Tiffany is a yoga and movement teacher, writer, poet and spiritual seeker. She is a dedicated student of the energetics of yoga – specifically learning how this modality can create soul-expanding change in our modern lives. Tiffany’s classes use creative flows, with a strong focus on embodiment to challenge, uplift and empower the practitioner in their practice.

Tell us about your yoga journey

I’ll give you the cliff notes version…

My yoga journey started about 13 years ago. I danced up until I was 20 years old when I gave up pursuing it professionally. During the following four years I moved to London, got a 9-5 and avoided any class that took place in the studio. Eventually, I had this calling to bring movement back into my life, but I was looking for something that wasn’t dance, and I thought, why not try yoga?

I found this little hidden studio just around the corner from my flat called Yoga Place. I walked into a random class on a Thursday night with a teacher called Leila Sadeghee; effervescent, funny, an incredible storyteller. Her talk at the beginning of the class had me immediately enthralled – then the movement part of the class started. I didn’t know the words, but I could kind of follow along and then my first savasana was an absolute trip! I felt a sense of stillness and calm that I’d never felt before and in that moment I thought ‘I want more of this’. So I went the next week, and the next week and the week after that.

And that’s kind of how it started.

I had been practising with Leila for a few years when she asked me if I was going to take their YTT. I immediately said no – who was I to be a teacher of this thing I enjoyed so much and felt I knew so little about. I was reluctant to say the least, but to her credit she saw something in me that I didn’t. Leila asked me sporadically over the next 2 years when I was going to dive in and one day I surprised myself and said ‘yes, I’m in!’

I look back now on how scared I was, the way I questioned my ability and how maybe I wasn’t ready, but the level of support, spaceholding and quality of the training was phenomenal and completely transformed my life in a way that I can’t even begin to describe. I learned so much about myself, how I show up, how intelligent my body is, a thirst for knowledge that I hadn’t had since I was at school, this desire to really get to know what it means to cultivate a spiritual practice and how infinitely vast this life is.. And so yeah, here I am now. It feels as if those 13 years have gone in a flash, but there’s so much that has happened and unfolded I would need a few more pages to really dive in. Ultimately, I’m filled with an overwhelming gratitude, it’s really an honour to continue walking this path.

What kind of yoga teacher would you say you are?

I’m heavily influenced by my dance background and the teachers that I’ve had the chance to learn from have shown me the numerous ways and depths in which I can inhabit and move my body. So, if I were to describe myself as a teacher I would say that; I encourage the movement to be an exploration into the many layers of awareness (subtle and gross) that we can access. Into a remembrance of the capacity of the body to open up and create spaciousness, not only in our physical, but also in our emotional and energetic bodies – you could say a guide into uncovering the unique topography of you. And through all of that, in the centre of it all, is a deep well of fierce freedom that if we can begin to crack open even a little bit has the power to transform our life.

How has your yoga evolved?

I think as a dancer the physical aspect of yoga was what initially called to me – the work, the sweat, the physical tiredness, the capacity to sculpt my muscles, to test my strength, to increase my flexibility – I was really drawn to that as it felt familiar.

But at that point I didn’t realise I was just scratching at the surface of what was possible. Through my teacher Leila and other incredible teachers (Tara Judelle, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Paula Andreewitch and Adriana Rizzolo, amongst others) I was introduced to integrative, somatic and experiential embodiment practices that moved beyond traditional asana and gave me so many new pathways to explore.

So for a while my physical practice became softer, more subtle; It was less about poses and that physical high of an intense class and more about refining my inner attunement to the intelligence of my body. Exploring different pathways into awareness and inevitably expansion; through the organs, bones and space, for example, while really deeply listening to what my body needed. Alongside that I began to build a steady daily practice of mediation, mantra, prayer and the contemplative aspects of the practice.

And now I’ve come full circle in some ways. I’m finding a lot of joy in the art of pose craft and exploring the variety of asana available, but I have a new appreciation for it. The embodiment through-line runs through it all and I think ultimately the question I’m always asking myself is ‘how am I orienting myself towards a deeper embodied awareness while doing this or that?’. And there is definitely less of the striving (though it still happens!) to achieve a certain goal or to meet a certain aesthetic and more of a consistent education and deep appreciation of what my body is capable of.

Has your own practice changed as a result of any additional teacher training?

I have had the opportunity to be guided by some amazing teachers who have shown me new ways of being, moving and have inspired me no end, but three honourable mentions…

I will forever be grateful to Leila Sadeghee and her continued guidance over the past 13 years. If you have the opportunity to experience a class, workshop or retreat with her, DO IT! I can guarantee it will be an experience that will shift your perspective.

Also, through various teachers I was introduced to the work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Body Mind Centering and wow – it’s just so rich and a totally different way of experiencing this body we live in.

And lastly Body Temple Dance created by Adriana Rizolo – not strictly a yoga training – but a deep dive into the power of somatic movement and devotion as a healing art.

But, I personally would like to extend the lens beyond formal teacher training and just recognise that there are teachers whose classes, whether I go diligently every week or sporadically, have informed an aspect of my practice and I’m grateful to them for showing up in the way that they do for me and all of their students

What has been your biggest challenge as a yoga teacher?

I mean are we only allowed one?!

One of the challenges that is present for me right now is comparison. And I think it is informed by the competitiveness of the yoga industry, especially in London as it’s extremely saturated and also the yoga landscape as depicted on social media.

It is nuanced and has many facets to it of course, but in a world where you seem to be required to have an “impressive” asana practice, look a certain way, be a social media expert, copywriter, an event producer, a travel agent, photographer/videographer and a great teacher it can be overwhelming. And some people seem to be doing it all so effortlessly.

And then that can become tied to ‘well, if that’s the landscape that we’re working with, how do I make sure I do all of that so I can make a living and also feel fulfilled in what I’m teaching and support students in the way that I want to support them?’

So, when that voice gets really loud I have to dig for the truth – my truth – which is remembering why I teach. There’s a purpose to what I’m doing and I have this internal guiding light which informs why I show up day after day after day in deep service to the people that come to class, whether they just attend once or week after week. That’s the golden nugget which silences the doubt.

How do you go about recommending yoga?

Obviously, I tell everyone who will listen how amazing yoga is and that they should try it IMMEDIATELY, ha!

But if people have already made it into the studio and are just starting out I offer people a couple of options.

Depending on their movement experience, I may suggest that try a beginners course to build the foundations and get focused attention as they learn the common yoga poses – it’s such a good way to get extra support and build the confidence to take a regular studio class (a wider conversation but I wish people found it less intimidating to take a regular studio class no matter their experience).

Sometimes the idea of a beginners course puts people off, so then I encourage them to explore what’s out there. I recommend teachers that I enjoy because I value their guidance and think other people would benefit as well. But, I understand that everyone’s unique, everyone has different motivations/goals/desires, so I tell people to find the teacher that best serves them and what they are looking for from their practice – try different styles, different teachers, different studios – see what you like and what you don’t like until something sticks.

There are so many options out there and I believe that finding your community is key to creating a sustained practice (because that’s what happened for me. Thursday nights at the Yoga Place were the highlight of my week and I still have some of those people in my life today)

What does a day in the life of Tiffany look like?

I find this a hard question because these always read like the ideal day when I know there is a messiness and a humanness to it that isn’t always conveyed.

Truly every day is different, while my weekly schedule has a flow because I have scheduled classes it may be more accurate to say what does your typical week look like

Wake up. Coffee. Mediate or journal (though sometimes either can be replaced by scrolling on my phone – I’m definitely a human who probably has more screentime than I should). Studio classes and clients interspersed with newsletter writing, invoicing, emails, meetings and class planning. My own training, either some self-guided movement, a class or the gym and sometimes I sit on the sofa and do absolutely nothing and watch escapist tv. The evenings are precious and I often spend them catching up with friends over delicious food and a glass of wine or at home alone delving into a book or dancing around in my kitchen to 90’s pop, 00’s r&b and of course musicals.

And yet, all of that ceases to convey the ways in which I sustain my creative spirit – Talking to friends, going to the theatre, listening to music that stirs my soul, writing poetry, reading poetry, mantra, learning the harmonium in short bursts, walking or sitting in the park.

I guess all of that to say that my days can feel incredibly ordinary but are often punctuated with beautiful bright spots

What is your favourite quote or life motto?

One of my favourite quotes come from Martha Graham via Agnes De Mille

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.”

It reminds me of the possibility and the utter necessity of following your heart and the passions that move through you.

What’s coming up for you in 2023 / 24?

2023 has been a big year for me with lots of changes, so I’m going to lean into this transition into autumn and winter and harvest everything I learnt from this year and take some time to turn inward and reflect.

There are lots of things brewing for 2024, and I cannot wait to share them with you as soon as they are ready! It’ll include day retreats, Body Temple Dance classes, movement and writing workshops and a few other surprises. I’m also going to be sharing more of my writing and poetry next year, as it’s about time. So yeah, there’ll be lots of fun things happening in 2024, all yet to be announced, but I’m excited about what that new year is going to bring

Find Tiffany

Website: www.tiffanysabrina.com

Instagram: @tiffanysabrina_

Teaches at: Tripspace, Indaba, Blok, Waking Dreams and The Rogue Room