A Practice Shaped by Life Experience
As a Scaravelli-inspired yoga teacher, my philosophy has evolved through 25 years of dedicated practice, study, and life experience. The person who steps onto the mat today profoundly differs from the one who began this journey a quarter-century ago—my teaching reflects this evolution.
The Human in the Yoga
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language / And next year’s words await another voice.”
T.S.Eliot – “Little Gidding” (1942 poem, from Four Quartets)
Humans are organisms that have evolved in relationship with our environment. We engage with this environment through our nervous system, and this constant interplay shapes us throughout our lives. This ongoing dialogue creates unique musculoskeletal patterns in each individual—patterns that yoga can help us reveal and understand.
My approach centres on functional movements that mirror normal human activities. Rather than imposing external ideals, I believe yoga should serve the body as it actually exists. Poses should never prioritise form over function, and our practice should be mindful and intelligent. We discover yoga’s full benefits by working with movements that align with our everyday lives.
An Intelligent, Mindful Practice
In my classes, I encourage students to question why we practise certain poses and to listen deeply to their bodies. If a movement causes discomfort, we explore whether it aligns with our natural movement patterns. This inquiry helps us avoid extreme positions and focus on movements that support our well-being.
By attending to how the body feels during movement and listening to the sensations provided by our nervous system, we learn to move more fluidly and with greater freedom. This approach allows students to embody their practice rather than simply perform it.
My teaching provides a framework for addressing movement patterns that have become restricted, helping to prevent stiffness and other complications. I create a safe, supportive environment where students can explore and deepen their practice by moving in ways that feel natural and comfortable.
Beyond Physical Postures
While physical movement forms the foundation of our practice, I also offer guidance in understanding broader yoga philosophy and principles. This holistic approach helps students cultivate a lifelong relationship with yoga, one that continues to evolve as they do.
The Scaravelli-inspired approach recognises that yoga is not about achieving perfect poses but about discovering the intelligence inherent in your body. It’s about working with gravity rather than against it, allowing the breath to create space and awakening the spine to its natural confluent form and flexibility.
How to Work with Me
Whether in group classes, retreats, or one-to-one sessions, I emphasise sensation over achievement. Students are encouraged to listen to their bodies rather than striving for deep stretches or advanced poses. This makes my teaching accessible to all levels, regardless of flexibility or experience.
In my view, being a yogi requires no particular physical ability—only a willingness to listen to your body and move in ways that feel natural. By focusing on how movement feels and noticing how our bodies respond to sensory input, we develop a deeper understanding of our own unique patterns. This awareness becomes the foundation for greater freedom in both our yoga practice and daily life.
The power of yoga to benefit the practitioner seems to arise- at least in part from nothing more complicated than the release of physiological and psychological tension and the quieting of the mind.
William J. Broad
William J Broad concluded this in his excellent book The Science of Yoga (Washington Post Review). I completely agree with his findings; yoga should release tension, and my Scaravelli inspired yoga approach to teaching yoga has the central aim to do this.