“You are not a drop in the ocean.
You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
Rumi
Dedicated Lifelong Learner | Seeker of Inner Stillness
My Philosophy
I am a lifelong student of yoga, continually learning to find stillness amid the noise. As a recovering perfectionist, I have deeply embraced the concept of wabi-sabi—finding beauty in imperfection.
In my practice and my teaching, I focus on integrating the deeper limbs of yoga into daily life: utilising pratyahara (drawing the senses inward) to let go of fleeting distractions, leaning into dhyana (meditation) to remain grounded during difficult times, and looking toward samadhi (integration) as a guiding light to present my best self to the world.
Thank you to my teachers, guides, and spirit elders.
My Lineage & Training
My yogic journey began in my early teens, when I was introduced to the practice by my mother and first teacher, Sheryl Hodgskin, who trained with the Winnie Young Yoga Institute in the BKS Iyengar lineage.
Over the past two decades, I have been deeply privileged to study with and be shaped by extraordinary guides across the globe:
Katy Appleton (appleyoga): My foundational teacher since serendipitously finding her classes in 2002. I proudly completed my Yoga Teacher Training with her in 2018.
Donna Farhi: After attending 5-day intensives with the "Teacher's Teacher" in 2019 and 2025, I am profoundly honoured to be invited to assist Donna on her teacher training intensive in July 2026.
Christopher Hareesh Wallis: Under his guidance, the doors to Sanskrit, yogic philosophy, and Classical Tantra were opened to me, deeply enriching my meditation and teaching practices.
Global Influences: My teachings are also infused with insights gained from immersions, workshops, and classes with Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Max Strom, and Ashtanga masters Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman.
Community & Seva
I believe yoga is a practice of connection and service. From 2019 to 2023, I was honoured to offer free yoga classes to the elderly at a community hall in West Molesey as part of my seva (selfless service).
Finally, my deepest gratitude goes to my spirit elders and to all my students—past and present—whose kindness, trust, and presence continue to be my greatest teachers.
"Remember, it doesn't matter how deep into a posture you go. What does matter is who you are when you get there."
Max Storm
Why Vinyasa Flow?
Vinyasa Yoga has its roots in the ancient traditions of India, emerging from the foundational practices of Hatha yoga.
Historically, it was shaped significantly by the teachings of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in the early 20th century.
Krishnamacharya, often regarded as the father of modern yoga, introduced the concept of Vinyasa Krama, a method that emphasises synchronising the transition between postures with the breath.
This method was not only revolutionary but also deeply grounded in Yogic philosophy, which holds that every movement can lead to a meditative state. His disciples, such as Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar, further popularised these sequences globally, each offering their interpretations and styles.
Vinyasa Yoga Today
Is an integral part of many yoga traditions, continuously evolving while maintaining its core emphasis on breath and movement.
Vinyasa yoga facilitates a flow state, a type of consciousness— the place of being fully absorbed and highly focused on what you are doing.
During “flow”, everything feels so easy and connected, which can be called “effortless effort”.
In Vinyasa flow yoga, you sync your movements with every inhale and exhale.
My teacher Katy of appleyoga, a former Royal Ballet School Dancer, whose teacher Shiva Rea was an innovator in the evolution of Vinyasa Flow Yoga.
Image: Tara Brach’s Book, Trusting The Gold
Core Principles of Vinyasa Flow
Embodiment of Flow:
Vinyasa is seen as a dynamic "moving meditation" that aligns the mind, body, and breath, fostering a state of conscious motion and mindful awareness.
Prana and Breath:
The practice focuses on aligning actions with the breath, initiating expansive movements with the inhalation and contractive movements with the exhalation, harnessing the vital life force (prana) within.
Fluidity and Rhythm:
My teaching incorporates rhythmic movements, often inspired by water, to promote flexibility, spinal health, and the release of creative energy.
Connection to Nature:
The practice embodies the rhythms of nature, such as the wind, to create a sense of grounding and connection to the world around us.
Energy and Vitality:
Vinyasa flow aims to stimulate and cultivate the body's inherent energy, resulting in increased vitality and a deeper sense of being alive.
Jālandharnāth at Jalore
By Amardas Bhatti.
India, Rajasthan, Marwar, Jodhpur, ca. 1805–10.
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper; 39 x 29 cm.
Mehrangarh Museum Trust, RJS 4126
The Luminescent Website: Jason Birch
Medieval and Modern Meanings of Vinyasa
Yoga cultivates an appreciation for beauty, igniting moments of profound understanding and empathy.
For many, a deep sense of truth and purpose emerges naturally, offering insight into the interconnectedness of all
The Sanskrit word Vinyāsa ((विन्यास)) can be broken down into two components.
Nyasa, meaning to sanctify and draw one’s full attention into a meditative focus and then release the content of the focus.
Vi means to arrange or sanctify in a specific way in response to context or lack of context. This implies a sequence of steps and countersteps.
Vinyasa can be defined as a mindful process that naturally occurs when we arrange our circumstances correctly.
We can best observe this through the breath. The action of our breathing, the inhaling and exhaling of breath. This pattern has been with us since we drew our first breath and will remain as a consistent background until our final exhalation.
A special feature of the asana system of Krishnamacharya was vinyasa. Many yoga students today are no doubt familiar with this word – it is increasingly used now, often to describe the 'style' of a yoga class, as in 'hatha vinyasa' or 'vinyasa flow'.
Vinyasa is essential, and probably unique, to Krishnamacharya's teachings. As far as I know, he was the first yoga master in the last century to introduce this idea. A vinyasa, in essence, consists of moving from one asana, or body position, to another, combining breathing with the movement.
The term vinyāsa is used in many different contexts in medieval literature.
In describing a temple (mandira) in which a yogin should practise, for example, the Nandikeśvarapurāṇa specifies that it should have a beautiful design (ramyavinyāsa).1 In this context, vinyāsa means design or arrangement.
The term vinyāsa rarely occurs in medieval yoga texts. However, it does appear more frequently in the ritual sections of medieval Tantras. Nonetheless, never does the term vinyāsa mean the movement that links breath with postures (āsana) as is the case in modern yoga.
Contact me
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