Sanctuary Yoga & Wellness Festival: Teachers Lineup
The selection of teacher in all modalities; yoga, bodywork, wellness coach. Selected from A variety of facilitators in UK and some of our favourite facilitators from the Sanctuary Thailand, we are bringing the best of the best to Somerset. See you this summer!.
Peter Clifford
Senior Yoga Teacher, the founder of Anahata Yoga
Peter Clifford
Offering: Yoga Class, Private session, Meditation
Workshop: Anahata Yoga, Pranayama & Nidra, Meditation
PETER’S JOURNEY
In 2002, Peter opened Anahata Yoga in Byron Bay after he had contributed as a teacher to the development of the 2000 Yoga Arts Certificate IV in Yoga Teacher Training, the first government accredited yoga qualification in Australia. He has been involved with the development and teaching of numerous teacher training courses around the world.
Peter is presently teaching Anahata Yoga internationally and studying ancient yogic texts with Rishi Nityabhodanana of the Satyananda Yoga tradition to complement his Anahata Yoga philosophy teachings.
Sebastian Bruno
Traditional Thai Massage Teacher, the co-founder of ThaiVedic
Sebastian is the co-founder of ThaiVedic, a holistic healing system that bridges timeless Ayurvedic principles with Thai Buddhist Medicine and Yoga Therapy > Read More
Sebastian Bruno
Offering: Private session, Workshop
Workshop: Traditional Thai Massage, Meditation
Sebastian Bruno
Sebastian is a student of the Body, Breath, and Movement. These studies brought him into different disciplinary practices such as martial arts, dance, bodywork, and traditional healing arts. For the past 17 years, he has been immersed in the learning and practice of Traditional Thai Medicine; rooted in the Five Element Theory and Buddhist principles of mindfulness, kindness, and compassion; following the lineage of the acclaimed Master Arjhan Pichest.
Sebastian is the co-founder of ThaiVedic, a holistic healing system that bridges timeless Ayurvedic principles with Thai Buddhist Medicine and Yoga Therapy. Based in Asia for over 12 years, Sebastian travels around the world sharing his practice through sessions, classes, and workshops.
Workshop:
ThaiVedic brings together the world’s most effective healing arts, with a special focus on Ayurvedic concepts, Thai Massage, and Yoga Therapies. We believe these practices to be key to human evolution, happiness and living spiritually purposeful lives. ThaiVedic offers a TRULY holistic and integrated system, with three clear and simple paths to restore the wisdom humanity needs.
- Ayurvedic Concepts: A Path to Clarity and Understanding the True You
- Thai Massage: A Path to Reconnection with People and Sharing Healing Touch
- Yoga Therapies: A Path to Meditative Movement and Finding Your Purpose in Life
Daisy Kaye
Breathwork Facilitator and founder of Breath Medicine
Daisy Kaye
Offering: Private session, Workshop
Workshop: Breath Medicine Ceremony, Sacred Caocao 5 Element Dance Ceremony
DAISY KAYE
A Lifetime of Knowledge and Practice
Daisy Kaye, Founder of Breath Medicine is a Breathwork Facilitator, Universal Tao Instructor, Body Worker, Herbalist and founder of Sacred Cacao 5 Element Dance. Daisy is an advocate for maintaining a holiday lifestyle and has facilitated sacred space, taught and practiced globally for over 25 years.
Daisy’s mission is to bring health, wealth, happiness, self-love, abundance and playfulness into people’s lives. Her methods stem from ancient Taoist and Tantric Philosophies; creating harmony through integration and personal responsibility of mind, body and spirit.
Lorraine Taylor
Yoga Teacher
Lorraine Taylor
Offering: Yoga class, Workshop
Workshop: Sacred Feminine Yoga & Tantra
Lorraine Taylor
From a very young age, Lorraine was fascinated by the beauty of movement and music. Her childhood was spent exploring the body through gymnastics, ice skating and different styles of dance. In her early twenties, a strong calling to the path of Yoga became the catalyst for many deeper realisations in her life and she left everything behind to follow this call.
She has now been a dedicated Yogini and lover of Truth for more than a couple of decades. She specializes in offering an insightful feminine way of practising Yoga bringing forth her love of Tantra and Kashmir Shaivism. She has also dedicated many years to the study of Jnana (Non Duality), Bhakti (Devotion) as well as Traditional Hatha Yoga which has led her to discover the depths of the Yogic practice, understanding the beauty of the fluid form while investigating the more subtle layers that exist within us. Ultimately pointing to what lies beyond which is the true meaning of Yoga. Union. Oneness. Love.
Her classes are a journey of who we are on every level from the physical to the beyond all shared with a healthy dose of humour and an open heart.
Short summary about the practices you share:
Lorraine is passionate about offering yoga in a rich feminine way. Lorraine’s unique style takes you on a profound inward journey from the physical to the sublime, understanding and embracing the totality, be it energetic, emotional, mental or beyond. She feels honoured to be able to share this knowledge through a soft insightful asana practice with depth and devotion.
Lorraine also devotes her time to self-enquiry and studying music. Her love of devotional Kirtan and Satsang is something that just naturally shines through in all of her trainings and retreats, making her courses uniquely heartfelt with a dose of good old English humour.
Lynne Franks
Communications strategist, writer and spokeswoman on women’s issues, sustainability and consumer lifestyles.
After a highly successful career in PR which included the creation of London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards, Lynne Franks has become a champion of women’s empowerment, sustainable business practices and social justice issues. > Read More
Lynne Franks
Offering: Motivational speaker
Workshop: Saturday night and table for business
LYNNE FRANKS, OBE
After a highly successful career in PR which included the creation of London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Awards, Lynne Franks has become a champion of women’s empowerment, sustainable business practices and social justice issues.
She chaired Viva, the UK’s first women’s radio station and put on the What Women Want Festival at the South Bank followed by speaking and reporting from the UN’s seminal women’s conference in Beijing in August ’95.
Lynne founded SEED – Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics – a movement and community for women’s learning and leadership programmes in 2000, while living in California, based on her pioneering women’s business book, The SEED Handbook, the feminine way to create business, now published in languages all over the world.
SEED women’s empowerment programmes have been delivered in post-war zones, rural African villages, women’s prisons and the corporate board room.
Lynne, now based in Wincanton, Somerset, has opened the SEED Hub where her retreats, eco-bedrooms and vegan café offer a respite for busy women and men who visit this center of healing and wellbeing.
She is also developing her work on her Power of Seven leadership programmes based on feminine archetypes and how Pods of 7 can indeed change society by non-hierarchal, collaborative circular leadership systems, based on sacred geometry and community-led business.
Cathy Pearson
Yoga teacher, Founded Celtic Woodland Yoga Festival and Transformational healing facilitator
Cathy has spent many years living between Thailand, Bali & Ireland deepening her understanding of the incredible depths of yoga, meditation & healing. > Read More
Cathy Pearson
Offering: Private session, workshop, meditation
Workshop: Art of Observer Consciousness
Cathy Pearson
Involved with yoga & healing since 1996, Cathy has spent many years living between Thailand, Bali & Ireland deepening her understanding of the incredible depths of yoga, meditation & healing. Here first visit to The Sanctuary Thailand was in 1999 and not a year has gone by that she has not spent many months there each year. She has studied various styles of yoga including Iyengar, Hatha, Ashtanga yoga & meditation. This varied experience has lead her to express her understanding of yoga in a dynamic & intuitive way & teach it as a transformational process that aides each student on their unique journey. Cathy offers Vinyasa Yoga classes that speak of alignment & build Prana & emphasize a flow of moving meditation while exploring consciousness, she also offers Restorative & Yoga Nidra. In 2001 she began continuous training in a deep cellular healing process, this has since become a life path of spiritual understanding. For some years now Cathy facilitates this process for others as Universal Body Wisdom™. Each February she holds this powerful transformational retreat in The Sanctuary, and everyone is welcome.
She is passionate about travelling, living in nature, natural home birth and yoga to support pregnancy.
She recently founded Ireland’s first annual international yoga festival “The Celtic Woodland Yoga Festival”.
Fiona Soma
TRE® Global Certification Trainer, Somatic Educator and Relationship & Sexuality Counsellor
Fiona specialises in Somatic Health, with a focus on sexuality and relationships. She encourages us to safely explore methods of movement and play with forms of frequency and vibration as a way of understanding ourselves better in relation to the world. > Read More
Fiona Soma
Offering: Private session, workshop, meditation
Workshop: T.R.E, Relationship & Sexuality Counsellor
Fiona Soma
Fiona specialises in Somatic Health, with a focus on sexuality and relationships. She encourages us to safely explore methods of movement and play with forms of frequency and vibration as a way of understanding ourselves better in relation to the world. Through curiosity, we are led though simple, yet healing processes that bring balance back to all body systems.
Fiona is a TRE® Global Certification Trainer, presenting in Thailand, Romania and Southern Africa. Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises guides us towards our natural tremor mechanism, innate to all humans as a our natural and most organic stress release tool. The practice involves 5 -7 simple stretches, and then lying on the floor for 20-30 minutes. A few benefits include deep-relaxation, Fascia Re-alignment & Hydration, Vagal Toning, Psoas Release, better/deeper sleep, relief from inflammatory issues,more energy and resilience. Ultimately we practice this to bring our nervous system into alignment, and it can be practiced alone, whenever needed. Please note this is a clothed on event.
Fiona is a Somatic Sexuality Educator – she invites us to move towards a curiosity in our relationship with our own sexuality, and how that plays out in the world. We look at our beliefs and projections in this arena, and unpick some of those in order to access our TRUE and AUTHENTIC sexual selves – LIVING in sexual integrity. We move towards a healthier and fuller way of being with our sexual energies, and begin to understand how safety and groundedness can bring us to a beautifully aligned place from where we can engage more authentic, playful, connected and joyous relationships. Fiona sometimes combines this with Taoist Energy techniques and meditations, and has created ” Nectar – Sexual Wisdom & Alchemy”, a practical, safe and accessible program, practicing the transformation of Jing Chi (sexual energy) for health and lifestyle benefits. These practices assist in bringing balance into our sexual bodies. We increase our somatic (body) awareness of our sexual and relational selves by working with breath, flow, sound, visualization, movement, writing and creating. Fiona takes you on a safe journey to access parts of yourself that may be stuck or hidden due to difficult relationships, abuse, interventions, injuries, addiction or illness. Please note this is a clothed on event.
In her practice she also includes, Chi Kung, Chi Nei Tsang (Taoist Visceral massage), Kinesiology, Breath work, Psychic Surgery and Craniosacral therapy. These approaches aim to uncover deep- seated blockages, which may manifest as persistent health difficulties.
Michael Sidhamo Johnson
Yoga teacher
Sidhamo began his professional career as a therapist at The Sanctuary back in 2001. In the last two decades he taught in over 10 countries and led well over 150 trainings. > Read More
Sidhamo
Offering: Yoga class, workshop
Workshop: Ayurvedic Massage
Words form Sidhamo
My practice and sharing of yoga is a cleansing, invigorating, dynamic, flowing, breath centred, approach to Hatha Yoga. My classes, workshops and trainings focus on the therapeutic use of the breath to balance the body. In all our teachings a safe and sustainable and aware practice is the cornerstone of my philosophy. My mission is to share Yoga and its ancient system of personal liberation in fun, inspiring honesty way. Personally, I bring 2 decades of training in several bodywork modalities and yoga therapy to the therapeutic practice of Hatha Yoga. I lead 200h Teacher trainings, Yin Meridian Therapy trainings in Copenhagen, Vienna and Thailand.
I began my professional career as a therapist at The Sanctuary back in 2001. In the last two decades I taught in over 10 countries and led well over 150 trainings. The vast majority held in Koh Phangan at The Sanctuary Thailand. My mission is to continue sharing this work and promoting it so that can continue to spread and help more and more people.
Chris Giles
Yoga Teacher and Personal Training
Chris Giles
Offering: Yoga Class, Workshop
Workshop: Discussing actual contribution
Chris Giles
Ex Professional Footballer Chris Giles turned to Yoga inspired training having experienced an injury plagued career and being medically advised to never run again. He lists Yoga and it’s physical benefits as part of a few things that have enabled him to not only live life pain free, but continue sporting adventures.
Chris is a Strength and Fitness Coach, a Yoga4Sports Coach and a Professional Sports Coach (Football, Tennis, Triathlon, Cricket). He has a varied background of professional, competitive and leisurely sport and endurance events (Ironman, 10km OW Swims), gaining an extensive knowledge of the movements that most sports require from their participants. This experience together with his Yoga training, has developed his passion for correcting movement patterns and developing the triangle of strength, stability and flexibility for Athletes – the major aim to reduce injuries, increase efficiency and longevity for people to keep doing the sports they love. His 1on1 sports coaching moves beyond the physical, incorporating mental, emotional and spiritual value in equal measure; attributes influenced by his Yoga learning.
Chris’ main desire is to help athletes increase their range of motion (flexibility), torso stability (core strength) and strength to improve their performance, efficiency and longevity, not just for their chosen sports, but for life. Practices involve building foundational strength and are safe, form orientated poses and flows. Most clients are either heavily involved in a sport or two and therefore require the sessions to compliment the destruction that sport does to their body.
His classes are themed around spinal articulation, torso stability and gliding muscle work. Although the classes are physically focused, most sportsmen and women benefit hugely from the mindful approach of flows (concentration, decision making, pressure) and opportunity to learn further breathwork techniques (efficiency and longevity in sport).
His classes are a safe place for any standard of Yogi, there is always a suitable regression or progression. Most clients have a history of injuries and are on their own journey. Zero judgement, zero competitiveness and zero tension is the motto to his ordinarily competitive and time pressed clients.
Polly Kemp
Yoga Teacher
Since 2006 Polly has been the yoga teacher at Babington House. Her yoga principles are – freedom of movement, no rigid alignment, no structured breathing, exploring moving with ease to access the calm and strength within your own mind and body. > Read More
Polly Kemp
Offering: Yoga Class
Polly Kemp
Since 2006 I have been the yoga teacher at Babington House, Somerset, running 4 classes a week for members and hotel guests plus additional private sessions for the guests when requested. As well as my Babington classes I teach in two other studios in the Frome area and I am called regularly by both The Newt in Somerset and 42 Acres Retreat to lead sessions for their guests. I have recently started working with the Arrigo Programme, leading the one-tone yoga sessions for their exclusive Somerset retreats.
In July I will one of the yoga teachers leading sessions at The Sanctuary Thailand’s Yoga Festival at Sparkford Hall, Somerset. In my twenties having originally studied drama and dance I was forging a life as an actor, a career I left behind to become a full time mother to my three children. During the children’s early years I trained as a homeopath and practiced for a few years before realising I craved more body-movement in my life so having enjoyed practicing yoga for many years I decided to train as a yoga teacher. My initial training was in the Iyengar discipline but over the years my style has evolved, picking up influences from all other yoga styles and becoming much more free.
My yoga principles are – freedom of movement, no rigid alignment, no structured breathing – just allowing space to find your breath and exploring moving with ease to access the calm and strength within your own mind and body.
Jamie Catto
Author, Film-maker and Musician
Jamie Catto is an author, film-maker and musician running transformational workshops and events to reclaim all the treasure we edited away into the shadows and facilitate everyone daring to be more real, more fallible, more tender, more intimate. > Read More
Jamie Catto
Offering: Motivation speaker
Jamie Catto
Jamie Catto is an author, film-maker and musician running transformational workshops and events to reclaim all the treasure we edited away into the shadows and facilitate everyone daring to be more real, more fallible, more tender, more intimate.
His mission is to create a world full of ‘walking permission slips’ where we all lighten up and enjoy the unpredictable human path together with humour, playfulness and a healthy dose of irreverence. Jamie’s workshops and 1-1s provide a refreshing approach to inner work with the right dose of playfulness and depth.
He facilitates these professional, personal and creative breakthroughs by drawing from his own processes in ground-breaking film production, philosophy voyages and music career.Evolution and enlightenment happen a lot quicker and easier when we treat the whole process as entertainment instead of ‘working on ourselves’.
“I’ve noticed longer lasting, healing trajectory changes happen when we curiously snorkel around the edges of our edges, not over-boldly plunge ourselves into deep cold water.
Patient, caring and tending heals more sustainably than heroic pushing. I believe in making every step consensual with my fragile inner characters.
I believe in the treasure of low-hanging fruit and heart-opening, playful intimacy, not stoic reverence and unworthiness before ‘more advanced beings’ dressed as faux-humility.
The huge, sexy river of creativity and wisdom is available to everyone in every moment – even this one right now – but it’s through melting and opening not generating and do-ing. It’s not a Yang act of will. It’s our yielding Yin that allows us to be guided and filled by Life’s Genius.
The core of melodrama is based around something being ‘at stake’ but with our awakening there is literally nothing at stake. There’s nothing to do but listen and open and be moved – our souls are plotting our pathways, and we are mostly passengers. That’s what ‘letting go’ is all about. Trusting that river is real. Do you?
Genuine healing changes happen when we remove the over-importance or agenda to transcend this glorious, messy human experience and instead, be thoroughly entertained by our fallible, slapstick genius, tripping over our heart strings and spilling the wine, falling on our arses again and again as a given and each time treating it as one of our most illuminating and liberating spiritual practices.
This is how we make friends with our shadows and share that safety and peacefulness with others.
What? Transformative workshops.
Why? To save us from ourselves and live in a way that is more efficient for everyone!
How? Through play, creativity, shadow work and intimacy.