Sarah DelfasCertified Iyengar yoga teacher since 2002
Sarah Delfas is a level 3 Iyengar Yoga teacher and has been teaching for over 20 years. A founder member of IY(UK)'s Children, Young Adults and Families committee she is a mother of 4 and lives and teaches in mid Sussex, not far from the location of Yogapushpanjali. She has been liaising closely with Michael Hall School (which two of her children still attend) and members of the local community to organise and make this event happen.
"I chanced upon an Iyengar yoga class in 1990 and was hooked. Since then yoga has accompanied me throughout all aspects of life, including the pregnancies and births of my four children who inspired me to start classes for children. I love teaching students of all ages and enjoy adapting my teaching to the needs and abilities of my students, from children and teenagers through to mentoring more experienced students training to become teachers, as well as to facilitating a way of accessing yoga for those who through age or stiffness might struggle. Yoga is for everyone - BKS Iyengar's legacy has been to help us all to find a way to practise safely and beneficially. It was whilst I observed the children's classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune that I was spurred on to work to make Iyengar yoga more accessible to the younger generation here in the UK. The idea for Yogapushpanjali sprang from a conversation sitting outside a tent with fellow Iyengar yoga practitioners Annie Beatty, Uday Bhosale and Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh in 2018. Annie Beatty is an Iyengar Yoga teacher and primary school teacher who will also be teaching at Yogapushpanjali. As mothers Annie and I are both aware of the pull between finding space to further one's own yoga practice and teaching, and juggling family responsibilities. Even if you manage to work that out, if you want your children to do yoga, you have to make time to do it all together and let them be inspired as you are. My youngest two children were lucky to experience Uday's and Zubin's encouragement early in their yoga journeys and this made for a very positive start. We are very excited that Uday will be coming to teach and inspire us all for the weekend. Yogapushpanjali aims to bring great yoga to the whole family in one lovely location. As someone who enjoys listening to or reading stories and bringing stories to my own teaching, I am especially excited that Maria Zourari will be enhancing Yogapushpanjali with her telling of the Ramayana and that two very special teachers, Olly Room and Annabelle Davis, are leading the children's activities and crafts. And above all I hope that the Yogapushpanjali family yoga camp deepens the practice and love of yoga for all who attend."
Olly RoomWaldorf PE teacher and amateur boxer
Olly Room is a teacher at Michael Hall Steiner Waldorf School where he teaches Wellbeing and Physical Education. With a background and keen interest in Bothmer movement, he will lead the activities programme for children and teenagers while parents enjoy their yoga classes.
"I am very excited to be involved with the Yogapushpanjali summer camp. I have been a teacher for over 15 years teaching a variety of subjects in both mainstream and Waldorf schools. I also coach a variety of sports and lead summer sports and activity camps for children. I currently teach full time at Michael Hall School. My passion is teaching PE, movement and outdoor skills. I have a lot of experience running summer camps catering for a variety of age groups and I really enjoy facilitating children to get outdoors, active and enjoying themselves. During the sessions at Yogapushpanjali there will be a mix of group games, sports, movement, nature connection and bushcraft."
Annabelle DavisFrom Sutura Workshops
Annabelle Davis will be running evening craft sessions for children. A skilled seamstress, crocheter and textile artist she can turn her hand to most crafts and has held many creative workshops for adults and children. A graduate of Michael Hall School, which lays down a fantastic foundation in crafts, she also happens to be a dedicated Iyengar yoga student and having admired Uday Bhosale on Instagram, can't wait to experience his teaching first hand!
"I am passionate about being creative. I first learned to sew with my grandmother who loved to do patchwork or rug making. I began to nurture my skills during my schooling where I was fortunate enough to have a creatively rich education. After graduating from art school, I went on to work as a Graphic Designer in a number of publishing companies including the National Trust, Cambridge University Press and Walker Books where I was fortunate to work with many talented authors and illustrators, fuelling my love of design and colour. I currently hold creative classes at the Oast Studio in Hartfield, where I teach a broad range of skills from sewing and crochet, to block printing. My aim is to provide a space for people to discover their creative abilities and find a calming space where they can thrive. In these times when everything is available at the touch of a button or the swipe of a screen, I believe it is more important than ever to create things with our own hands and remind ourselves of our practical potential and how nourishing it feels to do so."
