Hotpod Yoga
Colchester

Zach

Zach has always been a keen fitness enthusiast. He likes to keep 3 pillars at the forefront of his practice and teaching:
1. Calm the nervous system to alleviate any stresses
2. Deepen connection, self-awareness and presence.
3. Build resilience, focus, strength and mobility.

Yoga has the power to bring forward tremendous growth for anyone, on and off the mat.

Shane

Shane began his yoga journey in 2019 after a change in jobs as a way to slow things down. His first experience of yoga was on a foam mat in front of TouTube, and he never looked back. After attending classes and practicing with a teacher 1-2-1 he flew to Majorca and completed his training in the October of 2020.

Shane’s response to anyone who tell him they can’t touch their toes is to “just bend their knees because why does anyone need to have straight legs” cementing his belief that anyone can come to one of his classes and enjoy every aspect of it, be it the physical postures, the breathwork or the quieter periods.

Shane’s classes are light-hearted and relaxed, finding a balance between focus and fun – “because if you’re not having fun, then what’s the point?”

Ray

Holly

Getting into movement later in life, Holly had been exploring lots of different ways to engage with her body and back in 2018 she tried Asana (Yoga postures) for the first time.
Of course she loved the physical, but once Holly started going to studio classes, she discovered all the other incredible aspects of the Yoga practice.

The more Holly learned, the more compelled she felt to share her experience and by April 2021 her teaching journey had begun.

Holly’s training encompassed Yin, Hatha and Vinyasa and since, she has gone on to teach all these forms of practices. Plus Holly also loves being able to provide Chair Yoga classes locally. Yoga is for everybody and Holly’s classes are a reflection of her continued intention to invite everyone to benefit from the ‘tricks and treats’ our Yoga practice can gift.

Hannah

Abi

Abi completed her Yoga teacher training in February 2023. At the beginning it was a journey of self-discovery and from it her passion for yoga grew. Along her way she discovered new depths of herself, and it opened up lots of avenues for exploring other holistic practices.

Abi feels it’s really important for everyone to be able to access yoga without a perception that you have to fit the social criteria – the asana (poses) are such a small percentage of the practice! Abi likes to empower and encourage everyone to be their best self!

Lauren

Lauren completed her 200 hour Ashtanga teacher training in 2018 and continued her yoga journey with Rocket, Mandala & Yin. She has taught at Hotpod Yoga Chelmsford since 2019 and loves HPYs progressive approach to yoga and how its adaptable to all levels of practitioner. Lauren is also a Sports Massage therapist and incorporates her knowledge of the body and functional movement into her classes.

Rachel

Having practiced yoga for over 10 years, discovering all the amazing benefits it has to offer, Rachel’s mission as a yoga teacher is to create a welcome space for anyone and everyone to move, breathe and connect with their body. Rachel encourages her students to listen to their body, move intuitively and compassionately, and most importantly… to have fun!

Nicola

Nicola encourages you to find empowerment through your movement, in a way which nourishes and honours your state of being, however you arrive on your mat. If you’ve ever been to Saffron Walden you may well have already met Nicola as she has her very own HPY studio there. With over a decade of teaching experience, we are super excited to have her join our Colchester teacher team for the launch weekend!

Chloe

Chloe completed her Yoga teacher training in 2020. She loves to share positive energy in her classes, encouraging her students to become self empowered with a welcomed challenged feeling. Chloe especially loves inspiring students and helping them to discover the amazing benefits of yoga.

Mehaq

Mehaq, a yoga instructor from India with 900 hours of Yoga Teacher Trainings, has had the pleasure of guiding over 350 people on their yoga journeys across the globe. Mehaq specialises in helping newcomers become skilled yoga practitioners by enhancing their fitness levels. Her sessions are all about invigorating workouts that leave you feeling revitalised. Additionally, she assists sports enthusiasts and gym-goers in complementing their practices for improved mobility and injury prevention. Join her on this exciting journey to unlock your full potential and lead a happier, healthier life through yoga.

Gaye

Gaye has been ‘living and breathing’ yoga for over 30 years, beginning her self-study attending a twice weekly Hatha class which she committed to for 15 years before becoming a teacher. Establishing a spiritual path, the message was clear she wanted to share the wonderful health and healing benefits of this ancient practice to others. She qualified in 2008 with the British wheel of Yoga Diploma. As yoga styles have evolved through time, her teaching has organically grown with the changes and continued to study gaining certificates so she can offer a wide range of Yoga styles. With her deep passion in the health of the spine, all her classes are blended with her back therapy training to help the student become more confident in their movements. Gaye is also a Thai yoga massage therapist.

Gaye’s classes have a spiritual vibe, focusing on using awareness of the breath to fuel the flow, to develop a fluid and flexible body to explore the poses deep within. Blending mindfulness meditation throughout, she encourages you to stay in the present moment with the union of mind, body, breath and spirit all connected at its deepest level.

Melissa

Melissa’s yoga journey started 8 years ago. She was mesmerised by all kinds of yoga poses on Instagram and thought what the hell let’s give it a go. Melissa began to attend 1 or 2 classes a week. As her flexibility improved, she grew ever more intrigued by the philosophy of yoga and how this practice was helping her in day to day life. She was lucky enough to be able indulge in her passion and undertake a teacher training course at The Same Star Yoga School.

If you would have told a younger version of Melissa that she would be teaching yoga today her response would be “No Way! You can’t stand on your head and bend like that!” And the TRUTH is, she still can’t. However, yoga is an individual practice, and everyone comes to the mat for a different reason.

Melissa believes that yoga classes should be fun, we should enjoy the journey and not the destination!

Natasha

In 2010 Natasha completed her BWY Yoga teacher training and since then has been teaching yoga full time to all kinds of abilities. Natasha is also a qualified Pilates teacher, holds a first honours degree in complementary medicine and health sciences and has a four year diploma in homeopathy which she previously practiced for 10 years.

Zoe

Studio owner of Hotpod Yoga Colchester. Zoe first tried hot yoga when she was 18 and instantly fell in love with the feeling it gave her. She wants to encourage as many people to give yoga a go even if they thinks it’s not for them as she has seen the benefits it has given her and people around her.

Zoe completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in July 2023 with Hotpod Yoga. Zoe’s classes are suitable for all levels and encourages students to focus inwards, while also being light-hearted and fun!