About Lauren
I’m an SYC Authorised L2 Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F) with over 12 years of teaching experience.
Whatever time you dedicate to your yoga practice, no matter how small will help you live more fully and freely.
Even if you stop practising, the positive changes you made will continue to benefit you;
and should you decide to, you can continue where you left off. Yoga will always be there to support you when you need it.
The reality is this is what yoga does for you, even in small amounts.
We are a group of doctoral-level psychologists and psychiatrists who provide quality mental health care. As a mental health collective, we assist members by providing therapy, medication management, coaching, and more. We help our clients connect with one of our doctors who can meet their needs and is available online or in-person.
“on this path [yoga] no effort is wasted, no gain is ever reversed; even a little of this practice will shelter you from great sorrow.”
By a twist of fate (or luck), The first yoga class I attended, at my local gym, was taught by the wonderful Melanie Cooper.
Melanie introduced me to ashtanga yoga and pointed me in the direction of Hamish and Astanga Yoga London. That was in 2007. I’ve been practising and later teaching there, ever since.
In 2010 I made my first trip to Mysore to Study with Sharath Jois and shortly after completed teacher training with Melanie at Brahmani Yoga in Goa. I started teaching in 2011, and Along the way, I’ve made many return trips to Mysore, assisted Sharath on several occasions and completed other training around trauma-informed and therapeutic yoga (see below).
I take a trauma-informed, person-centred approach to teaching Ashtanga Yoga.
I work with the individual in front of me rather than following strict rules or dogma.
My knowledge of trauma-informed practices means I take a collaborative approach based on safety, choice and empowerment.
I’m passionate about the healing benefits of the Ashtanga Yoga practice but I also acknowledge the abuse history and lack of inclusion within the Ashtanga Yoga community.
I’m always looking for ways we can improve and make the practice more accessible. Feel free to get in touch if you have any thoughts!!
As well as teaching Ashtanga Yoga I facilitate Trauma Sensitive yoga. In 2013 I began working with people with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds and after some years of teaching regular trauma-informed classes, I began to notice some people checked out of the class. I was familiar with the work of David Emerson and TCTSY as a model specifically for disassociation and this led me to train as a TCTSY facilitator.
I worked with the charity Ourmala, the NHS and with clients on a one-to-one or small-group basis. I’ve also facilitated trauma-informed yoga to individuals in recovery and was the main teacher on the Grenfell Yoga project.
My experience working in a therapeutic setting has informed my teaching of Ashtanga. I love how the practice can be adapted to suit everyone’s needs, whether practising in a chair or on a mat.
I love the personal touch of teaching both Mysore self-practice and working with clients one-on-one.
I enjoy helping practitioners reap the benefits of a regular yoga practice, begin to befriend their body or achieve the practice goal they’ve been working on.
I believe it’s my job as a teacher to make the practice of yoga accessible and appropriate for you whether it's your first class or you’re a seasoned practitioner.
For me, yoga is about creating healing in our body and mind both individually and collectively.
I feel that yoga has increased my sense of awareness about the way I show up in the world. I’m interested in the ways I can work on myself and collaborate with others for change so we can create supportive spaces where everyone’s identity is valued
I believe that’s what yoga is really about.
Training & Qualifications:
Diploma in Counselling - The Minster Centre - (In progress)
Foundations in Counselling and Psychotherapy - The Minster Centre - 2022/23
The Neurobiology of Trauma & Trauma-Informed Yoga Practices - 2021
300-Hour Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga Certification (TCTSY) – 2020/21
Mental Health First Aid - 2020
The Yoga Clinic 20hr Trauma-Informed Yoga Foundation – 2020
iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1 - 2018
Yoga Campus Yoga Therapy Diploma – 2014/2015
OURMALA Trauma-Informed Yoga Training – 2016
Sharath Yoga Centre (formally KPJAYI) Authorisation L2 - 2013
Yoga Alliance E500RYT – March 2011
Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies – Various philosophy and Sanskrit courses (2015 – 2019)
British Wheel of Yoga Ayurveda Module - 2010
Level 4 Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology – 2010
Supervision:
Adhoc clinical supervision with Alex Cat from the Yoga Clinic
TCTSY peer reflection group.
ongoing mentorship relationship with Hamish Hendry from Astanga Yoga London.
As a TCTSY facilitator, I’m regulated by TCTSY guidelines on ethical practice. I’ve undergone specific training and assessment through the Centre for Trauma and Embodiment and am required to complete CPD hours and undertake regular assessments to review the quality of my practice.
Professional Membership:
TCTSY - Good Standing Program
Yoga Alliance Senior Yoga Teacher
SYC Authorized L2 Ashtanga Yoga Teacher