About Keith
Read how your Mandala yoga teachers describe their first yoga encounters and their onward journeys.
”My introduction to Yoga came in 1997 after I had a back injury related to weight training. I lifted weights for many years with the sole objective of building strength. Yoga was recommended to me to help me to create a balance between strength and mobility in my body.
Based on this advice, I devised a self-practice at home learning from books which I found in second-hand stores and so the journey began.
After some time the home practice which I cultivated whet my appetite to learn more and so I started to attend classes. I practiced with many teachers. I stumbled upon the fun and dynamic classes of Tony Purcell. By 2003 I decided to quit my job and study yoga in Mysore, under the guidance of BNS Iyengar.
After six months in India, I came to the conclusion that a regimented approach to yoga was no longer for me. It became apparent to me that a more diverse approach to Asana practice could activate stretch receptors in different ways and ultimately enhance mobility.
The first teacher training course I attended was a two year course with Yoga Therapy Ireland where there was a strong emphasis on safe practice and understanding the anatomy of movement.
In the years after my training, my hunger to broaden my knowledge inspired me to learn from many teachers and explore a variety of styles. In 2014 I completed a 300hr teacher training course with the Yoga Room That training gave me huge insight into practices and approaches to sequencing which have transformed how I practice and teach.
At present I am learning from the Para Yoga lineage of Rod Stryker. There is so much depth to yoga practices in this lineage that it provides me with a beginners mind and humility.
My philosophy to teaching is that in order to be a great teacher, I must first be an exceptional student. The yoga classes I lead are informed by my personal practice. Every class I teach is a sequence which I have experienced myself before offering to students.”