Yoga classes, yoga workshops, mindfulness and kirtan
in Swansea and Carmarthenshire
Yoga retreats in west Wales, UK
with Louise Thorndycraft

​I'm an experienced and devoted yoga and meditation teacher and have been teaching group and one to one sessions for the last 11 years. ​I now teach at various venues across Swansea and Carmarthenshire, with a strong emphasis on mindfulness and somatic awareness. Sessions are suitable for all ages and abilities, from beginners to experienced practitioners, and all practices can be modified to suit the needs of the individual.

​I'm fascinated by the healing capacity of yoga, embracing movement and breathing practices from hatha yoga and sound and mantra practices from bhakti and mantra yoga. I encourage people to develop an intuitive approach to movement and voice work and advocate the integration of mindfulness into practice and daily life.
 
Since 2007, I've taught varied group yoga classes, private one to one sessions and classes for specialist groups including mental health service users, female asylum seekers and drug and alcohol project users. My teaching experience, along with recent training in trauma-sensitive yoga, has helped me develop a trauma-informed approach. 
​

---

A recent interview I gave to Bay TV Swansea about the benefits of yoga practice for stress relief. The interview was broadcast on 2nd November 2016, National Stress Awareness Day. 
​

Recommendation

"I cannot recommend Lou highly enough to work with Professional athletes. She has worked with large groups, small groups and individually with all level of players and the feedback has been excellent throughout.  She has handled large and challenging groups very well and has enforced discipline in the groups in a gentle way. We have tried several yoga teachers before her and many of them were not able to command the group as Lou can. She has also been very flexible and importantly very reliable. "    
​Danny Donachie, Head of Sports Medicine, 
Everton Football Club

​Experience and Qualifications
​I've been practicing yoga and meditation since 2002 and began teaching in 2007.  I qualified as a teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga, completing the 500 hour Teaching Diploma over a 3 year period. I relocated from Liverpool to Wales in the summer of 2012, living in Gower, south Wales for 5 years, before relocating to Whitland in Carmarthenshire, west Wales in December 2017.

​My approach is heavily influenced by the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the yoga of Vanda Scaravelli, via my teachers Christine Borg, Diane Long and Peter Blackaby.
​

Year
​2017
2016
​2016
​2014
2013
2012
2012
2010
2010
2009
2008
2008
2008
2008
​2007

Continuing professional development
5 day retreat with ​Christine Borg, exploring the yoga of Vanda Scaravelli
​7 day Mindfulness Retreat at Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh's practice centre in France
4 day Trauma Sensitive Yoga training with David Emerson from the Trauma Centre, Boston
11 day Vigyana Bhairava Tantra Meditation Retreat - Swami Nishchalananda at ​​Mandala Ashram
8 days private tuition with Diane Long in India exploring yoga inspired by Vanda Scaravelli
2 days teachings on non-violence and universal responsibility by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
6 day "Cultivating Happiness" Mindfulness retreat - Thich Nhat Hanh - Institute of Applied Buddhism 
BWY Yoga Teacher Training Diploma (500 hours) with Rosemary Bennett (Swami Premananda)
6 day "Living Mindfully" retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh - European Institute Applied Buddhism  
5 Day "Opening to Insight" yoga intensive with Donna Farhi  
10 Day Silent Meditation Retreat - Vipassana
Yin Yoga weekend workshop with Sarah Powers 
6 day "Touching Peace" retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh - European Institute Applied Buddhism   
3 days Buddhist teachings on Dependent Origination by His Holiness the Dalai Lama 
Ashtanga Primary Series weekend workshop with David Swenson