Meet The Lime House Yoga Team

It is said that we all come to healing in our own time and this was true for me when in 2000, I fell down a mountain snowboarding, breaking my back in four places and shattering my collarbone. After numerous unsuccessful operations, I decided to take matters into my own hands so that I might stand a chance of being mobile by the time I hit forty.

I began a regular yoga practice and as the ancient saying goes, ‘When the student is ready the teacher will appear.’ I moved back to Cornwall at the same time as Bridget Woods-Kramer, a world renowned Anusara teacher.  I did my first two teacher trainings with no intention of ever teaching yoga, I just wanted to further my knowledge for my own practice. It was Bridget who dropped the bombshell on me that she needed cover for a Saturday class that forced me into teaching my first class. I was completely terrified………but I loved it!

I spent six years studying and teaching with Bridget and have developed a style that is physically challenging with attention to posture and alignment and above all, playful. My experience has taught me to cherish the physical practice of yoga, but it is the connection between mind, body and soul that inspires my practice.  Over the last decade, my personal practice has moved towards Ashtanga and I have undertaken Ashtanga teacher trainings with David Swenson, Manju Jois and John Scott.

I have been teaching for 20 years and over this time I feel deeply privileged to have been taught by some of the worlds best teachers from a range of different schools of yoga, including Richard Freeman, David Williams, Sianna Shermann, Rod Stryker, Doug Keller, Bruce Bowditch, John Friend, Nancy Gilgoff, and Doug Swenson. In my classes I call upon the teachings of all of my teachers to best serve my own students, with a blend of the styles, techniques and adjustments I’ve learnt along my yoga journey. I am also co-founder and director of Lime House Yoga with my partner Emma and a dad to two wonderful children who constantly inspire and challenge me to be more present in the world and on my mat.

Jock teaches:

Dynamic & Strong Vinyasa – Mondays | 6pm

Vinyasa: All Levels – Wednesdays | 6pm

Vinyasa: All Levels – Thursdays | 9:30am

Mysore – Fridays | 7-9am

Ashtanga Vinyasa – Saturdays | 8am

The practices of yoga and meditation have been a way of life for me since 1998, although I had no idea in those early days to what extent they would profoundly change my life. It has been a journey of learning to trust that we are in exactly the right place at the right time.

I began teaching over 25 years ago, and even though in the beginning the subject was different, teaching has been my path since I left university. In 2000, I was initiated into the practice of Buddhist meditation with Goenkaji in the Vipassana tradition and since then have been taught and inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh and teachers from the Insight and Thai Forest traditions.

In 2005, my first yoga teacher, Beth Shay, took me under her wing as an apprentice. I then went on to train formally in the Anusara tradition and have been teaching yoga for 16 years. More recently, I have been practising with senior teachers in the Iyengar tradition and am grateful for the insights and guidance that all of my teachers have brought.

I first met Jock around 2007 when we crossed paths while training with Bridget Woods-Kramer in Cornwall. We quickly became friends and started practising together and covering each others classes and when Jock founded Lime House, he invited me to come and teach classes and workshops at their first, smaller studio at the back of Jock’s house. After a few years, Jock suggested we look into running a Teacher Training programme together, combining our different energies and areas of expertise to bring a comprehensive training to our students. We ran our first one in 2018 and they now run bi-annually, and I am so grateful for the ability to continue sharing these ancient teachings and the joy that teaching alongside a friend brings.

About 10 years ago, I began practising Ayurveda, which shares its underlying philosophy with yoga. After studying the Foundations of Ayurveda with Doctors Claudia Welch and Robert Svoboda, I understood this to be a key ingredient in spiritual practice. Raising our awareness of the state of our body and mind is not only conducive to good health, but is inherent in our journey towards knowing the inner essence of our being.

My weekly classes in Penryn include a mixture of flow and close attention to alignment in asana, pranayama and meditation. For me, the science of yoga can only be understood through embodiment of the teachings.

“Yoga is a quest to know the nature of the true Self. Since the philosophy of yoga views a human being to be a microcosm of the macrocosm, by connecting with our inner being, we connect with Universal Consciousness, whose nature is utter peace and boundless love. I can’t think of anything more important.” Lucinda

Fiona (Fi) is a tremendous trio of Yoga Teacher, Chartered Physiotherapist and Specialist Soft Tissue Therapist.

She first started practising as a student of yoga 20 years ago in Australia while travelling.

In 1993 Fi qualified from Bath School of Physiotherapy and after gaining post-graduate experience, spent 12 years living and working in New Zealand. Fi received her training in Soft Tissue, Massage and Sports Therapy in Christchurch in 2006. During her time in NZ she badly injured her back and pretty much had to learn to walk again.

On returning to the UK in 2015, she worked as a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Sports Massage Therapist and a friend advised her to ‘check out Lime House Yoga’. Three years later Fi managed to make it to studio, knocked on the door, was greeted by Jock and felt like she was meeting an old friend. She practiced as student with Jock for a year, before completing her 300hr Yoga Teacher Training here at Lime House in 2019. Her knowledge of anatomy and physiology now plays a strong part in her yoga teachings.

Fi says, ‘I’ve come a long way in a few years under the guidance of amazing teachers and the nurturing environment which is LHY. My favourite practice is morphing and evolving – my basis/foundation in Iyengar is invaluable for rehab and physio. Starting Ashtanga with Jock built up my strength, so while Iyengar makes you stable, controlled, and aligned, the combination of both gives the best of all worlds.

Yoga is infinite. Physio is the centre of my wheel and now yoga surrounds it, keeping everything oiled, keeping it turning.’

Fi teaches:

Beginner’s Yoga – Tuesdays | 6:15-7:30pm

Foundations Yoga – Wednesdays | 9:30-11am.

I began yoga with my mum 20 years ago and it has been my tool kit for life’s challenges ever since. I began teaching Anusara Yoga – a Vinyasa style – under the close tutelage of Bridget Woods-Kramer (from Triyoga London) in 2004. I later teacher trained with John Scott as an Ashtanga Teacher and continues to assist him when he is in the UK.  I am a Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals and my extensive trainings in two styles inform my teaching.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is my daily practice and I teach Mysore style Ashtanga Yoga and practice full third series. My vinyasa classes are well themed and sequenced often around a specific bio-mechanical alignment principle. This way students learn to practice intelligently and pain free.

Amy teaches Mysore at Lime House – Mondays | 7-9am

Louise has been practicing and studying yoga for over 15 years. Immersing herself in Anusara yoga, then qualifying as a Vinyasa Flow teacher in 2016.

Louise’s classes are refreshing, joyful and balanced.

She combines Myth, Mantra & Mudra with a carefully considered selection of poses in a graceful Vinyasa flow. The way she sets the scene with stories and music invites you on a gentle journey with your practice that will leave you feeling inspired. Her calming voice, clear instructions and focus on breathing techniques help her students to quieten their minds and listen to their inner truth.

Find Louise at Lime House on Tuesdays teaching Vinyasa Flow 9:30-11am and Mums Yoga 11:30am-12:30pm

Having danced since I was three, movement and finding expression and release through the body feels like an intrinsic part of my life. In my teens I developed a painful knee condition that stopped me dancing for a year. A period of crisis ensued and an interest in Psychology blossomed. Therapeutic support at this time offered great solace and steered me towards pursuing a Psychology degree. However a Psychology degree turned out to be more theoretical and academic than I had hoped. On finishing university I again felt lost, but fortunately at this point stumbled into a yoga class, 20 years ago, back when yoga was low key and found in the local community hall. The fusion of body and mind and the underpinning philosophy captured my interest, as did it’s existence outside the mainstream. I decided to go on a yoga retreat in the summer of 2004 to Yoga Plus in Crete.

I arrived keen and green with no specific knowledge of Ashtanga Yoga. The first week I attended the beginners guided class and yet was mesmerised by the small room next door where students self practiced ‘mysore style’. My previous dancing experience afforded me the ability to retain sequences in my memory with ease and so with some serious studying that week I joined the mysore class for the second week. I was captivated and on my return adopted a daily Ashtanga practice.

This was the beginning of walking a devoted yogic path involving many trips to India, including a couple of years working at Purple Valley Yoga retreat in Goa. Whilst there in 2008 I was fortunate to meet Dena Kingsberg. I instantly resonated with her way and being closer to her was a strong incentive in moving to Australia. Having now studied with her for many years, Dena’s poetic, devotional and heartfelt teachings are a great influence on my teaching style.

In 2011 and 2013 I was also incredibly blessed to spend time in London apprenticing and assisting at Ashtanga Yoga London with Hamish Hendry.   I have completed the third series under both Dena and Hamish’s guidance and am also a Level II authorised KPJAYI teacher, deeply committed to sharing Ashtanga Yoga with authenticity and sincerity in accordance with the teachings of the late Shri. K Pattabhi Jois and his grandson the current lineage holder Sharath Jois. The list of authorised/certified teachers can be found at-   https://sharathyogacentre.com/europe/

Teaching yoga internationally since 2007 in Australia, Bali, South Africa, Dubai, New York and in London for Ashtanga Yoga London and Triyoga, I decided to relocate to Cornwall in mid 2021, yearning to be back near the sea. I currently teach Mysore on Wednesdays at Lime House Yoga, a monthly sutras class online and offer intensives and retreats.

Throughout my life in moments of crisis and transition I have also benefitted significantly from counselling and psychotherapy. Although yoga practice encourages a great self exploration and offers daily practical tools for physical, mental and emotional well-being, I feel this is enhanced through being in therapeutic relationship with another, be that a professional counselling/therapy relationship or a well boundaried teacher/student relationship. This steered me back towards further study and in-depth personal work. I am now a qualified Psychosynthesis counsellor registered with the BACP and see clients in Truro and Falmouth.

Moving forward I hope to bridge both worlds and offer an integrative approach that blends the best of eastern and western perspectives.

Zephyr teaches Mysore at Lime House – Wednesdays | 7-9am

I grew up in South East London, but have always been drawn to the great outdoors and an active lifestyle. I studied English and French at Nottingham University and worked in Paris for a year, which sparked my passion for travel. 

I fell in love with the sea. Summers were spent teaching windsurfing in Greece, where I met my husband, Chris. Back in London, after a year in a job that made me question what it was that I truly wanted, I found my niche in journalism. I worked for national newspapers, and honed in on travel, adventure and wellbeing. 

Travel journalism has taken me to some of the world’s best yoga retreats and surf camps, from India to Hawaii, Portugal to the Maldives. You can read about these – and some of my other adventures, ranging from ice climbing in Canada to cycling in New Zealand – here. 

I’ve been practising yoga for more than ten years. I first stepped on to the mat purely for physical reasons – to ease aching surfing muscles. But I soon realised that the practice is more than just physical. Like with surfing, yoga requires mental focus – being in the moment helps you both to catch a wave and to flow through yoga postures. This awareness has deepened my practice.

I moved to Cornwall in 2017 to be closer to the sea, and to live a more active lifestyle. I qualified in teaching yoga, gaining my 300-hour accredited certificate, with over 400 hours of training, at Lime House Yoga. I’m also a certified pre and postnatal Yoga teacher (with Baby Yoga & Massage). I trained with Katy Appleton of Appleyoga in 2020.

Why I love teaching pregnancy yoga:

Pregnancy is such a special time, and I feel extremely honoured to share part of it with my students! I love feeling the sense of community grow each week and seeing the changes in students – physically as their beautiful bumps grow, but also the mental shift as they get closer to their births. Yoga really supported me when I was pregnant with my twins, and I hope that these classes will do the same for anyone who joins them.

In class, you can expect to slow down, unwind and connect with your baby – but with plenty of strength-building poses and opportunities to test your mental fortitude, too! We practise calming breathing techniques and move through gentle flows, with options for all abilities and trimesters. There’s always time for some much-needed relaxation and a cup of chai after class, often with a guest speaker to chat about everything from hypnobirthing to pelvic floor health.

I’m passionate about sharing yoga in the beautiful setting that is Cornwall. Now I want to bring yoga to you. 

Ellie teaches Pregnancy Yoga at Lime House on Thursdays | 6pm

Just like so many of us, my story is not one of huge tragedy, but rather a series of situational experiences and choices that lead me along a path of continuous and ever increasing stressful demands and societal pressures. This left me unhealthy, anxious, depressed, confused and burnt out. Something had to give…

I was introduced to yoga in the form of meditation at a YHA hostel in Bristol, UK when I was 19 years old. I was experiencing daily panic attacks and after building up the courage to ask for help, I received no support from my doctor, which left me wondering if it was all “just in my head”. I didn’t feel heard or understood. In search an alternative, I started these Kundalini meditation sessions, which was a life-boat in the chaos that was my life. Over the years, I found myself turning to yoga at times when I felt lost and overwhelmed. I never understood why I felt so balanced and peaceful after a yoga class, until I decided to  give up my ‘proper city job’ and take some much needed time off, building a life where I felt authentic and true, and finding ways in which I could serve my community and make a difference to peoples lives.

I continue to be lead along a self-accepting path where I am able to truly listen to my heart and connect with what matters most, without excuses or apologies.  After spending some time in India, studying and connecting with the motherland, I have gained a huge respect for Yoga and Ayurveda and all that it can offer us. Yoga and Ayurveda are tools of self discovery.  These tools teach us to connect more deeply to ourselves – becoming aware of our humanity, finding balance, purpose and ultimately living a more full, loving and compassionate life.

Both my Yoga Teacher Training and Ayurveda Lifestyle and Massage Training were completed in India. My schooling has been very traditional and honours the Vedas, which I hope echos into every service I offer.

Curiosity, enthusiasm, interest and instinct have guided me towards bodywork and yoga. I am fascinated by the human body and believe that both yoga and massage are truly wonderful experiences and can help us to find harmony with ourselves.

I have exercised most of my life and have felt certain stress relieving benefits but nothing speaks to me as powerfully as the complete well-being that I feel after my yoga practice. I delight in both the movement and stillness that I discover and I find the ‘well-being’ contagious. Yoga calms my mind and I find a deeper way of coming into my body than exercise alone offers. For me it’s the missing piece, that understanding of the union between mind and body.

I had been curious about yoga since I was a teenager where I discovered a friends mother practising. I then spent my life dipping in & out of various classes and styles, even attending pre/post pregnancy yoga classes with both of my children. 8 years ago, I met Jock and so began my regular yoga practice with him. I was immediately drawn to the style of Anusara Yoga and Jock’s wonderful interpretation of it and I knew I was hooked.

In November 2014 I had the privilege of completing my Yoga teacher training with Doug Swenson. Doug began his study of yoga in 1969, the year I was born. His style of yoga ‘Sadhana Chi’ is an evolution of Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Power, Yin and Restorative Yoga with the goal being to create a holistic balance between learning & teaching, power & softness, intellect & fitness. This simple approach resonates a great deal with me and my personal practise is a reflection of his teachings. Some days I have the energy to approach a powerful Ashtanga practice and other days I need the restorative effects of a more Yin based approach but all the while paying particular attention to the correct alignment of my body.

I try to spend as much time as I can with my mat and am excited to be joining Jock to assist and teach on the Yoga FUNdamentals class. As well as teaching yoga I continue to investigate body-centred and spiritual approaches to holistic health using various massage techniques including ‘Thai Yoga Massage’ and the wonderful ‘Chavutti Thirumal’ (massage by foot pressure), also known as the dance of the Hindu god Shiva.

Find Emma teaching at Lime House on Tuesday evenings for Rocket Yoga 6:30-8pm.

Ali Gunning – sound and yoga therapist, holder of sacred space and retreat facilitator for over 12 years

I came to the mystical element of sound through my yoga trainings in India, fascinated, and challenged, by mantra and the power of voice. I went on to specialise in working with the majestic gong for self healing and meditation.

Sound has been the guiding thread of my journey through various studies and initiations. I am a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists and have undertaken diverse training and CPD extending to over 2,000 hours, including recent studies of mudra therapy and trauma and grief sensitive yoga nidra. But, for me, living and breathing it matters more than any qualifications. It is the daily practise and connection to the sacred which helps me to give and grow authentically.

I am dedicated to sharing sound, breath and embodied practices which can bring transformation in all areas of life, on all layers of our being – both the profound and the practical! This has certainly been my own experience and my intention is to hold authentic, safe and loving spaces for others to connect with source.

I’ve travelled widely in India & Nepal and explored London and Hertfordshire on a house boat. In the last few years I’ve been more about putting down roots and am now located on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, where ancient, elemental energies feed my soul. My partner Andy, a musician, and I have created a retreat house and sound temple to host small retreats and gatherings. Here, with deep reverence, we bring together what we have learned from the East with the wisdom of this land, seasons and Celtic traditions.

After a life of dance, yoga and movement-based subjects, Nayomi Webb naturally transitioned aerial yoga, having been introduced to it 8 years ago when living and working in the Caribbean.

Nayomi wanted to explore how the traditional yoga postures could be performed in the air and went on to learn her own aerial yoga techniques and style which she now teaches to others.

“Aerial Yoga is, for me, a way to tune in and feel present. When I allow myself to completely trust and let go, the flow of postures and sequenced movement can be extremely therapeutic and meditative.”

Samuel Boot is Cornwall’s first & only Level 2 WHM certified instructor, Holistic coach at CHEK Institute & experienced Yogi using Sauna, Sound & Breath work to promote Health & Healing.

Sam believes in the interconnectedness of life and that through consistent conscious practice, whether it be Breath work, Yoga, Hot & Cold Therapy, Sound Healing, Meditation & Mindfulness or High Vibrational Foods we can feel part of the whole and thus attain the profound benefits it has to offer.

Breathing together, in unison can be highly insightful for the individual and has many beneficial effects on the mind, body, soul which Sam is loves to facilitate. He has spent many years practicing various healing modalities throughout the world, learning from some incredible teachers along the way and under the guidance of Wim Hof himself. He feels strongly about sharing these teachings with others, providing, what he calls ˜tools for the toolbox of life’ to help navigate the twists and turns we all encounter, now more than ever it seems.

With over 10 years’ experience practicing various Yoga disciplines, Sam is passionate about Permaculture and recently qualified as a Holistic Life Coach at the CHEK Institute under Paul Chek. In December 2022 he qualified as the South West’s first and only Level 2 WHM certified instructor. He loves to work with sound to facilitate deep states of relaxation. Sam is a passionate surfer & Ocean lover; he believes in the natural healing powers of the body and that by being in physical touch with the natural world we can maximise the bodies capabilities.

Jana believes in the power of mindful movement and breath to help balance the nervous system.

During WHM workshops and retreats Jana’s Vinyasa ‘pre-ice flows’ focus on generating inner heat and activating the sympathetic NS whilst always reconnecting students to their breath. Her calming restorative yoga Nidra classes help students to drop into a deep meditative and relaxed state activating the parasympathetic NS.

Jana has over 10 years’ experience in yogic and holistic health disciplines with a postgraduate research degree in psychology. Her professional background in mental health and running retreats ensures that all participants feel safe and empowered when facing challenges.

She deeply believes in combining the power of cold therapy, breath, and mindful movement with the grounding energy of science to help people lead a more connected and healthy life.

My passion for food began early when mum insisted that each of her three children learn a dish and cook once a week as a way of contributing to the running of our home. I loved the process of taking great ingredients and turning them into something delicious and even more, the pleasure of sharing food with others. I can still remember the excitement of cooking my first recipe from memory. In my early teens I took over cooking for the whole family, teaching myself from a well-worn copy of the Cranks recipe book. Cooking and sharing food with people I love is one of my greatest pleasures.

My yoga journey began in 2002 with an Iyengar class, which gave me a wonderful grounding in good posture and a focus on safe alignment. In the intervening years I have discovered as much benefit from yoga for my mental wellbeing especially during periods of extreme stress, as for my physical health. I happily remain a yoga student, relishing this one space in my week where I can be solely focused on my practice and calm my mind. In co-creating Lime House Yoga, I have been able to combine my love of yoga with my love of growing, cooking and eating delicious, healthy food and sharing it with likeminded people. I manage the studio and cater for our workshops and retreats.

Alongside Lime House Yoga, I run my own management consultancy company working with the NHS, local government and voluntary organisations to improve the delivery of care services across the South West region. I am the co-founder and director of Lime House Yoga and The Retreat, a qualified coach, trustee of Volunteer Cornwall one of our local Cornish Charities and am setting up a community woodland social enterprise in West Cornwall.

Paramaguru Bobji joined the team in 2018 and slotted straight in. He has shown that Seva (selfless service) to others is the most important part of any spiritual practice. His Seva is a shining example of how to live a life worth living. This is the true path of yoga, it lies at the heart of karma yoga, and asks us to serve others with no expectation of reward. The cleanliness of the floor after his job is finished is site to behold……… all pranam to his little lotus feet…….apart from he doesn’t have any……just little wheels that get clogged from time to time with hair and dust.