Johanna Paxton

Johanna has been practising yoga for fifteen years. She is a firm believer in the physical health benefits of yoga such as increased strength, balance, energy and co-ordination, and also the more subtle use of yoga and meditation as effective tools for healing and relaxation.
With her history of martial arts and love of movement and dance, Johanna was originally drawn to the strong, dynamic aspects of Ashtanga style of yoga and gained her yoga teaching diploma in 2008 with Yoga Haven and Brighton based teachers Allie Hill, Chris Swain and Kathryn Varney. More recently her practice has moved towards the simplicity of Scaravelli influenced yoga, working with the body to release unnecessary holding and encouraging greater freedom of movement. Johanna is less concerned with aesthetics, striving or pushing for increased flexibility and is more interested in posture and alignment, freeing tension in the body and working towards gradual suppleness. Her classes are a reflection of her own interest in body mechanics, anatomy of motion, and the beauty of working with yoga as moving meditation.
Johanna first discovered the beauty of Thai Massage in her early twenties whilst travelling through Thailand and was attracted to the energetic, fluid and dynamic aspects of this beautiful massage. She gained her qualifications in Thai Massage in the UK with the London School of Thai Massage (LSTM). Dedicated to developing her skills as as practitioner and satisfying her interest in body-based therapy, she is currently studying for a diploma in Shiatsu with the Bath School of Shiatsu and Yoga (BSSY). The combined experience of teaching yoga and working with massage has enabled Johanna to develop a intuitive, compassionate and personable approach to holistic therapy.