ABOUT ME
Twenty years of yoga, movement & therapies
Yoga has been a part of my life for more than 20 years, although my first experience was Yoga Nidra whilst at school, aged 13. Before teaching, I dabbled in music production and performance, stage make up, floristry, hairdressing, care work, cleaning and seamstress.
Yoga and movement are my healthcare and my sanity. It has helped me lose and maintain a 4-stone loss in weight, stabilise an underactive thyroid, manage flare ups from a back injury and navigate mental health, bereavement through suicide, as well as helping me to cope and understand a body with mild hypermobilty, connective tissue disorder and dysautonomia. Yoga and movement isn't a cure, but more of a brilliant set of management tools.
I'm passionate in what I do and I'm in a privileged position to be able to pass this knowledge on, along with introducing amazing guest teachers for workshops and retreats.
Outside of teaching, being an anatomy and biomechanics geek:
I'm a wannabe dancer, singer, enjoy music and making music, playing drums (big fun!), history nerd, genealogy enthusiast (more here) and website designer (more here). I also still do cleaning, gardening and decorating for my elderly neighbours.
Happiest in nature and love ancient nature based traditions and practices (more here).
'WHERE DOES THE NAME VERNETTE COME FROM?'
Vern is Gaulish/Celtic for the alder tree – springlike, full of life, a symbol of strength, safety and protection on Celtic Ogham Ver/Vern/Verna/Vernal is Latin - spring or spring green (Vernal Spring equinox). In Norse, Vern means shield.
Trained. Registered. Continuously learning.
An overview of core training.
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Yoga Alliance Professionals - Senior Yoga Teacher.
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Yoga Alliance - Experienced Yoga Teacher, Pregnancy Yoga Teacher, Continued Education Provider.
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CNHC Registered Practitioner - Yoga Therapy.
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Anatomy & bio-mechanics (Leslie Kaminoff, Tiffany Cruikshank, Sadie Nardini, Jules Mitchell).
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Pilates Instructor.
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Pregnancy & Post-Natal Yoga & Pilates.
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Fitness Instructor L2.
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Pilates Instructor L3.
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Zumba Licensed Instructor.
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Menopause Yoga, Pilates & Coaching.
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Sports & Therapeutic Massage.
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Reiki Master Practitioner.
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EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).
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Counselling & Psychology qualifications.
GRATITUDE
Education. Inspiration. Heartfelt thanks
My heartfelt thanks and respect to those below that I have trained or practiced with at one time or another:
Barbara Currie for being my first yoga teacher
(after Denise Knight, a french teacher that once offered a yoga relaxation class at school along with Ann churchyard, my dance teacher at school).
Anne Marie Newland and Rita Osborne @ Sun Power Yoga for kicking my ass!
To dearest, Katy Appleton and her amazing guest teachers for illuminating my teaching and helping to me feel yoga more deeply
Leah Bracknell (my dear, sweet, late friend). Always in my heart
Shiva Rea and Christopher Tompkins @Samudra Global Yoga Online for an amazing journey into Tantric Shaivism.
Sadie Nardini, Tyler McCoy and Marlene Henny for bringing the wonderful transitions of CSVY into my life, freeing up and strengthening my body, as well as empowering me to teach from a place of authenticity and to 'rock who I am'. (ha!)
Josie McKenlay for being one of only two the Pilates teachers to inspire me and make me like it!
Kim Wright for bringing back my love of dancing in lockdown 2020/1
To Leslie Kaminoff, Jules Mitchell, Tom Myers, Celeste Pereira and Donna Fahri for bringing great anatomy, biomechanics and neuroscience geekiness to life for me.
Niamh Daly (Yinstinct Yoga), Dinah Siman (the other fabulous Pilates teacher!) and dear friend, Claudia Brown for being fountains of menopause yoga knowledge
Carolyn Cowan, Anne Malone, Maya Fiennes, Leila Sadeghee (Yamuna Body Rolling), Howard Napper, Sam Rao, Heather George, Krissy Hawkes, Audrey Brun, Estelle Eugene, Vani Devi, Tiffany Kruikshank, Celeste Periera, Erin Motz, David Lurey, Anat Geiger, Marlene Smits and Danna Faulds for inspirations and divine words and of course, all my wonderful students, who I learn from every time I teach.
"Vernette is an exceptional teacher. Warm, friendly and encouraging. I have been having 1-2-1 sessions for four months and attend her classes. You're only ever expected to do what you can do. She offers physical support if you need it like I do with my back and the relaxation is always well deserved and is heavenly. Thank you Vernette" Sara Gratton