Leigh Barber
"My classes offer a grounding space for gentle unfolding"
Each week students will be guided through a dynamic flowing sequence of postures designed to help connect with the breath, develop strength, stamina, and flexibility, whilst bringing balance to the body and mind. Posture options and modifications are offered and encouraged throughout the class to ensure the flow is accessible to students of all experience levels.
Leigh Teaches Vinyasa Flow Open Level, Monday 11am
From participating in my first Ashtanga class in January 2015 I was hooked and have never looked back. Although I left that first class wondering what had just ‘hit’ me, I knew I had found a practice that would stay with me forever. I practice different styles of yoga regularly but definitely lean towards the more dynamic! I have been fortunate enough to learn from a number of inspirational teachers who have guided me along my yoga journey. In 2019 I completed my 200-hour Vinyasa and Hatha Teacher Training at the Fly Lotus Yoga Suryalila Retreat Centre in Spain.
My classes are dynamic but fun, with options to encourage and challenge. I want students to walk away having learned something, with a sense of achievement, and feeling good. Outside of yoga, I enjoy walking, travelling, knitting, sewing, and volunteering with ‘Pyjama Fairies’ making surgical gowns and pyjamas for children in hospitals.
Mantra: “I am strong, I am capable and I am loved.”
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that guides your teaching – or your life?
“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoing everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.”
Paulo Coelho
- What inspired you to become a yoga teacher? My first yoga class felt like the first time I’d stopped to breathe. I was hooked. Yoga taught me it was safe to slow down, to stop for at least an hour, and to prioritise myself. It’s no exaggeration that yoga changed my life and my perspective on life.
How would you describe your teaching style and the kind of space you hold? I would say I’m a ‘less is more’ kind of teacher. My flows are simple but effective where the breath is priority. I create a space in which you can pause, you can put all the responsibilities and to do lists etc etc to one side at least for the hour and breathe, move, and just be.
How do you want people to feel when they leave your class? Like they’ve had the time and space to feel however they feel, and that they’ve had an opportunity to pause.
What can someone expect if they’re coming to your class for the first time? The class will always begin with meditation and a moment to connect with the breath. We’ll then begin to flow, building a sequence breath by breath until we bring it all the way back down to a few moments of pranayama before savasana. You’ll have opportunity to explore, find what feels good for you, and hopefully laugh a bit too.
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that guides your teaching – or your life? “Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoing everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” Paulo Coelho
What do you do for fun outside of teaching? I’m a Life Coach and Psychologist-in-training, I find that very very fun. I also love to find a nice wine bar and sip delicious wine on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and I love going to see stand up comedy.