Welcome to the home of Yoga with Emma Kelly, you can learn more about me, the work I do and the yoga classes I currently offer.
My pronouns are she/her and I'm African Caribbean and white British heritage.
I love to teach gentle, nourishing yoga, meditation and yoga nidra.
I currently offer a monthly Ultimate Relaxation yoga session and a retreat in Marrakesh.
I have been a student of yoga for 16 years and started the practice whilst studying a Social Work degree and looking for a way to relax and reduce my stress.
I completed my Yoga Teacher training in 2014 in Goa, India, spending 5 weeks immersed in learning about the philosophy, wisdom, theory and practice of yoga.
It was important for me to complete my yoga teacher training in the birthplace and spiritual home of yoga and give great thanks and appreciation to my time in India and subsequent Indian teachers.
My pronouns are she/her and I'm African Caribbean and white British heritage.
I love to teach gentle, nourishing yoga, meditation and yoga nidra.
I currently offer a monthly Ultimate Relaxation yoga session and a retreat in Marrakesh.
I have been a student of yoga for 16 years and started the practice whilst studying a Social Work degree and looking for a way to relax and reduce my stress.
I completed my Yoga Teacher training in 2014 in Goa, India, spending 5 weeks immersed in learning about the philosophy, wisdom, theory and practice of yoga.
It was important for me to complete my yoga teacher training in the birthplace and spiritual home of yoga and give great thanks and appreciation to my time in India and subsequent Indian teachers.
The yoga I teach is best suited to those who are needing time to learn simple, yet effective ways to relax, slow down and learn to take care of their body and mind.
The yoga asana (yoga poses) are gentle, yet effective way of supporting energy to flow freely within the body, supporting healthy joints and gentle stretching to increase range of movement and release tension and the build up and stress.
Think calming, cozy, nourishing and restful classes.
As well as sharing yoga asana I also include in every class mindfulness, meditation and yoga nidra to support mental wellbeing.
An important aspect of yogic wisdom is practices to still and slow down the busy mind and thoughts.
In Sanskrit this is "yogas chitta vritti nirodha" which refers to stilling the mind in order to experience ultimate reality and move towards self realisation.
Over the years I have seen a huge increase of awareness and practice of yoga. The spread of the practice has brought many positives.
However, sadly during this expansion of yoga I have also witnessed many negatives within the yoga teaching community that is important for people to be aware of, including cultural appropriation, the exclusion of South Asian wisdom teachers and at times exploitation and harm.
The classes I teach aim to be sensitive and respectful to the South Asian roots of the practice and firmly acknowledge wherever possible the teachers who came before me and shared this practice.
It's very important and something I am working towards is to create a welcoming environment for people from diverse racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and those with physical and mental health problems.
I'm was an avid traveller, (pre covid mainly) and love to learn about cultures and spiritual traditions around the world, this lead me to organise and host yoga retreats in Morocco and India.
Over the past three years I have been on a journey of learning about African spiritual traditions and reconnecting to the lineage of my Jamaican heritage.
Some of my most recent teachers and mentors have been Dr Rosales Meza a Xicana/Mexicana healer, Asha Frost an indigenous medicine person and Luvena Rangel Indian yoga teacher and philosopher. I also wish to mention the work of Ancestral voices and their online platform bringing awareness of African spirituality.
I have attended body positive and accessible yoga trainings with Dianne Bondy.
I love books, tarot, walking in the woods, deep conversations and creating a more equitable and just world.
I also run another business which focuses on healing and liberation work with BIPOC women through yoga, workshops and mentoring which you can find out more of here, www.healingspacebipoc.com
Over the past three years I have been on a journey of learning about African spiritual traditions and reconnecting to the lineage of my Jamaican heritage.
Some of my most recent teachers and mentors have been Dr Rosales Meza a Xicana/Mexicana healer, Asha Frost an indigenous medicine person and Luvena Rangel Indian yoga teacher and philosopher. I also wish to mention the work of Ancestral voices and their online platform bringing awareness of African spirituality.
I have attended body positive and accessible yoga trainings with Dianne Bondy.
I love books, tarot, walking in the woods, deep conversations and creating a more equitable and just world.
I also run another business which focuses on healing and liberation work with BIPOC women through yoga, workshops and mentoring which you can find out more of here, www.healingspacebipoc.com