in laboratories in Brazil and Japan. He likes to incorporate both of these into his practice, also taking inspiration from yoga teachers he’s practiced with and respected over the years.

In his asana practice you can expect unique flows, great complementary music and a relaxed atmosphere. There will always be room to push yourself but also space to breathe and sit deeper in your asana. He also likes to incorporate pranayama, meditation and mantra to blend traditional yoga practices with more contemporary ones.

Nicola has been teaching for over 35yrs and her career has spanned three continents encouraging people to make successful lifestyle, lifetime change. She is also an Instructor Trainer delivering a strong message to her students on the responsibility and privilege they hold when they are faced with the opportunity to influence and change people’s bodies and mindsets.

She is passionate about strong, healthy bodies and being able to move freely without constraint and no pain in spite of injuries, day to day pain and work related body issues or AGE. She is used to teaching and modifing, to suit your body, a wide diversity of fitness disciplines from traditional functional gym and mat work, to yoga, yoga wheel , yoga trapeze and breathing techniques to get the best out of your body and improve your quality of life.

When I first tried yoga, it wasn't love at first class for me. I was never a naturally flexible person, and I left the class feeling a bit rubbish and put off.

I then didn't go to another class for a couple of years! I then tried Yoga again whilst travelling in Bali, and the teacher wove in philosophy and teachings of self-acceptance and I just fell in love, I left the class feeling so much lighter and wanted more! Enjoying the peace and mental clarity it brought me, I brought the practice back home with me and it's been a part of my life since. In the past I've struggled with anxiety and body image and yoga provided me with the safe space to reconnect to myself with a sense of compassion and acceptance.

I decided I wanted to learn to teach yoga as I wanted other people who felt that they weren't good enough to go to yoga to find the peace and calm that I had.

I completed my 200hrs in Ashtanga in March 2018 at Abhinam Yoga School in Goa. The teaching here highlighted practising in a way to prevent injury and cultivating a life-long practice. Whilst Ashtanga provided a solid base for my learning, I prefer to teach a little less rigid, allowing space for exploration and intuition. I teach my classes with an emphasis on feeling good, rather than looking good, remembering how I felt when I was a newbie.

My classes emphasise mindful movement and connection to the breath with little bits of yogic philosophy woven in.

When not on the mat you'll find me up a hill in the beautiful peak district, reading, or cooking up some vegan goods in the kitchen.

Hi! My name is Helen and I am trained in Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin yoga, but my real passion and speciality being in Restorative and Yin.

I believe that these two wondrous forms of yoga allow the body to heal, balance, reconnect and recharge, using the simplicity of the breath, which is what I encompass in my classes.

Although I had attended various yoga classes throughout my life, I had not attended one for several years. After years of bouts of clinical depression I started to attend Dru yoga classes and soon felt the benefits not only physically, but on a deeper emotional level. After attending several workshops and retreats I felt drawn to learning more and applied to undertake my teacher training as my own personal journey. At first I had no intention of teaching I just wanted to know why it was helping me. During my training, my bouts of depression started to fade and my confidence returned I started to feel that I wanted to share this yoga with others. I have taught classes for 12 years now. I also completed my teacher training in meditation.

Yoga for me is a continuous journey, every class or workshop you attend deepens your knowledge and personal practice bringing you back to the still point within.

Yoga keeps me calm, balanced and happy, it completes my day.

Outside of yoga I love to walk often with my dogs, I have practised Tai Chi, and done several energy medicine courses (during lockdown) with Donna Eden and Prune Harris.

I celebrated my 70th birthday last year on the Velocity Zip Wire in Bethesda

I initially discovered Yoga in my early 20s but used it sporadically simply as a way to have a “nice stretch”. It wasn’t until many years later, following a couple of life events, when my relationship with yoga truly started. Firstly, I found myself with PTSD following an abusive relationship. Secondly, I had had enough of being a burned out Primary School Teacher and SENDCo. I started attending daily yoga classes, finding myself in a beautiful community. I felt more connected to myself and more connected to others than I’d ever experienced before.

As my practice evolved through the space and time in the spiritual teachings and self-enquiry, it continued to inform and shape the way my life needed to change.

I am passionate about creating a community, to give back, to support beings to truly meet themselves exactly where they are, in all flavours of how we can be in our human experience. I believe the more we open back to ourselves, the more authentic we express as our true nature. Yoga is yours and it is your practice; I feel privileged to be able to be your guide for part of that journey.

I weave elemental enquiry into my teachings in an inclusive way through flow, meditation and nidra, yin and restorative.

Hi! My name is Donna, and I am a Cheshire based Yoga Teacher. My passion for yoga came from an enjoyment for movement and a call to support my mental health. I had left an intense dance training background harbouring depression and anxiety which left me battling myself and my mind. Finding the practice of yoga provided me with a pathway to come back to myself, and it gave me the tools I needed to find peace and compassion.

I felt called to complete my teacher training in Rishikesh, India in January 2020 so I would be able to help others find their connection to themselves through yoga. Yoga has given me so much personally; I wish to help others struggling with mental health learn better ways of coping with their feelings and emotions.

What I hope you can get from my teachings is a feeling of positivity towards yourself and your journey. The aim of each class is to 'Cultivate positivity through mindful movement.'

Outside of yoga I love spending time outdoors, travelling or cosying up with a good book!

I have spent long periods of my life feeling very disembodied, and from being a child into a teenager living in London, and then into my 20s in the North of the UK, I developed a difficult relationship with my mind and body which showed up as periods of depression, and unhealthy coping habits. Both of which are very common. Like many children and young people, I didn’t have a toolkit of self-care, and I felt very unhappy and unsure of my direction, even with a supportive family and wonderful life opportunities. On a surface level everything was great as I moved through life, but underneath I had no real connection to my mind, body or emotions.

I connected with a regular yoga practice and began to find the slow steps towards a peaceful existence where I began to feel contentment exactly as I was. It was like a coming home, and in time it also became a way of being and a place I could slow down and get beyond the chit-chatter of my mind.

Over my decade of practice combined with my 12 years of study and practice in psychology, I began to understand that these two worlds - the world of somatic therapy and the depths of the exploration of the mind and body in yogic practices- and psychology, the scientific study of mind and behaviour - didn’t have to live separately after all. I began to see how both could be forces for good, in empowering others, in developing understanding and personal truth, in sharing knowledge and understanding, and in making the world a better place.

In 2016, the same year in which I completed my doctorate in Applied Educational Psychology, I trained as a yoga teacher, completing 200 hours of an Education in Yoga with Centered Yoga in Thailand. I have since completed many other yoga and movement qualifications, moving towards a somatics-orientated approach to yoga and movement. I am also a children’s, family and SEND yoga teacher, having trained with Special Yoga.

I came to yoga as a compliment to other pursuits such as climbing and mountaineering but soon found the practice had its own immeasurable benefits not only to my body but also my mind.

After several years of practice, I decided to deepen my knowledge and travelled to India to gain my 200hr training in Ashtanga and Vinyasa. I studied traditional Indian yogic philosophy under Sudhir Rishi which opened my mind to more than just the physical asanas that are commonly practiced in the western world. I continued to travel on to practice and teach in Thailand, New Zealand and Peru.

As a qualified mindfulness practitioner in Mindfulness Based Stress reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy approaches, I bring a mindful element to all classes including grounding and sometimes longer meditations such as compassion to self and body scans. My passion lies in making yoga accessible to all and I’ve recently undergone a 30hr Trauma Informed and Social Justice training with Mei Lai Swan. I have over a decade’s experience working in the mental health sector and advocate yoga on being an excellent way to improve well-being.

Off the mat you’ll find me up a hill or on a rockface and if it’s raining, I’ll be dancing badly and singing off tune, reading or being creative in the kitchen.

I found the practice of yoga during Covid 2019 UK lockdown - looking for something to fill my time with, I took on a 30 day YouTube challenge and everything in my life seemed to change from there.

Originally yoga served a physical aspect in my life - I saw it as a way to keep fit and healthy. Over the years of self practice and study, it blossomed into something much more and what is the true meaning of yoga. It became a lifestyle and opened up so many doors of healing and truth for me. I started to find deeper peace by recognising the impact of the practices that surround the asana (posture): meditation, breathwork, kindness, & other spiritual teachings. A particular favourite is understanding our Chakra energy systems.

In 2022 I completed my training in Vinyasa and Hatha yoga on the beautiful island of Koh Phangan during my time traveling SEA. In my classes you can expect to experience both the yin (slow) and yang (fiery) energies, feel comfortable in flow as every journey is different - I offer lots of options. You can also expect various spiritual teachings throughout the flow, which can be mirrored into life off the matt.

When I'm not teaching, you can probably find me playing about in nature or making a grid with my crystals. I also enjoy writing, reading, cooking, and mindfulness study.

I am a dancer who teaches yoga to people who don’t feel yoga enough.

I will help you feel free and connected thought the power of movement.

Yoga has become a central part of my life despite being relatively new to the practice.

Yoga has had a transformational impact, enabling me to live a much more spiritual,

connected and fulfilling life.

Whilst I have always been physically active, yoga has enabled me to find much more

balance, strength and flexibility in both my body and mind.

Yoga practice at Fold has opened up for me a loving and caring community; I am delighted

as a teacher to give back to this community.

My teaching focuses on breath and alignment; creating space for others to find the powerful

potential of their bodies and to discover previously unreleased elements of themselves.