Hi, my name is
Vanessa
I'm really passionate about yoga and love creating a space where people feel supported, empowered, and able to look after their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I used to work in the corporate world, so I know first-hand how tough workplace stress and burnout can be—and how much it can affect our mental health. More recently, I’ve been working in the charity sector, which has deepened my understanding of how stress and trauma can take a real toll on people.
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Yoga has made a huge difference in my own life, and I’m excited to share that with others. I first discovered yoga 20 years ago, and since then I’ve been lucky enough to learn from a variety of teachers in the UK, California, and India. I started out with Hatha classes, then practiced Iyengar yoga for a while, and over the past five years, I’ve mainly been doing Ashtanga Vinyasa, with some Iyengar influences still in the mix. These styles have shaped my own practice, and indeed my teaching style.
Yoga is just one of the limbs (aspects) of Ayurvedic health system and I also do my best to follow an Ayurvedic lifestyle.
I’m teaching at Fairbairn House in Haddington and Core in Dunbar. Classes include Ashtanga Vinyasa, gentler flow-style Ashtanga, Yoga for Men, and can offer sessions for families with teens and parents by arrangement. Restorative Trauma-Informed Yoga classes are on the way too. I also offer one-to-one sessions, which I really enjoy providing - it's lovely to tailor the practice to suit a client’s individual needs, and support them as they deepen and develop their yoga practice. Having experienced first hand the benefits that yoga can provide to those struggling with work life balance, I’m very interested in working with companies that want to bring yoga into the workplace as part of their employee wellbeing plans.
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Classes are friendly, welcoming, and laid-back. Alongside the physical postures (asanas), we also explore breathwork (pranayama), meditation, and some of the deeper ideas behind yoga philosophy. Everyone’s welcome - no matter your level or experience. I always encourage you to see the class as your practice, to tune into how you’re feeling, and to treat yourselves with kindness, wherever you’re at that day.