About AZ YOGA

Simple, breath-focused, hatha yoga classes for everyone and every body.

I trained with one of London's top yoga centres, triyoga, under the mentorship of yoga teachers Susannah Hoffman and Jeff Phenix, philosophy teacher Carlos Pomeda and anatomy and physiology teachers Chris Swain and Andrew McGonigle.
I have also trained with Bryony Duckitt at the YogaBeez Children’s Yoga School and with Jivana Heyman at the Accessible Yoga Organization.

I am a fully certified British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Alliance teacher with a full, up-to-date DBS check.

Yoga can have certain reputations: that it’s only for flexible people, for young people, for sporty people, for spiritual people, for calm people… My aim is to make the physical practise of yoga-asana as accessible as possible: where it is never about the shape of the poses but rather what the pose represents and can offer us as individuals. And to introduce the benefits of other yoga practices, such as pranayama (breath work) and meditation, as well as share some of the philosophies behind the practises.

About AZ MASSAGE

Holistic, Swedish massage treatments tailored to your individual needs.

I trained for an ITEC Diploma in Anatomy, Physiology and Massage with Essentials For Health in London and a further ITEC Diploma in On-Site Massage and Stress Management with City Lit. I’ve also trained with Narendra Mehta at the London Centre of Indian Champissage (Head Massage), The Holos Massage School and Quantum Metta Thai Yoga Massage.

About Clare

AZ YOGA is named in celebration of my mum, Avril (Az, to some). The aim of az yoga is to provide classes that my mum might have have enjoyed. I don’t think she saw herself as a “yoga person”. I would have liked to try to change her mind.

While I don’t identify with one particular style or lineage of yoga, I am inspired by the teachings of T.K.V. Desikachar, who believed that yoga should be an individualised practice; making the practice work for the uniqueness of the individual, not the other way around. Other influences include Vanda Scaravelli, J Brown, Adriene Mischler, Leslie Kaminoff, Donna Farhi and Peter Blackaby.

I like to think my teaching is approachable, methodical and good-humoured, with a focus on the belief that everyone can benefit from some form of yoga practise; whether it be the physical practise of asana (yoga postures),
pranayama (breath work), meditation, or using the rich history and teachings of yoga philosophy to navigate everyday life.

““Brilliant classes, amazing teacher. Highly recommend!””

— Angela H

faqs

**What should I wear?**
Loose-fitting clothing is best, as are bare feet.
Aim for comfort over style!
**Do I need to bring my own mat?**
At the moment, I advise you to bring all your own equipment, however, if you are just starting out and don’t have any, please let me know and I’ll bring some spares!
**Do I need to be able to touch my toes?**
No!
The need for flexibility to practise yoga is a common misconception. There are so many benefits to be gained, regardless of your age, physical mobility or general health.
However, regular practise will reap benefits for your physical function and mental health, and if touching your toes is important to you, we have ways of getting you there!
**Anything else I should know?**
Please let me know if you have any injuries, are pregnant, recently
post-natal or have any other concerns that might present challenges
for your practise. We can adapt the practise to work with most situations.

Please bring some water.
An open mind and sense of humour can also be useful :)

“A wonderful yoga class where I can relax, stretch and make strong postures with good instruction by Clare.
A lovely atmosphere with relaxing music, aromatherapy diffuser and oils.
Clare supplies mats, blankets and everything required.”

— Pauline M