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About Saraswati

I was born in Croydon London in 1954 and have practiced yoga for most of my life.

I started practicing yoga at 17 years old in order to help ease regular bouts of anxiety or depression and find some peace of mind. At that time I lived in Kent and attended adult education yoga classes. My practice was very 'on and off'.


After a nervous breakdown at 21 years old I decided to take yoga more seriously. I practiced everyday. I learnt self discipline and commitment. From then I knew yoga would see me through. And it has!


When I was 23 years old I moved to Sutton and attended yoga classes at Scola adult education with Swami Sivapremananda and at the Sivananda centre in London. I was interested in meditation and when I was 25 years old I trained with a Transcendental Meditation teacher in Wimbledon.

Teaching

At the age of 29 I started teaching yoga to family and friends. Soon other people asked me to teach them, so I decided to become a qualified teacher. I passed the British school of yoga teachers training course in 1988.

Zen

I met my husband Alan Jones at that time. He also had found yoga help him through depression and was deeply into Zen Buddhism, especially great teachers like Alan Watts. I immediately found the philosophy and teaching somehow 'right', even though I didn't understand a word!

Sivananda

I have always loved Sivananda hatha yoga and I when I was 38 years old I went to a Sivananda ashram to take their yoga teachers training course.

Counselling

As well as finding hatha yoga a great healer, counselling (which to me is a form of Jnana yoga) also helped me recover from depression and anxiety. My husband is a psychotherapist and he taught me a lot about how the mind works and how emotions can be understood. I decided to train to be a counsellor.
I trained at the London Pellin Institute in Gestalt psychotherapy in 1994.

Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship

After Swami Vishnu Devananda died I left the Sivananda centre in London and became involved with the Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship, which is a yoga teachers training organisation based in Cheshire.
I took their teachers training course.
I passed the Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship teachers training course, receiving a distinction, in 1996. I went on to become the chairperson of the organisation and the education coordinator, helping to train up yoga teachers

I must also mention that during my time running the CYF I met again and received training from Swami Sivapremananda, wh , was a disciple of the world famous yoga master Swami Sivananda.

Yogi Hari

When I was 44 years old I attended a retreat in the UK run by Yogi Hari. He is a superb Hatha Yoga teacher and also specialises in Nada yoga.
At the age of 46 years I went to Yogi Hari's ashram in Florida to take his training programme.
I passed the course in 2000, receiving top marks.

I have also received certificated training from Louise Hay 'Heal your Life' and I have trained with William bloom in 'Core Energy Management'.

 

 

Zen again

I have also received teaching from Cheri Huber who is a brilliant Zen Buddhist teacher.
Zen Buddhism has influenced me greatly and I owe a lot to the Zen master Roshi Genpo. He trained me in 'Big mind meditation' in London & Amsterdam. I have been studying with Roshi for many years.

Mindfulness
Most recently I have trained with Professor Mark W. Muesse in 2011 completing a course in mindfulness.

Zen Buddhist Yogini

If I had to describe myself, or my style I would say I was a 'Zen Buddhist Yogini'. However I teach and practice many forms of Yoga including Karma, Tantra, Bhakti, Jnana, Nada, Raja, as well as Hatha yoga.

Practice place
I have run my own yoga studio since I was 30 years old where I focus on hatha yoga as a form of meditation for mind and body, with the emphasis on practicing mindfulness.


Books

I have written 'The Saraswati yoga studio manual' and 'The Saraswati yoga studio pregnancy manual'. My yoga manuals are used by teachers, trainees and students. If you would like a free copy of my manual please email me saraswati@blueyonder.co.uk


Cds Dvds

I have also created loads of relaxation Cds and a few hatha yoga Dvds


Training Teachers

I began training yoga teachers more than 15 years ago and am still training teachers.
I have really enjoyed training yoga teachers and I have created the 'Saraswati yoga studio teachers training course'. My teachers have had my course accredited by the UK government.
I have trained teachers in meditation, hatha yoga, pregnancy yoga, children's yoga and mother & baby yoga.
Teachers trained by me work throughout this country and in Australia, New Zealand, Spain and France. All the teachers working at my studio are trained by me.


Workshops and Classes

I run workshops on all aspects of yoga such as yoga history, yoga diet, meditation, & chanting etc.
I teach hatha yoga to children and adults and gentle hatha yoga for the ill and elderly.


Retreats
I ran yoga retreats regularly since 1993.(I have had a break these last few years)


Mindfulness

As a Zen Buddhist yogini and a trained existential psychotherapeutic counsellor I have always practiced mindfulness. Fairly regularly I run mindfulness courses at the studio or via email. If you would like more information please email me on saraswati@blueyonder.co.uk

Kundalini Yoga
I have also worked with Swami Sivananda Radha (another disciple of Swami Sivananda) and I use her approach when practicing and teaching Kundalini yoga. In my advanced class I teach a form of chakra work that relates to our modern daily life.


Further information

If you would like any further information about Saraswati and her teaching please email

saraswati@blueyonder.co.uk

The following teachers run classes at the Saraswati yoga studio.

We have all been practicing yoga for many years and are qualified, experienced, caring and dedicated teachers.

Saraswati ... teaches

Monday 5.30pm & 7.30pm classes

Tuesday 7.30pm classes

Wednesday 10:15 am : 12.30pm

Meditation/relaxation 6.00pm classes

Friday 10:15 am class

Friday 12.30pm class 

Saturday 9.30am & 11.30am classes

 

 

 


 

 

Kimaya/Rebecca ....teaches

Monday 10:15 am class

Thursday 10:15 am class

 

 

 

Parvati/Pauline... teaches

Tuesday 12.30 pm gentle yoga class

Wednesday 7.30pm class

Thursday 7.30 pm class

 

 

 

 

Lakshmi/Tanya ...teaches

Tuesday 10.15 am class

 

 

Bella ...teaches

Tuesday 5.45 pm class

 

 

 

 

Sorcha ...teaches

Friday 6.00 pm class