Who Am I?
My name is Kelly & I am a Senior Yoga Teacher & Trainer & Somatic Therapist
My vocation is to offer body based practices to help you feel at greater ease & at more at home in yourself. My range of offerings includes Somatic Yoga & Movement, practices for Nervous System Health & resilience & Somatic based Integrative Therapy, working on Emotional Health & recovery from Trauma.
Things I love -
Nature, the sea, the forest, rivers, stars and the moon. I enjoy sea dipping even in the winter, especially with a sauna to finish, forest bathing, singing in a forest choir, banging my drum and playing with my voice in creative and evolving ways. I am also a an older Mum to a lively pre teen. I recently discovered the word ‘Maga’ thank you https://janehardwickecollings.com/more-on-maga-the-autumn-season-of-our-lives/which best describes this time of my life in the women’s wisdom schools, in-between mother and crone, a time of magic and the harvesting of my life’s work & passions.
I am free spirited and love exploring my mind and body in many ways, via spirituality, soul purpose, via music, dance, sound healing, resonance, voice and embodied movement as well as yoga.
I have been on a deep dive journey through spirituality and yoga to find relief from the pains and trauma my body was holding for many years. This took me from my wild and often tormented teenage years to travelling, then becoming a yoga teacher, finding refuge in the temporary calm from the storms it gave me. I attended many silent retreats and sat with different spiritual teachers and found solace and stillness with one teacher in particular, who helped me connect to my true Self and to whom I will always be grateful.
Simultaneously I began a long teaching journey, continuously exploring, learning and adapting the yoga I was studying to help my body find more freedom and ease. This path eventually led me to the practice of somatics and embodied movement.
Through the years I have found a way of guiding yoga to others adapting in the way I have found of most benefit for long term chronic pain relief, trauma and emotional holding patterns. This is really what makes my heart sing, helping others feel relief from pain and sometimes years of holding tension this way as it has helped me the most.
I passionately believe in the body’s wisdom and own intelligence to find wholeness and to be more at peace and at home in our minds, hearts and body. Not only does a somatic approach empower each of us, we learn to develop a relationship to ourselves and to listen and trust our body and selves. This can have profound ripples on our mental health and on our relationships with others.
Through moving somatically I experienced a gradual release from the chronic pain I was holding, which was worsened by a more strenuous yoga practice and started to guide from a more embodied and compassionate place. As I noticed the holding patterns of trauma responses and the emotional connection to physical pain, I took my enquires further and spent many years studying somatic and emotional release modalities, training in the Kiloby Inquiries (2022/2023), & Integrative Somatic Therapy. I have also studied and taken CPD on Internal Family Systems & have taken further study in Polyvagal Theory for understanding the nervous system. & some modules in Somatic Experiencing, I keep my knowledge updated by attending online CPDs and have recently taken masterclasses in Compassionate Inquiry, Dr Gabor Mate, & Somatic Trauma Therapy with Abi Blakesley, I now offer sessions to others using a powerful combination of these body based tools.
“The Soul Loves the Truth. Find your Truth, speak your Truth, Live your Truth. Be fearless in your Journey. Let go of what is not authentic & sincere in Life. Be a shining example of Truth for others. ”
Yoga, Experience & Qualifications-
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July 2005- date Weekly general public yoga class
2010 to 2012- DW Sports – weekly hatha yoga for all
2006 to date– Yoga for all at BHLive
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LEARNING DISABILITIES– Moordown Community Centre – Adults with learning disabilities 9 May 2008 to 6 March 2009 – maternity cover for regular teacher
2 April 2008 to 2015 Juniper Day Centre, Christchurch – Adults with Learning Disabilities some included chair yoga (funding withdrawn)
DRUG/ALCOHOL SERVICES
2004-2005 Assistant yoga teacher whilst training to people in recovery from addictions
CRI – Class for those still using substances or in detox – 26 June 2008 to 2014
YOGA FOR STAFF–
St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital – staff class 31 July 2007/8
Yarrells School and Poole Grammar – 2010-2011
MENTAL HEALTH-
13 September 2007 – Together – Gentle Chair Yoga for Mental Health to 2009
The Maple Young Persons Service – 2010 – 6 week course
Pre and Post Natal 6 week course for Florence House 2019 & research report on findings – Dorset NHS Trust
September 2024 - Florence House, Maternal Mental Health inpatient
YOGA FOR CANCER-
The Village (funded by Hospital Trust), includes some chair yoga 2017-2019
Wessex Cancer Trust - 6 months
UNIVERSITIES–
8 May 2008 – January 2009 – Yoga maternity cover at Bournemouth University
February 2009 – 2010 – Yoga Class at Bournemouth Arts Institute
CHILDREN’S YOGA-
Heathlands Primary School – 6 week course 2008
Yarrells Preparatory School – Age group 3-12 – 12 March 2008 to 2010
Hale School, Hale, New Forest – 11 January 2008 to March 2008 – children’s and family yoga
Bournemouth School for Girls – 2009 – age 15/16 – provide occasional cover for teacher
Stanley Green primary – after school club from 2010 to 2011
Canford Heath Infant School – 2010 to 2011 breakfast club
Yoga Rooms studio – Children’s Class 2010-2011
Children’s Yoga 2015- 2017 Pavilion Dance Southwest
PRE & POST NATAL YOGA-
2012- date
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BA 1st class Hons Health & Community Studies
Trained to teach Integral Yoga Beginners 2003-2004 and Integral Intermediate Yoga 2006
Yoga for Children (Integral Yoga) 2007
Yoga for the Special Child – SYC, London 2008
Yoga for Teenagers Workshop, Yoga for Autism workshops 2009/2010
Pregnancy and post natal Yoga with British School of Yoga 2011/2012
Mum and Baby Post natal Yoga with Yoga Gro – 2014
Integrative Hypnosis for Pregnancy Yoga, Creative Calm with Janine Hurley (June 2016)
Post Natal Exercise update – Jenny Burrell 2017
Yoga and Integrative Movement, Teachers Development Course – Integrity Yoga 2015-2017
ABC anatomy with Joanne Avison – first 6 month pilot – level one Sept 2018
Back Care Immersion – CPD Judith Hanson Lasater and Mary Richards
Experiential Anatomy with Lasater Yoga 2019
Workshops and Continued Professional development with various UK teachers including Bill Wood, John Stirk and others.
Somatic Movement – Align Somatics 29 May 2019
SMEC Level one – Somatic Movement Education Coach June 2019
Sept 19-March 20 – Deepening Yoga Immersion with Caroline Lang in Devon
Embodiment Conference online learning 2020
Trauma Conference online learning 2020
Embodied Yoga Explorations with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen 2020
Applied Polyvagal Theory 1 – Embodied Yoga
Applied Polyvagal Theory 2 – Embodied Yoga – Jan 2021
Somatic Stress Release certified practitioner training – Levels 1, 2 & 3 May 2021
IYN Registered Yoga Elder 5000 hours teaching practice & RYT 500 hours March 2020
Integrative Somatic Trauma therapy – February 2022
Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills – The Skills Network – July 2021
Healing Trauma – Dr Peter Levine – The Embody Lab September 2021
Integrative Somatic Parts Work – (IFS) Level 1 & 2 modules, The Embody Lab May 2022
Trauma Resilient Embodied Yoga – April 22 – 80 hours Golden Mandala Institute
Facilitator training in The Kiloby Inquiries (somatic & emotional processing work) – 400 hours plus in personal practice & exchanges & mentoring over 18 months August 2022- February 2024
CPDs with nicabm – Working with the fear of rejection – April 2024
CPDs - PESI - 2025
Compassionate Inquiry masterclass, Gabor Mate
Somatic Trauma Healing - Abi Blakeslee
Sound Energy work - Heal Singing Bowl Academy 2025