Meet The Deva Yoga Team

Jayne has been practicing yoga since 2002 and opened Deva Yoga in 2017. After practicing mainly Sivananda and Hatha, Jayne decided to deepen her practice further by taking her Teacher Training with Yoga London in 2014. 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. More recently she has trained in Restorative Yoga, enabling her to work with her students on a deeper level to support much needed rest and relaxation. Having studied and practiced with many great teachers, Jayne teaches an integral style class bringing her years of practice and learnings together, making her classes suitable for all levels. 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.

Lauren graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Dance. She moved to the BIG Apple to fulfil her dance dreams. Four years into “living her dreams” she needed something different and found yoga! This let Lauren continue to move her body in a way where she still experienced the same freedom she received in her dancing but without the competitive harshness that the dance scene provided. In love with the inner peace dynamic Vinyasa yoga provided she became intrigued with the stillness of restorative yoga, deciding to complete her teacher training. Lauren’s alignment focused yoga classes are about getting her students to breathe and move mindfully. Lauren’s sequencing asks that you be present in the moment, enjoy yoga and tune into your body while practicing in a safe way so both the body and mind can feel good. She infuses each class with a different theme to lend one to dive deeper into understanding the power of yoga. Lauren is also trained in Prenatal and Postnatal yoga teaching as well!

Nina is our Chair yoga, Somatic and Yin&Nidra Yoga teacher at Deva. She is a Senior teacher with over 20 years of experience! Having trained in 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. Nina is passionate about yoga and even through cancer treatment taught, attributing yoga getting her through a traumatic and intense time. Nina’s teachings are pure and from the heart, filled with compassion and calm, honouring the differences in everyone and living her mantra to make yoga accessible to everyone. Come and join Nina on the mat or the chair and be prepared to laugh, work hard and get some deeply nourishing relaxation. Check out the timetable for her Chair, Somatic and Yin&Nidra Yoga classes!

Minica is one of our versatile yet more dynamic Vinyasa teachers here at Deva. Finding yoga through her dance background, she discovered it gave her a tool to maintain her physical and mental wellbeing and wanted to be able to share that with others. With over 10 years of experience, Minica brings breath, alignment, compassion to the body and integrity as a focus to her classes. Noticing the similarities between the challenges of life and what happens on a yoga mat, Minica teaches and practices with an open and sincere heart. Check out the timetable for her evening Flow Yoga class!

Kevin brings a great balance of movement, understanding and philosophy to his yoga classes! He found yoga whilst studying kinesiology in South Africa and a passion was ignited. Believing yoga to be a tool to discover who and what we are, where we are and where are going and embracing that journey, highlighting the importance to take care of ourselves. Kevin teaches a Hatha style although borrows elements from Ashtanga Vinyasa, Kundalini and Jivamukt. His classes are about balance of body, mind and breath and will highlight the advantages of a calm and quiet mind, core strength and poses that focus on flexibility and increased range of motion. Focus will be less on the look of poses and more on the feel of them, all whilst sharing some philosophy linked with a yoga practice. Be prepared for a good practice and a good laugh too! Check out the timetable for his Sunrise, Energising Flow class or our courses for a Beginner or Improvers Yoga course!

Yinny's yoga journey started in 2009 as an Iyengar student. Her 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 them 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!"

Poppy is one of our highly experienced Pilates teachers here at Deva. Having experienced first hand the benefits of Pilates to posture, strength, flexibility and co-ordination this led to her desire to train as a teacher. Poppy incorporates her enthusiasm and love for Pilates into her class, wanting her student to feel the benefits of it whilst having confidence in her compassion for the body's limitations. Poppy strives for clients to leave her classes feeling educated, strong, relaxed and with an abundance of body confidence. But get in quick, her Monday night class fills up quickly!

Liza brings a fusion of fitness styles to her classes at Deva. With over 20 years working in the fitness industry, Liza comes with a wealth of experience, using her training as a Pilates teacher but also dance teacher training, she keeps the tempo high for a fusion movement full body workout. Encouraging her students to prioritise and embrace exercise as a part of life, have fun whilst doing it and she helps build body awareness and confidence! Check out the timetable for her morning Core Fit and Pilates classes!

Leigh is an Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga teacher here at Deva. She came to yoga later in life but after 2 years of self practice, she decide to complete her training as a teacher. Leigh encourages her students to move, grow, and to find a moment of calm in the midst of a crazy life through a yoga practice on the mat with her. Leigh's classes draw heavily from the theme of Sthira Sukham Asanam, strength and ease, which has always resonated with her, finding strength and ease within our practice and hopefully taking that energy throughout our daily lives. Her abundance of energy and enthusiasm will have you leaving her class with a big smile! Check out the timetable for her Saturday morning Flow Yoga class!

Alli has been practicing yoga for 25 years and has had the honour of teaching since 2020. She studied her 200-Hour yoga training in person under the guidance of Julie Montagu at Whole Self Yoga and has since continued her advanced training through The Shala in South London. She is also certified in pre and post-natal yoga, MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction), and is a Level 3 personal trainer. Alli’s teaching style is deeply rooted in finding presence and connection to the self. She focuses on the breath and being led intuitively in your practice by listening to your needs. Her aim is to make yoga accessible to anyone and ensure they feel that they belong. Alli is also a mum of three originally from Nashville, Tennessee. Alli enjoys teaching at the welcoming, intimate studio of Deva Yoga and can be found on Friday mornings teaching Yoga and Meditation.

Fatma has always had a passion for fitness and health. After the birth of her third child, in 2012, she found that the practice of yoga was feeding her soul much more than intense gym sessions, and it was then that she started practising yoga more regularly. With a long teaching background the transition from teaching English to teaching yoga, which started in 2018, felt smooth and fulfilling. Fatma’s love of literature means that she often includes readings at the end of her classes, which always close with a deeply nourishing relaxation. Her classes are often strong and set to eclectic music. She likes to move slowly so that both softness and serenity can be found amongst the strength. After her initial 200 hour YTT, she added an additional 50 hours of Ashtanga training, 30 hours of Hot Static, and a certification in sound healing.

Monika is our sound teacher here at Deva. She is a trained kundalini yoga teacher and breath work practitioner. Monika has a true gift when it comes to sound healing, working with gongs and crystal bowls, she delivers a monthly mesmerising and immersive Sound Bath experience at the studio. Every couple of months she joins forces with the wonderful Jayne for a combined Sound & Restore workshop, both will leave you lifted, lighter and yet grounded. Check out our workshop information for Sunday Sound Bath and Sound & Restore workshops!

Shaun is our Tai Chi teacher here at Deva. He started practising Tai Chi and the Li martial arts in 1984 originally under Chee Soo and subsequently under Tony Swanson. He is one of the founding members of the TAO and has been instructing for over 25 years. He is graded a 5th Tengchi and also qualified in Swedish massage, holding a BCCMA coaching level 3 and a Sports 1st aid qualification. His approach in his class is geared to the capabilities of the individual and strives to help students improve their co-ordination, flexibility and core strength in a gentle and relaxed atmosphere. Check out the timetable for his Monday afternoon class!

Vanessa is one of our talented Pilates teachers here at Deva. She has been practising Pilates and Yoga as well as general fitness for over 20 years. Her passion for Pilates started as a result of a severe back injury - it helped her rehabilitate her body and come back to full fitness after many years of chronic pain. Vanessa loves Pilates and shares in her classes how it is a great, effective and fun all-body workout suitable for any skill level, age, size and background. She enjoys teaching how Pilates can really transform people’s quality of life, increase their strength, flexibility, mobility, posture and body awareness and improve mood and energy levels dramatically, helping students lead a truly happier, healthier life. Check out the timetable for her Saturday morning Pilates class!

Carla is a newly certified Sivananda yoga teacher with a deep passion for the holistic practice of Hatha yoga. Carla began her journey into yoga after discovering the profound peace and clarity it brought to her life. She trained in the Sivananda tradition, which emphasises classical yoga philosophy, including asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, and a balanced lifestyle. Carla’s classes incorporate gentle movements, mindful breathing, and guided relaxation, allowing students to connect deeply with their inner selves and the present moment. Dedicated to fostering physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, you can expect snippets of philosophy to be weaved in to her classes to help deepen your practice and give you food for thought.