My Story
When I was 14, in 1997, I was diagnosed with a condition called Cavernoma — a cluster of malformed blood vessels in the brain that can leak and bleed.
Over the next 15 years, one in my brain bled six times, causing six strokes. These left me with 50% vision and weakness on the left side of my body, particularly in my arm and hand.
Rebuilding My Life
After my sixth stroke, I felt lost, confused, frustrated and deeply alone.
An incredible charity, Headway, helped me begin rebuilding my life. They supported me in exploring what I was capable of, and what the next chapter could look like.
Brain injury and stroke take so much from you - your identity, your plans, your sense of the future. There is a huge amount of grief in that experience.
Headway and yoga, gave me the space to begin processing that grief.
Finding Freedom Through Yoga
“Finding Your New Normal” became my way forward. Accepting that it was okay to begin again, from what felt like ground zero.
Yoga became a powerful part of that journey.
Through regular practice, I found:
Tools to manage both physical and emotional pain
A supportive community
A sense of freedom I hadn’t felt since before my strokes
On the mat, I adapted everything to suit my body and its limitations. I wasn’t doing what everyone else was doing, and that didn’t matter.
In yoga, I found happiness again.
I dreamed of going to India, but wasn’t sure it was possible with my vision and physical challenges, but I went anyway.
That journey showed me how asking for help can open doors you thought were closed. With the right support, what once felt impossible became possible. I went from being afraid to leave my flat to training as a yoga teacher in India.
India taught me patience, trust, and how to lean into uncertainty and keep going.
My Journey to India
Making Yoga Accessible
After returning home, I began teaching and deepening my training in areas like brain injury, meditation, and accessible yoga.
I’m now committed to making yoga inclusive by:
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Using accessible venues
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Offering flexible pricing
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Creating supportive, welcoming spaces
My Dream
My dream is to start a charity that provides:
Accessible yoga classes
Workshops and retreats
Training in accessible yoga
I want to support people whose lives have been changed by disability, illness, or unexpected challenges.
Because change starts within.
And yoga gives us the tools to reconnect with ourselves.
Let’s Create Change Together
Finding Your New Normal is so much more than yoga. I see it as a movement championing access, inclusion, and possibility.
If you’re interesting in working together to create change, I’d love to hear from you.