easterly westerly

easterly westerly hopes to provide a delicate fusion of eastern and western approaches to healing and well-being inspired by my own journey.

As a young child I was captivated by the power of movement and it’s potential for self expression. In these early years this mainly took the form of dance but over the past 20 years exploring this thread more deeply through yoga, meditation and self enquiry has been integral to my life. I first encountered yoga in the early 00s in my local community hall but in the summer of 2004 I attended a yoga retreat in Crete and discovered Ashtanga Yoga and more specifically the tradition of self practice known as ‘mysore style’. Practicing in accordance with my own breath, at my own pace with a specific sequence in mind felt potent to me. There was no turning back and I embarked on a daily practice from this point onwards.

This was the beginning of walking a devoted yogic path that has included many trips to study in Mysore, India and a fortunate meeting in 2008 with Dena Kingsberg, whose poetic and heartfelt teachings over the years have provided great inspiration and continue to. In 2011 and 2013 I was also incredibly blessed to spend time in London apprenticing and assisting at Ashtanga Yoga London with Hamish Hendry. I have completed the third series under both Dena and Hamish’s guidance and am also a Level II authorised KPJAYI/SYC teacher, deeply committed to sharing Ashtanga Yoga with authenticity and sincerity in accordance with the teachings of the late Shri. K Pattabhi Jois and his grandson the late Sharath Jois. The list of authorised/certified teachers can be found at-   https://sharathyogacentre.com/europe/

I have taught yoga in London and Cornwall in the UK and extensively internationally since 2007 in Australia, Bali, South Africa, Dubai and New York. In 2025 I am taking a break from teaching but I am still running a online philosophy course on the Bhagavad Gita throughout the year. I also plan to run some intensives/workshops late this year or early next and in 2026 I’m planning a retreat in Nepal. 

I have a keen interest in yoga philosophy and psychology and throughout my life in moments of crisis and transition I have also benefitted significantly from psychotherapy. In 2018 I discovered Psychosynthesis and trained as a counsellor leading to private client work and work within the charity sector. The blend of eastern and western approaches has facilitated my own physical, mental and emotional well-being and nurtured self understanding. It has also highlighted the importance of the therapeutic relationship to me. As a consequence I offer an integrative approach that blends my extensive yoga and philosophy studies with my work as a Psychosynthesis counsellor registered with the BACP.

When teaching yoga I include insights on the mind, psychology and the therapeutic relationship and when offering counselling sessions I include the wisdom of working with the body and the breath. Across both I like to include the importance of nature, the elements, the cycles of the moon and the seasons.