KAY JOHNSON - LOTTE BERK METHOD Kay is an expert instructor, having trained with Lotte Berk herself and been teaching for over 27 years. She initially trained with Lotte Berk in 1978 and received her diploma in 1979. Kay continued to work alongside her for 7 years and was also sent to Hong Kong to train students in the Lotte Berk Method.  Kay's classes combine deep technical knowledge and experience with boundless energy and enthusiasm.  She believes it is possible to incorporate a few exercises into your daily life and make it fun.

ALEX FRYER - BODY CONDITIONING, STRETCH & TONE, BOXERCISE Alex Fryer is a Personal Trainer and ABA Boxing Tutor with lots of real-time experience at a very high level. He has run 2 London Marathons, several Triathlons and Duathlons, played Football and Boxed at Amateur level for 3 years. Alex loves teaching and sharing his knowledge to help achieve realistic goals, Sport has always been part of his life and as well as maintaining a healthy body he strongly believes it helps the mind deal with the ups and downs and stresses of day to day life.

JACKIE MCCAUL - IYENGAR YOGA, PREGNANCY YOGA, MUM & BABY YOGA Jackie McCaul is an Iyengar Yoga teacher qualified to Junior Intermediate level 2. Since discovering Iyengar yoga fourteen years ago, regular practice has led to a greater understanding of the many benefits yoga can bring into daily life and as a teacher she enjoys encouraging other people to experience this. Jackie's classes are disciplined yet fun, she is a good communicator, a lively teacher and encourages participants to push themselves but also enjoy themselves   Jackie has been extremely fortunate to be taught directly by Yogacharya BKS Iyengar at Estes Park, Colorado USA in 2005 and she regularly attends  workshops taught by senior teachers. Iyengar teachers go through rigorous training (a minimum of two years) to become qualified and continued development is essential. Jackie has been qualified to teach since 2003, has continued her studies and was successful in obtaining J.I. Level 2 status in 2007. The journey continues....

CATHERINE PERRIN - Currently on Maternity Leave Catherine has 17 years of personal experience doing Yoga. She decided to take up yoga because, having trained with an athletic club as a sprinter for 10 years until the age of 21, she felt that she wanted to continue to remain fit but with more depth and relaxation to her physical exercise. Catherine started her discovery of yoga with the Sivananda Centre in Madrid, Spain in 1990 and after 3 years of training with the British Wheel of Yoga, qualified to be a yoga teacher in 2004. Her style of teaching is one that promotes learning about yoga in its essence whilst building strength, flexibility and stamina both for mind, body and spirit.   At Earthlife, Catherine teaches adults on Saturdays mornings, mothers and babies on Thursdays and also takes monthly workshops. She also specialises in yoga for pregnancy.

KATE SMART - POST NATAL FITNESS Kate teaches the Post-Natal Fitness classes at Earthlife. Training originally with Fit to Perform, Kate gained her NVQ in Exercise to Music in 1997, whilst working on the management team of Holmes Place (now Virgin Active) in Kingston and Sunbury.   Now with a family of her own, Kate freelances and specialises in both group and one-to-one post natal fitness training. She is a member of the Guild of Postnatal Exercise Instructors having studied and certified with them in 2006. Kate is also qualified in and teaches Body Pump, Rpm and Aqua classes and is currently studying for a Diploma in Advanced Personal Training to include GP referrals.

LAEONY JONES - PILATES INSTRUCTOR Laeony trained at the Laban Centre of Contemporary Dance and went on to gain a First Degree in Dance with Visual Arts and Film from the University of Brighton. With physical challenges of reoccurring injuries throughout her dance training, she turned to Pilates for rehabilitation and lasting recovery. Laeony has been practicing Pilates for 14 years, benefiting from its profound effects. Inspired, she trained as a teacher through Body Control Pilates. Influenced by her creative and physical roots she has a natural affinity in understanding the body and she works sensitively and intuitively incorporating this in to her teaching. “I passionately continue expanding my knowledge and training so that I can offer a varied, progressive and holistic tuition to those I works with”.

LUCY POTTER - HATHA YOGA Lucy originally trained as a dancer and performed in Stage productions such as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Grease, The Pajama Game, On Your Toes and Mary Poppins, as well as various television and film appearances over the last eighteen years.   Lucy continues to work as a freelance dance teacher and choreographer, in addition to teaching Hatha and Teen Yoga. She uses her dance background to influence her Hatha based Yoga classes which combine dynamic flowing postures with challenging balances, breath work and relaxation.   "Although I miss performing I enjoy inspiring and being inspired by all those I teach."

PAGAN HOPKINSON - HATHA YOGA INSTRUCTOR Pagan has been practising yoga for about 15 years. Her training was under Simon Low with the Yoga Academy and Triyoga. She teaches classical Hatha yoga and has also trained to teach perinatal (pregnancy) yoga and kids yoga. Yoga has been a big part of her life and she feels she has personally benefited from both the physical practice of postures, which have enhanced her balance, strength and flexibility and also through the practice of "pranayama". Prana refers to the breath and ayama means stretch or extend. Pranayama is the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga. Pranayama is the control, harmonisation and integration of prana through the regulation of the breath. This then leads the mind and body to be ready for meditation. Stilling the mind enables mental clarity and poise.

JULIE RUGGINS - HATHA YOGA, ANTE-NATAL YOGA, PILATES After initially training to be a professional dancer at Rambert, Julie went on to achieve her RAD teaching diploma in 1992, where upon she ran her own dance school for many years. In 2003 Julie qualified as a Pilates instructor at the Pilates Institute and later went on to learn Hatha Yoga with the British School of Yoga in 2006. Julie's approach to teaching is very much core based, working within one's own body limits, having a strong mind/body connection. Julie is a keen rock climber in her spare time and feels that Pilates and Yoga enhances her activities and gives her the energy and enthusiasm to lead a busy life.

SHIRLEY-ANNE FOSTER - BABY MASSAGE INSTRUCTOR Shirley-Anne is an Aromatherapist, Reflexologist and Baby Massage Instructor with over 14 years of practical experience. She originally completed her training with some of the country's most respected practitioners and trainers.   Shirley-Anne's area of speciality is working with pre and post natal women. This interest started 13 years ago when she was pregnant with her first child. It was after the birth of her daughter that she also discovered the benefits of massage for a baby suffering from chronic colic. As a result she trained in baby massage techniques to teach other mothers the numerous benefits of massaging their baby.

RIS WIDDICOMBE - PILATES INSTRUCTOR Ris has been teaching and studying movement for a long time through different media. She started in Mime and Physical Theatre working with several drama schools and theatre companies. Ris has worked in the fitness industry for many years, working at all major health clubs in West London and has been teaching Pilates since 1999.    She enjoys the experience of working with people of all different abilities and will always makes the classes informative and at the same time fun!

RICHARD PIERRE - SALSA Professionally Qualified UK Salsa Dance Champion Richard Pierre (dipUKA) has over 17 years experience teaching many forms of Latin dance, especially Salsa. In this time Richard has travelled extensively; teaching and performing throughout the world in places such as Denmark, Germany, Japan, Spain and Ireland. He is one of London's most accomplished and popular instructors of Salsa using his wealth of experience to develop the average student into a confident and polished dancer.   His long track record of success with innovative and challenging dance classes motivates students to reach their full potential and develop a passion and enjoyment of salsa. Above all, classes are always taught in a very easy going, fun and exciting manner.

 

SONA SHARMA - ANTE NATAL YOGA, TEEN YOGA, HATHA YOGA Sona has been following the yoga philosophy since childhood and began practicing asana/postures, breathing and meditation for over twenty years now. Her love of the subject has led her to study and qualify as a teacher with with the Sivananda Yoga Centres in London, Austria and India, and the British Wheel of Yoga in the UK. Sona began teaching in 2002 and trains annually with visiting teachers such as Sandra Sabatini, Donna Farhi, Richard Freeman and leading London teachers at The Life Centre and Triyoga. She practicsed and trained whilst pregnant with Lolly Stirk (Active Birth) and the method taught by Gurmukh in LA. Sona teaches Pregnancy Yoga, Teen Yoga and Hatha Yoga. "As the benefits of yoga has to be experienced first-hand, I aim to give students what I experience in my practice - a balanced session combining strength and stamina, a feeling of lengthening and opening the body and settling the mind through breathing and relaxation techniques".

JAGADAMBA - MUM & BABY YOGA, PREGNANCY YOGA, DYNAMIC HATHA YOGA Jagadamba has worked as a Doula for 18 years and is a yoga and meditation teacher. She has taught pregnancy yoga extensively and uses ancient yogic techniques to help women breath and relax; ultimately optimising the use of their bodies during child birth to promote safer, healthier and joyful birth experiences. She brings her experience and compassion to assist other women to achieve the blissful birth of their choice.