About Yoga

There are many styles and approaches to yoga ranging from the very meditative to the gymnastic. Our approach, developed by TKV Desikachar (1938–2016) of Chennai, India, is a careful combination of bodywork, breathing techniques and meditative practices to promote well being and balance. Desikachar was one of the inspirational and innovative teachers who helped to shape modern yoga practice throughout the world.

About Ranju

Although I grew up in England, I was born in India; my father is Indian and my mother is English. After I graduated from Exeter University in English Literature and Fine Art, I worked as an art therapist and family therapist in the psychiatric services in Somerset in 1991–2004.

I trained as a yoga teacher with Paul Harvey from 1991-95 in the tradition of TKV Desikachar. This led to many other retreats and workshops both in the UK and India, and also to working extensively with Peter Hersnack, another of Desikachar’s students.

Since 2004 I have worked as a full time yoga teacher, teaching groups, individuals and also workshops. In 2004 I also started to run teacher training programmes and retreats with my friend and colleague Dave Charlton. You can read more about our work at www.sadhanamalayogatraining.com

Dave and I wrote Embodying the Yoga Sūtra which was published in 2019 and was very well received. You can find out more about it here.

Juggling work, family and yoga training has had its own challenges, but gave me a good understanding of how to integrate yoga into modern daily life, with all its pressures and constraints. Used skilfully, yoga is a support – not a retreat from life, but a way of embracing it. It points to something beyond all the dramas: the stillness and space between the thoughts.