Debbie is passionate about health & wellbeing, having worked as a fitness instructor in her teens & more recently as a counsellor, CBT & holistic therapist in addiction & mental health services. Debbie currently works within health & social care.

Debbie became aware of the powerful transformative & healing effects of yoga on physical, psychological & emotional well-being in 1999 when she began a regular practice. She was inspired to train as a teacher so she could share her love of yoga.

She began training with Debbie Farrar in 2008, and completed her BWY diploma in hatha yoga in 2012 with Liz Parker & Sue Hayles. Debbie achieved a PG Cert in dance & somatic wellbeing at Uclan in 2015 & has just finished a further Sensible Yoga Teacher Training with Debbie Farrar of Feel Now Yoga.

Debbie’s recent training in “sensible yoga” has deepened her personal inquiry & practice, she has learned to welcome & embrace what she is experiencing in the present, connect with her inherent body wisdom & move in a way that honours her sensitivity. This invites a more personal, playful, expressive & creative process rather than making pre-determined shapes.

Debbie's classes include: tuning in to become more present, grounded & embodied; primal, functional movements & asana for enhanced strength, mobility & well-being; breathing & relaxation practices to calm & soothe the nervous system & meditation to promote peace & harmony.

Debbie has taught within mental health, addiction, disability & older persons services, martial arts, gym & leisure centres & one to one in the community. She is particularly interested in the healing effect yoga has on the body-mind & helping us deal with stress & trauma. 

Debbie is inspired by Pete Blackabys integrated and scientific theories of human movement & Molly Jaegar, her Feldenkrais teacher who shares the method of mind & body integration through movement.  To find out more about Debbie's classes in Southport email: debra.s@live.co.uk.

Hi, my name is Kay Birkett and I am an independent yoga teacher in Atherton, Manchester teaching under the name, Breathing Buddhies. I've had a long interest in yoga & meditation after being first introduced to it, as a child, by my Mum over 30 years ago. Using the tools of yoga has helped me navigate through life. Yoga has helped me to cope with the small stuff, such as a visit to the dentist, and the big stuff, enabling healing physically & emotionally, after life changing episodes in my life. 

My philosophy is to bring movement, breathing exercises & meditation into daily lives to help reduce stress and bring peace to the mind & body. My yoga classes are based on traditional Hatha yoga principles focusing on functional movement. Re-introducing the body to everyday functional movements, that helps with everyday tasks such as bending, squatting, kneeling, reaching etc. We also use breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation to help reset the mind and body to allow space in the body to rest & digest. Yoga is for EVERY body regardless of size, shape, flexibility or fitness.

I am a member of the Independent Yoga Network (IYN) which is a network of independent Yoga teachers and Teacher Training Schools dedicated to the preservation of the spirit and practice of Yoga as a deep and genuine inner enquiry with many formal possibilities. 

www.facebook.com/breathingbuddhies

I am Chorley born and bred and I still live there. I have one human daughter and two fur babies, one canine and one feline. I love walking and camping, although it’s in a ‘tin tent’ these days! I have worked in adult social care for the last 24 years, which I still do part-time alongside being the main carer for an elderly relative who has dementia.

My initial interest in yoga began around 15 years ago, when I dipped in and out of different styles and classes trying to find something that felt right for me. The real journey began about ten years ago when I found Debbie Farrar’s classes. Debbie’s genuine passion for yoga, her knowledge and inclusive, supportive style of teaching really struck a chord with me, and even practicing in the coldest scout hut in Lancashire couldn’t deter me!

I enjoyed my yoga practice for a number of years, originally having started to practice as a way of keeping fit but soon found that I felt much calmer after doing a yoga and had a much better quality of sleep after a practice session.

In 2017 I finally decided to enrol on the Feel Now Yoga foundation course which I thoroughly enjoyed and my only regret was that I hadn’t done it sooner! Following on from the foundation course I felt that I was ready to take on the challenge of enrolling on the Feel Now Yoga teacher training. It meant I had to make quite a number of lifestyle changes to accommodate study and practice together with the demands of family and work life but it has been worth the effort.

The areas I enjoy working on are flexibility and suppleness of joints, balance, breathing techniques and meditation. In particular I am interested in how these skills can help to improve the quality of life for elderly people and also people with neurological conditions.

However I firmly believe that regular sensible, functional, nourishing and safe posture practice can be of benefit to anyone, as can the effects of calm and soothing relaxation and meditation.

Charlotte has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. Over the course of these years, she delved deeper into the many facets of psychology, philosophy and movement options, which led her to the Feel Now Yoga teacher training course for Sensible Yoga teachers. 

She lives in Warrington with her partner, 3 year old son, puppy, cat and rabbit. 

After assisting with class cover over the past year, she's now set up her own course of classes starting from 19th March in Manchester City Centre, with JCI Manchester, an international not-for-profit company who support young professionals in the city, with their career development as well as overall health and wellbeing. This particular set of classes will be donating proceeds to Anxiety UK. You don't have to be a member to attend the classes. 

I was first drawn to yoga in the late 90’s as part of the celebrity fad led by Madonna and Geri Halliwell. We all start from somewhere don’t we? A journey followed of yoga exercise videos at home, gyms in London, community halls in Hartlepool and untutored self practice as I travelled around Europe. Eventually life brought me to Preston and an introduction to Debbie Farrar in 2008.

Since then, Debbie’s teachings - of the physical, emotional and philosophical aspects of yoga - have informed much of my yoga practice and my life. After 10 years of more informed personal practice, Foundation Courses and a dramatic change of personal circumstance, 2018 it was the right time to pursue teacher training. And Debbie would logically be my choice as a teacher trainer.

My practice and teaching is methodical and deliberate with opportunity for students to explore the sensations in their own bodies. Hopefully it is also fun and sets some new challenges for the bodies and minds of newcomers and experienced yoga practitioners alike!

Outside of yoga, I am qualified in reflexology and Indian head massage. An obsession with my own name and its meaning has led me to study the science of happiness and mood. As well as writing a blog on the subject, I am looking to a bigger venture. Using what I have learnt from yoga, philosophy, up-to-date research and personal experience I aspire to help people find their own path to a happier life.

Watch these spaces…

https://www.facebook.com/Finding-Felicity-176142786555537/

https://findingfelicity228353304.wordpress.com/

I was first introduced to yoga nearly 19 years ago and was always amazed at how the most relaxed I felt all week was when I was lying on the floor in savasana in a room full of strangers! I attended classes on and off for years as I moved around various parts of the country and tried a few different 'styles'. After going on a retreat in South Wales 4 years ago and rekindling my love for yoga nidra as well as being introduced to bhakti yoga, I decided I needed to learn more about the 'off the mat' side of the practice and signed up for a BWY foundation course, starting to learn about anatomy, yoga philosophy, pranayama and meditation, and to develop my own practice. During this year long course, it felt like the right thing to do to go onto a teacher training course so I could continue to learn, and to be able to share the peace that I find within yoga practice with others. I'd been to some of Debbie's workshops and classes and was really happy to be accepted onto her teacher training course!

My classes tend to be quite gentle and reflect my interest in safe and functional movement, as well as the influences of my teachers Debbie Farrar and Pete Blackaby. I like to leave space for people to explore what their body can do without pushing, and have time to feel into a movement and how it affects their body and mind - moving meditation. I think it's really important to have time to rest, so I do love teaching the relaxation part at the end and will always make time for this in classes. 

Information about my classes and contact details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/SimpleYogaBillinge/

Yoga has always been in my life in one way or another, my mum did yoga for years and I dipped my toe in and out of it from my teens right up until my late twenties. It was only in my early thirties I started a regular practice and with this began to feel a sense of confidence, calm and freedom I had never felt before.

After 2 years of trying out various types of yoga, I felt that there was more to learn about this magical practice, so I applied for the BWY foundation course with Debbie. During this time there was a huge shift in my thinking and I slowly started to peel back the layers of what yoga was all about. After completing this, I decided to continue studying and embarked on the Feel Now Yoga Teaching Diploma with Debbie. This experience allowed me to appreciate the subtleties of the practice, how the philosophy weaves into daily life, the amazing unique anatomy of the body and the peace & tranquility of stillness. All of things I aim to bring to my students in class.

It is an incredible journey which enriches my life in so many ways. It allows me to deal with my own stress and anxiety, my father’s Parkinson’s (which I decided to study as part of my yoga teacher training assignment) and everyday life. I truly believe the health benefits both mentally and physically are endless for everyone regardless of age or abilities.

My teaching is influenced by Leslie Kamnioff, Pete Blackaby and Debbie Farrar. My classes start with tuning in and grounding, breath work and move into joint mobility and mindful flowing movements, ending with relaxation. Allowing the unique individual to find freedom and peace in their body and mind & access a yoga tool box they can bring it into their daily lives.

I teach regular classes in Urmston and also chair yoga for Parkinson’s UK. For more information please see my Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/findingspaceyoga/ https://www.instagram.com/findingspaceyoga/

Hi, I'm Florence, Floss, or Flo - Or in recent times "YogaFlo" as I create my own Yoga class to try and share the benefits and joy that I have received from practicing Yoga over the last eight years. 

I was lucky enough to start my yoga journey by joining one of Debbie's classes and as a complete novice to yoga I had no idea of the journey I was starting. Over the last eight year I have come to understand what yoga is, to me at this moment in time anyway! Through various and continuous explorations into the philosophy and practical practice of Yoga I have found out/remembered so much about myself and how to be in the world.

Yoga, as I have learnt, is so much more than a physical activity; it is a method of self-enquiry into yourself as you pass through the very many struggles and joys that life is here to teach us. Practicing yoga has made me comfortable with who I am and with others, owning decisions and choices for myself about my own life, without judgement or attachment. 

Whilst becoming a teacher of Yoga was never in my plans I have found these learnings and personnel developments so beneficial and powerful to all aspects of my life I see it only right to try and share these with those who may also be grappling with things in the way I was/am, so I have started teaching.

I have a very hectic, busy job so my practice and teaching style is the opposite - very calm, steady and relaxed. Focusing on how to help find that connection with mind, body and breathe that we sometimes lose as we go about our daily lives so we can start this self-enquiry. Once this foundation is there I like to explore variety of movement with functionality to daily life at the heart of it, without judgement or harm, searching for new pathways that bring strength and stability. I like to finish my classes with relaxation, as this quiet time is essential for embodying any new pathways we may have found or just reflect on how we feel after the practice. 

Hopefully see you at one of my classes.

Yoga Flo's Facebook Page

Hello there my name is Adrienne but people usually call me Adi. I was introduced to Yoga around 15 yrs ago or so, it quickly consumed me becoming my biggest passion. Coming from a background of Holistic Therapies, group exercise & Personal Training. Learning more about movement and health both physical and emotional has always been fascinating to me. The ease, range or lack of free movement particularly piques my interest during my teacher training with Debbie I chose Fascia as my research topic and have continued studying this fascinating subject having been lucky enough to do some training whilst I was traveling South East Asia whilst on sabbatical.

I completed my foundation course with BWY (Debbie) in 2011 then began my teacher training and began covering my teachers classes in 2014 completing my first teacher training with BSY in 2015 then starting to work in sports centres, spas and village halls taking my own classes. I started my last teacher training with Debbie & IYN in 2016 which was pivotal in giving me the toolkit to share yoga in a sensitive & conscientious way. I've been lucky to experience a huge range of different styles & teachers over the years but I'm most strongly influenced by Debbie & her mentors which has given me a firm foundation from which to teach.

My classes have a really strong focus on developing an attitude of kindness to oneself & distinguishing between what you should do in oppose to what you can do, between when it's better to rest or to press through, kindness isn't always the option we perceive it to be.... When I'm not yoga engrossed I love running, resistance training & forest bathing/walking in the woods, listening to music, reading I'm enjoying psychology at the moment as that gives me something to talk about with my grown up daughter. I'm really honoured to have been asked to help look after Debbie & Ross' classes and look forwards to sharing some yoga with you soon. Namaste Adi

Hi, my name is Ann-marie I live in Ulverston Cumbria which is a vibrant market town on the Furness peninsula, close to the sea and a stone’s throw from the mountains of the Lake District. When I’m not enjoying the beautiful surroundings of my home county, you will find me indulging my other passion in life, Yoga. I have been practicing Yoga for 16 years and like most people when I first started practicing I saw it as a form of exercise, but Yoga is so much more than a physical practice, it has a way of integrating into your life on every level, over time it slowly began to change my way of thinking, as with all the best things in life, time has allowed my Yoga practice to mature, grow and come to full fruition.

You see my yoga journey from student to teacher has been a slow burner, as it was never my plan to be a Yoga teacher but my love of Yoga eventually brought me to Teacher Training course and I have never looked back, I love sharing the practice of yoga with people, helping them find a sense of ease and freedom within their body, mind and breath.

It all began back in 2003 when I went along to a local Yoga class, I loved the way it made me feel both physically and mentally, I felt stronger and calmer. I began attending classes regularly, trying different styles of Yoga and the teachers that taught them, each one seemed to bring something new and different to their classes. So eventually in 2010 I enrolled on British Wheel Yoga Foundation course level 1 with Debbie Farrar, travelling down from Ulverston to Chorley. I was curious to know what lay behind the physical practice I was enjoying so much. I found it fascinating learning about this ancient practice, I learnt that Yoga is an art, a science, and a philosophy, it weaves into your life at every level, physical, mental, and spiritual.

I took a couple of years absorbing all this new information, incorporating it into my personal practice and my life. Feeling like I had only scratched the surface of what Yoga was all about I decided, in 2013, to enrol on the British Wheel Yoga Foundation course, level 2, to delve deeper into the roots of Yoga.

In 2014 I travelled to India with Debbie Farrar my course tutor and a group of fellow students, travelling around India, we made our way north to Rishikesh, where we attended the International Yoga Festival, practicing with many accredited teachers.

In 2017 I wanted to brush up on what I had learnt on the previous courses so I enrolled on a Yoga Deep Foundations course with Feel Now Yoga accredited by the IYN, this reignited my thirst for a deeper understanding of the practice of yoga, so in the September of 2017 I enrolled on Feel Now Yoga 350 Hour Teacher Training Course, graduating with my teaching diploma in 2019.

My style of yoga is influenced by T.K.V Desikachar’s teaching, Debbie Farrar my teacher of 9 yrs and Pete Blackerby. My classes start with body and breath awareness tuning into the sensations of the physical body, inviting the mind to follow the breath, to be present, attempting to let go of the many distractions in our busy life’s. We begin to move with some gentle explorations mobilizing through the joints and looking to release tension with some somatic movements as we invite the body to move with awareness and ease. Moving into the posture work,(asana) we move with the breath, flowing mindfully in dynamic sequences, allowing for time to explore the postures, with more attention to how the asana feels than to how it looks, similarly, the quality of the breath takes precedence over the outward form or precision of the asana. As in life we are looking to find balance within the body, strength & fluidity, stability & mobility, effort & ease. Winding down with relaxation allowing the body and mind to absorb the benefits of our practice.

My Contact details : Face book - Inspire Yoga Ulverston  

                                     Email –         inspireyogaulverston@gmail.com

                                     Mobile –      07894851197