Studio Team
Emily
Emily is the Founder of The Durham Yoga Studio and an accredited Yoga Alliance Experienced Yoga Teacher after teaching and building a yoga community since 2017. Emily has assisted yoga trainings and retreats in Europe and opened The Durham Yoga Studio in May 2021.
Emily specialises in teaching an embodied, fluid and thoughtful yoga flow and is passionate about the benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness to enhance overall wellbeing. Her passion is to discover techniques in how we can nourish ourselves through the integration of movement and mindfulness to find out most authentic nature and seek joy in the every day moments.
Emily has foundational yoga training in a Creative & Intelligent Vinyasa Flow and has undergone further trainings all ver the world in Embodied Yin Yoga, Mindfulness, Stress Reduction Based Mindfulness, Prenatal yoga, Trauma Sensitive Yoga.
Bethany Demelza
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I have been practicing yoga for nearly ten years but after going through a difficult time in my life, the true benefits of yoga really shone through and it was at this point yoga changed my life in so many ways where I was able to connect to myself, truly come home to my body and set myself free. I knew then that I needed to share this magic with others and that’s when I enrolled on my yoga teacher training at the end of 2019.
I am inspired by music, dance and movement and like to bring an embodied flow into my classes, encouraging to find the freedom to explore and move the body in a way that feels right to you. My yoga practice is trauma- informed and I always aim to create a safe and supported space to release, let go and find that magic in you! When I’m not on my mat, you can find me exploring mountains, dancing on a beach somewhere or by the water on my paddle board.
Lucy Steel
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What I love about yoga is it can be anything you'd like it to be. It can, at first, be a way of becoming more mindful of how you move and breathe on the mat for an hour's practice but gradually the magic filters seamlessly off the mat and into every little moment. Each conscious breath and step awakening your inner and outer awareness.
I love to weave many layers of yoga into my teaching, tailoring it to be what it needs to be in that moment. Classes with me will be energising and explorative, powerful and playful all carefully cued around the breath.
Marie Parkinson
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Marie has been practising yoga for over 20 years, learning and gaining experience through a range of styles. She feels most at home within herself on the yoga mat and enjoys sharing the uplifting benefits of it’s practise with others.
Marie has been teaching a variety of classes since early 2021, including; Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin Yoga as well as Meditation, Mindfulness and Relaxation.
Variety and inclusiveness are at the core of her teaching and she can easily adapt lessons to suit the needs or mood of the group.
Arya Thampuran
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I’m a researcher in the medical humanities at Durham University by day, and my work on mental health and healing follows me onto the mat when I clock off (in the best possible way!).
My interest in yoga is both professional and deeply personal; it’s opened my eyes to how the body and breath can be harnessed and harmonised to empower us.
I come from a South Indian background and grew up listening to the mythology behind our poses, so I love incorporating some storytelling into my flows. Classes will be mellow and mindful, cultivating a compassionate relationship with movement.
Jo Bolton
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Discovering yoga whilst volunteering on a farm in Spain over 30 years ago, I was in awe of the space this created in my body and mind after a hard day's work. Now, in my menopausal years, I depend on my practice in my daily life. It brings me back into balance, quietens my mind, creates energy or stillness, strength and fluidity.
My teacher training, in the late 1990s began with the Iyengar tradition which teaches precision and attention to detail. Since then my teaching and my practice have been informed by many other traditions and teachers, including Donna Farhi, Vanda Scaravelli, Uma Dinsmore Tuli and Triratna Buddhism. I have further training in Well Woman Yoga Therapy and Energy Healing, and am also a Somatic Movement Exercise Coach.
Currently I am a trainee in Somatic Experiencing, which is a body based therapy used to overcome trauma, shock and other stress disorders.
All of these approaches come together to create a gentle class that addresses imbalance in the body through gentle movements, fluid postures all following the innate wisdom of the body. I look forward to meeting you on the matDescription goes here
Fay Goodman
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Fay is a 500 hour qualified yoga teacher with additional training in Yoga Therapy, Meditation, Pranayama, Yin and Restorative practices. She first found yoga as a teenager and although she started off thinking of it as purely a physical practice, she very quickly realised how the benefits leaked out into every part of her life.
Fay has been teaching for 8 years, doing her first teacher training in the lush jungle of Bali in 2015 and continuing on to do her advanced 300 hour training in Rishikesh in 2017 where she was fully able to absorb the teachings of the East. While she very much focuses on alignment and keeping the body safe, she also really emphasises the importance of tuning into how we might be feeling mentally and energetically as we practice, cultivating a very aware and conscious way of moving and breathing. Expect uplifting playlists, jokes and laughter too because yoga really doesn’t have to be so serious! As well as teaching yoga, Fay is a Counsellor and Hypnotherapist and is currently undertaking her Psychotherapy Diploma. She very much believes in the importance of the body-mind connection and this is shown through her teaching style.
