About

My name's anu (they/them). I am from the North of England, with mixed European ancestry and now live in Narrm (melbourne). I came to australia uninvited and am a guest on these lands. Living within and learning from the oldest living cultures on Earth is a privilege.

I am a white, able, queer, trans, non-binary person with a lived experience of trauma. Yoga has been a significant tool in my own healing journey. I started practicing yoga in 2009 and found it to be both empowering and useful as a practice of self-inquiry. I offer Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga (a treatment for complex trauma), trauma informed disability support, and trauma informed yogic and somatic practices. Sessions are flexible and tailored to the individual or group. Please get in touch to discuss.

Qualifications

The following is a list of training I have completed that qualify me to facilitate yoga:

Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitation, 2019 - 300 hours, plus minimum 13 hours annual professional development and re-certification.
Certificate in Trauma informed Somatics, 2023 - 50 hours
Diploma Yoga Teacher Training, 2016 - 1000 hours
Yin Yoga Teacher Training, 2018 - 50 hours
Children's Yoga Teacher Training, 2018 - 70 hours

Courses that inspire my work

I have recently completed the following courses for interest and professional development. They may inspire my facilitation work, but alone, don't qualify me:

Trauma and Embodiment Conference, 2024
Embodiment basics with Prentis Hemphill, 2024
Yoga, Social Justice and Spirit, 2023
Decolonising the Yoga Sutras, 2021
Exploration of the Bhagavadgita, 2021
Decolonial Yoga: A Contemplative Approach to Dismantling Cultural Appropriation, 2021
Embodied Erotics: Decolonial Approaches to Gender and Sexuality, 2021
The Bardo Teachings: Bringing The Tibetan Book of the Dead to Life, 2021
Polyvagal Theory: Neural Exercises for Safety and Social Connection, 2021
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Understanding the Wisdom of Death & Dying, 2021

Accessibility

I aim to make my yoga sessions accessible to folks with mobility requirements, wheelchair users, people who experience chronic pain and any other disabilities. Some people may feel daunted that yoga is physically demanding, but yoga is much more than the asana (physical postures) and sessions do not have to be arduous. Not all disabilities are visible, and I encourage people to let me know their needs as much as they are comfortable to share.

Trauma is made more complex by systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, classism and visa and citizenship status. Experiencing these forms of oppression can be traumatic, especially when compounded.

To make healing more accessible, I offer flexible, sliding scale payment options. Visit the fees page to learn more, or contact me to discuss your situation.

Honouring the roots of yoga

Yoga is an ancient sacred practice that originated in India thousands of years ago. As a white, English-born person facilitating yoga, I potentially contribute to the harm caused by colonisation and cultural appropriation. When England colonised India they banned yoga. It is now a multi-billion dollar business. While some yogis from India may have shared their practice widely and wished for the world to practice yoga, I am aware that the extractive nature of Western yoga practice mirrors colonisation. I aim to create yogic spaces that reflect and facilitate some of the true essences of yoga—autonomy, self-inquiry, kindness, and compassion— as well as making it financially and physically accessible.

I am a settler-coloniser living and working on the land of the Wurundjeri-willam, Woiwurrung people in the Kulin Nation. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present and any Indigenous people visiting this website. Sovereignty has not been ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Free Palestine, from the river to sea. Free all oppressed lands; land back, liberation, end all colonial occupation.