About
I have always been a mover. I started dance training at an early age and continued regular classes until my early twenties. After a year of full time dance school in my late teens I realised the world of professional dance, as I understood it then, was not for me.
I have always been an observer and questioner. I went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Kings College London where I spent three years contemplating the biggest, and mostly still unanswered questions of what it is to be human. Questions that still fascinate me today!
Eager to keep exploring, I moved to Mexico where I taught English and tap dancing for 3 years. During my time there I discovered the Brazilian martial art, Capoeira; a playful combination of fight and play. A fully embodied way to move that requires strength, agility, flexibility and precision. I bring elements of this into some of my classes now.
I returned to the UK and found myself in a more corporate job in business development. After climbing the career ladder for a number of years I realised I had lost part of myself. I had stopped moving, stopped playing, stopped questioning.
I am not sure what led me to step into my first yoga class but I think it was a desire to connect to this part of myself again. Moved, intrigued and thirsty for more, I completed my first teacher training with Simon Low at The Yoga Academy in 2015. Fascinated by the human body, how we move and the role the mind plays in our experience I went on to study with numerous other teachers and experts in their field.
A few years went by before my feet started itching again. The universe answered with an opportunity to teach full time in an award winning health resort in Thailand. Working therapeutically with clients in a 1-1 setting, helping them to start or refine their practice, moving out of pain to a place of greater ease and resilience. I learnt a great deal. It was very rewarding work, but the long days and demanding environment took their toll on my own health, eventually leading to burnout.
This is where the real work began. The mirror of yoga presented itself. It’s not always easy. Anything that challenges us in some way will inevitably bring up some resistance. Some days I found solace in my practice and other days I hated yoga and almost walked away from it. But something, some deeper force kept drawing me back. There’s more here, Pippa, trust the process.
I found a missing piece of my puzzle; harnessing the power of breath. After my first freediving session on an island in Indonesia I knew there was more for me to uncover. I studied traditional Pranayama practices and the modern science of breath under the guidance of Paul Dallaghan at Samahita Retreat in Koh Samui in 2019. I stayed on these tropical islands for a while longer and spent time developing my passion and fascination for freediving as well as teaching in a sweet yoga shala. A match made in heaven.
In 2020 I moved to France where I now live with my partner and our baby daughter, Leyna. I currently teach in person classes as well as online. Come and join us, you are welcome.
I teach as a student of the practice.
My teachers
Teachers come in many guises; those who inspire quietly, those who walk the walk, those who stand and give lectures or write books, those who nudge and guide from the sidelines, those who never knew they were your teacher. I have been fortunate to have crossed paths with many inspiring humans in my explorations through life so far (too many to mention here). Mother Nature and all her creatures continue to remind me what it is to be alive and how to navigate our way through this world with respect and honour.
I give thanks to Jozef Wiewel who introduced me to yoga, for providing a strong foundation of alignment principles and for always questioning why. To Simon Low who broadened my understanding of yoga and for offering me life changing opportunities. I am inspired by the work of Donna Farhi and Doug Keller, who deepened my interest in the therapeutic application of yoga and whose books continue to be a valuable resource. To Paul Dallaghan for detailed teaching on the science and application of pranayama and for reminding me that practice should be sincere but never serious.
Qualifications
Pregnancy, Post-natal, Mother & Baby Qualification 85hr
(2020) Sally Parkes, UK
Master Freediver Certification
(2019) Apnea Total, Thailand
Centered Yoga 300hr Teacher Qualification
(2019) Samahita Retreat, Thailand
– Classical Pranayama & Philosophy (Sri O. P. Tiwari and Paul Dallaghan)
– Pranayama & Your Yoga Practice: Tradition, Science and Detail (Paul Dallaghan)
– Practical Anatomy Advanced Training: The Art of Adjusting and Science of Sequencing (Arielle Nash)
Pranayama is More Than Breath 12hr
(2018) Doug Keller, YogaCampus, London
The Therapeutic Wisdom of Yoga 30hr
(2018) Doug Keller, YogaCampus, London
Yoga from The Core 60hr
(2018) Donna Farhi, Yoga Studio, Madrid
Pre-Natal Yoga Teacher Training 85hr
(2017) J. Smallwood, Yogarden, Thailand
Hot Yoga Teaching Certificate, 5-day
(2015) Jozef Wiewel, Camyoga, Cambridge
Yoga Alliance 200hr Yoga Teacher Qualification
(2015) Simon Low, Yoga Academy, Thailand
BA Philosophy
(2007) Kings College London
Cert. of Higher Ed. Theatre Dance
(2004) University of the Arts London