Iona

Iona is a Cardiff-based yoga teacher and movement/ meditation enthusiast. She completed her 500 hour Diploma in teaching yoga with the British Wheel of Yoga, and has been teaching since 2019. When not teaching yoga she enjoys spending time with her gorgeous 10-month old baby, and loves to spend time with friends and family, cooking, being in nature, and finding different ways to move/ breathe/ feel at home in her body. She loves all movement forms - dance, strength training, running, climbing, cycling,  swimming - you name it!

Why do you teach Yoga?

My yoga journey started over 11 years ago, when a therapist suggested it could help me during an eating disorder relapse. This really sparked my interest in the healing potential of yoga and meditation practices, and I didn’t really stop after that.

I love to facilitate spaces where people can settle into their bodies, and can hopefully find some relief from the stresses and strains of their daily lives. Often we become disassociated from the wisdom of our bodies. Yoga is a way to come back to this wisdom. 

Describe your teaching style

I’m a passionate believer that there is no one way to do a pose or practice - yoga is a process of finding your own way. I teach with a staged approach, always offering options and modifications so that learners can choose an option that suits them. Even better if they adapt the pose in a way I haven’t thought of! I love learning from the people who come to my class, and seeing how people interpret postures and practices in their own way. 

At the moment I’m teaching ’Strength’ classes at Stretchy’s for those who are seeking a challenge for their bodies/minds. These include a strong focus on practical strength, mobility and active stretching, with options towards inversions and arm balances. I also love to teach healing restorative sessions, with pranayama and yoga Nidra, although I haven’t brought these to Stretchy’s yet - maybe this year!

If you were a yoga pose, what would you be?

Honestly, probably something like savasana. Life with a baby is incredible and exhausting in equal measure - I’ve become obsessed with sleep! On particularly busy days, finding even a minute to settle into savasana, maybe with a bolster under the knees, is such a wonderful way to help regulate my nervous system before tackling the demands of the day.