He has a wide understanding of yoga that he applies uniquely to each group. You will explore both dynamic and soft practices including some pranayama and meditation. Carl's interpretation of Classical Yoga is unique and eclectic, it is mainly derived from the work of Krishnamacharia and his primary students: T.K.V Desikachar (Viniyoga), B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Joyce (Astanga Vinyasa) and from the work of Vanda Scaravelli. 

He  has studied yoga for over eleven years, beginning with Iyengar classes, he then went on to study intensively with the lineage of teachers taught by Vanda Scaravelli and Mary Stewart; particularly Giovanni Felicioni, who encouraged Carl to start teaching in 1998. Since then he has studied other styles in-depth: Dynamic yoga ( a variant of Astanga Vinyasa) with Godfrey Devereux; Sivananda yoga with Nirayni; and Viniyoga with Sylviane Gianina, who is Carl's current teacher. 

Carl's yoga training was built on a strong foundation of bodywork experience in professional dance, martial arts and athletic sports amounting to over ten years spent in full-time physical training. He also teaches a yoga based dance class, choreographs and makes films. 

Vajrasati Yoga with Jim Tarran: Jim  is a new and exciting teacher from Brighton. He teaches Vajrasati yoga and both Jilly and Graham in the Free Spirit office attend his classes and are happy to answer questions.

Jim Tarran attended his first Hatha yoga sessions in 1990 and began teaching on a small scale in 1991. In 1992 he travelled to India and whilst in Nepal completed a teacher training at the Patanjali Yoga centre. One year later he began running classes in Byron Bay Australia.

Returning to England in 1994 he began his Iyengar teacher training, successfully graduating in 1996.
Jim’s style of teaching has continued to deepen informed by his practice of Buddhism and his desire to vitalize and inspire his own practice Jim uses the tools of Yoga to fund a sense of engagement of life itself. “The form reveals the meaning” he says “and the meaning develops the form.” In so doing he has found more and more kinship with the whole breadth of the Yoga tradition.

Jim runs "drop-ins", courses and days in the Brighton area and his popular classes are known for their humour, humanity and depth. He also runs a teacher training program on which students are taught all the prerequisites of safe and well-informed Asana, mantra, Pranayama and meditation.
This re-flowering of the depths of Yoga Jim calls Vajrasati (unobstructed awareness) and graduates from the teacher-training are encouraged to input from their experience and creativity to this expanding pool of practice and teaching.

Mary Niker is a highly experienced Iyengar Yoga teacher. She teaches classes and weekend courses throughout the Thames Valley and has recently completed an extensive course in India.

Mary has studied yoga for over 19 years and been trained by many of senior teachers in the UK, she is dedicated to teaching Yoga with care and respect.

Students of all ages and backgrounds are welcomed on this yoga week. Growth and learning is encouraged at the pace you feel you are most comfortable with.

As Mary quotes " Through the practice of Iyengar Yoga we can not only combat stress, but achieve positive mental, spiritual and physical growth."

Liz has been teaching yoga through the 1990's, training first with the British Wheel of Yoga. She has an outstanding reputation and has written many books about yoga - she also has a great sense of fun and yoga students love to travel with her.

Absorbed in the creative wellbeing and balance of the through physical alignment, breathing, sequencing and relaxation, her inspiration comes from the tradition of Astanga Vinyasa Yoga, where postures are threaded together in a breath-linked flow, and other Hatha yoga practices including yoga nidra (guided relaxation). Liz adapts yoga postures for individuals to help sculpt each body.

She is a board member for The Life Centre Teachers Training Course, and runs her yoga retreats in places of unspoilt, outstanding natural beauty.

Liz holds BA & MA degrees in 3d design & Performing arts, producing figurative drawing and sculpture, elements of which she draws into her teaching.

Liz Lark and Jean Hall have known each other since university and often run retreats and holidays together.

Jean has been practicing yoga for over 19 years and has been teaching yoga for 12 years. She teaches open yoga classes in London, mentors yoga teachers in training & leads yoga retreats in the U.K and throughout the world.

She is the author of several books including:
Yoga, a practical guide to yoga postures - Abbeydale Press
Astanga Yoga, a in-depth guide to the primary series - Anness Books

After working as a professional dancer she qualified as a Iyengar yoga teacher in 1995 & since has continued to study different forms of yoga, namely Sivananda Yoga in Trivanadram and Astanga Yoga in Mysore with Sri K Pattahbi Jois.


Her teaching focuses on developing healthy body mechanics, awareness and flow of breath, energy and alignment to balance & strengthen the body, while deep stretching and relaxation helps to release tension from within.

Jean Hall and Liz Lark have known each other since university and often run retreats and holidays together.
 

Margherita Dal Pra "Yoga has been a constant part of her life for the last 14 years. 

The main influences on her style of Hatha yoga are the Astanga Vinyasa, Dynamic, Viniyoga, Shadow Yoga and Iyengar schools. She has studied with many of the world's leading yoga teachers doing workshops, retreats and training with the likes of Jivamukti, Shiva Rea, Donna Farhi, Adhil Palkhivalha, Richard Freeman, Tias Little and Rod Stryker. 
 
Drawing from the different traditions of the Khrishnamacharia lineage, her style takes yoga to a deeper level by integrating rhythmic breathing with conscious movement with intelligent asana sequencing (Vinyasa Krama). As in all physical yoga, the student will increase strength and flexibility -- and by uniting body and breath,  will learn to  move from moment to moment with absolute awareness.  With her gentle yet powerful approach to yoga, her classes become a meditation in action and are enjoyable and fun.  She likes working with a variety of themes and sequences to help the students deepen their practice and understanding. 
 
Margherita teaches yoga classes at a number of venues across London, she covers regularly at yoga Centres such as Triyoga and The Life Centre, and teaches her own yoga classes in North London and privately.
 
Margherita is British Wheel of Yoga Accredited and Yoga Alliance Certified.

Note: although Margherita adapts the postures to support the individual with any level of experience and capacity, this retreat is not suitable for absolute beginners.

Sivananda yoga is led by Anoushka Pletts, a teacher passionate about her yoga, happy to mix the various styles of yoga she has studied, combining them to make her own unique and very accessible yoga classes.

Anoushka enjoys challenging the physical body with a very eclectic approach to Strong Hatha Yoga.

She trained at the Sivananda ashram in India and has continued to deepen her knowledge through exploring not only other traditions of yoga, but by widening her sphere of influence to include other physical forms of movement as well as psychological tools to understand the mind. Whilst she recognises the need to relax the mind, she is also keen for students to leave her classes feeling rejuvenated.

Her classes are delivered in a relaxed manner and she encourages interaction and feedback throughout which allows her to understand and develop strong relationships with her students.

Anoushka believes the purpose of a retreat is transformation and raising consciousness. She will take you through her own theoretical knowledge of the ‘body’ in its many forms with an experiential approach. Her belief is you can only truly embody and understand through your own direct experience.
Expect to be taken on a journey where the body and mind is fragmented to create a real depth of understanding and then cemented back together to create a new wholeness. This will be a celebration of nature and juicy living.

Rose-Marie is a fully qualified and registered British Wheel of Yoga teacher. She is also a qualified Pilates and Chi Ball Method Teacher, Astrologer, Healer and You Can Heal Your Life© Cert. Facilitator (based on Louise Hay's book and work). With more than 20 years experience in the body-mind field, she is still dedicated to continually improving her skills as a teacher and facilitator. Continued studies of Yoga, Pilates, The Feldenkrais Method and personal & spiritual development is a large and important part of her life.

Oxon Hoath: Program
There are two studios at Oxon Hoath with two classes running parallel with a mixture of Relaxing Yoga, Flow Yoga and Pilates suitable for complete beginners or more experienced practitioners. There will also be Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation), Pranayama (breathing exercises), Indian Classical Temple Dance Performance (Saturday evening) and a full range of therapies like Hot Stone Therapy, Cranio Sacral Therapy, Massage, Healing. Includes accommodation, meals and classes. Treatments not included in the price.

Prices
Standard room (twin) £255 / Standard room (twin) ensuite £290  / Superior room (twin) ensuite £300 / Single room £305

 

"I came to the UK in 1986 after having travelled around Europe for a couple of years working as a dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. Way back in the 70's I started to teach dance and aerobics in Sweden , my home country, and later owned two health clubs. My first four years in England were spent teaching a variety of classes at several top health clubs in London . I have always loved working with people and been fascinated by what makes us 'tick'. This interest took me on a journey from astrology, psychology, art and personal & spiritual development to yoga, meditation, Pilates and healing. I believe passionately in the body-mind link and think we all have the capacity to heal our lives and ourselves. My view is that life is one big adventure and that there are endless possibilities and avenues to explore. I hope you will join me on this journey...... Namaste. "

 

Dina's Flow Yoga : Balancing the dynamism and power of a strong flowing form with the softness and stillness of yin yoga, this is a comprehensive practice designed to increase flexibility, tone and strengthen the body, soothe the mind and nourish the soul.
Classes usually begin with a gentle warm-up followed by a few yin postures, cultivating breath and body awareness and releasing hips and lower back. This slowly builds into a more energetic sequence based loosely on the Ashtanga system, synchronising breath and movement and developing strength, stamina and flexibility.

Each posture is presented in a step-by-step format, accessible to beginners, informed by the precision of Iyengar yoga with an emphasis on safety. As confidence and mastery grow, more challenging variations are offered, focusing on alignment and the internal dynamics of each shape.

Sessions gradually wind down into a deep and replenishing relaxation, calming the nervous system and integrating the energetics.
open the body to flow and let your spirit glow

As an ex-music journalist I have a huge collection of exotic and esoteric chill-out soundscapes which I sometimes use to evoke a little environmental ambience.

Burrows Lea Weekend: this long weekend at a sumptuous country hotel set in acres of beautiful countryside and woodlands, kicks off on Friday evening with a yoga session followed by dinner.

On Saturday there will be long practices in the morning and evening (attendance optional) and another long session on Sunday. Saturday afternoon will be free to relax in the grounds, read, have a massage or watch TV! The retreat will finish after lunch on Sunday.

A choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian food will be available and specific diets will be catered for. price will be £190 sharing a twin room or £220 for a single including yoga, accommodation, all meals, and refreshments. Maximum of 10 participants.

 

Zoe originally trained with the Sivananda school. Her personal practice now encompasses both the Sivananda and Astanga disciplines and this is reflected in her teaching.

Her classes are inspired by the vinyasa element of Astanga Yoga (synchronicity of breath and movement) combined with the holistic approach of Sivananda Yoga.

Morning classes will begin with Pranayama (breathing techniques) followed by an intensive asana practice with the focus on slow, flowing, organic vinyasana.

Afternoon sessions will include the practice of inversions and restorative asanas as well as pranayama and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation).
The holiday will allow students of all levels of experience to build on or develop their own authentic yoga practice.

Individual guidance will be offered to encourage the individual to deepen their understanding of the practice of Yoga.

Barbara Gordon - a leading yoga teacher, masseuse, and counsellor, with over thirty years experience teaching yoga. She has been training teachers since 1992. Barbara trained under the direct auspices of Swami Vishnudevananda who was a disciple of Swami Sivananda.
Barbara was the co-founder of the Sivananda Yoga Centre (London) and set up and ran the Sunra Centre. She teaches in India where she furthers her lifelong study of yoga under the guidance of enlightened master Guruji Mohan.

also teaching on the course will be

Narayani (Nora Belton) is a yoga teacher and masseuse. " My first contact with yoga happened at age twelve. It became an integral part of my life during my career as a modern dancer for 10 years. In 1993 I became certified by Sunra, but have taught yoga for 20 years. The practice of yoga has underlined and encompassed my life, lending support and constancy in moments of difficulty. In addition it has acted as a reference and resource throughout my artistic, personal and spiritual evolution.
Yoga accompanies my unending search for equilibrium, meaning and purpose, a search that has taken me to India, to deepen my meditation practice under the guidance of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda"

Through asanas and pranayama, Jane Manze invites you to discover greater awareness of your being.

Inspired by the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli, Jane will encourage students to find freedom, flexibility and strength within their body by taking time in each yoga posture and being attentive to the breath.

Being present with ourselves in postures assists in staying present and appreciating the richness of our daily lives. This dynamic, yet gentle, approach works within the body to restore health, vitality and energy.

Jane was led to Hatha yoga via a background in martial arts, dance, bodywork and a variety of styles of yoga practice. She has studied yoga both in the UK and in India. Knowledge and experience gives her teaching a clarity in identifying energetic and physical patterns within postures.

During the week Jane will work to inspire and awaken a deeper interest in each student's yoga practice.

Tyrone Duff  first discovered the path of Hatha yoga in India where he studied in the foothills with his teacher.

Following this he studied Hatha yoga in London with Fausto Maria at the Innergy Yoga Centre and completed a Sivananda teacher training course at the Vendanta Yoga Centre in New York, U.S.A.

Tyrone's classes are filed with humour and expertise, he has a loyal following and is a regular teacher with Free Spirit Travel. He currently teaches regular classes throughout London an is also a practitioner of Shiatsu.

left: Tyrone on his yoga holiday in Dahab

Tyrone's approach is gentle and fluid, focusing on the breath, gravity and a 'mindful witness' to the sensations within the body
 

Mark Hill first trained in New York in Sivananda yoga which he went on to teach in the Bahamas.

Following this he travelled to Australia to extend his training to include Astanga and Iyengar style yoga and studied with Louise Sear and Matthew Sweeney.

Extremely popular, Mark now teaches yoga full time in London and usually teaches Astanga yoga on his Free Spirit Yoga holidays

Simon Low is a director of yoga and co-founder at triyoga, one of London’s premier yoga centres. His teaching is informed by the study of Astanga, Iyengar, Okido and other forms of Hatha yoga, and is suitable for all levels including beginners.

Simon’s teaching reflects his training and ongoing studies with international teachers in many forms of Hatha and Classical yoga.

Since becoming certified in Teacher Training and Advanced Yoga Therapy with Dr. Larry Payne at Samata International in Los Angeles, California, Simon has developed a unique and personal teaching style.

While the classical teachings of Sri T Krishnamacharya and his primary students inform the foundations of Simon’s ‘yin and yang’ style yoga experience, his own teachings are augmented by a keen interest in Okido Yoga, and a wide and varied journey through many other systems and schools of Hatha Yoga, bodywork, psychology and disciplines such as The Alexander Technique, Pilates, and Chi Kung.

While keeping classes and study educational, diverse, focused and fun, Simon encourages the individual to remain mindfully focused toward internal exploration as a guide to experiencing yoga as it is meant to be practiced – a personal journey toward freedom, clarity, centeredness and the revealing and nurturing of the True Self-your Essence
 

Simona Hernandez: I have studied Classical ballet for 18 years. At the end of my training I was an assistant ballet teacher in many classes, teaching students from 2 1/2 years to Elementary level. My professional training is in Psychology. I worked as an Assistant and Research Psychologist for 5 years. It was this combination of dance and psychology training that led me to become interested in Dance Movement and Psychotherapy. I completed a foundation course in this area approximately 8 years ago.

Due to a whiplash injury and stress from my Psychology job I started practising yoga in November 1997. I will never forget that feeling after my very first class. It was as though the world had been literally lifted off my shoulders and for the first time in a very long time I had a real sense of who I was. Within a year I trained as a Sivananda teacher and have since continued to learn about the many different aspects and styles of yoga through self practice and attending workshops and teachers training programmes. While living in Sydney I had the opportunity to attend many workshops and complete another teachers training course.

The style of yoga I teach could be described as a Vinyasa Hatha Yoga. I focus very much on the flow of the breath and the flow of that breath as an initiator for the movement. As a result of my dancing and movement therapy training I became aware of how inextricably the mind and body are linked. As a result I try to encourage a real softness in the body throughout the practice. My classes focus on chanting, pranayama, asanas and relaxation.

I encourage a continuous flow from one asana to the next linked by the breath and usually draw on some aspects of yoga philosophy during the physical practice of yoga. I have many different teachers I look to for inspiration - Vanda Scaravelli, Shiva Rea, Sharon and David from Jivamukti Yoga, Swami Sivananda, Desikachar and BKS Iyengar.

Fiona Agombar, author of beat Fatigue with Yoga and experienced retreat leader is taking an Energy Yoga weekend in the peaceful setting of the Domus Mariea convent from April 3rd - April 5th. 

The weekend will include gentle yoga, breathing, relaxation and chanting together with a session with special guest Tim Francis

Fiona originally trained with the Yoga for Health Foundation and also in India.  She is currently studying yoga in the Krishnamachayra tradition. 

Cost - only £160 full board and yoga for single room and shared bathroom.

For more information on her work please visit her website http://www.fionaagombar.co.uk/

This weekend is suitable for those people with little or no yoga experience as well as for those people with M.E.

Ruth has developed a unique style of teaching that unites the pupil and teacher in an atmosphere of happiness and well-being. She teaches with enthusiasm and a sense of fun, and brings the same warmth and clarity to her talks and demonstrations.

Ruth is well known for her attention to detail, and has the ability to enable people to see through their limitations, achieve their full potential and experience a sense of freedom.

In her teens, Ruth had chronic back problems and as she says "happened to fall at the feet of a master". At that time B.K.S. Iyengar held classes in London homes, sometimes with as few as 12 students. He showed Ruth how to work to be free of the pain.

She was so inspired by his teaching, that she travelled to Poona, India, and was later given a senior teaching certificate. She taught Iyengar's teacher training classes and assessed students for their certificates. She has since made a number of trips back to India to teach and study.

Ruth met her husband John at the School of Philosophy, in Queensgate, London, (now in Oxford Circus) a school for householders who wish to 'wake up'. John, a shoemaker and student of philosophy, spent 9 years as a child in India. A natural teacher of Indian philosophy and yoga, he was also taught by Iyengar and awarded a teaching certificate.

Ruth and John are highly experienced popular Iyengar Yoga teachers, they regularly run retreats and holidays both in the UK and abroad, often inviting guest yoga teachers from different yoga disciplines to join them.  Their yoga weekends are packed with knowledge.

 

Caroline Klebl is a dedicated teacher, who has spent several years in India, practicing under the guidance of Sri K Pattabhi Jois and has received his blessing to teach Ashtanga Yoga.

With a background in Iyengar Yoga, Tibetan Buddhist meditation, Jungian Psychology and Ayurveda, she has practiced this method for over 11 years.

She has recently produced and published a 2007 Yoga Calendar and is currently writing an Ashtanga Yoga book. She teaches workshops, teacher's trainings and retreats all over the world. Through her intuitive approach, she introduces the postures and techniques of the practice to reveal the liberating quality of Ashtanga Yoga.

Visit her website at www.sourceofyoga.com


Copyright Caroline Klebl 2005
 

Angus Ford-Robertson has been teaching yoga internationally for 6 years.

He teaches Hatha Yoga and has been influenced by a number of teachers including Faustomaria Dorelli, Erich Schiffmann and Eckhart Tolle. His teaching style is greatly influenced by his experience in Ashrams and Buddhist monasteries around the world.

His classes can be physically challenging - but the emphasis is always on developing inner awareness. He communicates in no-nonsense language leaving students with a clear understanding of the purpose and benefits of yoga practice. Most of all, this week will provide a fun, safe space for students of all levels to develop and deepen their yoga practice.

All participants will leave feeling deeply relaxed and centred - and with an abundance of practical techniques for developing calmness in everyday life.

Angus is an experienced trained clinical hypnotherapist - and will be offering sessions to students interested in discovering the transformative healing power of hypnotherapy.

Vicky's yoga Expresssive movement as therapy is a concept that Vicky Oliver has grown up with. As a young man, her father Michael Edward Mitchell was a ballet dancer under Madame Rambert’s tutelage before his career was stunted by his conscription to the mines.

Vicky first became interested in developing an awareness of the interconnection between the mind and the body as a junior competitive athlete in 1981. Her interest deepened when she sustained two major injuries in 1985 which eventually brought an end to her running career.

Vicky went on to study expressive movement between 1990 and 1991 with Desmond Jones at his physical theatre school. Desmond’s training had a profound effect on Vicky’s approach to teaching. He taught Vicky that a good teacher does not just reproduce what they have been taught. Evolvement comes from rigorous self-study.

Vicky continued her studies at Goldsmith’s College between 1992 and 1997 where she studied journalism and then chose an academic route to explore her creativity, studying a BA in English. Here Vicky honed her skills in articulacy and projection of ideas. Throughout this time of intense study Vicky gave birth to two children and her attention turned to yoga as she required a meditative form of exercise for mental and physical health. Vicky discovered that efficient living was impossible without emotional control, for Vicky, yoga promoted such mastery.

In 1999 Vicky studied to train as a yoga therapist with Sunra. Narayani, a profoundly spiritual teacher was to be her main inspiration. The richness and uniqueness of Vicky’s teaching lies in the way she has united all strands of her knowledge and experience into a coherent philosophy. This philosophy is memorably carried along by her personality and energy.

Vicky prefers to take her inspiration for teaching from a broad spectrum of disciplines. Philosophy and the Arts inform her approach to teaching as well as the plethora of Hatha yoga tradition
 

Nigel Gilderson, founder and director of the Brockwell Lido Yoga Centre, has been teaching yoga internationally for the past 15 years.

Originally trained as a physical education teacher, his fascination by the mechanics of movement, led him to study with Derek and Radha Ireland, Naryani Rabinovich, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Shandor Remete amongst others.

He has developed a unique style of mindful flowing yoga, enabling students to appreciate the internal flow of subtle energy, building strength around an central core. His teaching is informed by his practice of Tai Chi and bodywork and a keen interest in expression through movement.
 

Classes will be led by Deepa Moodgal and will be Flowing Hatha Yoga

Deepa is an intuitive Free Flow Yoga Teacher and therapist and has been involved in holistic living for over 11 years.

Her approach to yoga is based around creating fluid movements in the body derived from the classical form of Hatha Yoga with elements of beautiful Vinyasa waves. She will often work with what her students present to her rather than working to a structure.

She brings humour, warmth and passion into her classes and her retreats are about guiding her students back to their true essence of peace, harmony and joyful living.