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ADRIAN SQUIRRELL
Adrian first started practicing Yoga 10 years ago with Sivananda, mostly to help deal with the stress of the film industry. While on a snowboarding holiday he attempted a jump but landed badly on his coccyx leading to several months of sciatica. His acupuncturist recommended that Bikram Yoga would be helpful. Although finding the first class excruciating and nearly passing out he was hooked on the sense of peace he found when everything around was chaos...so the Journey began.
A year and a half later he quit the film Industry to go on the Bikram teacher training where he heard about Jivamukti yoga for the first time. Unfortunately it took several years before jivamukti arrived in London, and when it did he attended one of the very first classes. Suddenly the yoga world was thrown wide open.
He had been thinking about taking another teacher training to grow his understanding of the spiritual side of his yoga practice, and the universe happily supplied this in the form of Jivamukti.
In spring 2007 he attended the Jivamukti teacher training.
When not teaching or practicing yoga, Adrian can be found snowboarding or on the beaches of Cornwall waiting for a decent wave to come.
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AMRITA
Amrita was born and raised in Zimbabwe and trained for 20 years in ballet and contemporary dance. She began practicing hatha yoga in 2001 during her final year at University in Cape Town South Africa, having suffered chronic back problems. The asana practice fixed her back, but being a true seeker she was drawn to find out more about the spiritual heart of yoga.
On finishing her studies she moved to Germany in 2002 and began a 2-year teacher training with Yoga Vidya, a spiritual community based in the lineage of Swami Sivananda. There she deepened her knowledge of bhakti, raja and karma yoga. She met Sharon Gannon and David Life during their visit to Cologne in 2004 and was instantaneously inspired by them; leading her to attend the Jivamukti teacher training in 2008. She has apprenticed with Emma Henry at Jivamukti London and teaches in London and Brighton. She loves working with people and is continually inspired by her teachers and friends and the beauty of the human spirit.
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ANDREA KWIATKOWSKI
Andrea trained as a professional dancer and worked extensively around the world where her interest in yoga and eastern philosophy began.
She was a busy yoga teacher for the BWY when she was given the Jivamukti yoga book by a friend and found the method that would change and inspire her teaching and her life.
Andrea completed the Jivamukti teacher training in 2005 with her inspirational teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life and alongside her Jiva soul mates Emma and Cat. She qualified for the Advanced Certification in October 2009.
She has studied and taught in India, Thailand, Egypt, France, Sri Lanka, Spain and Turkey as well as teaching in Peterborough Cambridgeshire where she lives and has set up Santoshayoga giving a percentage of all profits to animal welfare and local charities.
Andrea believes that yoga can enable us to become self aware and fill our lives with compassion and love. She offers thanks and blessings for all her teachers and gurus,to her students for constantly inspiring her to do and be better and to Manizeh and the Jivamukti crew for their support and love. She is thrilled to be at the centre to teach a regular class and looks forward to meeting and sharing her love of Jivamukti yoga with everyone.
Be the change you wish to see in the world – Gandhi
Om shanti
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CATHERINE (cat) ALIP-DOUGLAS
From the fashion floors of Conde Nast in New York to the wooden floors of Jivamukti Yoga in London, cat has officially traded in her Manolo Blahniks for a more 'grounded' approach to life...in bare feet. cat hails from New York City and has been calling London home since early 2004. She was introduced to the practice of yoga by her good friend Cardone as a means to briefly 'check-out' from the hectic world of magazine publishing fashionistas into a space that provided stillness and serenity... yoga simply began as extra-curricular therapy. She practiced the Jivamukti method exclusively & devotedly for over 4 years at the Lafayette Street centre in New York City and during that time gradually felt the inevitable draw towards a more spiritual path...in more ways than one.
cat is privileged and blessed to presently assume roles of Advanced Certified Jivamukti Teacher, Assistant Director and mentor for 800 hour apprenticeship program. Blessings and humblest gratitude...to her loving parents, family and friends (both continents!)...to Sharon-ji and David-ji for their wisdom and boundless energy in planting & watering good seeds...to Phil, the bodhisattva by her side...to Xed for paving the way to this path...to Yogeswari-ji, an inspiration from the start...to Ruth-ji, a radiant personification of humility...to the Jiva London family...to each and every student, the greatest teachers!...last, but not least, to Manizeh and Danuman for having the vision and courage to create a home for Jivamukti in London.
cat bows down to the lotus feet of those who have infused light, as well as dark (opportunities for spiritual evolution!) into her life...to yogic beings who inspire others to simply be loving, be kind. Om bolo shri sat guru, bhagavan ki JAI!
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DANAI KOUGIOULI
Danai, a former competitive runner, was first introduced to yoga as a teenager in Greece, as a means of improving breathing, focus, and confidence for competition. Later in life, she moved to London to study Psychology (BSc, MSc) where she has been working as a psychologist both in the clinical and corporate world since then. She had been exploring different methods of yoga when she came across Jivamukti; the spiritual teachings woven with the dynamic asana practice, brought together her passion for exploring the mind, body, soul connection.
She completed the Jivamukti teacher training in May 2009 in New York with her beloved teachers Sharon Gannon, David Life, Yogeswari and her caring mentor Jeffrey Cohen. She is privileged to currently apprentice with cat for the further 800-hour Jivamukti certification. She would like to lovingly thank cat for her invaluable guidance, Durga Devi for being her first Jivamukti teacher and continuing to inspire her, Emma for her support and Manizeh for being the driving force behind it all.
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DOROTHY BINEY
Qualifying as a dentist from The Royal London Hospital in 1995 Dorothy embarked upon a career as a dental surgeon, working in various practices and health centres in the UK. Due to the demanding nature of her job she sought to find a natural antidote to relieve the stress and tension within her job and turned to yoga. She began practising yoga in 2000 and has never looked back. Her introduction to the Jivamukti method deeply resonated with Dorothy and shifted the focus of her practice from seeking physical benefits to that of spiritual growth.
She is eternally grateful to all of her beloved teachers who have inspired and encouraged her along this path: Sharon Matarazzo, Naomi Reynolds, Bikram Choudhury, Louise Sear, Ted Grand, Jessica Roberts, Dina Tsouluhas, Cat Alip-Douglas , David Life Sharon Gannon. Dorothy extends “oodles” of love to the Jiva family, the dedicated students and Manizeh for bringing Jivamukti Yoga to London.
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DURGA DEVI (DENISE TEPERINO)
Durga Devi, the name given to Denise by her beloved teachers, Sharon Gannon and David Life, is a former dancer and competitive gymnast who grew up in New York City. After secondary school, she studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and hung out in Manhattan's East Village soaking up the downtown music and art scene. This compelled her to take up the guitar and become a singer/songwriter. She spent ten years performing as the lead singer for several bands, including Lady Luck, releasing an EP and a full-length album and touring Europe and the United States.
She was introduced to yoga in 1994 by close friends. Asana practice felt very natural to her, but it was the chanting, the philosophy and the ancient and holy teachings of yoga that really hit home.
Durga is one of the original teachers of the London Jivamukti Yoga Centre. She is Advanced Certified in the Jivamukti method and taught at the Lafayette street New York Centre for over three years before moving to the UK to assist with opening the centre. She also completed teacher training at the Laughing Lotus Yoga Centre in New York City.
Kirtan training with Jai Uttal influenced her chanting which is a very important component in her classes. She is also impassioned by Bhagavan Das and Krishna Das for opening up the doors of bhakti, uniting song and heart.
Durga is especially grateful to Sharon Gannon and David Life, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Ammachi, Ruth Lauer-Manenti,
John Friend, Yogeswari, Joan Suval (direct disciple of Shri Brahmananda Saraswati), Umananda Saraswati and most recently Shri Narayani Amma who she met in India in 2009.
She will continue to inspire and uplift the lives of all whom she meets and teaches knowing that this practice goes well beyond the mat.
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EMMA HENRY
Emma is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti yoga teacher and one of the original teachers at the Jivamukti centre in London
Emma trained as a ballet dancer from age 11. She danced professionally around the world specialising in classical, contemporary dance and martial arts and while dancing professionally Emma found the benefits of yoga practice enhanced her flexibility, strength, balance and focus.
With her background of dance and movement, this has given her great understanding of anatomy and alignment to her classes, added with down to earth spiritual teachings and a little sprinkle of humour.
"I love teaching yoga and giving people the opportunity to see how they can develop themselves and reach their full potential."
Emma would like to thank all her teachers, especially Sharonji, Davidji, Yogeswari and Patrick Broome for their support and inspiration, as well as Manizeh for bringing this amazing method to London. Om shanti.
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GEMMA RUGER
Gemma grew up in the north Devon countryside. She began practising yoga in 2003 while living and studying in London. Gemma enjoyed a sense of well being and clarity of mind that her daily practice brought to her hectic London life.
In 2006 she was introduced to the Jivamukti method at the London centre. Immediately drawn to the spiritual and philosophical teachings woven through the classes, she wanted to deepen her understanding of the true nature of yoga.
As a natural progression of her yoga practice, in 2008 Gemma completed Jivamukti teacher training, this was a catalyst for
transformation in her life. Since successfully completing teacher training she has assisted and apprenticed with cat at the London centre.
Having begun a degree in Medicinal Chemistry in 2003 Gemma continued her studies with a Law Degree LLB and is currently in her final year at the College of Law.
She offers eternal gratitude to her teachers Sharonji and Davidji for their courageous leadership and indiscriminate compassion; cat for her guidance and support. Her loving parents, family and friends. Manizeh for bringing jivamukti to London and finally the whole Jivamukti family, teachers and students, for their continual love and generosity. Namaste.
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HUMA JALIL
The seed of Yoga was first planted in Huma as a young teenager in the Himalayan foothills of Islamabad, Pakistan where she grew up. She moved to London in 1998 where yoga continually brought her “hOMe.” While completing her MA in Social Anthropology Huma’s path of Self exploration led her to study with some great masters in Nepal (Krishna Uprety), India (T.K.V. Desikachar) and Canada (Ted Grand) not to mention London (Sr. K. Pattabhis Jois and Mark Whitwell amongst others)
In October 2005 Huma discovered Jivamukti London and instantly resonated with the integral approach that the method offers, combining asana with scripture, bhakti (devotion), nada (music), ahimsa (non-harming) and meditation. She has been involved closely with the London Centre ever since.
She extends her gratitude to Manizeh for her vision and generosity, cat for her unquestionable dedication, Durga for helping her to listen more deeply, Emma for her encouragement and support, and everyone else at the London Centre simply for being who they are. Her countless blessings and love go towards her parents, sisters and friends. She bows down to Devadas (David Life) and Sundari (Sharon Gannon) for their boundless energy and wisdom, Yogeswari for her kind heart and warrior spirit and all the other beings and experiences of light and dark that she has encountered in this blessed existence.
Om Shanti.
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LIZZIE REUMONT
Lizzie experienced her first yoga class while earning a living as a creative director over 10 years ago. Living abroad since 2001,it was in Amsterdam that she came into contact with the Iyengar and Astanga yoga methods and became a devoted yoga practitioner. In 2004, a longterm illness led her to Svaha Yoga Shala where she was introduced to the Jivamukti yoga method and a lifelong healing process. Since this time, Lizzie has become a certified Jivamukti teacher, children's yoga teacher, thai yoga masseur, and craniosacral therapist, dramatically changing the rhythm and focus of her own life so that she may uplift the lives of others.
Counting Rusty Wells, Chogyam Trungpa, Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hanh as sources of inspiration, her deepest love and gratitude extends to Sharon and David and to the beautiful beings at Jivamukti London Centre. This includes: the amazing students she feels so honoured and humbled to teach; the loving teachers and staff at the centre, Manizeh who brought life to an empty space; Durga for mentoring with generousity and support; and Yogeswari for her compassionate wisdom and encouraging smile. Lastly, deepest respect and love extends to all of those who gave her the courage to jump off the cliff and experience living joyously in the present.
Lizzie holds a BA in Philosophy and Psychology, an MA in Communications Design, and is a Qualified Craniosacral Therapist and Thai Yoga Masseur. Check out her website for more info at www.freeliz.com.
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MANIZEH RIMER
Manizeh was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and as a child moved with her family to Geneva, Switzerland. She received a B.A. in Political Science from Brown University in 1996. After graduating she moved to San Francisco where she worked in the high-tech field during the dot.bomb era. After years without sleep she began taking desperately needed Yoga classes. The physical practice was rewarding, but the philosophical and spiritual aspects, which she was always drawn to from a young age, were missing.
Soon after, her sister, Mithra, took her to a Jivamukti Yoga Class in New York. This was what she had been waiting for: in addition to a vigorous asana practice, she learned about karma, she meditated and chanted. The doorway to Yoga was opened.
In March 2001 she moved to London with her husband, Danny, and knew right away that Londoners were missing out on Jivamukti Yoga. She completed Jivamukti teacher training, as well as the Advanced Certification with Sharon Gannon and David Life. She has also worked intensively with Yogeswari at the Jivamukti Centre in New York. She has had the privilege of learning from several renowned Yoga teachers from all over the world.
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PATRICK FLURY
Since childhood, Patrick has had a fascination with the discipline of the physical body and its effects on emotion and feelings. His physical training began at the age of 15 when he was introduced to Wing Chun Kung Fu and Chinese Kickboxing in his home country Switzerland. He dedicated the next 16 years to perfecting this art until in 2004, on language course in Christchurch, NZ, he came in contact with yoga for the first time. Thus started his love for yoga. Upon returning to Switzerland, he started practicing with Felix Schaerer, one of the first Swiss Jivamukti Yoga teachers. Captivated by this method, Patrick decided to deepen his knowledge in Yoga. In December 2007, he completed the Jivamukti teacher training led by Patrick Broom and Yogeswari in Berlin. He taught for two years in Switzerland while simultaneously working as product manager. During this time he also became certified in Thai Massage. In March of this year, Patrick felt compelled to fully dedicate his time to teaching yoga. He moved to London to complete an apprenticeship under Durga Devi.
Patrick is deeply grateful to all his masters and teachers for their patience and love over the years. He would like to highlight his deep respect and gratitude for his Si – Gung Lok Yiu, Si – Gung Wilhelm Blech, Si – Fu Peter Steiner and beloved yoga teachers David, Sharon, Yogeswari and Durga.
Through these transformational teachings he will always feel deeply unified.
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RACHEL MIDDLETON
Already a busy yoga teacher since 2003, and a North-West Londoner born and bred, Rachel rushed to try the Jivamukti Yoga method almost as soon as the London studio opened its doors. The Bhakti (devotional) approach of the method, its vibrant soundtrack and creativity appealed and she was hooked. Two years of practice with the inspirational London team led to teacher training with Sharon Gannon and David Life in 2007 and a subsequent apprenticeship with Durga Devi. Now, finally, she is ready to unite the down-to-earth-ness of her Bikram teaching experience, the medical insight of her yoga therapy and pre-natal training and the hands-on application of her Thai Yoga Massage work with the sheer joyfulness that is Jivamukti yoga!
Rachel has taught yoga in Paris, Los Angeles, Ibiza and on retreats in Turkey and Spain. She extends warm thanks to Bikram and Rajashree Choudhury, Michele Pernetta, Dr. Robin Munro and Ruth Gilmore and all at London's Yoga Biomedical Trust, Kira Balaskas, Dharma Mittra, Manorama and of course Sharon and David, not to mention every day's nameless yoga teachers.
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STEWART GILCHRIST LLB HONS
Following a severe back injury in his mid twenties, Stewart experienced an amazing recovery through intensive Ashtanga Vinyasa Mysore yoga practice as taught by Sri K Patthabi Jois.
Eight years on and Stewart's sadhana led him towards an extensive yoga education with teachers from around the world who have had a profound effect on his unique style of teaching. He has and continues to study the system as taught by Sri K Patthabi Jois (Mysore), Hamish Hendry(Ashtanga London), Sri Shreshadree (Mysore), and the teachings of David Life and Sharon Gannon (Jivamukti Yoga, New York).
Stewart qualified as a Jivamukti Yoga teacher in 2003 and since has taught extensively in the UK and internationally including London, Hawaii, Cornwall, Mexico and New York. His students include: world renowned musicians, Hollywood actors, judges, footballers and most importantly a broad cross section of working people.
His extensive academic studies have included post graduate studies in Law, ethnopharmacology, nutrition and Stewart has worked as a teacher, legal advisor and youth worker in inner city London mainly working with disadvantaged youths, the homeless, animal rights, anti-globalisation/capitalist and community groups. He also opened the UK's first rawfood vegan and approved organic cafes.
He founded Satyagraha Yoga in 2004 and attains to live and pass onto others its principles of satya, tapas and ahimsa. Stewart offers his eternal gratitude to all his teachers past and present: Sabel Thuram, Guy de Bord, Guruji, David Life and Sharon Gannon, Hamish Hendry, Bob Marley, Chogyam Trungpa, Ghandiji and Swami Niramalanda.
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TONI CUPAL
Toni spent many very busy years in various roles including Silicon Valley high tech professional, mother of two, gymnastics coach, choreographer and judge, and active non-profit board member before moving to London and discovering Jivamukti yoga. While yoga had never really resonated with her before, she was hooked from the very first Jivamukti class – the underlying philosophy that we should each find a way to live so that all creatures can be happy and free appealed strongly to her love of nature which she developed while growing up in the mountains of Wyoming in the USA. And the basic idea of practicing being steady and joyful on the yoga mat so that one can take that strong sense of connection into their relationships with others and the world almost instantly started improving all the relationships in her life.
Toni is deeply grateful to all her wonderful teachers in London, including the incredible Nikki Slade and, of course, to Sharon-ji and David-ji for their insight, energy, and beautiful presence. She is humbled and thrilled to now be part of the group of teachers that welcome and support students in their exploration of the Jivamukti method and its ultimate goal of “yoga”.
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