About Debby
I’ve never been very athletic and rarely found myself in the sports teams at school. I ran the 100 metres once and did pretty well, pretending that a big monster was chasing me! But I loved to move, and I loved to dance. So I guess this is what led me to Yoga. Through Yoga I could connect to myself and express myself through movement. Yoga has never been just an exercise form for me, it has been a system of work that simply makes me feel whole. As I journeyed through the various styles of Yoga (Ashtanga, Iyengar etc.) I struggled with ‘systems’ that had been designed by authoritarian men (I never did like being told what to do!). I guess that’s what drew me towards teachers whose work was influenced by Vanda Scaravelli and Donna Farhi (especially Lisa Petersen) where there is more of an invitation to explore something. However, the biggest influence on my practice, and therefore my teaching, has been John Stirk. John has helped me find real depth in my Yoga practice and I am deeply grateful to him.
From these influences I perform ‘alchemy’ and produce what can only be called ‘Debby’s Yoga’! The principle behind my style of work is discovering a felt sense of who we are; to discover more natural and easeful ways of moving and to move freely in the practice of yoga without using strain or force. We learn to integrate the whole body and postures unfold rather than being forced or imposed. It is meditation in movement. I encourage my students to slow down and notice what they notice. It is a synthesis of mind, body and breath.
Oh by the way…..
I run White Horse Yoga Centre and have been practicing yoga for the last 25 years and teaching it for 16 years. I am a British Wheel of Yoga teacher and course tutor and assessor for the British Wheel of Yoga Teacher Training Diploma. I am also a Founder member of the South West Yoga Academy. I am qualified in Pilates and Nia Dance although I no longer teach these disciplines and, before this period of my life began, I worked as a professional actress and secondary school drama teacher.