I’m a yoga teacher based in the UK. I’ve practised yoga for over 25 years and have taught yoga since 2007. I hold a Master’s degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS, University of London, where I specialised in Sanskrit and haṭhayoga. I’m currently pursuing a PhD in this field, focusing on intersections between yoga and Indian medicine.
I combine practical experience with scholarship to teach a holistic approach to yoga that encompasses a wide spectrum of practices and embraces the rich cultural diversity of yogic traditions.
I’m currently on sabbatical from teaching weekly classes while I focus on doctoral research. However, I continue to teach on the Devon School of Yoga’s 500-hour, two-year teacher training course, and I periodically offer workshops on specialist topics.
My Yoga Journey
I first became interested in yoga while backpacking in Asia in the winter of 1999/2000. I was particularly drawn to haṭhayoga and found I could experience a new sense of peace and clarity by consciously breathing in a posture. I also found that chronic pain from an old injury eased significantly and eventually diminished altogether. I started practising daily, attending weekly classes, and regularly visiting India to study yoga intensely.
In 2007, I completed a British Wheel of Yoga Foundation course and travelled to India to complete yoga teacher training at Yoga Vidya Gurukul near Nasik. The same year, I began teaching, and by 2008, I had transitioned to teaching yoga full-time and embarked on a two-year teacher training diploma with the Devon School of Yoga.
My principal teacher over the years has been Duncan Hulin, whose holistic, non-dogmatic approach has deeply influenced my teaching style. In recent years, my interest in yoga’s history and philosophy led me to return to academic study. In 2023, I completed a Master’s degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation at SOAS, University of London, where I focused on Sanskrit and yoga history. I am currently pursuing doctoral research within this field. My PhD examines the purificatory and remedial practices of haṭhayoga.
I blend practical experience and scholarship to teach a holistic approach to yoga that encompasses a wide spectrum of practices and embraces the rich cultural diversity of yogic traditions.
Website: jamesrussellyoga.com
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