Meet The Deva Yoga Team

Jayne has been practicing yoga since 2002. After practicing mainly Sivananda & Vinyasa, Jayne decided to deepen her practice further by taking her Teacher Training in Vinyasa Flow with Yoga London. She has also completed further training to bring yoga to children as well as taking an intensive training with Special Yoga in Yoga for Special Children. Having studied & practiced with many great teachers, Jayne teaches a vinyasa style class bringing her years of practice and learnings together. Her classes are nurturing yet challenging with a hint of fun! Linking breath with movement she creates a playful sequence of yoga poses to build strength, flexibility and overall wellbeing.

Charlotte trained in India in holistic Akhanda yoga. Akhanda is an approach that understands yoga as a complete path to harmony, vitality and ultimate wellbeing of body, heart and mind. Her classes take a therapeutic approach exploring alignment, breath, sound, relaxation and meditation. She shares a gently paced yet deep practice using breath to both uplift and calm. Classes are designed to ease stress and release tension, cultivating balance, strength and flexibility evenly throughout all levels of the being. She takes inspiration from many yoga approaches including Hatha, Vinyasa, Anusara, Kundalini, Yin and Restorative. Her passion is making the many wonderful benefits of yoga accessible to everyone regardless of age, fitness level or flexibility.

Nina is a Senior Yoga teacher. Her Yoga journey started when she decided to teach yoga full time after completing her Yoga Teacher training in 1998 with the acclaimed Ganga White. Since then she has trained and teaches Bikramyoga, Yin, Restorative, Yoga bugs, Dynamic Mindfulness, Meditation, Yoga Nidra and is a senior teacher/ injury specialist with Fierce Grace. She is also an Accessible Yoga Ambassador in the UK aiming to make Yoga accessible to everyone. In 2012 Nina was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and went through nine months of grueling treatment. She continued to teach throughout her treatment and attributes Yoga to getting her through this traumatic and intense time. This has seamlessly led her into volunteering for major cancer charities in London. Nina’s teachings are pure and from the heart, filled with compassion and calm, honoring the differences in everyone and living her mantra to make yoga accessible to everyone. Come and join Nina on the mat and be prepared to laugh, work hard, get some deep nourishing relaxation and open your heart.

After 12 years in classical ballet, Sarah complimented her training with exploring and practicing the various styles of Yoga. She took her yoga studies to the next level in 2015 by completing her 200-hour teacher training with Yoga London. She teaches a variety of yoga classes throughout South East London in studios as well as corporate yoga and sports venues. She works with their specilaised teams using yoga to support their patients with specific sports injures. Committed to developing her own skills, she regularly attends workshops, yoga retreats and maintains a daily practice. Sarah aims to spread her passion for yoga through her teaching, bringing her knowledge, experience and personal journey onto the mat. Expect her Vinyasa Flow classes to be dynamic, explore exciting poses and leave the body and the mind feeling stretched and strengthened.

Louise is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist. She specialises in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Paediatric Clinical Psychology. She has undertaken further training in narrative therapy, working towards her diploma in narrative therapy, and is also qualified in teaching the Calm for Kids mindfulness program to children. Louise completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology as part of Canterbury Christ Church University. She currently works with children, young people, and their families facing chronic and life limiting physical health difficulties within a Paediatric Clinical Psychology at a specialist London NHS hospital. In her clinical work, Louise utilises an integrated approach to supporting young people and their families. She draws upon a range of psychotherapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), behaviour therapy, mindfulness, and systemic therapy. Louise’s passion to improve not only the lives of children links intricately with helping parents to make sense of their child receiving a diagnosis. Helping both children and families to construct meaning out of their experiences of physical illness, medical procedures and treatments. All of which Louise brings into her mindfulness teachings with pure dedication and devotion.

Emily is passionate about sharing the power that yoga can have on the body and mind. With 10 years experience as a dancer in the West End and around the world she has a great in depth knowledge of the body which she shares throughout her class. Having originally turned to yoga to gain strength and flexibility she has been amazed to discover the benefits in her mental perception from having a regular practise. It has enabled her to deal with the stresses and rejection that a dancer faces regularly. It has allowed her to overcome her feelings of not being good enough and lead a happy and healthy life. Coming to her mat every day allows her to connect with her body and calm her otherwise very busy and anxious mind! Her classes are light hearted, dynamic and engaging. Her fun, caring approach to teaching will leave you feeling at ease. Come and join Emily on Saturday mornings for her fun, yet challenging Vinyasa class.

Courtenay started practicing yoga as a way to bring focus and a sense of calm to everyday life. She trained with Yoga London and focuses on tuning into our own bodies through flowing sequences. In her classes she loves to explore ways in which we can take our yoga practice off the mat and into our everyday lives bringing us with the much needed mindfulness we need in todays chaotic World. Her classes can be challenging yet nurturing. Come and explore all the benefits of Yoga with Courtenay Wednesday evenings and Tuesday mornings, right her at Deva!

Priya brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her classes. Her classes are designed for mixed abilities of all ages. Her focus is very much on the Asana (postures) guiding her students in a precise yet gentle way, to meet their limits. She uses breath and relaxation techniques to develop a calm, focused and present mind. Priya’s belief is that the power of yoga really can transform both the body and mind . With regular practice you can enjoy improved muscle tone, increased flexibility and clarity of mind, enabling us to live in the present.

Liza has been working in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She qualified as a Pilates teacher in 2009, having successfully completed her Level 3 Matwork Pilates Diploma, Pilates Advanced REPS Level 3 and Pilates Improvers certifications. She is also a qualified Children’s Dance Teacher and certified to teach Burlesque, Pole Dancing and Salacise. All of which she has ran as successful classes throughout her career. Liza feels that making exercise a low priority in our busy daily routines, can lead to diabetes, obesity joint and back pain which we are seeing is on the increase in todays society. ‘It is essential that we embrace exercise as part of our life style’. With this in mind, Liza works to make her classes fun and exciting whilst teaching important life skills such as body maintenance, self- awareness and confidence.

Sophie embarked on her teacher training to become a Pilates Instructor, whilst living in Australia in 2015. She jumped right in teaching in a hot yoga studio for the last year of her Australian life. She has a passion for Pilates & has seen the benefits of a regular practice, first hand. Her classes are fun, whilst still taking her students to their own 'edge'. Her classes are for mixed ability as she confidently offers options to suit you.. We are sure you will enjoy the variety of exercises that Sophie offers week to week and soon being feeling the benefits and improvements to your overall well being. Why not come and meet Sophie and see for yourself!

Michaela originally trained in dance and musical theatre. Having graduated from D&B Performing Arts College in 2009 with a National Diploma, Michaela has danced professionally up and down the country for five star resorts, pantomimes and tv adverts to name a few. Michaela’s passion has always been children. Working part time as an entertainer for children’s parties allowed Michaela to experience the joy of making children happy whist recognising the importance of their mental and physical well-being. Michaela’s natural enthusiasm and positivity are the perfect qualities for a children's yoga teacher so naturally went on to train Rainbow Kids Yoga to follow her passion. Her classes are journeys of fun, involving interaction, imagination, animals, countries, music, games, colours and much more to allow children to experience yoga as well as learning important life skills. Her aim as a teacher is to have fun, while also encouraging children to trust and respect each other. The skills learned in Michaela’s classes are designed to help maintain and build mental and physical well-being which are easily learned to take away and continue practice with your child, and can be practiced in the comfort of your own home!

Jenny has been practicing yoga for nearly twenty years. She has always loved how yoga teaches you to be non-competitive and non-judgmental to each other and ourselves. When her children started to take an interest in her practice she decided how great it would be to share the benefits and joy of yoga to as many children as she could. Jenny trained with Rainbow Kids Yoga in 2017 and is looking forward to sharing all the energy, fun yoga poses, exciting games and relaxation techniques that kids yoga classes bring. See you on the mat for Play and Namaste!

Having spent most of his working career in social care and community development, Dave first discovered Tai Chi in 2004. He continued to study a Beijing form for 8 years. His first teacher practiced with Rose Lee in the 1970’s who was a Chinese Master of several Tai Chi forms. Tai Chi became not just a class practice for him but a new way of life. The next step for Dave was to enrol and complete a Tai Chi instructor-training with Tai Chi Nation. He studied a Yang Style 24 compact form, a Tai Chi Gong set and Qi Theory based on Chinese Traditional Medicine. He graduated in 2013 as a registered Tai Chi Instructor with the Tai Chi Union in Great Britain. He is also a registered instructor with the Tai Chi For Health Institute founded by Dr Paul Lam. Holds an instructor certificate for teaching Tai Chi for Rehabilitation and teaching Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls prevention. He continues his professional development with Tai Chi Nation and Masters Faye and Tary Yip of the Deyin institute of Tai Chi. Dave is also a qualified Life Coach and has found the power of both Tai Chi and Life Coaching exceptionally inspiring as a practitioner, client and student. He never tires of applying these practices to help empower people to reach their highest potential and bringing positive change into others lives Dave teaches a Yang 24 compact and simplified forms, ideal for beginners and improvers.

Laura is certified to teach yoga to both adults, teens and children. Her passion and drive to share yoga with children and teens, stems from her experiences as a social worker and witnessing the stress and anxiety young people face daily. In her daily work, Laura found her self drawing on her Yoga practice with her interactions with young people and saw this a potential to share the knowledge of yoga, wider. She has 10 years experience working with young people and adults with special educational needs, Which has led her to exploring therapeutic yoga to support parents and individuals to help manage physical disabilities and behavioural difficulties. Laura says, 'The benefits of Yoga are widespread and is different for each yogi (student). I enjoy modifying my teachings to the students that I meet and learning from my students what yoga can offer them.'

Yinny's yoga journey started in 2009 as an Iyengar student.  She became a member of Yoga Alliance Professionals as an Associate Teacher Level 2, after successfully completing her 200hr Vinyasa teacher training with Yoga London, in 2013. In 2017 she began her 300hr advanced training with Yoga People, opting to focus her practice on Yin, which is due to complete in July 2018. Yinny's strong alignment focus from her Iyengar practice has influenced her style of teaching together with a  love of strong flowing and creative sequencing which all stem from a personal practice in Ashtanga, Jivamukti and Anusara styles of yoga. Her teaching style draws a students attention to awareness of safe , energetic alignment and strong focus on the breath. Encouraging students to be aware of their own body, moving intuitively in a way that feels good and safe for them as they practice. Yinny is a dedicated, passionate and highly intuitive teacher, believing that our yoga practice can change us in ways we do not expect. 'What we experience in life we bring to the mat and what we practice on the mat transforms us and we take that back out in to the world. In this sense, Yoga becomes a way of life!" Join Yinny on the mat every Tuesday at 8pm

Kalie is an intuitive Sound Therapist and healing practitioner. With a background in complementary therapies and a passion for improving health and wellbeing, she uses her workshops and classes to inspire positive change. Kalie offers a range of therapies such as crystal healing, sound healing and Reiki alongside other practices such as animal healing, animal communication and psychic readings. Her monthly sound baths are a place of healing and escapism from the modern world. Join Kalie for her monthly Sound Baths hosted at Deva Yoga, allowing her to loving guide you on your spiritual pathway. www.diaryofapsychic.com