Nina Fowkes
“Yoga is about releasing the stresses and strains of daily life and finding our joyful connection with nature and therefore a more compassionate way of being”
Nina is the founder of The Yoga Garden, and as well as being an advanced yoga practitioner, certified in Thai massage and aromatherapy she also brings such warmth and kindness to her students that it’s hard not to feel completely at ease in her classes.
“I am so happy to provide a beautiful space where people can improve their health and wellbeing and find that sense of connection and tranquility we are all seeking”
Nina teaches Restorative Aroma Yoga Workshops and offers personal detox and nutritional coaching. Nina is also Director of our Teacher Training programmes and courses.
Chessy
“I am honoured to be able to help clients find that sacred balance between body, mind and spirit and to encourage them to welcome their wonderful bodies, wherever they are at, in each moment.”
Chessy’s warmth comes from her divine nature, as well as her genuine and in depth understanding and compassion for her client’s body and mind. With over 20 years experience of bodywork and qualifications in Reflexology, Oil Massage, Reiki and Thai Massage, Chessy combines this knowledge with her 200 hour certified yoga teacher training, yin yoga and pregnancy yoga training to teach a deeply therapeutic class which facilitates you to connect with and listen to your body in a profound way.
Chessy teaches Yin Flow yoga on Tuesday mornings.
Rebecca
“My approach to yoga is that of sharing the ability to self-heal, both physically and mentally through a self-regulating physical practice, using this ancient art of movement of the body and breath.”
Rebecca teaches Hatha Yoga at the Yoga Garden. She is a Yoga Alliance registered Teacher (300 hr+) and is a regular teacher in Steyning, Worthing and Storrington, teaching a variety of styles including Dynamic Vinyasa Flow.
Rebecca has continued her teaching development with Yoga4Autism, Pregnancy Yoga with Mel Campbell and at the Yoga Garden with Toni and Marcella. She started the Mentorship with Jivamukti teacher Amrita in 2016 as well as completing her course on Yoga Adjustments.
“I would like to give gratitude to all my teachers and students and especially the Yoga Garden for their support and development on my yoga path”
Rebecca teaches Hatha on Monday & Thursday mornings and a Beginners' late Thursday mornings.
Tony
“I’m passionate about helping people through sport and yoga”
Tony is a true athlete and brings a wealth of sporting knowledge and experience to our team of teachers. He came to yoga after having spent a lifetime in sport cycle racing, triathlons and running. He represented Great Britain at numerous Triathlon World Championships and has completed the Ironman Triathlon 3 times.
As a qualified Pilates Instructor, Yoga Teacher and Sports Massage Therapist, Tony is passionate about helping clients reach their personal fitness goals.
Tony teaches the Pilates Yoga Fusion 'Yoga Core' class on Fridays at 8.30 am
Ali
Ali first came to the Yoga Garden back in 2010 to rebuild her strength after a difficult birth of her 3rd son.
Her yoga journey started in a London studio 25 years ago, but through all the changes of life, yoga has remained a constant for her in its many different manifestations.
'I love meeting each class and trying to give them what they have come for. I think Yoga is about awareness. Awareness of the breath, deepening our awareness of our bodies, and through this process increasing our awareness of our place in the world.'
Ali is also trained in Youth Yoga and Mindfulness, and Yin yoga.
Ali teaches Meditation and gentle yoga on Wednesday lunchtimes, and shares Restorative yoga with Laila on Fridays.
Kate
Kate says: 'Yoga has taken me by the hand & gently asked me to look at myself physically, mentally & spiritually. It has given me the tools & framework for inner exploration, expansion & growth. My quiet, introverted nature allowed to shine, I use this perspective to guide my study & classes.'
Kate enrolled in teacher training to further her study & with some gentle encouragement began to teach.
Teaching has become an extension of her practise, a way to learn & observe more about herself with each class.
Like many of our teachers, Kate feels the connection to the natural world at the Yoga Garden influences her teaching style: Hatha based with plenty of opportunity to rest & connect.
Kate teachings Rise and Shine on Sunday mornings April to October and various workshops throughout the year.
Phoebe Hyder
Phoebe’s yoga practice is rooted in the rhythms of the earth, inspired by her lifelong connection to the natural world and the Wheel of the Year. With a deep reverence for trees and their wisdom, she weaves a practice that mirrors the cycles of growth and rest, light and shadow, offering balance and vitality to the body and soul.
Her guiding archetypes are the Oak and the Holly—one embodying strength, resilience, and light, the other mystery, introspection, and the nurturing quiet of the dark. “The oak whispers of rooted power, the holly of enduring grace; together, they remind us that balance comes from embracing all facets of ourselves.”
In Phoebe’s classes, you’ll find yourself moving dynamically yet mindfully, exploring the body as a storytelling vessel. Her teaching style is both poetic and grounded, calling upon her background in acting, puppetry, and movement direction. Whether standing strong in a Warrior Pose like a steadfast oak or flowing softly in a seated twist like ivy in the wind, her classes invite you to find your personal balance—between the expansive reach of the light and the quiet introspection of the dark.
On Monday evenings, her Wheel of the Year Yoga sessions align with seasonal themes, drawing upon folklore, natural cycles, and the transformative energy of the turning seasons. These practices connect body and breath to the earth’s rhythms, weaving in moments of stillness to reflect on where we stand in the year’s story. You might even hear Shakespearean quotes or playful prompts that bring the session to life.
Phoebe earned her 200-hour Yoga Alliance certification in 2021 at Saltwater Studios in Worthing. Her connection to the forest was cultivated during her formative years attending forest school, where her love for trees, nature, and storytelling first took root. Now, she brings this earthy wisdom and theatrical flair into her yoga classes, inviting her students to explore their bodies like chapters of a living story.
Join Phoebe to step into the cycle of the seasons, rediscover your connection to nature, and dance with the interplay of light and shadow, strength and softness
Laila
I see yoga as an opportunity to connect our mind and body to help us find balance in our daily lives by relieving stress, aiding sleep, building strength and flexibility in the body.
Yoga has been the catalyst for deep rooted change in my life. I found yoga when I needed it the most, initially a physical practice that soon paved the way to a more open and conscious existence, where self-love and compassion became paramount.
Fast forward and my practice led me to train as a teacher with The Yoga Garden, finding inspiration in seeing first hand the benefits that the training has had on my mind, body and soul and wanting to guide others towards finding this too.
Laila teaches Energising Hatha flow on a Tuesday evening, and shares the Friday restorative with Ali.
Penny
Penny is a fun & dynamic teacher, passionate about spreading her love of yoga to everyone. She believes yoga should be grounded and accessible and that everyone can gain benefits from yoga whatever their background or story.
Penny trained in 2014 and since qualifying has been teaching regularly in studios across Sussex, continuing her own yoga journey attending workshops with globally recognised teachers like Shiva Rea, Ana Forest & Max Strom, which help to develop her own practise and teaching style, growing all the time to spread the yoga glow!
Penny also enjoys 121 sessions, working with clients with physical or emotional challenges, to develop yoga as a tool to help.
Penny teaches Rise and Shine every Saturday mornings at 8.30am
Verity Megan
Verity first came to the mat over 20 years ago, discovering the transformative power of movement to cultivate presence and open space for processing life’s emotions. Now a senior teacher in the ISHTA Yoga tradition, she has been teaching and sharing yoga since 2016. Inspired by its profound impact, Verity’s practice has become a heartfelt dedication to integrated, intuitive, and seasonal approaches to well-being
Known for her warm and nurturing presence, Verity creates intentional healing spaces where individuals can embrace their whole selves. With extensive training in Ayurveda, Somatic Therapy, Mind-Body Integration, Yoga Therapy for Women, Reiki, and Sound Healing, she weaves ancient traditions with progressive techniques. Her offerings are always invitational and experiential, harmonising with the shifting seasons to live in relationship with nature's rhythms
Devoted to guiding others on their journey, Verity’s work celebrates our profound interconnectedness with nature, Self, and each other. She honours the body as a vital expression of the living Earth, inviting you to attune to these healing rhythms in the beautifully biodiverse Yoga Garden
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Louise
Louise is an advanced Yin Yoga teacher having studied with her teacher Norman Blair, Sarah Powers, Bernie Clarke and Paul Grilley.
Louise began her yoga journey over 12 years ago; she discovered that yoga philosophy and the practice fitted so perfectly with her interest in helping others with self-enquiry, personal development, healing and so much more. Louise fell in love with Yin Yoga after studying Vipassana, a mindful Buddhist meditation technique, and realised this very slow style of yoga blends the physical practice of yoga perfectly with meditation and self-enquiry. Naturally a busy “yang like” person, and up until then preferring the stronger practice of flow yoga, she learnt that actually she needed the balance of the two. Time to slow down, stop, and just be.
Through her teachings of Yin she shares not only yoga philosophy but also knowledge of the meridians, mindfulness, chakras and self enquiry. She is passionate about helping people to be themselves, to accept themselves as they are, and to cultivate a deep connection with their true state of being; peace, love, non duality, joy and inner wisdom. In training other teachers, she feels it’s important for them to find their own voice and their own style of teaching so it flows and feels authentic for them.
Louise is a Yoga Alliance (UK) Chartered Level 2 teacher and a Yoga Alliance US ERYT 200 YACEP.
Louise also runs seasonal Yin yoga workshops every quarter which are very popular. (workshop page)
Amrita
"I’m inspired to bring yogic teachings into a modern, urban context, to enrich our busy western lifestyle"
Amrita is originally from Zimbabwe and has been teaching yoga for 17 years.
She initially trained in the Sivananda lineage with Yoga Vidya, while living in Cologne, Germany and became a teacher in 2005. During this time she met her teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life (co-founders of the Jivamukti Yoga Method) and in 2008 she completed the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training with them at the Omega Institute in, Rheinbeck, New York. She went on to complete an apprenticeship at Jivamukti Yoga London under the mentorship of Advanced Jivamukti Teacher Emma Henry qualifying as an 800 hour certified Jivamukti Teacher
Amrita also has a diploma to teach Unity Partner Yoga from Unity School in Brighton and is a qualified holistic massage practitioner. She has a background in ballet and contemporary dance, and is a qualified facilitator for specialised group therapy through the Humaniversity in the Netherlands. She loves music, dance, the arts, being with friends and nature.
Her Jivamukti style classes include Sanskrit chanting, yogic philosophy, eclectic music playlists, hands on assists, relaxation and meditation, She creates a caring supportive space to go deeper into your yoga practice and to find your Self.
She is delighted to be offering a series of yoga workshops at the Yoga Garden and is also available for private 1 to 1 lessons and mentoring for aspiring yoga teachers.
“I love Amrita’s natural fluidity, she has a wealth of knowledge that combines beautifully with her ability to connect with her students which makes for fun and engaging classes” Jonathan, Student
Ana Marcela
Ana Marcela Wakeham is a senior yoga teacher, Qi Gong and Pilates Instructor and specialises in teaching experiential anatomy and physiology through movement.
From a deeply introspective practice and experiential knowledge Ana Marcela has developed clear insight and understanding of the anatomy and physiology of movement, which she expresses in a uniquely fascinating and accessible way.
Ana Marcela’s teachings are deeply rooted in a somatic sense of self and the perspective of one’s own life experiences which encompass body, mind and spirit. By bringing our attention to the inner-self, our breath and felt sense, Ana Marcela believes we can use movement to increase awareness and establish deeply restorative states of meditation.
Ana Marcela is leading our 2022-23 200 hr Teacher Training course.
Donna
My approach to teaching is an extension of my own practise - integrating mind, body and spirit with total surrender (to the present moment), breath awareness, tuning in to the physical conditions with acceptance and love. A meditative approach to an integrated practise. Holistic and Heart centred.
I have been practising yoga for over 20 years - 15 years as a student of Jim Tarran (Vajrasati Founder) and subsequently led me to train with him and Khadine Morcom on the 500 hour Yoga Plus Course. My love of Yoga started at a young age and continues to grow through regular āsana practise, meditation and personal study. I am passionate about the power of mantra, the purity of sanskrit language and learning more of the rich heritage and tradition of Yoga from scripture, sutra and beyond. Weaving this wisdom into classes to assist us on our yoga journey.
Expect a class that lifts you up, refreshes and revives. Restorative and peaceful. See you on the mat just as you are.
RYT 200/500hr