We’re very excited to have Csilla (pronounced Chiller) join the Yoga West teacher group from January 2019. Csilla has a passion for spreading health and happiness. She holds a martial arts black belt but fell in love with yoga when she moved to London from Germany and discovered how versatile and replenishing yoga can be. Expect to leave her class sweaty, with a new found energy and a big smile!

You can join her Vinyasa Flow classes on Friday at 1:15pm and 6pm and Sunday at 3:30pm.

How did you get into yoga?

I was in university and kind of curious about yoga and starting a new form of movement, but had never tried it before. So I signed up to an intro pack went to my first class and floated home feeling amazing. I ended up going every day for those 20 days and absolutely falling in love with it!

Was there a moment when you realised you wanted to pursue yoga seriously? 

I always found myself saying "I'd love to be a yoga teacher one day" ever since I started practicing and admiring and chatting to some of the teachers. I went on to work in marketing for a few years, but knew that the sedentary lifestyle and being in front of a computer all day just wasn't for me! So I took the plunge and did my teacher training and I've never looked back!

How has yoga changed you?

It's really helped me through some challenging times in the last year, and introduced me to other practices like meditation and pranayama (breath control). It's a powerful tool to look inwards, really connect with myself and how my body feels. I've also started practicing handstands, other inversions and acro yoga which has been great fun and made me feel

challenged and much stronger!

What’s your advice to people considering starting yoga?

Pop into the yoga studio and chat to one of the lovely receptionists who can recommend a class to you. You want the first experience to be positive! It's also good to look into taking a few private classes to help you feel more confident, answer any questions and make the most of the time you spend on your mat.

What is your approach to teaching?

I love getting the most of the time myself and my students spend on the mat. For me that's about moving with control and resistance, getting the basics right and making sure to listen to the cues the body gives us. But it's also about being strong, having fun, being playful and working up a sweat to really enjoy savasana at the end (with a head massage included).

Is there anything else outside yoga that would be interesting to share?

I've got a martial arts black belt and I also train in the gym lifting some weights, which really supports my yoga practice and is fun! I'm originally from Germany, but I also spent some time living in the US but have really fallen in love with London.

Csilla