My yoga path

You've probably seen from my About Me that I’m deeply passionate about yoga and the kind of change it can bring to anyone’s life. But I didn’t always feel this way. I used to flinch when a yoga teacher asked us to bring our hands together and chant three OMs - it felt cringy, and I couldn’t understand how it fit into what I thought was just a physical exercise class.

And I suppose that’s where I was mistaken. Even though this was happening in a gym setting, I now see that yoga isn’t just about moving our bodies in different ways - it’s about taking what we learn on the mat and slowly bringing it into our everyday lives. I’ve come to understand that there’s a lesson in the resistance - whether that’s to chanting, to showing up consistently, or to believing that something difficult might one day feel possible.

With that understanding, and knowing the physical side is accessible to anyone who steps on the mat regardless of age or body shape or form. I teach with a focus on breath-led movement and on meeting each student exactly where they are.

Himalaya Yoga Valley Goa - 200hr Yoga Teacher Training

The 200hr Yoga Teacher Training course at HYV in Mandrem, Goa, is comprehensive, robust and structured towards practical teaching skills as well as personal practice. Alongside asana, we also studied yoga philosophy, anatomy, Ayurveda basics, pranayama, meditation techniques and more! We spent 4 full weeks practicing, studying, expanding. By the end, we felt ready to return home and begin sharing yoga with others straightaway.

Continued Asana Practice - Caroline Simpson, Ashtanga Bristol (Level 2 Authorised Teacher)

When I returned from India, one of the most important things was finding a shala that reflected the traditional values I had grown to love. We are all students first - and finding Caroline as a teacher has allowed me to keep exploring yoga as a philosophy, not just a physical practice. Her teaching is intuitive, patient and encouraging. Being part of her shala has given me a sense of belonging, safety, and shared experience. With her guidance, I continue to deepen my own practice - and in turn, I aim to offer the same care, steadiness and approach to you.

Seeing with Soft Eyes - 20hr with Judith Hanson Lasater

Seeing with soft eyes. During this course we were experimenting with the knowledge of alignment vs yoga body vs yoga myths. Looking at the vertical lines, flexibility and strength; we discovered how just a few baseline physiological rules can help us understand the human body’s continued fight against gravity better. The course added 20 non-contact continuing hours accredited by Yoga Alliance.

Yoga for Cancer - 40hr with Morven Hamilton, Yoga by Nature

Learning from Morven was a grounding experience. Our small group included women who had lived through cancer themselves, and hearing their stories first-hand was both humbling and invaluable. The course wove together Morven’s experience, a strong structure, and a gentle, thoughtful approach - guiding us not only toward understanding others more fully, but also toward reconnecting with ourselves.

We explored how cancer develops and the physical and emotional challenges someone might face during and after treatment. We learnt ways to support the rebuilding of strength: physically, mentally, and emotionally; and how to guide someone back to their breath, back to themselves. As Tara Prinster puts it: “Cancer took my breath away. Yoga gave it back.”

We were introduced to a range of yogic tools including breathwork, mindfulness and yoga nidra - practices that gently rebuild stability and trust in the body, step by step.

Experiential Anatomy - Judith Hanson Lasater & Mary Richards

Movement literacy for yoga teachers. This course gives 50hrs continued education credit with Yoga Alliance - but is so much more than that! Through fifteen chapters, we learn through the body and its mechanisms, all the way from the locomotor system through the vertebral column to the extremities; guided by Judith Hanson Lasater and her right hand yoga anatomy geek, the brilliant Mary Richards. I decided to do this course because Mary’s approach to anatomy is down-to-earth, easy to understand and this course looks at anatomy from the yoga teacher perspective, which is key. Understanding how the body works, enhances my abilities to look at and advise individuals based on their very own anatomy, away from standardised alignment cues and closer to seeing what works for that individual’s body the best. I cannot wait to implement the new knowledge and start sharing with You in my classes and retreats!

Yearly study with Sharmila Desai, Certified Ashtanga Teacher in Morjim, India

Studying with Sharmila in Morjim is a privilege - one that is not easily given. This dedicated period of practice and study has a certain transformative power. We learn to live simply, like peeling back the layers of what Morjim, as a village, offers to the locals. Our days are quiet but textured: reading yogic texts, deepening the practice of journalling, and finding pockets of calm amidst the vibrancy of Morjim. By our third season, we began to recognise the birds by their song and tell the time by the order in which they sang.

Practice is more than physical in Morjim. It becomes woven into how you move through the day. During the weekly satsang, curated carefully on that very morning, we receive personalised, individual teaching that only Sharmila can offer.

I know it all sounds a bit magical... and it truly is. Reintegration is just as important, bringing home the lessons, tuning into what remains true in our home environment, and bringing this clarity into our everyday lives, gently and respectfully.

Adri is part of Yoga Alliance Professionals UK