About Tor Park - in a nutshell

I'm a yoga teacher based in East London, with a focus on yoga for everybody. Community yoga, chair yoga, corporate sessions and more - yoga will meet you wherever you are physically and mentally (and if you're not in the East End of London online yoga is there too).

The complete yoga practice is a life-long interest for me that I continue to study; what  started as a hobby led me to my true vocation. In classes I like to weave in aspects of yoga philosophy, meditation, pranayama (breath work) and more, taking every session beyond simply asana, or the postures that we move ourselves through.

“We could just do corpse pose again - the one where you lie flat?”

“Good plan, we’re good at that one.”

This was an actual conversation with my mum over 25 years ago. We’d recently started yoga; one of her friends led practice for a group of us in her living room, and had given us a photo copy with some poses on. We were attempting some yoga on our own referring to the sheet. Whilst enjoyable, it’s fair to say it wasn’t the most structured self-practice…

But I loved it. In the days before an abundance of yoga studios I had an old video I used at home, and the first regular class I went to was in the basement of a restaurant. It’s a real joy to see yoga available in so many places now: not only studios, but also offices, online and outdoors.

At the start of one of the yoga teacher training sessions I attended, we were all asked to introduce ourselves and say how long we’d been practising vinyasa. Which is when it occurred to me that I had no idea - even though this is the style I do the most these days. Vinyasa flow yoga is relatively new: our options in London in the 1990s tended to be Ashtanga, Iyengar or Hatha. As with all things, yoga has evolved, and many styles and approaches are available to us today. Whilst I enjoy the variety, I have a particular love of linking breath with movement and the fluid flow of vinyasa.

One of the things I love about yoga is that it will meet you wherever you are, and can support you with what you need.

You might want to challenge yourself or try something new. And other times we just need some time and space for ourselves. If you want to move and sweat, or if you’d like to relax: yoga has your back.

Some years ago I went to see a doctor about my aching neck and was told that running was probably not helping it. Bootcamp was out and power yoga was in. This is when my regular practice became more of a daily practice, and visits to the gym were replaced with time on the mat. 

Not long after that a colleague (I used to work in the City as a marketing director) said “I think the reason you’re able to stay calm when the rest of us are stressing out is probably all that yoga you do.” This was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me as I realised that the benefits of the practice go beyond the movements we take our bodies through. I’ve found that yoga helps me feel better mentally and physically, I sleep better, and I’ve also met some great people that have become firm friends along the way.

Asana might be the main focus of many studio classes, but there is so much more to yoga - pranayama, meditation, philosophy, and I enjoy the journey of constantly learning about it. 

Fast forward to 2016 and my boyfriend and sister are both encouraging me to become a yoga teacher. I figured that if I did the training at the very least I’d save all the money I was spending on classes, and could find out a bit more about alignment. 

So I signed up to a semi-intensive course whereby we did nine days full-time training followed by weekends. The week after those first nine days when I returned to work I left my office job. 

I knew that sharing yoga, something I’m truly passionate about, would be a better path to follow. 

Everybody is different, and every time we come to the mat is different. Options are given so that you can really make the practice your own, along with some added extras if you’re looking for a challenge.

You can expect clear cues, individual alignment, and an ability to practice in a way that suits you.

Most yoga with me is accessible to all bodies, so even if you think yoga may not be for you please do get in touch (I studied applied anatomy and supporting injured students with Andrew McGonigle). Every one is welcome.

Stepney City Farm is wheelchair accessible, and so is the yoga practice I hold there every week. The same goes for New Road Hotel.