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.
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!
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.
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!
Emma McGuinness
Emma is a 2004 graduate of The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama and whilst completing her course she discovered Bikram Yoga. Immediately hooked by the mental challenge as well as the physical demands, it was like nothing she had done before. Emma then completed her RYT 200 hours and lucky for us is now part of our teaching team. Emma will take you through your yoga practice in a skilful and enjoyable way, expect your time on the mat to be focused, strong and challenging. Her classes will be invigorating & leave you feeling nourished & ready to take on anything.
Candido Nunez
Candido has practised yoga for over 13 years, and his teaching now focusses on Vinyasa & Yin yoga. He joins our team to host a Yin/Yang workshop which combines two equally important elements: the dynamic flow of Vinyasa and equally as important the calm, stillness and subtlety of Yin. His inspiration comes from teachers, who through their devotion and love for this sacred practice, drew him into the path of yoga. “For me, each pose, each breath and every class is a doorway to self-knowledge, self love and self peace.”
