Our teachers
AYL teachers
All the teachers at Astanga Yoga London are highly qualified and experienced. Each has a current, dedicated astanga practice, has been practising daily for many years and has been authorised or certified by Sharath Jois, the current lineage holder of astanga yoga in Mysore, India.
Every teacher has been DBS checked, is qualified in First Aid and Mental First Aid, and has completed, amongst many others, ‘Trauma Informed’ and ‘Race Awareness’ trainings.
Hamish Hendry
I started yoga when I was eighteen as I couldn’t touch my toes. I began with a few books and local classes until 1986 when I was fortunate enough to meet Derek Ireland. Derek was teaching astanga in Greece and I stayed and learned with him every day. In 1995 I began studying with K Pattabhi Jois in Mysore and I have been returning most years ever since to continue my studies with Sharath Jois.
I moved to London in 1999 and live with my wife Anna and daughter Talia. I have been certified to teach astanga since 2001. I get up at one every morning to practise before teaching. My other interests are running in nature, yoga philosophy, origami and helping the homeless.
Hamish is the owner of Astanga Yoga London and teaches the weekday early morning Mysore self-practice programme. Please email or message Hamish if you’d like to join his classes.
Louise Newton
I stumbled upon astanga yoga in 1999 and soon found Hamish who has been my teacher ever since. I first visited Mysore in 2006, one year after beginning assisting Hamish. Assisting evolved into teaching and I love being part of the morning programme at AYL.
I believe it is my duty to be welcoming and inclusive creating a safe and non-judgemental space for all students to find their own path, allowing them to explore, deepen and develop a practice which is both sustainable and supportive to their life.
Louise teaches the weekday mid morning Mysore self-practice programme, the Saturday led and the Sunday early morning Mysore self-practice class. Please email or message Louise if you’d like to join her classes.
Lauren Munday
My yoga story started in my early twenties, like many, at gym yoga classes. This led me to practising with Hamish and finding our community at Astanga Yoga London in 2007. I still practise with Hamish daily, and, after assisting for several years, I now teach the evening programme with Tom.
I received my authorisation level 2 from Sharath Jois in Mysore and have a Diploma in yoga therapy. As well as teaching the evening programme I’m very fortunate to teach a weekly community class and other classes for vulnerable adults. I’m also a TCTSY trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator. TCTSY is an empirical validated intervention for complex trauma.
I believe the physical practice of yoga can create healing within our body-mind, and the philosophy can inform our anti-oppressive practices to create healing in our society. I’m committed to creating a safe practice space for everyone who comes to the shala and acknowledge the continuous learning required on my part to ensure I’m able to do this.
Lauren teaches the yoga community class as well as the weekday evening Mysore self-practice programme alongside Tom. She also facilitates group TCTSY trauma sensitive yoga sessions at AYL. For info on TCTSY trauma sensitive yoga click here. Please email or message Lauren if you’d like to join her classes.
Tom Norrington-Davies
I started going to Astanga Yoga London as a beginner in 2007. At the time I was head chef and owner of a busy restaurant. My hours were long, unpredictable and adrenaline-fuelled. Something about the calm, focused intensity of the practice and the friendly, no-nonsense way it was taught seemed familiar enough not to make me feel out of place. The shala became my sanctuary. It still is.
I began assisting in 2010 and teaching three years later.
I run the evening programme with Lauren. I teach because I am committed to sharing this practice with every kind of person with every kind of schedule. It helped me deal with anxieties and various aches and pains that I thought shift workers just had to ‘live with’. They don’t.
I am KPJAYI / SYC authorised (level 2).
Tom teaches the weekday evening Mysore self-practice programme alongside Lauren. Please email or message Tom if you’d like to join his classes.
“Wonderful. This is THE place to go in London to learn Ashtanga. Very happy to have now joined the community here as the teachers are so kind, gentle, experienced and absolutely know what they are doing.”
— Laura Tulloch, Astanga Yoga London practitioner
ॐ
सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।
Oṃ saha nāv avatu | saha nau bhunaktu |
saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai |
tejasvi nāvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai ||
Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |
May we together be protected,
May we together be nourished.
May we work together with vigour,
May our study be illuminating.
May we be free from discord.
Oṃ Peace, Peace, Peace!
– Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1
Translated by Zoë Slatoff
Click to go to our ‘more about yoga’ page for opening and closing astanga chants, poems, quotes and to learn a little bit more about yoga,..