Hi! I’m Amy.
I am a qualified yoga teacher, pilates instructor and sports massage therapist. With a lifetime of somatic practice as a dancer and choreographer under my belt, I combine my passion for movement and anatomy to offer thoughtfully and creatively sequenced classes, which are suitable for all levels of experience and fitness.
Why Mandala? A spiritual symbol in Buddhist and Hindu traditions, ‘mandala’ translates from Sanskrit to simply ‘circle’. It can be seen as a symbolic representation of the universe with an inner and outer world, without beginning and without end. For me, the mandala represents a holistic approach to movement, to our bodies, to the idea of wellness; my outlook is multifaceted, taking in all aspects of my training, and my desire is to offer the very best of this to each student and client.
Mandala Wellness was founded with the wish to create a safe space that welcomes and inspires all bodies to move, flow and – most importantly – feel good.
Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga can be described as movement linked with breath. It’s an energetic and dynamic practice, and our style of Vinyasa builds both strength and flexibility through intelligently and anatomically-minded sequences that elevate the heart rate for a physical work-out whilst helping students to slip into a moving meditation that benefits the body and mind.
Yin Yoga
Yin is a slower, more meditative style of yoga, which – through long holds in mostly seated and floor-based postures – allows you to stretch and release not only muscles, but also fascia and deeper connective tissue. The practice encourages you to find stillness in each posture and connection to breath, challenging both mental and physical focus. Yin is an introspective practice that offers a chance to turn inward and nurture the calm, quiet centre within.
Pilates
Developed by Joseph Pilates as ‘Contrology’ in the 1920s, Pilates is a method of exercise that consists of low-impact flexibility and muscular strength and endurance movements co-ordinated with breath. Pilates emphasises proper postural alignment, core strength and muscle balance, and is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. We teach mat-based Pilates classes, with the addition of equipment such as resistance bands and pilates balls to keep things fun and interesting!
Offering imaginative and creative yoga journeys from the safety of your home, Mandala Kids provides online yoga classes for ages three and up. Yoga is hugely beneficial for children, aiding not only physical but also emotional and social development.
Yoga helps kids to:
Physically, yoga helps children to develop co-ordination, balance, strength and flexibility, as well as a sense of flow – moving from one position to another. Through the combination of mindful breath with mindful movement, we also build a sense of awareness and focus, improve self-regulation, build confidence and a sense of independence whilst improving mood, and reducing stress and anxiety.
Classes are specially designed for each age group, moving from playful and adventurous yoga stories for the under 8s, to building yoga flows from age 9 upwards, Mandala Kids children and teen classes all incorporate fun yoga games alongside mindful breathing and meditation exercises.
Long sedentary days spent sitting at our desks, stressful commutes, increased workloads and demands, and ever tightening deadlines all take a huge toll on not only our minds, but our bodies too. A tension-filled, highly-stressed workforce is unable to give of their best, and more and more organisations are seeing the benefit of introducing mindful movement practices into the workplace.
A regular yoga or pilates practice offers a multitude of benefits:
Mandala Wellness offers the following wellness solutions for your business:
Sports Massage is the manipulation of the soft tissue – our muscles and fascia – in order to either prevent or improve sports injuries.
It can be used to help to prepare bodies for optimal performance before an event, race or performance, as well as aid recovery afterwards. However, sports massage doesn’t only help athletes – it can benefit anyone who exercises, plays sport recreationally or, I’d say, performs frequently repeated movements, much like we do every day at work! Sports massage can reduce muscle tension and pain, lower blood pressure, increase blood circulation and lymph flow, improve flexibility and range of motion, and improve muscle recovery time.
A sports massage session is often more targeted than a general full-body massage, honing in on areas of specific tension, tightness or injury, linked directly to the type of movement or activity you do.
