Tawny Cortes is a yoga and mindfulness teacher, wellbeing coach and sound practitioner. We caught up with Tawny to learn more about her, her experience and her practices.
You can learn more about Tawny through her Instagram page @tawny.cortes and her website tawnycortes.com.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m a proud Latina with mixed Mexican and Colombian roots, now based in West London. I’ve been working in the wellness space for over a decade, building a career that’s evolved naturally with my passions. Over the years, I’ve trained and worked as a personal trainer, yoga teacher, mindfulness practitioner, wellness coach, sound practitioner, and corporate wellbeing facilitator. Titles have never quite captured the heart of what I do, but if I had to name it, I’d say I’m a Restorative Wellbeing Practitioner—someone who supports individuals and communities through mindful, embodied approaches to health and healing.
However my most recent and transformative role has been becoming a mother to my baby girl. She’s only seven months old, but motherhood has already reshaped me in ways I could never have anticipated. It’s been incredibly hard—stretching me physically, emotionally, and spiritually—while also opening my heart and expanding my capacity for love, patience, and presence. It’s the most precious and important role I’ll ever have, and one that continues to teach me daily about surrender, resilience, and joy.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Since going on maternity leave seven months ago, my days have been lovingly shaped around my little one’s rhythm. Mornings begin around 6am so I’m learning to become a morning person! While she naps, I carve out pockets of time to ease back into work—answering emails, planning classes or workshops, or updating my website. Mid-morning is reserved for a walk outside, a ritual that helps both of us reset.
After lunch comes another nap, and depending on how long she sleeps, I try to use that window to rest and recharge myself. Sometimes that means just 10–15 minutes in a restorative pose, like legs up the wall, or a short meditation to ground myself. We usually head out for another walk in the afternoon—lately surrounded by the beauty of cherry blossoms in full bloom. I often listen to a podcast during those walks, usually something around wellbeing or motherhood, which helps me feel both inspired and supported.
As I gently find my way back into work, I’m still figuring out what my new rhythm will be—how to balance this tender season of motherhood with the career I’ve built over the years. It’s a work in progress, but one I’m approaching with curiosity, compassion, and a deep trust in the process.
How did your yoga journey begin and what inspired you to become a yoga teacher?
I went to my first yoga class during my final year of university, while I was completing a Master’s in Drama & Theatre Studies. At the time, I was feeling overwhelmed—stressed and anxious about my final project and unsure of what was next. I’d heard that yoga could help with stress, that it offered something beyond just movement—a mindful, grounding approach. I remember lying in savasana at the end of that first class and feeling a quiet sense of calm. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the thought of becoming a yoga teacher flickered—but back then, it felt more like a distant daydream than a real possibility. Funny how life has a way of circling back. That seed stayed quietly dormant within me, waiting for the right time to take root. And a few years later, it did.
Yoga has been a steady refuge during some of the most challenging seasons of my life. It’s helped me release self-judgment and soften into acceptance, compassion, and kindness—especially toward myself. In a world that moves fast and asks us to keep up, my practice is where I come home to myself. It helps me stay grounded and centred, especially when anxiety surfaces, and it gently guides me back to the present moment. Yoga has taught me how to slow down, to connect with my breath—the essence of who I am—and to find a sense of balance amidst it all. It’s this deep personal connection to the practice that inspired me to share it with others, in the hope that it might offer others the same comfort, clarity, and connection it’s given me.
What inspired you to specialise in restorative yoga, mindfulness and sound healing?
As I began to find my voice as a teacher, I felt a clear pull toward practices that reflected my core values—nurturing self-awareness, compassion, and self-acceptance. From early on, I was drawn to modalities that support nervous system health and help reduce stress, such as breathwork (pranayama), restorative yoga, and crystal bowl sound healing. These practices all share a common thread: they invite us to slow down, to do less, and to simply be. In that stillness, we create space to return to balance.
Mindfulness, for me, is the foundation of it all. It invites us to be with what’s arising—moment by moment—without judgment. It teaches us to respond rather than react, and to meet ourselves with gentleness, no matter what we’re moving through. When we deepen our awareness in this way, we begin to build a more compassionate relationship with ourselves—one that supports us in navigating the human experience with softness, resilience, and grace.
Do you have a favourite quote or life motto that you live by?
A current life motto that I’m trying to live by as I navigate this tender phase of early motherhood and my gentle return to work is “rooted through presence, growing through grace”.
