Teachers
Amanda Free
Amanda discovered Bikram Chowdry’s hot yoga in L.A. when she was a teenager. She practiced with Bikram for 10 years before taking his teacher training. In 1995 she became the first Hot Yoga teacher in the U.K. and founded Bikram Yoga Surbiton which she ran for five years. In 2017 she partnered with Pete Williams, MD of The Thames Club, putting her years of experience and flair for design to the test to create our wonderful studio. She also designs her own brand of leggings called ‘TigerBFree’ which you’ll see in the studio. Amanda has a huge amount of yoga knowledge and is always happy to have a chat.
Amanda Harvey
Amanda started in the industry in 2005 with corrective exercise being her passion – pre/post natal, hip/knee replacements and injury rehabilitation. Pilates was naturally the right route for Amanda to take and she qualified in 2012. In 2007 she experienced her first Bikram hot yoga class and fell in love with it and has continued to practise to this day. Amanda decided she wanted to bring yoga to her clients and went on to complete her Yoga Teacher Training in the summer of 2018. She is now working closely with a chiropractor to deliver small group and 121 rehabilitation pilates and yoga.
Katie Sole
Katie was introduced to Bikram Yoga in 2005. She was at least 2 stone overweight, in the depths of depression and generally not enjoying life. Her first class in the hot room was horrific and it definitely wasn’t love at first try! After the best night’s sleep she’d had in a very long time, Katie went back a second, third, fourth time and has been practising regularly ever since, and then starting teaching a couple of years later. Yoga has helped to calm her mind, heal her body and change her life. Katie believes that regular practice can do the same for anyone that is willing to try.
Barbara King
Barbara did her first Bikram Hot Yoga class in 2004 and wished she had discovered it years earlier. Her background has always been physical having been a dancer all her life and a career in Musical Theatre. Barbara clocked up ten years in ‘Cats’ The Musical, which put a lot of strain on her body and multiple injuries! The practice of yoga creates balance in her life now and keeps her flexible and strong now she is no longer dancing. Barbara loves the challenge of Hot Yoga, the discipline, the focus, the sweat and the reward of feeling great after class and able to get a great sleep.
Emma Manning
Emma was a lover of long distance running before suffering an injury, which meant she had to temporarily hang up the trainers! She didn’t think she would find another exercise that she loved so much..until her first yoga class! Having worked in banking complaints for 14 years, she decided on a change in career and completed her Hot Yoga Teacher Training in 2017. Having taught yoga for 18 months in London and Surrey, she has since embarked on further training in Barre (a ballet inspired exercise form). Emma has been with us since the beginning and features regularly on our timetable!
Marco Lamb
Marco knew things needed to change when he found himself living a sedentary lifestyle, aged 25. So he found Yoga! An inclusive practise for everyone, he felt the benefits of improved mobility, stability and body awareness with each passing class and remains fascinated with fundamental strength and mobility practises. When teaching a class his focus is on smart sequencing of poses, including modification for all levels. His light hearted and challenging style towards yoga creates a playful atmosphere where everyone can find themselves supported, safe while having fun.
Laura Hedges
Laura took up yoga to balance out the long distance trail running she loved and to take time out to de-stress from corporate life. After many years of self-practice she made a complete life & career change and headed to India in 2017 to complete her Yoga Teacher Training and in 2018 completed her pre & post-natal yoga course. She’s a regular CrossFitter and loves high intensity training and has found that a hot yoga practice has complimented this perfectly. Laura teaches regular classes, beginner workshops and courses with us and also manages the day-to-day running of the studio.
Deborah Wherlock
Deborah did her Yoga Teacher Training in Kerala India and has also been working as a full-time fitness instructor for the past 29 years. She’s taught (and still teaches) a wide variety of classes and has gained numerous certificates, the most recent being a Functional Aging Specialist. As well as being a qualified yoga teacher, Deborah also holds a diploma in Anatomy & Physiology as well as holding a diploma in Massage & Remedial Therapy. She has also been with us since the beginning and you’ll find her in teaching in the hot studio on alternate Wednesday evenings.
Emma Vaccaro
Emma trained at the London College Of Dance (BA Hons) and was also introduced to Yoga and Pilates. It was only when injury struck that her passion and love for both disciplines grew. Finding yoga was like coming home. It held all similar grace, power and strength that she had felt when she danced but without the sense of competitiveness. Yoga and Pilates have allowed Emma the space to breathe, and she hopes that she can encourage others to simply love to move, to love themselves and find love within. Emma has regular weekly classes in the hot studio.
Jean-Claude Rawady
Jean-Claude has been with us since we opened and teaches weekly classes in the hot studio. He is a Rasa Yoga teacher and is currently on an apprentice program with renowned international yoga teacher Sianna Sherman. Once completed this will allow him to lead 200-hour teacher training courses which will accompany the other yoga qualifications he holds including gravitonic swing yoga and mindfulness meditation. JC runs a series of workshops and retreats in the UK and overseas, teaches at various festivals and is featured in the Udaya online platform for yoga.
Lisa Marie
Lisa-Marie spent 9 years as a professional dancer travelling all over the world. Her road onto the yoga mat started with Bikram hot yoga. After some perseverance and committing to a regular practice she found that yoga bought a significant balance, calmness and mindful reflection into her everyday life and as a result she pursued other forms of yoga to expand her experiences. Lisa-Marie’s approach to her classes allow her students to navigate through their practice with a mindfulness and conscious awareness, adding a sense of fun & playful exploration along the way!
Olivia James
Olivia has been dancing since the age of 3 and danced professionally in Billy Elliot the Musical in the opening cast at the age of 13. She loves to keep fit and absolutely adores teaching. It gives her so much joy to see people doing something that really helps them whether it be improving their health and physique or rehabilitation after an injury. Where Dance was such a big part of her life she is very creative and likes to share that creativity in her classes. No two classes are ever the same with Olivia. She likes to challenge people and help them to experience what their body can achieve!
Sarah Farr
Sarah initially discovered Pilates through injury management and to bring balance to her busy life. Her own Pilates practice quickly transformed her life both physically and mentally. Sarah discovered Pilates complimented her love for high intensity workouts offering a low impact option to enhance strength and endurance with the additional benefits of increased stability, balance and body awareness. Sarah believes that Pilates is an essential element of any exercise regime and she likes to deliver fun, friendly and accessible classes for everyone.
Chloé Morton
Chloé began practicing yoga in 2010 and quickly her passion grew. Noticing the benefits to both her mind and body she wanted to deepen her knowledge and her practice which led her to complete her 200 hr teacher training in India. Chloé believes that yoga is for everyone and appreciates that different people are drawn to their mat for different reasons. She brings energy and enthusiasm to her classes and enjoys to watch people discover what they can achieve through their practice. Join her for a class or say hello and have a chat to her when she is on shift at hot yoga reception!
