teachers at evolve
ailon freedman
Ailon has explored a diverse range of yoga styles over the last 20 years.
His classes weave together the precision of Iyengar Yoga, the breath-movement synchronisation of Vinyasa yoga, the “dropping in” to postures found in Scaravelli yoga and the fun and connection of Partner Yoga. We will explore these styles in more depth, in order to find out which ones work best for us.
Students will discover how a yoga practice can be experienced as a moving meditation. We will also learn how yoga can structurally re-align the body, calm the mind, and allow one to tap into a greater reservoir of lifeforce energy.
Ailon teaches open level hatha on tuesdays and thursdays from 10:00 – 11:15am
angie hsu
Angie believes in the power of the individual to grow, love and transform. She experienced this firsthand when she committed to her yoga practice and uncovered her passion for health and wellbeing. A native New Yorker, Angie studied ISHTA yoga under the guidance of teachers Yogiraj Alan Finger, Jean Koerner and Peter Ferko. She has taught at New York City studios since 2008 to a diverse group of yogis. Angie is a Yoga Alliance RYT 500 teacher.
Angie is a veteran of the fashion industry and holds an economics degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She gives thanks to all the wonderful teachers in her life, especially her students.
Angie teaches level 2 vinyasa flow on thursdays from 7:15 – 8:30pm
caroline gamble
Namaste friends – my name is Caroline Gamble.
I believe every life is better with yoga in it, whether it be the yoga of asana, pranayama, devotion, selfless service, meditation – the list continues, each an opportunity to find our serene centres and enjoy the bliss of that connection. I practice, as a teacher and student, to take another step on this journey, towards this goal.
Many teachers have guided me on my way – enlightened souls in India with whom I studied philosophy and meditation, the accomplished teachers who led my teacher training course (Yoga Campus, 18 months, yogacampus.com) and the teachers in studios, workshops, retreats who have guided my practice over the years. Most importantly, yoga has connected me to the teacher that lies within me, the greatest guide of them all.
My hope is to foster a class environment where you have the space and tools to connect with yourself on this level (your own inner teacher), by way of connecting with body, mind and soul. Each class changes with the uniqueness of the day and the people gathered but asana (postures) will always be approached with compassion for the whole body and particular attention to lower back and shoulder health. And whilst the emphasis of each class is changeable, the constant theme is find stillness and the inner teacher is heard.
Hari Om!
Caroline teaches open level hatha on thursdays and fridays from 12:30 – 1:30pm and level 1-2 dynamic hatha on tuesdays from 7:15 – 8:45pm
celest pereira
Celest is a trained dancer and martial artist with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy and 10 years yoga practise. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training in India in 2009 and has been teaching full time since then. Witnessing her classes really begin to buzz with increasing numbers of regular students she founded CITYOGI (www.cityogi.com), specifically aimed for the city professional. Celest teaches a challenging Vinyasa Flow style class to music and she loves to teach everything from the philosophy of yoga right through to the most complex of yoga asanas (postures). She welcomes all levels to her class and prides herself on her ability to break down even the most advanced postures into manageable steps. Expect to have fun and come away glowing!
Celest teaches open level vinyasa flow on tuesdays + thursdays from 9:30 – 10:45am and power hour on fridays 1:00 – 2:00pm
charlotte watts
Charlotte has been practising yoga since 1996, teaching for over 5 years after advanced 500 hour training with the Vajrasati School in Brighton. Also a Nutritional Therapist for over 10 years and author of The De-Stress Diet (www.de-stressyourlife.com), she works with clients to relieve causative elements of stress-related disorders, energy issues, craving cycles, sleep issues and mental health.
She focusses on how we can become adaptive and resilient – to enjoy modern living without its stresses upsetting our quality of life. Good stress and adaptation – coping with life isn’t simply about avoiding stress, but also involves increasing our resilience and ability to adapt and react appropriately to the world around us. When we challenge our minds and bodies whilst retaining ease and healthy energy balance, we can become stronger and less reactive. Yoga postures with breath awareness help us achieve this and here we lead in by understanding all aspects of our life that offer chances to increase our coping mechanisms.
Charlotte teaches open level de-stress yoga on tuesdays from 11:00-12:00pm
clare roberts
Clare began teaching yoga in 2009, when she opened a yoga studio in South London, working alongside Physiotherapists and Osteopaths. Discovering ISHTA yoga through her Life Centre teacher Katrina Repka, Clare was delighted to find a yoga system where the dynamics of energy as it moves through the body could be fully addressed and applied to create profound shifts physically, mentally and energetically. As well as teaching yoga, Clare is a massage therapist, has Reiki and clears up how she speaks and thinks of life using her NLP practitioner training. Clare is a member of the British Wheel of Yoga, is a Yoga Alliance RYT-500 and also a member of The Reiki association.
“Above all else I believe in the incredible human ability to improve every situation through self-awareness and understanding, I love finding like-minded people who want to explore their own perceptions of the realms of existence, possibility and to create their reality.”
Clare teaches open level ISHTA yoga on wednesdays from 11:15 – 12:15pm
diane lister
Diane has been teaching yoga for the last decade, starting out with hot yoga in native Canada. In 2005 she moved to Hong Kong at one of Asia’s largest yoga studios where she met some of her most influential teachers, including Patrick Creelman (Anusara) and also Ana Forrest (Forrest Yoga). Studying under them allowed Diane to expand her knowledge and grow her teaching style into a more alignment based practice with focus on breath, connecting to the core, and feeling the body from the inside out. All of which she brings into her classes now.
Diane teaches open level vinyasa flow on fridays from 10:00-11:15pm
emily reed
Emily is deeply committed to health, well being and achieving a greater living experience through yoga, ayurveda and meditation. Her classes encourage students to feel from within- sensing the subtleties of the practice and the unconscious habits of the body/mind complex. She teaches a steady-flowing, dynamic style with attention to alignment helping students develop an awareness of the physical body. Her classes usually incorporate pranayama (breath work) and kriya meditation techniques which help students experience the deeper, more profound aspects of a yoga practice. These ingredients create a well -rounded, completeness to her classes. Her hope is that her students can learn to use these “tools” to transition an active mind or negative thought to a place of balance, calm, acceptance, and kindness. Emily is 200 hours (BWY trained) and has completed her 300 hour (Yoga Alliance) Advanced teacher training in ISHTA yoga under Katrina Repka. She continues to travel and study ISHTA under Katrina Repka, Yogiraj Alan Finger as well as Ayurvedic philosophy, with Dr A.R. Ramadas in Tamil Nadu, India. For more details see: www.emilyreedyoga.com
Emily teaches open level ISHTA yoga on thursdays from 5:45-7:00pm
helena trippe
Helena started practising Iyengar Yoga in 1999. After years of swimming regularly without adequate stretching, Helena found that despite being challenged by the yoga classes, she was rewarded with renewed vitality and clarity of mind. Two and a half years of training under the UK’s most senior Iyengar teacher ensued and Helena is now a qualified teacher.
Helena teaches level 2 iyengar on mondays from 7:15 – 8:45pm; level 1 iyengar on wednesdays from 7:15 – 8:45pm and saturdays from 1.15 – 2.45pm
jenny fleming
Jen has been practising yoga for 12 years and is a Sivananda based Hatha Yoga Teacher. She likes to combine different flowing sequences following the breath with holding asanas for longer and being still, relaxing. She has been teaching in and around London for the past 2 1/2 years.
Jenny teaches open level hatha on saturdays 9.30 – 10:45am and sundays 1.30 – 2.45pm
jocelynne mandelstam
Jocelynne has been involved in some kind of dance/movement all her life since beginning dance classes aged four and figure skating at nine followed by yoga and then Pilates in her teens. Jocelynne’s teaching career began in 1989 when, as a qualified aerobics instructor, she began teaching dance-style aerobics at Pineapple Studios.
As time went by, trends in exercise classes changed and become more athletic and less dance-inspired. Uncomfortable with the changes, Jocelynne decided to study to teach Pilates and Yoga and qualified in 1999. Since then she has trained in several different Pilates “schools” and experimented with different techniques. She is also qualified to use Pilates equipment although teaches mostly mat work and private clients.
Jocelynne mostly adheres to exercises based Josef Pilates’ original repertoire, although sometimes she deviates a little to include a sprinkling of Yoga to work on increasing flexibility. Jocelynne is also a qualified massage therapist as well as being qualified in several other complementary therapies.
jocelynne teaches open level pilates on wednesdays 6.00 – 7.00pm
karen russel
Teaching various physical disciplines and helping people to a fitter, healthier lifestyle has been my passion for the last 25 years. After a long career as a professional dancer, choreographer and dance teacher, working extensively in some of the top professional training establishments in London, I discovered the joy and countless benefits of yoga some 12 years ago.
In May 2005 I completed The Life Centre Teacher Training Course and since then have been teaching yoga, from West and Central London through to the City, whilst continuing to study and develop my own practice.
In addition to my regular classes, I have run workshops and courses in Pregnancy Yoga, Yoga for Runners and Cyclists, and YogaDance and have taught Restorative and Rehabilitation Yoga to individual clients. I have recently qualified to teach Garuda Matwork, a wonderful blend of yoga, Pilates and dance and hope to be setting up classes very soon.
My classes are dynamic and flowing, incorporating challenging sequences, with a strong emphasis on core stability, correct alignment and use of breath. I teach with compassion, physical empathy, humour, and the complete conviction that I can help each individual in my class to a greater understanding of their own physique and its potential.
Karen teaches open level yoga flow on sundays from 3.00 – 4:30pm
kate douglas
Kate has been teaching in the UK for the past ten years. Her background in dance greatly complements her teaching as it gave her an in depth understanding of the body and its requirements. Her style of yoga draws on elements from the many different styles she encountered on her travels throughout India, Australia, Asia, Amercia and the wilds of Mongolia, creating a free flowing style with an emphasis on alignment and breathing.
Kate teaches level 1-2 yoga flow on mondays and thursdays from 6 – 7pm; yoga basics + beyond on tuesdays from 7:15 – 8:15pm and level 2 vinyasa flow on tuesdays 7:1 5 – 8:45pm
kristi mae johnson
Kristi traveled across the waters from New Zealand to Hong Kong, in 2003, with a background in Psychology and experience as a youth worker. It was during her time in Hong Kong that she has fully committed herself to the physical, emotional and spiritual practice of yoga, discovering the parallels between her life on the yoga mat and her life in the big wide world. Kristi completed her first yoga teacher training in 2007 and has been teaching yoga full-time ever since then. She began incorporating Forrest Yoga into her teaching after having completed the Advanced Forrest Yoga Teacher Training in November 2010 but it wasn’t until Kristi completed the Foundation training in October 2011 that she fully discovered the power, beauty and healing that had unfolded in her own life through Forrest Yoga. Kristi’s classes are strong, grounded and inspiring. Fusing her teaching skills and work experiences, Kristi delights in the reality that she can teach through her biggest passion – yoga.
Kristi teaches open level vinyasa flow on wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:15pm.
louise grime
Louise first discovered yoga over 30 years ago and has taught in and around London for the last 19 years. She has studied, trained and taught in the famous Ashrams of India spending time at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune. She trained as an Iyengar Teacher in 1994 and that is still her main influence but she has a softer more flowing approach now. Her most important teachers have been BKS Iyengar, Shandor Remete, John Scott and Alaric Newcombe.
Louise teaches open level hatha on mondays from 5:30 – 6:45pm
mary parkinson
A self-confessed sports fanatic, Mary came to yoga while working as a personal trainer in the mid 90s. Intially attracted by the power and energy of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, she quickly started to explore other schools of yoga and has trained widely in Sivananda, Iyengar, Anusara and yoga therapy among various others. A qualified teacher since 1999, she is able to draw on her rich and varied experience. With nearly 30 years of 12 step recovery under her belt too, Yoga for Recovery is a personal dream.
Mary teaches open level yoga for addiction recovery on wednesdays from 3 – 4pm
matt huy
Matthew first attended a yoga class upon the recommendation of a friend and loved the feeling of moving and opening his body. He soon discovered dance as well and devoted his life to the two. A trained dancer, Matthew’s classes are flowing and challenging — and you’re likely to do an inversion or two. Within the practice, he presents the principles of yoga in an accessible and down-to-earth way.
matt teaches power hour on wednesdays + thursdays at 1-2pm
maz mcclintock
Maz has been teaching Pilates for nearly a decade and as her experience has increased so has her passion and love for teaching it. Starting out as a Personal Trainer in Soho’s ‘The Third Space’, she gained six years experience teaching Pilates one-on-one and in group classes before launching into teaching freelance around London and the South of France. Working closely with some of London’s top physiotherapists, she has used Pilates techniques very effectively to aid rehabilitation from injury and back pain.
Having qualified in a classical Pilates style, over the years she has mixed in elements of more modern techniques to keep the classes fresh and give you the most effective workout for your body. Her mission is to keep her classes fun and challenging while leaving you feeling refreshed, more confident in your body and with a spring in your step!
maz teaches pilates on mondays at 10:00 – 11:00am and wednesdays 12.00 – 1:00pm
mercedes ngoh
Born in Ottawa Canada, Mercedes Ngoh has spent most of her life studying creative movement and its use as a form of self-expression and spiritual exploration. It was during her time living in California and working in the music and film industry that she began to practice yoga. As her studies and passion for yoga grew steadily more intense, she gradually moved into teaching. Having studied various forms of yoga the primary style Mercedes now teaches is Vinyasa Flow. Most of her studies have been in California where she has completed a handful of 200hr certifications under various expert teachers.
Her latest teacher training certification was with Prana Flow creator Shiva Rea when Mercedes completed Shiva’s 300hr Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training programme. Now an E-RYT through Yoga Alliance, she conducts the only month long 200hr Vinyasa Flow Yoga teacher training intensive in the UK. Mercedes is also co-founder and director of Yeotown Radiant Health Retreat (www.yeotown.com) in North Devon; a haven for connecting deeper to nature, others and oneself. As an avid traveller, she conducts Vinyasa Flow classes, yoga retreats and workshops internationally throughout the year.
www.mercedesyoga.com
Mercedes teaches Level 2/3 vinyasa flow on sundays from 11-12.30pm. It is advisable to book this class in advance.
michael bartelle
Michael Bartelle (Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500) is a senior teacher in the Ishta Yoga lineage. He teaches group classes and privates, leads Ishta teacher trainings, and practices an ancient Indian bodywork modality called marma point therapy. He received his training from Yogiraj Alan Finger, with whom he continues to work closely. He aims to help students reclaim an attitude of play, embrace the gift of laughter, and brighten the light of their own awareness to illuminate a path back to their true selves.
Michael teaches open level ISHTA yoga on tuesdays from 5:45-7pm
mollie mclelland
Mollie started a yoga practice at age 17 while apprentice with the Milwaukee Ballet Company. After becoming injured dancing, she studied religious and cultural studies in university, especially focusing on the practices of yoga and Japanese Buddhism. Unable to suppress her love of movement and expression of the body, she danced for four years with Xpressions Contemporary Dance Company, in Pittsburgh PA, before moving to the UK. She has taught yoga for 8 years at yoga studios, community centres, education environments, to people ranging from professional dancers to children to adults with physical and learning disabilities. She is honoured to teach in the evolve community.
Mollie teaches open level power hour on mondays from 1-2pm
nicole miller
Nicole’s wealth of wisdom springs from over twenty years of experiential work with the body. Initially trained as a ballet dancer, Nicole went on to dance and teach professionally in the United States. Due to her interest in helping others gain a better awareness of their bodies, Nicole became a personal trainer before realising her greater connection to yoga.
Starting her personal yoga practise with a variety of vinyasa teachers in Colorado, Nicole decided to gain her teaching qualification through the traditional Sivananda school in the Himalayan mountains of India. She has continued to develop her professional skills through various retreats, short-courses, workshops and classes in hands-on adjustments, Vipassana meditation, anatomy and alignment.
Alongside her dedication to yoga, Nicole’s fascination with movement and commitment to personal growth inspires her constant exploration of alternative techniques to incorporate into her classes. Nicole is also currently studying transpersonal integrative counselling and psychotherapy, whilst working as a trainee psychotherapist.
As a yoga instructor, Nicole brings her multidisciplinary knowledge to inspire her classes, encouraging her students to meet their edge in a soft, yet challenging manner whilst honouring their present perfection. www.nicolemilleryoga.co.uk
Nicole teaches open level yoga flow on fridays from 6-7:15pm
perla aviram
KRI Certified Instructor of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, Perla teaches groups as well as one to one sessions and also works to assist in the recovery from chronic illnesses and addictions.
Her focus is to uplift and empower always. She does so by creating a safe space for people to explore their personal abilities both physically and mentally.
Prior to fully engaging in teaching Kundalini Yoga Perla explored the worlds of Music, Biology, Philosophy and Education all of which have given her insight into the many dimensions of being human and inquiring into the world we live in. This has formed a solid foundation for her spiritual journey where she learned that she wants to serve through interacting directly with people. The practice and teaching of Kundalini Yoga has enabled her to reach out to people and give them tools to improve their lives significantly.
Her aim is to show as many people as possible that they can have control over their life and body. Her classes are a mixture of the physical and the deeply spiritual, offering a deep experience of the connection between mind, body, breath and soul.
Perla teaches open level kundalini on fridays from 6.15-7.30pm
rachel okimo
Rachel Okimo (www.okimoyoga.com) Rachel has been working within the fields of creative movement and yoga for more than a decade. Her passion for the body and its power to express, create and communicate to ourselves and others, has been prevalent since she can remember. After training with the Alvin Ailey Dance School and completing a BA in choreography, Rachel lived and worked for many years, as a professional dancer in New York city.
In 2005, Rachel travelled to India to completed her first teacher’s training. Since then, she has immersed herself in the dynamic yoga practice and has completed several 200hr certifications in addition to developing her own dynamic style.
Rachel believes that the creative play and spontaneity within your yoga practice is the key to unleashing inspiration and expression on and off the mat. Her class incorporates music, dynamic sequencing and breath to encourage a creative play between you and the yoga
In addition to her open classes, Rachel’s globally successful yoga event ‘funk the Buddha’ infusing art, live DJ’s, yoga and social space together, continues to run in London and Europe,taking yoga out into the playground of our cities.
Rachel teaches level 2 dynamic yoga flow on mondays from 7.30-8.45pm.
rali gineva
Rali graduated from White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara,LA where she completed her 200 hour certification. Training with Mercedes Ngoh, Ganga White and Shiva Rea her classes integrate Dynamic Vinyasa sequences emphasizing strength, flexibility and balance, healing and detoxifying the body. Be ready to heat up, get an”after class glow” and transform yourself.
Rali teaches level 2 vinyasa flow on saturdays from 11-12.30pm
sandrine giacobino
I started yoga 11 years ago and that passion never left me. It keeps on growing day after day and, actually, only now do I start understanding what yoga is and does!
At the beginning I was looking more than just a physical practice from gyms. But soon, I was hooked! I did my yoga training with the Sivananda School, but as a way to enhance my asana practice I have studied and attended numerous workshops from various teachers and different approaches: The Jivamukti, Baron Baptiste, Shiva Rea, Sarah Powers, Annie Carpenter, Erich Shifmann, Tias Little, Uma, and essentially for the last few years, Ana Forest.
My love for truth and healing plus my curious mind have taken me all over the world on a quest (India, Asia, South Africa, Central and South America…), on a journey to learn and know about the big question : what and who am I? During my travels I have been exposed to new ways of teachings and new approaches of spirituality, which I try to bring in my classes.
My way has changed over the years and keeps on changing day to day, going from a strong ashtanga practice to a more flowing meditative breathing one with focus on inquiring.
Yoga represents the spirit and has helped me at many different times and still does. Stepping on the mat every day is like going within and seeing where I stand that day.
Sandrine teaches yoga flow on tuesdays from 6-7pm and yin yoga on thursdays from 7.30-8.45pm and sundays from 4:45-6pm.
sivaroshan sahathevan
Sivaroshan is a level I & II trained Kundalini Yoga teacher, learning under the Tutelage of Karta Singh, founder of the Amrit Nam Sarovar International School (ANS). He is committed to the ‘practical’ application of Kundalini Yoga and making it accessible to everybody, regardless of their background or circumstance. Sivaroshan draws upon over 10 years of spiritual eastern practise, which includes Raj Yoga, Buddhism and Ashtanga. His teaching style is direct, uplifting and compassionate. His aim is to empower students to find their personal strength and joy. He is also an accomplished energy healer with experience in several modalities and is currently training to be an IAYT Certifed yoga therapist, with the goal of taking the teachings into a new depth of application.
Sivaroshan teaches kundalini yoga on sundays from 12pm-1:15pm
sue chopping
Trained with YogaArts in Byron Bay, Austrailia, Sue has spent her life involved with movement and dance and started practising yoga ten years ago after a back injury. At first she was looking to strengthen her spine and found the confines of the mat limiting, but with time and patience discovered listening to the breath opened up a whole new level of being. She uses the alignment principles from Iyengar to build a safe foundation and then following the breath to open the body in a flow to build juice/rasa, creating a moving meditation to find the essence of ‘just being’. She have been graced with the example of many wonderful teachers. In gratitude to these teachers she passes on the gems that resonate in her practice and the inner teacher of her heart. She has been inspired by ‘Shadow-Yoga’ and the ‘Prana Flow’ of Shiva Rea. More recently she has been integrating the ISHTA (Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantric and Ayurveda) principles from the lineage of Alan Finger under the guidance of Katrina Repka.
Sue teaches open level yoga flow on tuesdays from 12.30-1.30pm, wednesdays from 9.30-11am and saturdays from 3-4.30pm
